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4 October 2024
Unprovoked Shooting Lands Man in Prison for 20 YearsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tyrone Johnson, 43, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today in D.C. Superior Court to 20 years in prison for shooting a stranger on August 30, 2022, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Johnson was found guilty at trial in June 2024 of aggravated assault while armed, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault with significant bodily injury while armed, three counts of possession of a firearm during each of those crimes of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a pistol without a license, possession of an unregistered firearm, and unlawful possession of ammunition. Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo also ordered Johnson to serve five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, at around 5:40 a.m. on August 30, 2022, Johnson entered Starburst Plaza, located at the intersection of Benning Road NE and Bladensburg Road NE, and asked the victim if he could buy a cigarette from him. The victim did not have any cigarettes and told Johnson “no.” Johnson then told the victim to, “Give it up,” before taking out a handgun. Johnson then fired multiple times at the victim at close range, hitting him in his midsection. Johnson then ran into a nearby apartment complex. Police later identified Johnson through review of video surveillance, GPS records, and ballistics evidence that linked Johnson to this shooting and one committed one week before this offense.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the work of those who helped on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Victim/Witness Program Specialist Jennifer Allen, Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Renee Prather and Paralegal Specialists Crystal Waddy and Antoinette Sakamsa, IT Specialist Charlie Bruce, Supervisory Victim/Witness Service Coordinator Katina Adams and Victim/Witness Coordinators Maenylie Watson and Shanika McCollough, Assistant U.S. Attorney Dan Lenerz from the Appellate Division, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Folse and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward “Teddy” Dunn, who both investigated the case.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Travis Wolf and Matthew Goldstein, who prosecuted the case.
United States Seeks to Forfeit 200,000 Tether (“USDT”) Cryptocurrency, Valued at $200,000, Fraudulently Transferred from the Virtual Currency Wallet of an Ohio VictimRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND - The United States filed a civil complaint in forfeiture against a total of 200,000 Tether (“USDT”) cryptocurrency, valued at approximately $200,000. In February 2024, bitcoin valued at approximately $340,000 was fraudulently transferred from the virtual currency wallet of an Ashtabula, Ohio, victim to a cryptocurrency address unknown to the victim. The victim did not initiate or authorize the transaction.
Many virtual currencies publicly record all of their transactions on what is known as a “blockchain.” The blockchain is essentially a distributed public ledger, run by the decentralized network of computers, containing an immutable and historical record of every transaction utilizing that blockchain’s technology. The blockchain records every virtual currency address that has ever received virtual currency and maintains records of every transaction and all the known balances for each virtual currency address.
Through several steps of “blockchain analysis,” investigators were able to trace approximately $200,000 of the funds that were fraudulently transferred out of the victim’s virtual currency wallet to two cryptocurrency addresses on the Ethereum blockchain. As part of this analysis, it was determined that the fraudulently transferred bitcoin had been converted by the fraudsters to USDT cryptocurrency. USDT is a “stablecoin,” a type of blockchain-based currency that is tied - or tethered - to a fiat currency and exists on several third-party blockchains, including Ethereum. Tether seeks to peg USDT to the U.S. Dollar at a 1:1 ratio.
In March, 2024, the USDT tokens - valued at approximately $200,000 - at the two cryptocurrency addresses were frozen by Tether Limited Inc. Thereafter, pursuant to a federal seizure warrant issued on July 31, 2024, 200,000 USDT tokens were transferred by Tether Limited to a U.S. law enforcement-controlled virtual currency wallet.
By the Complaint in Forfeiture filed on October 3, 2024, the United States seeks to forfeit the subject 200,000 USDT cryptocurrency. If successful, the United States would then seek to return the forfeited funds to the Ashtabula, Ohio, victim. It is specifically noted that the claims made in the Complaint in Forfeiture are allegations that the United States will need to prove by a preponderance of the evidence should the case proceed to trial.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cleveland Field Office, is actively investigating cryptocurrency fraud schemes perpetrated on victims throughout the United States, including in the Northern District of Ohio.
This case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James L. Morford and Daniel J. Riedl.
View Complaint in Forfeiture
U.S. Attorney's Office and FBI Announce Upgraded Charges Against Zuni Man After Victim Dies Following Initial Assault CaseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man was charged by indictment with voluntary manslaughter after a confrontation at a residence in Zuni escalated into violence.
Joey Luarkie, 24, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, appeared before a federal judge today and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled.
According to court records, on Feb. 4, 2024, Luarkie was at the home of Jane Doe in Zuni when her boyfriend, John Doe, arrived. Jane Doe and John Doe went outside and argued for a short time before John Doe entered the residence to get some belongings. Luarkie followed John Doe and Jane Doe into her bedroom, where a physical altercation allegedly ensued, and Luarkie allegedly stabbed John Doe in the throat.
John Doe exited the residence and collapsed in the front yard, where responding officers from the Zuni Police Department found Jane Doe performing CPR on him. John Doe was transported to Zuni Health Center before being life-flighted to the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque where he underwent two emergency surgeries.
Luarkie initially faced charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury, but after John Doe died from his injuries, prosecutors upgraded the charges to voluntary manslaughter through an indictment.
If convicted, Luarkie faces a maximum of 15 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.
View the Indictment (Luarkie).pdfAn 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's Office Announces Guilty Plea in Fatal Shooting Case Involving Farmington ManRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Farmington man pleaded guilty in federal court to second degree murder and assault resulting in serious bodily injury after he fired a shotgun into a group of people, resulting in one death and one serious injury.
According to court documents, on September 5, 2021, Hanson Tsosie, 33, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, fired a shotgun into a group of people near Nenahnezad, New Mexico, killing Jane Doe 1 and seriously injuring Jane Doe 2.
Hanson will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled. At sentencing, Hanson faces a range of eight to 25 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI 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 Mark A. Probasco and Matthew J. McGinley are prosecuting the case.
View the Plea Agreement (Tsosie).pdf# # #
U.S. Attorney Simonton Alerts Public to Charity Scams in Wake of Hurricane HeleneRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Leigha Simonton issued a public safety alert today advising the public to be vigilant to hurricane relief fraud in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
“North Texans are some of the most generous people I know,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton, the Northern District of Texas’ chief federal law enforcement officer. “We’ve all been impacted by the devastating images of Helene’s aftermath and are looking for ways to help. The best way to ensure your donations make a difference is to route them through a legitimate charity. Please, be vigilant for scams. Unfortunately, some fraudsters will stop at nothing to make a quick buck – even if it means exploiting a natural disaster and preventing funds from reaching the actual victims who are in need.”
On Sept. 26, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend Region and quickly caused major devastation there and across states including Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and others.
As we have seen in the wake of previous national disasters, fraudsters will target victims of the storm along with citizens across the country who want to do what they can to assist individuals affected by the storm.
Unfortunately, criminals exploit disasters for their own gain by sending fraudulent communications through email or social media and by creating deceiving websites designed to solicit contributions.The public should exercise diligence before giving contributions to anyone soliciting donations or individuals offering to assist those affected by Hurricane Helene. Solicitations can originate from phone calls, texts, social media, e-mail, door-to-door collections, flyers, mailings, and other similar methods. Before making a donation to benefit victims of Hurricane Helene, individuals should adhere to certain guidelines, including:
- Make contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf.
- Do not be pressured into making contributions as reputable charities do not use such tactics.
- Do not respond to any unsolicited communications (e.g., e-mails and texts), and never click links contained within those messages because they may be targeting your personal information, to include bank and credit card account information, and other identifiers such as dates of birth and social security numbers.
- Rather than clicking on a purported link to a charity, verify its legitimacy by utilizing various Internet-based resources that may assist in confirming whether the organization is a valid charity.
- Beware of organizations with copy-cat names similar to but not exactly the same as those of reputable charities.
- Avoid cash donations if possible. Pay by credit card or write a check directly to the charity. Do not make checks payable to individuals.
- Know that legitimate charities do not normally solicit donations via money transfer services, and their website will normally end in .org rather than .com.
- Be cautious of e-mails that claim to show pictures of the disaster areas in attached files because the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders.
The U.S. Department of Justice established the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) in the wake of Hurricane Katrina to deter, investigate, and prosecute fraud in the wake of disasters. More than 50 federal, state, and local agencies participate in the NCDF, which reminds the public to be aware of and report any instances of alleged fraudulent activity related to relief operations and funding for victims. Complaints of fraud may be reported online at www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm. Complaints may also be reported to the NCDF at (866) 720-5721, a hotline that is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
U.S. Attorney Leary Warns About Hurricane Helene Charity ScamsRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – U.S. Attorney Peter Leary is warning the public to be vigilant to fraud attempts in the wake of Hurricane Helene.
“Communities across the Middle District of Georgia and the Southeast are reeling from the devastation caused by Hurricane Helene. It pains me that there are criminals who would exploit storm victims trying to rebuild their lives and take advantage of people’s goodwill toward their struggling neighbors,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary for the Middle District of Georgia. “Let this serve as a warning to anyone attempting to scam Hurricane Helene victims and the people helping those in need: Our office will prosecute fraudsters to the fullest extent allowed under law.”
On Sept. 26, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend Region and quickly caused major devastation there and across states including Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and others. As we have seen in the wake of previous national disasters, fraudsters will target victims of the storm along with citizens across the country who want to do what they can to assist individuals affected by the storm. Unfortunately, criminals exploit disasters for their own gain by sending fraudulent communications through email or social media and by creating deceiving websites designed to solicit contributions.
The public should exercise diligence before giving contributions to anyone soliciting donations or individuals offering to assist those affected by Hurricane Helene. Solicitations can originate from phone calls, texts, social media, e-mail, door-to-door collections, flyers, mailings and other similar methods. Before donating to benefit victims of Hurricane Helene, individuals should adhere to certain guidelines, including:
- Make contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf.
- Do not be pressured into making contributions as reputable charities do not use such tactics.
- Do not respond to any unsolicited communications (e.g., e-mails and texts) and never click links contained within those messages because they may be targeting your personal information, to include bank and credit card account information, and other identifiers such as dates of birth and social security numbers.
- Rather than clicking on a purported link to a charity, verify its legitimacy by utilizing various Internet-based resources that may assist in confirming whether the organization is a valid charity.
- Beware of organizations with copy-cat names that are similar to but not exactly the same as those of reputable charities.
