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Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
Friday 23 August 2024
Activity in the U.S. Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
Bankruptcy Fraud Scheme
Peter Szanto, 73, of Oceanside, California, was sentenced to time served (two days), three years of supervised release, a $7,000 fine, and a $100 special assessment for bankruptcy fraud scheme. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on August 21. According to court documents, the defendant engaged in a nine-year scheme to defraud JPMorgan Chase by means of materially false and fraudulent pretenses, representations and promises, in order to hinder and obstruct the lawful foreclosure of his Newport Beach, California home, valued at approximately $4.5 million, through the repeated misuse of the U.S. bankruptcy courts, including the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Wyoming. Szanto was indicted in July 2023 and pleaded guilty on May 10. This crime was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Violent Crime
John Darwin Whiteman, 34, of Ethete, Wyoming, was sentenced to 57 month’s imprisonment and ordered by the court to pay $5,301.40 in restitution and a $100 special assessment for assault with a dangerous weapon with intent to do bodily harm. According to court documents, he and a companion had been drinking when an argument ensued and turned violent. The victim’s injuries consisted of significant bruising across the body, swollen eyes and lips; a broken tooth; a broken nose; a broken left orbital socket; red marks and bruising around the neck; a burn on the back; various lacerations; and human bite marks on the arm and leg. This crime was investigated by the FBI and the case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Elmore.
Child Sexual Assault Material
Kevin Snyder, 36, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography with a life term of supervised release. The court ordered him to pay $12,000 in restitution and $200 in special assessments. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on August 20. According to court documents, Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force was contacted by staff members at the Casper Re-Entry Center for an inmate who they believed was accessing child pornography on his phone. Their investigation concluded that he had downloaded approximately 2,600 files of child sexual assault materials involving lewd and lascivious acts, sadomasochism, and bestiality. This crime was investigated by the ICAC task force and the case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Z. Seth Griswold.
Failure to Register as a Sex Offender
Ben Murray, 58, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison for failure to register as a sex offender. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on August 12. According to court documents, on April 7, 2023, Aurora Police Department in Colorado issued an arrest warrant for Murray for failure to register. Wyoming Fugitive Task Force received information that Murray was residing in Cheyenne. Murray is an unregistered sex offender and has not registered in Wyoming or any other jurisdiction since February 2020. He waived indictment and pleaded guilty to an Information on May 14. This crime was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie Morrison.
Delray James Quiver, 46, of Riverton, Wyoming, was sentenced on Aug. 19, to 26 months in federal prison for failure to register as a sex offender. According to court documents, on Jan. 17, Quiver was released from custody and was required to register within three business days of his release from jail. The U.S. Marshal’s office advised that as of March 5, Quiver had not registered or updated his registration anywhere in Wyoming or anywhere that reports to the federal sex offender database. He was indicted on March 13, and pleaded guilty on May 28. U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin imposed the sentence in Cheyenne. This crime was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy W. Gist.
Illegal Re-entry of a Previously Deported Alien
Enrique Gomez-Salazar, 34, of San Luis, Potosi, Mexico, was sentenced to time served plus 10 days to allow for deportation proceedings, for illegal entry into the United States. According to court documents, on May 10, Gomez-Salazar was arrested by the Rawlins Police Department for driving while under the influence. He was booked into the Carbon County Jail. A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Deportation Officer processed the defendant and obtained his fingerprints. They matched pre-existing fingerprints in their database indicating he had previously been deported. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on June 13.
Martin Avina-Gonzalez, 34, of Fresnillo, Zaxatecas, Mexico, was sentenced to 104 days in prison and then his deportation proceedings will begin, for illegal entry into the United States. According to court documents, on May 3, Avina-Gonzales was arrested by the Evanston Police Department for strangulation of a household member, domestic battery, stalking, and violation of a protection order. A U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Deportation Officer processed the defendant and obtained his fingerprints. They matched pre-existing fingerprints in their database indicating he had previously been deported. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron J. Cook. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on Aug. 21
About the United States Attorney’s Office
The United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The Office is involved in several programs designed to make our communities safer. They include:
Environmental Justice
The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
Project Safe Childhood
Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide commitment to reducing gun and gang crime in America by networking existing local programs that target gun crime and providing these programs with additional tools necessary to be successful.
Victim Witness Assistance
The Victim Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is dedicated to making sure that victims of federal crimes and their family members are treated with compassion, fairness, and respect.To report a federal crime, go to: https://www.justice.gov/actioncenter/report-crime#trafficking
20 Year Prison Sentence Handed to District Woman for First-Degree Child Sexual AbuseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Griselda Martinez-Moz, 42, of Maryland, was sentenced today to 20 years in prison on two counts of first-degree child sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances. U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) announced the sentence.
Superior Court Judge Michael O’Keefe sentenced Martinez-Moz to 120 months of incarceration on each count, to run consecutive, for a total of 240 months. Upon her release, Martinez-Moz will be required to register as a sex offender for the remainder of her life. Martinez-Moz was convicted in March 2024 after a seven-day trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
According to the evidence and testimony presented at trial, on two occasions in 2015 and 2016, Martinez-Moz sexually abused a child who was eight years old at the time. A close friend of the child’s family, Martinez-Moz, on multiple occasions, subjected the child to sexual acts.