- Avoid cash donations if possible. Pay by credit card or write a check directly to the charity. Do not make checks payable to individuals.
- Know that legitimate charities do not normally solicit donations via money transfer services, and their website will normally end in .org rather than .com.
- Be cautious of e-mails that claim to show pictures of the disaster areas in attached files because the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders.
The U.S. Department of Justice established the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) in the wake of Hurricane Katrina to deter, investigate and prosecute fraud in the wake of disasters. More than 50 federal, state and local agencies participate in the NCDF, which reminds the public to be aware of and report any instances of alleged fraudulent activity related to relief operations and funding for victims. Complaints of fraud may be reported online at www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm. Complaints may also be reported to the NCDF at (866) 720-5721, a hotline that is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
U.S. Attorney Handberg Cautions Against Disaster Fraud Following Hurricane HeleneRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – In the wake of the extreme devastation caused by Hurricane Helene, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg reminds residents that as with any major disaster, there are unscrupulous thieves who seek to take advantage of the environment to line their own pockets.
“As Florida continues to recover in the aftermath of the devastating Category 4 Hurricane Helene, it’s especially important to be vigilant against fraudsters who seek to profit from natural disasters,” stated U.S. Attorney Handberg. “Our office stands ready to assist in holding accountable individuals who would take advantage of disaster victims. We are committed to aggressively prosecuting those who commit this type of fraud.”
The National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) is the result of a partnership between the U.S. Department of Justice and various law enforcement and regulatory agencies to form a national coordinating agency within the Criminal Division of the Department of Justice to improve and further the detection, prevention, investigation, and prosecution of fraud related to natural and man-made disasters, and to advocate for the victims of such fraud.
The NCDF was established in 2005 in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, when billions of dollars in federal disaster relief poured into the Gulf Coast region. It is the national coordinating agency for all man-made and natural disasters. NCDF’s Gulf Coast headquarters is located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
In the wake of Hurricane Helene, there is no indication that criminals will slow down their efforts to commit fraud on individuals already victimized by the storm. The following examples of disaster-related fraud are based on over 220,000 historical complaints submitted to the NCDF:
- Fake charities immediately soliciting donations using the names of well-known charities or appearing reasonable as related to a disaster
- Individuals impersonating government officials and insurance company representatives advising that disaster assistance will be made available should the potential victim provide a sum of money or personal identifiers such as date of birth, social security number, and bank account information (name of financial institution, routing number, and account number)
- Individuals soliciting victims to invest in non-existent businesses and ventures offering recovery efforts such as cleanup, rebuilding, and making structures, such as homes, more resistant to future disasters by elevating structures to minimize future flood risks
- Individuals overcharging for goods and services needed by victims of disaster, also known as price-gouging
In addition, based on the type of disaster, individuals are frequently victimized by theft of property from businesses and residences abandoned because of a disaster (either pre-disaster evacuation or to obtain living accommodations because of damaged apartments and homes).
Recommended measures to avoid becoming a victim of disaster fraud:
- Fake charities soliciting donations either using the names of well-known charities or appearing to be related to the disaster.
- Scammers impersonating government officials, offering disaster relief in exchange for personal information or money.
- Individuals posing as insurance provider representatives to collect payments or personal information.
- Fraudsters promising expedient home repairs requiring upfront or partial payment.
- Price-gouging for goods and services needed by victims of disaster.
Take these measures to protect yourself from disaster fraud:
- Donate only to well-known charities after verifying them through trusted sources.
- Do not respond to unsolicited requests for donations via email, phone, or text, and do not click on links in unsolicited messages.
- Do not assume that online or social media charity solicitations are legitimate.
- Use credit cards or checks for donations. Don’t send cash or use wire transfers or mobile payment apps.
- Remember that government agencies and legitimate organizations will never ask for money or personal information via phone or email.
- Beware of contractors who knock on your door or make unsolicited contact, and/or make promises that sound too good to be true.
- Cautiously rely on recommendations from family and friends.
- Do not be forced into making repair decisions by a high-pressure contractor.
Individuals who have been targeted by fraudsters or been the victim of disaster-related fraud are encouraged to contact the NCDF at (866) 720-5721 or online at www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III Announces over $5.1M in Justice Department Grants to Address ReentryRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III today announced awards of over $5.1 Million in Department of Justice grants to help reentry in the Eastern District of Tennessee. The grants were awarded by the Department’s Office of Justice Programs.
The following organizations received funding:
- The City of Chattanooga - $1,999,187
- Hamilton County - $844,294
- Helen Ross McNabb - $825,000
- The City of Knoxville - $700,000
- The Young Women’s Christian Association – $550,000
- County of Bedford - $150,000
- The City of Johnson City - $13,657
The awards announced above are being made as part of the regular end-of-fiscal year cycle. More information about these and other OJP awards can be found on the OJP Grant Awards Page.
About the Office of Justice Programs
The Office of Justice Programs provides federal leadership, grants, training, technical assistance, and other resources to improve the nation’s capacity to prevent and reduce crime; advance equity and fairness in the administration of justice; assist victims; and uphold the rule of law. More information about OJP and its program offices – the Bureau of Justice Assistance, Bureau of Justice Statistics, National Institute of Justice, Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, Office for Victims of Crime, and SMART Office – can be found at www.ojp.gov.
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U. S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona Announces over $30 Million in Justice Department Grants to Address and Support the Needs of Residents of the Northern District of AlabamaRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs has recently announced new grant-funded resources and support for a variety of law enforcement, crime prevention, victim assistance, and emergency management programs across the Northern District of Alabama.
United States Attorney Escalona stated, “These awards reflect the many ways that the Department of Justice is engaged to improve the lives of the residents of this District. We are proud to support the work of our state, local, and community partners across our District and our whole state in a wide range of activities including reducing violent crime, assisting crime victims, and supporting reentry and crime prevention efforts.”
Some of the recipients include:
Alabama A&M University will receive $300,000 for campus security upgrades.
The City of Birmingham will receive $4,200,000 for additional cameras and intelligence resources that provide information to its Real Time Crime Center.
The Blount County Sheriff’s Office will receive $400,000 for additional patrol vehicles.
The City of Jacksonville, Alabama will receive $218,728 to update and supplement law enforcement intelligence and communications resources.
Jefferson County, Alabama will receive $833,000 to support the treatment of substance abuse disorders for people involved within the local justice system. Also, Jefferson County will receive $1,000,000 for Veterans’ Treatment Court services that will be provided via the University of Alabama of Birmingham.
The Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office – Birmingham Division – will receive $500,000 to enhance its investigations and prosecutions of domestic violence cases.
The Madison County Sheriff’s Office will receive $1,020,00 for the purchase and outfitting of at least15 new patrol vehicles.
Morgan County, Alabama will receive $595,000 for law enforcement equipment to enhance responses to active shooter incidences.
The National Child Advocacy Center in Huntsville, Alabama will receive $1,100,000 to provide technical assistance and support to child advocacy across the nation.
Sheffield, Alabama will receive $495,000 to purchase and equip police vehicles.
Talladega College will receive $500,000 to increase campus-based resources to respond to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking.
Along with the resources provided to many communities and agencies within the Northern District of Alabama, the Department of Justice has provided resources to various State of Alabama agencies to administer numerous statewide public safety and victim support initiatives.
The Alabama Department of Commerce will receive $741,975 to collaborate with The Dannon Project for opioid recovery and intervention youth programming.
The Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs (ADECA) will receive $11,850,932 for Victims of Crime Assistance. ADECA will also receive $2,555,663 to distribute for crisis intervention programming.
The Alabama Law Enforcement Agency will receive $3,097,598 to enhance criminal background check and justice statistics systems.
The awards announced above are being made as part of the regular end-of-fiscal year cycle. More information about these and other OJP awards can be found on the Office of Justice Programs Awards.
Texas Couple Sentenced to Federal Prison for COVID-Era PPP Loan FraudRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – A Georgetown couple was sentenced in federal court to a combined 32 years in federal prison for their roles in a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) fraud scheme.
According to court documents, Michael Fullerton, 51, and Tiffany Fullerton, 48, along with two other co-conspirators, used one existing and three dormant and expired business names to submit six fraudulent PPP loan applications for a total exceeding $3.5 million. Five of those applications were funded, allowing the defendants to receive approximately $3 million in PPP funds. The funds were used in an attempt to start a business in Oklahoma consisting of a marijuana grow and dispensary, a bar and grill, and an auto/boat repair shop. Additionally, the funds were used to purchase a motor home, luxury watches, a boat, and other personal expenditures.
In March, Michael Fullerton pleaded guilty to 11 counts in a superseding indictment charging him with multiple counts related to bank and wire fraud, along with aggravated identity theft. The following month, on April 29, Tiffany Fullerton was found guilty in a federal jury trial for one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Michael Fullerton was sentenced to 286 months in federal prison for all 11 counts. Tiffany Fullerton was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison. The couple was also ordered to pay $3,027,526.11 in restitution.
“Michael and Tiffany Fullerton were convicted of defrauding our federal government and banks during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “They took advantage of a national emergency to enrich themselves. This U.S. Attorney’s Office will not hesitate to hold fraudsters who abuse public programs accountable.”
“The Fullertons and their co-conspirators created a complex scheme to fraudulently obtain Paycheck Protection Program loans intended to help small businesses affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. They falsified payroll records, banking details, and other financial documents to obtain the funds. The stolen money became their playground, purchasing luxury watches, cars and other goods,” said Lucy Tan, acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation’s Houston Field Office. “Financial investigations follow the money, and it always leaves a trail. If you’re committing the crime, it’s only a matter of time before you’re caught and sent to prison.”
“The defendants undermined the integrity of the tax administration system, defrauding taxpayers of millions of dollars,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Kyle Kuykendall for the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration. “Public confidence in our country’s tax administration system is essential, and TIGTA will continue wo work closely with our law enforcement partners and prosecutors to vigorously investigate and pursue anyone who attempts to challenge it.”
IRS-CI and TIGTA investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Keith Henneke and G. Karthik Srinivasan prosecuted the case.
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Slidell Man Guilty of Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that on October 2, 2024 CHRISTOPHER MICHAEL SOMMERS (“SOMMERS”), age 42, of Slidell, La., pled guilty to Possession of Materials Involving the Sexual Exploitation of Minors, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 2252(a)(4)(B) and (b)(2). SOMMERS faces a mandatory minimum sentence of not less than ten (10) years imprisonment and a maximum sentence of not more than twenty (20) years, and/or a fine of up to $250,000.00, or the greater of twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to any person of the offense. SOMMERS also faces a term of supervised release of not less than five (5) years and up to life, after his release from prison. Finally, SOMMERS faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. The defendant’s sentence is subject to a sentencing enhancement of a ten-year mandatory minimum because of a previous conviction on December 13, 2011, in the United States District Court, Eastern District of Louisiana, of Receipt of Child Pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(2).
According to court documents, the case against SOMMERS developed from an undercover online investigation by the Apache Junction Police Department in Arizona into those individuals who were sharing Child Sexual Abuse Material (“CSAM”). As a result, on April 3, 2024, Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) special agents, along with the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, executed a federal search warrant at SOMMERS’s residence in Slidell. During the execution of the search warrant, SOMMERS was found in possession of a Samsung 256 gigabyte USB thumb drive containing 950 images and videos depicting the sexual victimization of minors.
Sentencing in this matter is scheduled for December 18, 2024 before United States District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; the St Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office; The Apache Junction Police Department; and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit.
Six Men Indicted in Connection with “ATM Jackpotting” ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Joelvis Jose Rivas-Solorzano, Silvio Fabian-Ordonez, Jose Medina, Jose Navarro, Deivy Santiago Pena-Rojas, Jefferson Jose Marquez-Marquez, all citizens of Venezuela, were indicted for conspiracy to commit bank larceny, and bank larceny related to their involvement in a nationwide automatic teller machine (ATM) Jackpotting Scheme. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig. L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) made the announcement.
“ATM jackpotting” is the exploitation of physical and software vulnerabilities in ATMs that result in the machines dispensing cash to unauthorized fraudsters. Typically, during ATM jackpotting events one or two people use a key to access the inside of an ATM to install a foreign device that allows a hacker to assume control of the ATM. After the ATM is compromised, groups of individuals arrive at the ATM to conduct transactions and the ATM dispenses its cash reserves, which are untethered to any bank account.
In December 2023, several financial institutions in the Northern District of New York became victims of an ATM Jackpotting scheme. In total, over $400,000.00 was stolen during four separate ATM jackpotting events in Onondaga, Broome, and Chenango counties.
Joelvis Jose Rivas-Solorzano, Silvio Fabian-Ordonez, Jose Medina, Jose Navarro, and Deivy Santiago Pena-Rojas have all been arrested and are in custody in the Northern District of New York. Jefferson Jose Marquez-Marquez is in custody in South Dakota and is awaiting transport to the Northern District of New York.
The charges to which Joelvis Jose Rivas-Solorzano, Silvio Fabian-Ordonez, Jose Medina, Jose Navarro, Deivy Santiago Pena-Rojas, Jefferson Jose Marquez-Marquez face carry a maximum sentence of 5 or 10 years, a fine of up to $250,000 million, and a supervised release term of up to 3 years. The charges in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the FBI Albany Field Office, with assistance from United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP), United States Secret Service, the New York State Police, the Onondaga County Sherriff’s Office, the Chenango County Sherriff’s Office, the Broome County Sherriff’s Office, the Town of Cicero Police Department, the Syracuse Police Department, the Binghamton Police Department, the Norwich Police Department, the Dearborn, Michigan Police Department, and the Belle Fourche, South Dakota Police Department. Special Assistant United States Attorney Paul Tuck is prosecuting the case.
Saratoga County Business Owner Sentenced for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Bruce Bochette, age 67, of Charlton, New York, was sentenced today to 1 year of probation, to pay a $20,000 fine, and to pay $219,706 in restitution, for evading taxes on unreported business income.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Thomas Fattorusso, Executive Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), New York Field Division, made the announcement.
Bochette operates a commercial painting business. In pleading previously guilty, he admitted that for tax years 2017 through 2021, he evaded income taxes by depositing checks, and portions of checks, into his personal account that were payments from his company’s commercial painting clients. Bochette did not report this income to the IRS, on either his company’s tax returns or his personal tax returns, and did not pay taxes on it.
Bochette admitted to not reporting $825,719.56 in business income, and to evading the assessment and payment of $219,706 in taxes. Bochette has already made a full restitution payment in the amount of $219,706.
IRS-CI investigated this case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett prosecuted this case.
San Diego Restaurant Owner Convicted of Tax and COVID-Relief Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – September 18, 2024
SAN DIEGO – A federal jury convicted San Diego restaurant owner Leronce Suel of wire fraud, conspiracy, and tax crimes for providing bogus information in applications for COVID relief programs and failing to report more than $1.7 million in revenue to the IRS.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Suel was the majority owner of Rockstar Dough LLC and Chicken Feed LLC, both of which operated restaurants in the San Diego area, including Streetcar Merchants in the North Park neighborhood.
The jury found that Suel conspired with his business partner to underreport over $1.7 million in gross receipts on Rockstar Dough LLC’s 2020 corporate tax return and COVID relief applications. Suel’s businesses also fraudulently received approximately $1,773,245 million in COVID-related Paycheck Protection Program loans and Restaurant Revitalization Fund grants by falsely certifying his businesses were eligible and that his businesses would use the money appropriately. Instead of using the COVID-19 relief program funds on eligible expenses, Suel and his co-conspirator made substantial cash withdrawals from their business bank accounts and purchased a home in Arkansas. As part of their conspiracy, Suel concealed more than $2.4 million in cash in his bedroom.
Suel failed to report income he received from his business, including millions of dollars in cash and personal expenses paid for by the businesses. In 2023, Suel also filed original and amended tax returns for prior years that included false depreciable assets and business losses.
“Shirking taxes, lying to the IRS, and stealing COVID relief funds - these are not victimless crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “This jury saw through greed and deceit to ensure protection of federal programs designed to support our infrastructure and serve those in need.”
“For more than a decade, Mr. Suel evaded his tax responsibilities both as an individual and as a business owner,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Hatcher, IRS Criminal Investigation, Los Angeles Field Office. “Even worse than evading his tax obligations, during the COVID pandemic, Mr. Suel fraudulently obtained grants and loans intended to help businesses struggling in the wake of the pandemic and used those funds for personal gain. Paying your fair share is central to our democracy, and IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to pursue those who evade their financial responsibilities to their fellow Americans.”
After conviction, Suel stipulated to forfeit $1,466,918 from the $2.4 million seized as proceeds traceable to his pandemic relief fraud.
Suel is scheduled to be sentenced on December 13, 2024.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Beeler and Trial Attorney Julia Rugg of the U.S. Department of Justice Tax Division.
DEFENDANT Case Number 23-cr-00965
Leronce Suel Age: 46 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Wire Fraud Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1349
Maximum penalty: Thirty years in prison and $1 million fine
Wire Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1343
Maximum Penalty: Thirty years in prison and $1 million fine
Conspiracy to Defraud the U.S. – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371
Maximum Penalty: Five years in prison and $250,000 fine
Tax Evasion – Title 26, U.S.C., Section 7201
Maximum Penalty: Five years in prison and $100,000 fine
Filing False Tax Returns – Title 26, U.S.C., Section 7206(1)
Maximum Penalty: Three years in prison and $100,000 fine
Failure to File –Title 26, U.S.C., Section 7203
Maximum Penalty: One year in prison and $25,000
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
IRS Criminal Investigations
Richmond man sentenced to prison after brandishing a machinegun in social media livestreamRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced yesterday to four years in prison for possession of a machinegun.
According to court documents, on April 7, 2023, during a livestream on social media, Perry Ike Mason, 29, entered a vehicle and removed from his jacket a .40 caliber handgun equipped with a machinegun conversion device (MCD), a weapon-mounted laser, and an extended magazine.
Detectives with the Richmond Police Department (RPD) viewed the video and learned that there was an outstanding arrest warrant for Mason from Chesterfield County for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon in August 2022. Mason later posted another video brandishing the same firearm.
Detectives identified Mason’s location at a restaurant in the Chesterfield Towne Center. After arriving at the location, they observed Mason entering a vehicle in the parking lot and followed him to a residence on Kimrod Road in Richmond. Mason exited the vehicle and proceeded to a shed behind the residence, where officers arrested him on the outstanding warrant.
The detectives searched the shed and discovered the firearm, which still was equipped with the extended magazine, laser, and MCD. The firearm was loaded with 31 rounds in the magazine and another in the chamber. The MCD rendered the semi-automatic firearm capable of fully automatic fire.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; James VanVliet, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; and Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen W. Miller and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon E. Schulz, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-131.
Readout of Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco’s Trip to the G7 Interior Minister’s Meeting in ItalyRead the Press Release
Deputy Attorney General (Deputy AG) Lisa Monaco traveled to Mirabella Eclano, Italy, on Oct. 3-4 for the G7 Interior Ministers Meeting, where she highlighted the importance of international partnerships in supporting the rule of law and protecting against persistent global threats.
The Deputy AG described the current threat environment to her G7 colleagues as a time where the threats have never been more diverse — from more aggressive actors — and all fueled by international conflicts and emerging, disruptive technologies — especially cyber and AI. She urged the ministers to stay united against threats posed by autocratic nations like Russia, Iran, and China looking to project power at home and abroad through transnational repression, malicious cyber activity, the abuse of emerging technologies, such as AI and cryptocurrencies, and malign foreign influence — especially in a global election year.
The Deputy AG joined her colleagues in committing to deepening international collaboration against these threats, as well as against terrorism, malign cyber actors, and synthetic drugs such as fentanyl. She shared how the Justice Department is targeting the broader ecosystem that allows cyber criminals and malign nation state actors to flourish — by prioritizing disruptions and placing victims first — and also highlighted how the Department is tackling all aspects of the deadly fentanyl supply chain, in every part of the globe, to protect innocent lives.
Ahead of the one-year anniversary of Hamas’s brutal October 7 terrorist attacks in Israel, the Deputy AG and Ministers unequivocally condemned terrorism and violent extremism in all forms, both online and offline. They pledged to continue the information sharing and law enforcement partnerships that are integral to thwarting acts of terror around the world.
The Deputy AG and ministers also met virtually with Ukrainian Interior Minister, Ihor Klymenko, and reaffirmed their unwavering support for Ukraine and their resolve to hold Russia accountable for the war crimes and atrocities it is perpetrating in its war of aggression. She reiterated the need for sustained coordination in these efforts and underscored the Justice Department’s continued efforts to deprive the Russian war machine of funding and supplies. She joined the other ministers in announcing new efforts to help Ukraine build the rule of law and fight corruption, including through a new G7 Anti-Corruption Task Force.
As part of their efforts to build cooperation and coordination among the G7 to promote the rule of law around the world, the Deputy AG and Ministers discussed common frameworks to harness the promise of AI while also protecting against the perils of its abuse. The Deputy AG cautioned that AI is changing how crimes are committed, from intensifying cyberattacks, to making fraud scams more believable, to creating child exploitative material, to supercharging malign foreign influence in elections.
On the margins of the G7 Ministerial, the Deputy AG held several bilateral meetings, including with United Kingdom Home Secretary Yvette Cooper; Canadian Minister of Public Safety Dominic Leblanc; German Minister of Interior Nancy Faeser; and European Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson. The Deputy AG also met with the G7 host, Italian Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi, to thank him for his leadership of the G7 and his hospitality. In all these discussions, the Deputy AG reinforced the steadfast commitment of the Justice Department to partnerships that uphold the rule of law and strengthen democracies around the world.
Italian Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi welcoming Deputy AG Monaco to the G7 Ministerial. Photo credit: Italian Ministry of the Interior. Deputy AG Monaco with UK Home Secretary Yvette Cooper. Photo credit: UK Home Office. Deputy AG Monaco with G7 leaders. Photo credit: Italian Ministry of the Interior. Deputy AG Monaco meeting with Italian Minister of the Interior Matteo Piantedosi. Photo credit: Italian Ministry of the Interior.Rapid City Man Sentenced for Involuntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Camela C. Theeler has sentenced a Rapid City, South Dakota, man convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter. The sentencing took place on October 2, 2024.
Lionel Morrison, age 53, was sentenced to three years of probation and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Morrison was indicted for the charge by a federal grand jury in July of 2023. He pleaded guilty on June 7, 2024.
In May of 2023, Morrison, who was intoxicated, was driving a vehicle just north of Pine Ridge when he lost control of the vehicle. After losing control of the vehicle, Morrison overcorrected the path of the vehicle causing it to roll three times causing the front passenger to be ejected from the vehicle. The victim ultimately succumbed to his injuries on the way to the hospital.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Oglala Sioux Tribe – Department of Public Safety and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
Protestor Federally Charged with Damaging U.S. Government Property at Union StationRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Zaid Mohammed Mahdawi, 26, of Richmond, Virginia, was arrested this morning in connection with a federal criminal complaint charging him with destruction of federal property. The complaint alleges that Mahdawi spray-painted the monument at Columbus Circle in front of Union Station in Washington, D.C., on July 24, 2024.
The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani of the FBI Washington Field Office Counterterrorism Division, and Chief Jessica M. E. Taylor of the U.S. Park Police (USPP).
Mahdawi will make his initial appearance this afternoon in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia. He is charged with destruction of government property.
“Politically motivated destruction or defacing of federal property is not protected speech, it is a crime,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Anyone engaged in such conduct in the District of Columbia should expect to get federally prosecuted. Our community has zero tolerance for those who want to destroy or deface our monuments and other federal property.”
“The FBI does not conduct investigations based solely on First Amendment activities,” said Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani of the FBI Washington Field Office Counterterrorism Division. “The FBI investigates people only when we receive information or allegations that they are, or may be, violating federal law or posing a risk to national security. We are committed to working closely with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to bring to justice any individuals who commit federal crimes, including destruction of federal property.”
According to court documents, on July 24, 2024, an organization was granted a permit to demonstrate in the area of Columbus Circle, located at Massachusetts Ave. NE, and E St. NE, directly in front of Union Station. From about 3 p.m. until 5 p.m., demonstrators who had gathered in Columbus Circle pulled down flags affixed to the flagpoles; burned flags and objects; sprayed graffiti on multiple statutes and structures; and interfered with law enforcement’s ability to place individuals under arrest.
Between 3:30 p.m. and 3:45 p.m., an individual later identified as Mahdawi climbed the monument located in the center of Columbus Circle, which was captured on video footage filmed by USPP from an observation post looking down at Columbus Circle. The same event was captured in open-source video and photos later posted to various internet platforms. After climbing to a ledge, Mahdawi began to spray paint the monument.
Footage obtained from a review of open-source videos posted to X (formerly Twitter) showed Mahdawi using red spray paint to write “HAMAS IS COMIN” on the Columbus statue. After completing the phrase, Mahdawi spray-painted an inverted red triangle above the slogan.
On July 30, 2024, the U.S. Park Police issued a bulletin seeking information on five individuals who engaged in criminal activity on July 24, 2024. The same day the bulletin was posted, the U.S. Park Police received a tip that they forwarded to the FBI. Through that tip and other leads, FBI was able to identify Mahdawi. Additionally, law enforcement databases revealed that Mahdawi had previously been arrested in Richmond, Virginia, on two occasions (December 2023 and April 2024).
The flags that were pulled down from the flag poles, and the statues and structures in Columbus Circle, are all property of the federal government. The National Park Service estimated that the cost to clean and repair the site at about $11,282.23.
This case is being investigated by the USPP’s Intelligence and Counterterrorism Unit and the FBI Washington Field Office, with assistance from the FBI Richmond Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Martin.
A criminal indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Prison Sentence Handed Down to Man Who Shot Teen in a Domestic DisputeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Deangelo Wooten, 27, was sentenced today to eight years in prison, for shooting a minor in January 2024, with whom he was in a romantic relationship, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Wooten pleaded guilty on July 19, 2024, to one count of aggravated assault while armed and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence. Today, Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo sentenced Wooten to eight years in prison for the aggravated assault while armed charge, to be followed by five years of supervised release. Judge Demeo also sentenced Wooten to six years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release for possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, to run concurrently.
According to the governments evidence, in January 2024, the victim, who was 16-years-old at the time, was in a dating relationship with Wooten, who was 26-years-old at the time. On January 20, 2024, the defendant sent several text messages to the victim, stating “Imma shoot you dead in your face” and “On dior when I see you imma kill you.” Initially, the victim thought the defendant was making these statements to get a reaction from her. The defendant then texted her and asked if they could meet for her to give him his shoes. The victim agreed and went with two others to meet Wooten at 13th Street and Congress Street SE, to give the defendant his shoes.
At around 1:00 p.m., the victim and her friend arrived and waited in a car at the location. Shortly thereafter the defendant drove up in a blue car. Wooten jumped out of the blue car and approached the victim, who was sitting in the back seat of her friend’s car. Wooten took the shoes from the victim with one hand, produced a gun in the other hand pointing it at the victim’s head, and fired while standing within arm’s length of the victim. The victim, anticipating the shot, raised her arm to protect her head, and the bullet entered and exited her arm and grazed her back. The defendant walked away, got back in his vehicle and drove off. The victim began to bleed and the other two people in the vehicle drove her to the hospital, where she received treatment.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Roessler, who prosecuted the case.
Pine Ridge Man Charged with Assaulting an InfantRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that a federal grand jury has indicted a Pine Ridge, South Dakota, man for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury against a minor victim.
Sinte White Butterfly, age 25, was indicted in September of 2024. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann on September 30, 2024, and pleaded not guilty to the Indictment.
The penalty upon conviction is a mandatory minimum of 10 years up to life in custody and/or a $250,000 fine, five years of supervised release, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered.
The charge stems from White Butterfly assaulting a two-month-old infant and causing serious bodily injury to the infant in August of 2024.
The charge is merely an accusation and White Butterfly is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
This matter is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
The investigation is being conducted by the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth is prosecuting the case.
White Butterfly was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service pending trial. A trial date has not been set.
Pair who targeted seriously ill veterans for fraud indicted for conspiracy, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theftRead the Press Release
Seattle – A former Washington State Department of Corrections inmate and his accomplice were indicted by the grand jury for their scheme to target seriously ill veterans for fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. 46-year-old Darryl Lamont Young is in the King County Jail on unrelated charges. Co-defendant, 27-year-old Aqeelah Ngiesha Williams, was arrested this morning and pleaded “not guilty” today in federal court.
“The conduct in this case is truly shocking – calling medical facilities and seriously ill veterans under the pretense of being a VA employee trying to provide the ill veteran with financial benefits. In reality, these two were seeking personal and financial information to defraud the veteran,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “While they did not get a huge amount of money with this scheme, the harm they caused to those already suffering a health crisis, is deserving of federal prosecution.”
According to the indictment, Young has served in the military and so understood some of the services provided to veterans. Between December 2021, and April 2023, while incarcerated, Young would use the jail phone system to place calls to veteran’s facilities. He would ask to be transferred to a particular medical facility so that the medical facility would not know that the call was from an inmate. Once connected to the medical facility, Young allegedly posed as a VA employee who needed information about the various patients currently in the Intensive Care Unit, including their phone numbers and names for their emergency contact person.
Once Young had information about a seriously ill veteran, he would call Williams who allegedly placed a three-way call to the veteran or the relative listed as the veteran’s representative. Young would pretend to be a VA employee calling with information about benefits to be deposited to the veteran’s bank account. Once Young and Williams had that account information from the veteran, they used it to steal funds from the victims’ accounts and transfer them to accounts they controlled.
Young and Williams targeted more than 30 VA and non-VA medical facilities and targeted more than 60 victims. They attempted 130 fraudulent transactions on victim accounts and obtained about $8,000 from the scheme.
The pair are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, six counts of wire fraud for phone calls made via wire to various VA medical centers across the country, and six counts of aggravated identity theft for their possession or use of personal information from the victims for fraud.
Conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud are each punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Aggravated identity theft is punishable by two years in prison to run consecutive to any other sentence imposed in the case.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General. (VA-OIG) and the United States Secret Service (USSS).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mike Dion and Yunah Chung.
Ocala Man Indicted for Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
Ocala, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of a two-count indictment charging Johnisaac Felix (22, Ocala) with interference with commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. If convicted of the robbery offense, Felix faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The firearm offense carries a minimum mandatory sentence of 7 years, up to life, in federal prison which must be served consecutively to any prison term imposed for the robbery.
According to the indictment, on June 16, 2024, Felix robbed an employee of gas station in Ocala using actual and threatened force, violence, and fear of injury to the employee. During that robbery, Felix also brandished a firearm.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Ocala Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Belkis H. Callaos.
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.
North Carolina Physician Assistant Sentenced to Six Years in Prison for Role in $10 Million Telemedicine Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A physician assistant was sentenced to prison today for his role in a $10 million Medicare fraud scheme involving genetic testing, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Colby Edward Joyner, 37, of Monroe, N.C., was sentenced to 72 months in prison and ordered to pay over $3.6 million in restitution. Last June, a federal jury convicted Joyner of health care fraud and making false statements relating to health care matters.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Kelly Blackmon, Special Agent in Charge with the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to today’s sentencing hearing and evidence presented at Joyner’s trial, in 2018 and 2019, Joyner was a physician assistant in the Charlotte area who worked as an independent contractor for a physician staffing and telemedicine company. During the relevant time frame, Joyner signed fraudulent prescriptions for medically unnecessary genetic testing, specifically cancer genomic and pharmacogenetic testing, for over 600 Medicare beneficiaries residing in North Carolina. Joyner had never met, seen, or treated the beneficiaries, and only had brief telephone conversations with them or no interactions at all.
According to court records, Joyner received from the telemedicine company and its clients pre-populated prescription forms and related records for patients who were pre-selected for genetic testing, which he then electronically signed and returned, in exchange for $12 – and later $15 – for each purported consultation that he performed.
As trial evidence showed, to conceal that Joyner was not the beneficiaries’ treating physician and that he did not conduct medical evaluations or examinations of the beneficiaries, Joyner falsified medical records in connection with the unnecessary prescriptions and falsely certified that the genetic tests were medically necessary. Joyner’s scheme resulted in the submission of more than $10 million in fraudulent reimbursement claims to Medicare, and more than $3.6 million in
payments.
In announcing Joyner’s sentence, U.S. District Judge Robert J. Conrad, Jr. stated that Joyner “abused his position of trust” as a Medicare provider and referred to Joyner’s “cheap and easy” opportunity to make money and “willingness to sign and attest to things, knowing them not to be true.” Judge Conrad further noted the potential impact of Joyner’s conduct on Medicare beneficiaries’ future ability to obtain certain genetic tests.
Joyner will be ordered to report to the Federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
The FBI in Charlotte and HHS-OIG investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Armstrong and Matthew Warren, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Frick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
North Andover Man Charged with Possessing over 30 Firearms and Explosives as a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A North Andover, Mass. man has been charged for allegedly possessing over 30 firearms and explosives as a convicted felon.
Daniel Medina, 64, was charged by criminal complaint with unlawful possession of a machine gun, unlawful possession of explosives, and as a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. Medina is currently in state custody on related charges and will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to the charging documents, on July 1, 2024, law enforcement was dispatched to the area of Medina’s North Andover residence after receiving a report of an explosion. Upon arrival, damage to two vehicles was observed as well as a piece of mail addressed to Medina beneath the damaged rear passenger door of one vehicle. It is alleged that the damages to the vehicles and materials left behind were consistent with common items used in manufacturing homemade explosive devices, specifically ball bearings or shrapnel. It is further alleged that witnesses observed Medina running from the damaged vehicles toward his residence following the explosion.
According to the charging documents, during a search of Medina’s residence the following day, law enforcement located and seized the following items:
- 32 firearms, including 12 rifles, 15 pistols, three shotguns and two antique firearms;
- 9,000 rounds of various calibers of modern ammunition manufactured outside of Massachusetts;
- 75 magazines for various caliber firearms;
- Various firearm parts;
- A Glock switch device;
- Books pertaining to the building of firearms and manufacturing of explosives and drugs;
- Shrapnel accessories such as BB’s and ball bearings;
- Multiple firework containers; and
- Various containers of powders produced and shipped in interstate commerce.
It is alleged that the containers of powder were found to contain potassium chlorate and aluminum powder – the same flash powder found in the suspected explosive material used for the prior day’s explosion.
Medina is prohibited from possessing firearms, ammunition and explosive material due to a 2002 state conviction of assault and battery in Lawrence District Court, for which he was sentenced to two and a half years in jail.
The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of illegal possession of a machine gun provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of illegal possession of an explosive material provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the North Andover Police Department, Massachusetts State Police and the Essex County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Nine Charged in Brownfield Drug BustRead the Press Release
Nine drug traffickers allegedly operating out of Brownfield, Texas and surrounding areas have been federally charged, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
The defendants were arrested Thursday in a takedown that involved officers and agents from the Brownfield Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Office – Lubbock Resident Agency, the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, the Lubbock Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and Homeland Security Investigations. They made their initial appearances Friday morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge Amanda ‘Amy’ R. Burch.
“The success of this investigation highlights DEA’s outstanding partnerships with federal, state, and local agencies in the Caprock area,” said Special Agent in Charge, Eduardo A. Chavez. “DEA Lubbock and its counterparts will continue to bring violent drug traffickers to justice in small rural communities and large metropolitan areas alike.”
“The Brownfield Police Department takes the health and safety of our community seriously. We will continue to do what is necessary to investigate, arrest, and prosecute those who distribute illegal narcotics on our streets and in our neighborhoods,” said Brownfield Police Chief Chris Kotzur.
Those charged in six separate indictments include:
- Kirkland Ryan Longoria, charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and distribution of cocaine
- Sandra Kay Cavazos, charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and distribution of cocaine
- Arthur Lee Willingham, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and felon in possession of a firearm
- Steven Blake Johnston, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, distribution of methamphetamine, and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
- Steven Rene Rodriguez, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine
- Lorraine Riojas Davila, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine
- Dewayne Deshae Willis, charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine
- Larry Joe Franco, Jr., charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of methamphetamine
- Demetrick Ward, charged with distribution of cocaine
An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
If convicted, some face potential life sentences in federal prison.
Brownfield Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Office – Lubbock Resident Agency, the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, the Lubbock Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen Rancourt and Sean Long are prosecuting the cases.
New York Man Pleads Guilty to Role in International Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New York man pleaded guilty yesterday to his involvement in a sophisticated international money laundering and drug trafficking organization.
Yanbing Chen, 30, of Brooklyn, N.Y., pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering and conspiracy to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. U.S. District Judge Angel Kelley scheduled sentencing for Jan. 21, 2025.
In May 2023, a federal grand jury in Boston returned a superseding indictment charging 12 individuals from Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York and California for their alleged involvement in a sophisticated international money laundering and drug trafficking organization. Jin Hua Zhang, based in Staten Island, was identified as the leader of the organization along with a number of his criminal associates. The investigation revealed that, for a fee, Zhang laundered bulk cash for drug dealers and laundered profits from other illegal businesses. In less than one year, Zhang and his organization laundered at least $25 million worth of drug proceeds and funds from other illegal businesses through undercover agents.
In July 2022, on Zhang’s behalf, Chen delivered $50,000 in drug funds to undercover agents to be laundered. Those funds were converted to Tether, a type of cryptocurrency, and transferred to Zhang, the organization’s leader, minus a fee. Funds were eventually traced from the Zhang organization to Hong Kong and elsewhere in China, India, Cambodia and Brazil, among other locations. Cash and cryptocurrency in accounts tied to Zhang were seized at the conclusion of the investigation.
In addition, in two separate meetings in August and September 2022, Zhang sent Chen to meet with cooperating witnesses near South Station in Boston. Chen was recorded by the undercover agents as he delivered a total of five kilograms of cocaine at Zhang’s direction.
Zhang pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 15, 2024.
The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000, or twice the amount involved, whichever is greater. The charge of conspiracy to distribute five kilograms of cocaine calls for a sentence of up to life in prison, a minimum of five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine. 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 today. Valuable assistance was also provided by the Quincy Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl, Brian A. Fogerty and Meghan C. Cleary of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Violations of the Federal Controlled Substances and Gun Control ActsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that CYRUS ROLLINS (“ROLLINS”), age 41, of New Orleans, was sentenced om October 2, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Vitter after previously pleading guilty to possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C), and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i). ROLLINS was sentenced to 97 months of imprisonment, three (3) years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, in August 2023, ROLLINS was arrested by New Orleans Police Department officers for distributing narcotics and carrying firearms in and around the Low Barrier Shelter, a homeless shelter in New Orleans. ROLLINS was found in possession of four firearms, as well as methamphetamine, crack cocaine, and fentanyl.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Greg Kennedy of the Violent Crimes Unit.
New Orleans Man Guilty of Being Felon in Possession of FirearmRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JULIUS AUGILLARD (“AUGILLARD”), age 38, of New Orleans, pled guilty on September 26, 2024, before United States District Judge Carl Barbier to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
According to court documents, on February 20, 2023, AUGILLARD possessed a firearm on the 500 block of Bourbon Street during Mardi Gras festivities, after leading Louisiana State Police Troopers on a short foot pursuit. The troopers found a Smith and Wesson Model SD40VE, .40 caliber pistol on his person. Later, on December 31, 2023, AUGILLARD possessed an International Model PT609 PRO, nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistol near 200 Tremé Street while trespassing at an apartment complex. At the time of the apprehension and arrest by Housing Authority of New Orleans police officers, AUGILLARD had been previously convicted of a crime punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
AUGILLARD is scheduled for sentencing on January 16, 2025. For each count, AUGILLARD faces up to 15 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
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.
National Center for Disaster Fraud Reminds the Public to be Aware of Fraud in the Wake of Hurricane HeleneRead the Press Release
On September 26, 2024, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend Region and quickly caused major devastation there and across states including Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and others. In the wake of Helene, fraudsters will target victims of the storm along with citizens across the country who want to do what they can to assist individuals affected by the storm. Unfortunately, criminals exploit disasters for their own gain by sending fraudulent communications through email or social media and by creating deceiving websites designed to solicit contributions.
The U.S. Department of Justice established the National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) in the wake of Hurricane Katrina to deter, investigate, and prosecute fraud in the wake of disasters. United States Attorney for the Middle District of Louisiana, Ronald C. Gathe, Jr., serves as the Executive Director of the NCDF. More than 50 federal, state, and local agencies participate in the NCDF, which reminds the public to be aware of and report any instances of alleged fraudulent activity related to relief operations and funding for victims. Complaints of fraud may be reported online at www.justice.gov/DisasterComplaintForm. Complaints may also be reported to the NCDF at (866) 720-5721, a hotline that is staffed 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
The public should exercise diligence before giving contributions to anyone soliciting donations or individuals offering to assist those affected by Helene. Solicitations can originate from phone calls, texts, social media, e-mail, door-to-door collections, flyers, mailings, and other similar methods. Before making a donation to benefit victims of Helene, individuals should adhere to certain guidelines, including:
- Make contributions directly to known organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf.
- Do not be pressured into making contributions as reputable charities do not use such tactics.
- Do not respond to any unsolicited communications (e.g., e-mails and texts), and never click links contained within those messages because they may be targeting your personal information, to include bank and credit card account information, and other identifiers such as dates of birth and social security numbers.
- Rather than clicking on a purported link to a charity, verify its legitimacy by utilizing various Internet-based resources that may assist in confirming whether the organization is a valid charity.
- Beware of organizations with copy-cat names similar to but not exactly the same as those of reputable charities.
- Avoid cash donations if possible. Pay by credit card or write a check directly to the charity. Do not make checks payable to individuals.
- Know that legitimate charities do not normally solicit donations via money transfer services, and their website will normally end in .org rather than .com.
- Be cautious of e-mails that claim to show pictures of the disaster areas in attached files because the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders.
Minneapolis Felon Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis felon has been sentenced to 144 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl pills, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on November 28, 2022, Kristopher Raphael Owens, 31, was driving a gold Chevy Tahoe in Minneapolis and was pulled over by law enforcement. As officers approached the vehicle, Owens fled on foot. Officers pursued and apprehended Owens in a nearby yard, where he was arrested. Officers discovered $1,286 on his person and also found two Ziploc baggies containing 1,874 blue pills along the path on which Owens had fled. The pills were tested later and determined to contain fentanyl. Owens admitted that they were his and that he intended to distribute them.
On March 13, 2024, Owens pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Joan N. Ericksen.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minneapolis Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David P. Steinkamp prosecuted the case.
Middleburg Woman Sentenced to More Than 21 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Meggin Anne Evans (35, Middleburg) to 21 years and 10 months years in federal prison for production of child sexual abuse material. Evans has been in custody since her arrest on November 7, 2022. She entered a guilty plea on March 1, 2024.
According to court documents, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office (PCSO) initiated an investigation after receiving information about five files of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that had been sent over a social media application. PCSO’s investigation revealed that the files were sent from within the Putnam County Jail.
PCSO connected the social media account to Brandon Paul Smolinski, Evans’s husband, who was working for a transportation company that does work inside the jail. The company provided Smolinski’s work schedule and confirmed that he was working in the jail on the dates and times the files had been shared from within the jail.
PCSO contacted the Clay County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) to request assistance, as Smolinski’s residence was located in Middleburg. CCSO investigators discovered that the internet service at Smolinski’s residence was also used to upload files of CSAM using the same social media application.
Detectives from PCSO and CCSO approached Smolinski in the parking lot at the Putnam County Jail. Smolinski admitted to distributing files of CSAM. He also told detectives that he had watched CSAM with Evans, and that he had sent Evans CSAM from the jail.
During a forensic review of Smolinski’s cellphone, law enforcement discovered multiple files of CSAM, including a video sent to Evans on June 27, 2022. In addition, they located several chat messages between Smolinski and Evans, during which they talked about exploiting children and their sexual attraction to children. On October 28, 2021, Smolinski and Evans discussed performing specific sex acts on children and made future plans to groom children for sex. Evans then sent Smolinski a photograph she had taken of a child to whom Evans had access, depicting child sexual abuse.
Brandon Paul Smolinksi was sentenced in June 2023 to 17 years and 6 months in federal prison for distribution of child sexual abuse.
“The sentencing of Meggin Evans for production of child sexual abuse material, and her husband’s sentencing earlier this year for distribution, is a testament to the commitment of the detectives and special agents who work relentlessly to combat the sexual abuse of children,” said Tim Hemker, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in Jacksonville. “Working alongside our partners at the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force, we remain committed in our resolve to identify and rescue child victims and bringing child sexual predators to justice.”
This case was investigated by the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.
This case was investigated by the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force, to include Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office.
It is another case 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.
Michigan Attorney Indicted on Tax ChargesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Detroit charged a Michigan attorney yesterday with filing false tax returns and willfully failing to file tax returns.
According to the indictment, Shawn Smith, who calls himself “Shawn the Law,” is a lawyer residing in Birmingham. For 2017 through 2020, Smith allegedly filed false individual income tax returns that did not report hundreds of thousands of dollars of gross receipts that he earned from his law business. In addition, Smith allegedly did not file an individual income tax return for 2021 and 2022.
If convicted, Smith faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each false return count and a maximum penalty of one year in prison for each count of failing to file a tax return. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division, U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan and IRS Special Agent in Charge Charles Miller made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Jeffrey A. McLellan and Kenneth C. Vert of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mexican National Pleads Guilty to Charge Stemming from Smuggling and Labor Trafficking SchemeRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that PORFIRIA MARIBEL RAMOS SANCHEZ, 47, a citizen of Mexico last residing in Vernon, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to a charge stemming from her involvement in a scheme to smuggle aliens into the U.S., harbor them at Hartford area residences, force them to work, and threaten to harm them in various ways if they failed to pay exorbitant fees, interest, and other living expenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in September 2022, the FBI and Hartford Police interviewed several Mexican nationals who disclosed that they were smuggled from Mexico into the U.S. and transported to Hartford. The investigation revealed that victims typically arranged with Ramos, her co-conspirators in Connecticut, and associates in Mexico to cross the border into the U.S. in exchange for a fee of between $15,000 and $20,000 that each would need to pay once they were in the U.S. In most cases, the victims were required to turn over a property deed as collateral before leaving Mexico. They were then smuggled across the border and transported to Hartford area residences, often at a substantial risk of bodily injury or death.
After the victims arrived in Connecticut, they were told that they would have to pay $30,000, with interest, and that they would have to pay Ramos and her co-coconspirators for rent, food, gas and utilities. The co-conspirators created false documents for the victims, including Permanent Residence cards and Social Security cards, and helped the victims find employment in the Hartford area. In addition to their own jobs, some victims were required to perform housework and yardwork without compensation and without having their debt reduced.
Victims were rarely provided with an accounting of their debt. If victims failed to make regular payments, or in amounts that the co-conspirators expected, they were sometimes threatened, including with threats to harm family members in Mexico, to take property in Mexico that had been secured as collateral, to reveal victims’ immigration status to U.S. authorities, and to raise their interest payments.
To date, investigators have identified 18 victims of this scheme.
Ramos pleaded guilty to conspiracy to encourage and induce, bring in, transport, and harbor aliens, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. Judge Dooley scheduled sentencing for January 6, 2025.
As part of her plea agreement, Ramos has agreed to a restitution order of $494,608. In partial satisfaction or her restitution obligation, Ramos and her husband have agreed to sell a property they own at 74 Burnside Avenue in East Hartford, which was used to facilitate this criminal offense.
Ramos has been detained since her arrest on October 5, 2023.
This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Hartford Police Department, U.S. Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angel Krull and Shan Patel.
Men Sentenced to Prison for Multiple RobberiesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge has sentenced two Birmingham men for committing armed robberies, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and FBI Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peoples.
Chief U.S. District Court Judge R. David Proctor sentenced Dedrick Taylor, 33, of Birmingham, to 155 months in prison. In July, Taylor pleaded guilty to two counts of Hobbs Act Robbery, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and felon in possession of a firearm. According to the plea agreement, on April 14, 2022, Taylor committed two armed robberies at businesses in Birmingham—a Citgo gas station and a Dollar General store.
Previously, Chief Judge Proctor sentenced co-defendant Dominic Bimbow, 31, of Birmingham, to 120 months in prison for his role as Taylor’s getaway driver for both robberies. That sentence followed Bimbow’s guilty pleas to two counts of Hobbs Act Robbery, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and felon in possession of a firearm.
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.
Member of Violent Gang Pleads Guilty to Racketeering and Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty yesterday to his role in Cameron Street, a violent Boston gang.
Charod Taylor, a/k/a “Pachino,” 35, of Boston, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise (commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy) and conspiracy to distribute cocaine. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Jan. 15, 2025.
Taylor was identified as a member of Cameron Street, a violent gang based largely in the Dorchester section of Boston that uses violence and threats of violence to preserve, protect and expand its territory, promote a climate of fear and enhance its reputation. Cameron Street gang ran an open-air drug market in the parking lot of a business on in Dorchester in which Taylor and several other Cameron Street members participated in controlled purchases of cocaine and cocaine base (crack cocaine) to cooperating witnesses. From February 2021 to March 2022, Taylor worked with other Cameron Street members and associates to distribute crack and powder cocaine to cooperating witnesses seven times.
According to the charging documents, Cameron Street members possess, carry and use firearms to murder and assault gang rivals as well as protect narcotics and drug proceeds. Cameron Street members post videos or use social media applications to promote Cameron Street, celebrate murders and other violent crimes committed by the gang, and denigrate rivals, in particular NOB (for Norton, Onley, and Barry Streets), known more generally as Wendover. Cameron Street members also possess, carry, and use firearms to murder and assault gang rivals as well as protect narcotics and drug proceeds. Additionally, Cameron Street members distribute controlled substances and firearms, commit armed robberies, and engage in human trafficking in part to generate income for the Cameron Street enterprise.
The charge of RICO conspiracy and conspiracy to interfere with commerce by force or violence each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to distribute cocaine provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a fine of $1 million. 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; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Feld Division; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; the United States Postal Inspection Service; Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office; Suffolk, Plymouth, Norfolk and Bristol County District Attorney’s Offices; and the Canton, Quincy, Randolph, Somerville, Brockton, Malden, Stoughton, Rehoboth and Pawtucket (R.I.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Pohl and Charles Dell’Anno of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
McLaughlin Man Sentenced for Voluntary ManslaughterRead the Press Release
ABERDEEN - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Charles B. Kornmann has sentenced a McLaughlin, South Dakota, man convicted of Voluntary Manslaughter. The sentencing took place on September 30, 2024.
Johnathan Guggolz, 48, was sentenced to five years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Guggolz was indicted by a federal grand jury in October of 2023. He pleaded guilty on July 8, 2024.
On the afternoon of August 29, 2023, in McLaughlin, South Dakota, within the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation, a 62-year-old man pulled into the school driveway to pick his wife up from work. Guggolz pulled up next to the man and confronted him about his driving, mocking and belittling him. The man eventually exited his car, secured a pair of duct-taped homemade nunchucks to protect himself, and squared up with Guggolz, a former amateur boxer. After a few moments of posturing, the man thrust the nunchucks towards Guggolz’ hip. Guggolz then punched the man in the face, knocking him unconscious. The man fell backwards and struck his head on the concrete. Guggolz glanced down at the man, now lying helpless on the driveway, then returned to his pickup and drove away. The man subsequently died of a traumatic brain injury incurred in the assault.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian country be prosecuted in federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the FBI, the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services, and the Mobridge Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
Guggolz was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Mason City, Iowa Man Sentenced for Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
A Mason City man who sold pounds of methamphetamine and illegally possessed firearms in furtherance of his drug distribution, was sentenced today to more than 15 years in federal prison.
Andrew Lofton, age 48, of Mason City, received the prison term after a May 17, 2024, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings revealed that between January 2023, and continuing through April 2023, Lofton distributed approximately six pounds of methamphetamine. On several occasions during this time, Lofton sold methamphetamine to an individual cooperating with the government. On April 20, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Lofton’s residence in Mason City and found drug distribution-related items, and multiple firearms.
Lofton was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 190 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Lofton is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Department and the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-3013.
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Maryland Man Facing Federal Indictment for Filing More Than $1 Million Dollars in Fraudulent Unemployment Insurance ClaimsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging a Maryland man on federal charges related to a scheme to fraudulently obtain more than $1 million dollars in unemployment benefits. On May 22, 2024, a grand jury returned an indictment of Mervyn Fombe Abiko, a/k/a “Magic,” a 35-year-old Maryland man with conspiracy, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft. The indictment was unsealed today upon the arrest of the defendant.
The defendant had an initial appearance on October 2, 2024 in U.S. District Court in Baltimore before U.S. Magistrate Judge Erin Aslan.
The indictment was announced by Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland; Damon E. Wood, Postal Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service-Washington Division Michael S. McCarthy, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, - Baltimore, Acting Special Agent in Charge Karl Mastantuno, Office of Investigations, Office of Inspector General, U.S. Department of the Treasury, Troy W. Springer, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General, National Capital Region, John T. Perez, Special Agent in Charge of Headquarters Operations, Federal Reserve Board Office of Inspector General.
As detailed in the indictment, employment insurance (“UI”) was a joint state and federal program that provided monetary benefits to eligible beneficiaries. UI payments were intended to provide temporary financial assistance to lawful workers who were unemployed through no fault of their own. Beginning in or around March 2020, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, several federal programs expanded UI eligibility and increased UI benefits, including the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program (PUA), Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation (FPUC), and the Lost Wages Assistance Program (LWAP).
In Maryland, those seeking UI benefits submitted online applications. Applicants had to answer specific questions to establish eligibility to receive UI benefits, including their name, Social Security Number (SSN), and mailing address, among other things. Applicants also had to self-certify that they met a COVID-19-related reason for being unemployed, partially employed, or unable to work. MD-DOL relied upon the information in the application to determine UI benefits eligibility. Once an application was approved, the MD-DOL typically distributed state and federal UI benefits electronically to a BOA debit card, which claimants could use to withdraw funds and/or make purchases.
According to the indictment, from March 2020 through January 2021, Abiko and others, including Martin Tabe and Gladstone Njokem, conspired to impersonate victim individuals in order to submit fraudulent UI claims. To accomplish this, Abiko and others obtained the personally identifiable information (PII) of victims and used that information to file UI applications, which resulted in debit cards being issued in the names of victims that were loaded with benefits. Abiko and others used those debit cards in point-of-sale transactions and at ATMs. Abiko and others collectively obtained more than $1 million through this scheme.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and for each of the three counts of wire fraud. The defendant faces a mandatory sentence of two years in federal prison, consecutive to any other sentence imposed, for each of the three counts of aggravated identity theft. 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 proceedings.
The District of Maryland Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud, including fraud relating to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act. The CARES Act was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
U.S. Attorney Barron commended the USPIS, the DOL-OIG and HSI for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron also thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean R. Delaney, 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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Man Sentenced to 87 Months in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possession with Intent to Distribute Six Kilograms of FentanylRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ORLIAN CABRERA-JOA (“CABRERA-JOA”), 32, was sentenced on October 2, 2024 to 87 months of imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and a $200 mandatory special assessment fee by U.S. District Judge Jane Triche Milazzo, after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 846, 841(a)(1), and 841(b)(1)(A) and possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, CABRERA-JOA was pulled over during a traffic stop in St. John the Baptist Parish. As a result of the traffic stop, Louisiana State Police Troopers recovered approximately six kilograms of fentanyl hidden within a suitcase inside of the truck he was driving.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Louisiana State Police, and St. John the Baptist Parish Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.
Longtime Department of Veterans Affairs Supervising Engineer Convicted at Trial of Defrauding the Agency of Nearly $1 MillionRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Ahmed Hassan, 70, of Collegeville, Pennsylvania, was convicted today by a federal jury on 22 counts of wire fraud arising from Hassan’s misuse of his position as a federal employee of the Department of Veterans Affairs (“the VA”) to defraud the agency of nearly $1 million over a seven-year period.
As proven at trial, Hassan was a trusted supervisory engineer at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center (“VAMC”) in Philadelphia. In that position, Hassan was responsible for all mechanical and large HVAC systems at VAMC and was further charged with overseeing and implementing contracts in his area of responsibility.
From approximately 2013 through October 2017, Hassan schemed to defraud the VA by drafting and submitting for payment, false invoices of a company called HT Mechanical. Unbeknownst to VAMC management, and in violation of Hassan’s duties to the VA, HT Mechanical was nothing but a shell that Hassan had secretly set up with his paramour, Lynn Hanrahan[1] — a social worker with no knowledge of, or expertise in, HVAC or mechanical systems — in order to carry out the scheme.
For years, the defendant made up fake work, drafted false invoices on HT Mechanical letterhead, submitted them for payment to the VA under the VA purchase card program and lied to the VA, claiming that the work had been done, when the so-called jobs did not exist. and no work was done. After the VA made payment to HT Mechanical on the defendant’s say so, Hanrahan returned money to the defendant, either by check or by giving the defendant envelopes of cash.
Hassan is scheduled to be sentenced on January 15, 2025. He faces a maximum possible sentence of up to 20 years in prison for each count on which he was convicted.
“For the better part of a decade, for his own benefit, Ahmed Hassan siphoned almost a million dollars from Philadelphia’s VA Medical Center,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “In misusing his position to do so, he betrayed his colleagues, U.S. taxpayers, and, most egregiously, the veterans the VA serves. My office and our partners will bring to justice anyone padding their pockets like this at the federal government’s expense.”
The case was investigated by Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General and the FBI and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Megan Curran and Assistant United States Attorney Mary Crawley.
[1] Hanrahan was charged in a related scheme, pleaded guilty, and is awaiting sentencing.
Long Beach Man Pleads Guilty to Traveling with 14-Year-Old Girl Across State Lines While Intending to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Long Beach man pleaded guilty today to federal criminal charges for traveling with a 14-year-old runaway from Arizona – whom he met in a Reddit internet forum – across state lines to his apartment, where he engaged in criminal sexual activity with her.
Trevon Nathaniel Langstaff, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
“Every day, sexual predators use the internet’s relative anonymity to prey on vulnerable youth,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Would-be predators should be aware that my office will use all of its tools to bring them to justice, and, as today’s sentence shows, the consequences will be severe.”
According to his plea agreement, in late March 2024, Langstaff drove from his Long Beach home to Peoria, Arizona, to pick up the victim, a 14-year-old girl. Langstaff knew the victim was 14 and instructed her to pretend to be 18 years old.
Intending to have sexual intercourse with the victim, Langstaff transported her from Arizona to his home in Long Beach, where he engaged in sexual intercourse with her.
On Langstaff’s cellphone, which was seized on March 26, law enforcement found an image that appeared to portray two children engaged in sexually explicit activity.
United States District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha scheduled a March 7, 2025, sentencing hearing, at which time Langstaff will face a statutory maximum sentence of 30 years in federal prison. Langstaff has been in federal custody since March 27.
The FBI and the Long Beach Police Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Kathrynne N. Seiden of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
Leader of Yoga to the People Pleads Guilty to Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that GREGORY GUMUCIO pled guilty today to a conspiracy to commit tax evasion from 2012 through 2020. GUMUCIO was the longtime leader of a prominent nationwide yoga business, Yoga to the People (“YTTP”), from which he received more than $3.5 million in income between 2012 and 2020, yet he did not file individual (or business) tax returns or pay any income taxes for at least eight consecutive years. GUMUCIO pled guilty before U.S. District Judge John P. Cronan, to whom his case is assigned.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Greg Gumucio built a thriving yoga business yet chose to evade his tax obligations for nearly a decade. This Office is committed to holding individuals accountable who fail to pay their fair share.”
According to the allegations contained in the Superseding Information, court filings, and statements made during court proceedings:
In or around 2006, GUMUCIO founded YTTP in New York, New York. YTTP was originally donation-based: YTTP requested, but did not require, payment from its yoga students. YTTP started with one yoga studio on the Lower East Side of Manhattan, and it became extremely popular. Over the ensuing years, YTTP opened at least approximately 20 yoga studios or affiliated entities throughout New York City and in various other places, including California, Colorado, Arizona, Florida, and Washington State. YTTP also had a teacher training program, which earned substantial income from aspiring yoga teachers. YTTP operated from at least approximately 2006 until 2020. From 2010 to 2020, YTTP and its affiliates generated gross receipts of more than $20 million. Despite those substantial revenues, YTTP never filed a corporate tax return with the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”).
GUMUCIO was YTTP’s founder, principal owner, and functional chief executive officer, as he directed and made decisions for the YTTP enterprise. From approximately 2012 through 2020, GUMUCIO received more than $3.5 million in income and owed taxes to the IRS exceeding $1 million, but never filed a personal tax return with the IRS or paid any income taxes. During the charged period, GUMUCIO repeatedly represented his annual income to be six figures to third parties not associated with the Government (e.g., a bank, a car financing company, and a real estate entity). In one such instance, GUMUCIO submitted a fabricated tax return to a third party, which a co-defendant prepared for GUMUCIO at GUMUCIO’s request. During the charged period, GUMUCIO enjoyed an extravagant lifestyle, which included frequent foreign travel; expensive hotels, meals, and clothing; NFL season tickets; and country club payments.
GUMUCIO and his co-conspirators used various methods to evade taxes, including, among others:
- Accepting yoga students’ payments in cash (e.g., which was collected in tissue boxes) and paying yoga teachers in cash and “off the books”;
- Generally forbidding YTTP teachers from counting incoming cash that yoga students paid and requiring yoga studio managers to transport cash proceeds to GUMUCIO’s apartment on St. Marks Place in Manhattan, where those proceeds were “stacked” and counted during so-called “stacking parties”;
- Failing to maintain a corporate headquarters or keep corporate books and records;
- Using nominees to disguise GUMUCIO and his co-conspirators’ connection to various entities which, in fact, were part of the YTTP enterprise and from which GUMUCIO and his co-conspirators received income;
- Using YTTP business accounts to pay GUMUCIO’s (and his co-conspirators’) personal expenses; and
- Maximizing unreported income, as GUMUCIO manipulated subordinates into providing free labor (e.g., teaching unpaid classes, stacking cash, cleaning yoga studios, depositing cash into bank accounts, etc.).
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GUMUCIO, 63, of Colorado, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to defraud the IRS, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Under the terms of his plea agreement, GUMUCIO has agreed to pay restitution to the IRS of at least $2,560,300.93.
The statutory maximum sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as GUMUCIO’s sentence will be determined by the judge.
GUMUCIO’s two co-defendants, Michael Anderson and Haven Soliman, are currently scheduled to proceed to trial on January 13, 2025, before Judge Cronan.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding efforts of the IRS Criminal Investigation’s New York and Dallas Field Offices; the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General’s New York Regional Office; and Special Agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York.
This matter is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael D. Neff and Rushmi Bhaskaran are in charge of the prosecution.
Lakeland Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 20 YearsRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Donnell Leeman Moore, Jr. (37, Lakeland) to 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine and distributing methamphetamine and cocaine. The court also ordered Moore to forfeit a firearm, which was used in the conspiracy. Moore entered a guilty plea on July 17, 2024.
According to court documents, between June 2021 and September 2023, Moore conspired with several co-conspirators to distribute narcotics from Moore’s industrial garage in Lakeland. Moore distributed cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and other narcotics. As part of the investigation, agents identified the co-conspirators and seized hundreds of grams of fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine. Agents also recovered a firearm and packaging materials in Moore’s garage.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Lakeland Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha E. Beckman.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Justice Department to Award More Than $84M in Grants to American Indian and Alaska Native TribesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department has awarded 152 grants to 90 American Indian and Alaska Native Tribes through its Coordinated Tribal Assistance Solicitation (CTAS), totaling more than $84 million.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced these awards during a Justice Department and Department of the Interior convening with Tribal leaders, advocates, members of the media, and federal officials to discuss how media coverage can be channeled to help address the crisis of missing or murdered Indigenous peoples (MMIP) and human trafficking (HT).
The grants awarded under CTAS are designed to help enhance Tribal justice systems and strengthen law enforcement responses, improve the handling of child abuse cases, combat domestic and sexual violence, support Tribal youth programs, and fund an array of services for American Indian and Alaska Native crime victims. The CTAS awards are administered through the Office of Justice Programs (OJP) and the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office).
“We have heard from Tribal leaders about the complex public safety challenges their communities are facing and about the innovative and culturally appropriate solutions they propose to meet those challenges,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Brent J. Cohen of OJP. “These investments in Tribal community safety infrastructure, Tribal youth programs, law enforcement activities in Indian country, and services for American Indian and Alaska Native survivors represent a strong and steady commitment on the part of the Office of Justice Programs to the safety of Tribal communities.”
Of the more than $84 million in grants awarded under CTAS, a streamlined application that helps Tribes apply for Tribal-specific grant programs, OJP funded more than $53 million in awards, and the COPS Office funded more than $31 million.
OJP funding supports system-wide strategic planning, the strengthening of Tribal justice system infrastructure, the investigation and prosecution of child abuse cases, juvenile healing to wellness courts, and tribal programs for youth.
The COPS Office awarded funds to assist 49 Tribes in hiring personnel, purchasing equipment, and making training grants to expand the implementation of community policing. This CTAS funding can be used to hire or re-hire full-time career law enforcement officers, village public safety officers, and school resource officers and to procure essential equipment, technology, and training to assist in initiating or enhancing Tribal policing efforts.
“The COPS Office is honored to continue assisting with our Tribal partners by providing funding for vital resources that help law enforcement agencies improve services to both their officers and the communities they serve,” said Director Hugh T. Clements Jr. of the COPS Office. “This support is integral to enhancing public safety, protecting the community and continuing to build trust and sustain relationships.”
In addition to the CTAS awards, OJP’s Office for Victims of Crime awarded nearly 200 grants totaling more than $54 million through the Tribal Victim Services Set-Aside to provide services for crime victims in Tribal communities.
Additionally, OJP’s Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking awarded 20 Tribes a total of $7 million to assist in their development of registration and notification.
Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission Meet with G7 Enforcement Partners in Rome to Discuss the Challenges of Ensuring Competition in AIRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission participated in the G7 Competition Authorities and Policymakers Summit yesterday and today to discuss how enforcers and policymakers can ensure healthy competition in AI-related technologies, products and applications.
The Summit was convened by the G7 Industry, Technology and Digital Ministerial Declaration and hosted in Rome by the Italian Competition Authority (Autorità Garante della Concorrenza e del Mercato). The Antitrust Division was led by Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Doha Mekki.
“Sharing the United States’ experiences and perspectives and reflecting on best practices alongside international enforcers helps us better apply the U.S. antitrust laws to unlock economic opportunity for the American people,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Doha Mekki. “We thank Italy for organizing an exceptional G7 summit and for driving a timely conversation on promoting competition in AI.”
At the conclusion of the Summit, G7 competition authorities and policymakers issued a communiqué, which highlights potential competition concerns in AI-related markets and identifies guiding principles to apply to ensure healthy competition in AI. The communiqué also underscores the important role that competition authorities and policymakers have in addressing competitive threats, emphasizing that the potential risk of concentrated market power in AI-related markets and possible collusion or improper information sharing using AI technologies necessitate careful vigilance and vigorous and timely competition enforcement. The G7 competition authorities and policymakers are committed to working to safeguard open and fair competition in digital markets and AI, and to ensure that the benefits of AI are fully realized and widely available in our societies.
Jamestown man going to prison for his role in drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Tyler Tedesco, 28, of Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute, and distributing, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, was sentenced to serve 78 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who handled the case, stated that Tedesco was a drug trafficking associate of co-defendant Rocco Beardsley, who led a drug trafficking organization in the Jamestown area. Tedesco sold large amounts of methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl for profit, collected drug money, stored drugs and profits, and coordinated with co-conspirators to sell methamphetamine and heroin. During the conspiracy, Tedesco and Beardsley used Facebook to communicate about their narcotics activities including debts, cash and drug transactions, supplies, and paraphernalia.
Rocco Beardsley was previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino, and the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson.
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Jacksonville Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Unlawfully Possessing A MachinegunRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Wendy M. Berger has sentenced Mar’Kesie Williams (28, Jacksonville) to 18 months in federal prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release, for possessing a machinegun. Williams entered a guilty plea on June 28, 2024.
According to court documents, on March 6, 2023, a property manager at an apartment complex in Jacksonville reported that while cleaning a vacant apartment they discovered Williams inside, armed with a firearm. Officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s responded to the apartment complex, arrested Williams, and located the firearm on top of a mattress. Williams subsequently admitted to possessing the firearm, which was a loaded Glock pistol equipped with a Glock switch. A Glock switch is a device that converts a semi-automatic Glock pistol into a fully automatic machinegun. Federal law prohibits the possession of machineguns and Glock switches.
This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro.
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.
Jacksonville Felon Sentenced to More Than Seven Years for Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Matthew Junior Rice (43, Jacksonville) to 7 years and 3 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Rice entered a guilty plea on April 11, 2024.
According to court documents, on November 8, 2023, officers from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office were on patrol when they observed Rice exiting his residence wearing a black bag across his chest. The officers were aware that Rice had an active warrant for his arrest and began to pursue him. Rice observed law enforcement, got on his bike, and went inside a convenience store. When Rice entered the store, he threw the bag he was wearing onto a shelf inside the store. The officers entered the store, arrested Rice, and retrieved the bag. Inside the bag was a loaded 9mm pistol, 32 small bags of Flakka, marijuana, and additional drug paraphernalia. Rice was previously convicted of multiple felonies, including narcotics sales and illegal firearm possession. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro.
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.
Jacksonville Felon Sentenced to 18 Months for Illegally Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Dondre Shauntrell Rosier (44, Jacksonville) to 18 months in federal prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release, for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Rosier entered a guilty plea on February 27, 2024.
According to court documents, on January May 31, 2022, a confidential informant, along with undercover ATF agents, conducted a controlled purchase of a firearm from Rosier at his residence. Rosier sold a 9mm handgun to the undercover agents for $660. The firearm was loaded with 26 rounds of 9mm ammunition and had an extended magazine. Rosier is a convicted felon and is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Cannizzaro.
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.
Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt:
Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto and pleading not guilty on Oct. 1 was:
Kevin Andrew Bacon, 50, of Manhattan, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. If convicted of the most serious crime, Bacon faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Bacon was detained pending further proceedings The Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-33.
Heather Brook Jenkins, 45, of Bozeman, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Jenkins faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Jenkins was detained pending further proceedings. The Missouri River Drug Task Force conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-34.
Appearing on Sept. 30 was:
Taylor Gale Penny, 35, of Missoula, on charges of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. If convicted of the most serious crime, Penny faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Penny was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI’s Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-51.
Anthony Robert Catalusci, 64, of Three Forks, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth and possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Catalusci faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Catalusci was detained pending further proceedings. The Missouri River Drug Task Force conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-34.
Travis Kurt Myers, 56, of Columbia Falls, on charges of pointing laser at aircraft. If convicted of the most serious crime, Myers faces a maximum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Myers was detained pending further proceedings. The Flathead County Sheriff’s Office and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-54.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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