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 acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen Houck, Niki Holmes, and Dana Joseph who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Thursday 22 August 2024
Wexford Resident Charged with Attempting to Transmit Obscene Material to Minor and Coerce Minor to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Wexford, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of attempting to transmit obscene material to a minor and attempting to induce a minor to engage in sexual activity, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
The four-count Indictment named Albert Maximillian Jeremias, 79, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on multiple occasions between January 2023 and May 2023, Jeremias made contact via internet chats with undercover agents in the Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Santa Fe, New Mexico; and Coral Gables, Florida, areas who he believed were young girls between the ages of 12 and 15. During those conversations, Jeremias sent pornographic photographs and livestream images of himself to the undercover agents and requested that the agents send sexually explicit pictures of themselves to him, even sending one of them a $50 gift card as enticement.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Brown is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Northern Regional Police Department conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), 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.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Virginia Beach bookkeeper sentenced for wire fraud stemming from embezzlement and COVID-19 program schemesRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Virginia Beach woman was sentenced today to four years in prison for two counts of wire fraud after perpetrating embezzlement and COVID-19 program schemes resulting in over a million dollars in losses.
According to court documents, Maria Gene Reich, 45, was President of ASOC. Inc. d/b/a On Call Accountants (OCA), a Virginia Beach-based business which offered bookkeeping, accounting, and payroll services to small business clients. Beginning in February 2012, Reich and On Call Accountants performed bookkeeping for a family-owned company, identified in court records as Company A, that manufactures condiments. Reich would prepare checks and schedule electronic payments on behalf of Company A to pay the company’s bills.
For most of the period during which she performed services for Company A, Reich did not have signature authority over any of the company’s financial accounts, but possessed a stamp bearing the signature of the owner of Company A, which she used to draft checks for Company A’s business expenses. Reich also had online access to Company A’s financial accounts, which enabled her to view account balances, transfer funds, and initiate electronic payments as needed.
Based on the agreement between Reich and Company A, the maximum total compensation she should have received for services rendered to the company between January 2015 and December 2018 was $98,400. A financial analysis of activity during that time period revealed that Reich’s OCA business account received 270 payments totaling $596,418 from Company A accounts, including 138 checks and 132 electronic payments. Reich also used Company A’s money to pay off her credit cards, which she used for numerous personal expenses. The financial analysis showed that Reich made 366 payments totaling approximately $629,265 to her Capital One personal and business credit card accounts using funds from Company A’s business bank accounts. Reich used Company A’s money to pay for personal expenses such as dining, travel, entertainment, and retail purchases.
In total, Reich stole approximately $1,132,693 from Company A.
In March 2020, Reich applied to the Small Business Administration (SBA) for a $150,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) on behalf of OCA and requested a $150,000 loan. The purpose of the EIDL program was to enable small businesses to meet financial obligations and operating expenses in light of the coronavirus pandemic. In the EIDL application, Reich certified that none of the EIDL funds would be used for non-business expenses. In May 2020, the SBA funded the loan.
In April 2021, Reich applied for a modification of the EIDL loan to increase the amount to $500,000. In July 2021, the SBA approved the modification and funded the loan for an additional $350,000. On Aug. 3, 2021, a wire deposit from the SBA for $350,000 was made to OCA’s bank account, and Reich immediately transferred $150,000 to her personal banking accounts. On Sept. 27, 2021, Reich withdrew approximately $93,416 from her savings account and used the money for a downpayment on the purchase of a home in Virginia Beach, where Reich and her family continue to reside.
In addition to the downpayment for the residence, Reich used the EIDL funds from that transfer to put money into her minor children’s bank accounts and to make payments for her mortgages, credit cards, personal loan, and life insurance policy.
Of the remaining EIDL funds from the $350,000 EIDL loan, Reich used them to pay for: personal, household, and family expenses; payments to her credit card and PayPal accounts; home improvement costs and automobile expenses; and dining, grocery, and entertainment expenses.
In total, Reich illegally spent $249,102 of the EIDL funds she received.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Yusi prosecuted the case.
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. 2:23-cr-135.
United States Files Suit Against the Georgia Institute of Technology and Georgia Tech Research Corporation Alleging Cybersecurity ViolationsRead the Press Release
The United States joined a whistleblower suit and filed a complaint-in-intervention against the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and Georgia Tech Research Corp. (GTRC) asserting claims that those defendants knowingly failed to meet cybersecurity requirements in connection with the Department of Defense (DoD) contracts. GTRC is an affiliate of Georgia Tech that contracts with government agencies for work to be performed at Georgia Tech. The whistleblower suit was initiated by current and former members of Georgia Tech’s Cybersecurity team.
“Government contractors that fail to fully implement required cybersecurity controls jeopardize the confidentiality of sensitive government information,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department’s Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative was designed to identify such contractors and to hold them accountable.”
Specifically, the lawsuit alleges that until at least February 2020, the Astrolavos Lab at Georgia Tech failed to develop and implement a system security plan, which is required by DoD cybersecurity regulations, that set out the cybersecurity controls that Georgia Tech was required to put in place in the lab. Even when the Astrolavos Lab finally implemented a system security plan in February 2020, the lawsuit alleges that Georgia Tech failed to properly scope that plan to include all covered laptops, desktops, and servers.
Additionally, the lawsuit alleges until December 2021, the Astrolavos lab failed to install, update or run anti-virus or anti-malware tools on desktops, laptops, servers and networks at the lab. Instead, Georgia Tech approved the lab’s refusal to install antivirus software — in violation of both federal cybersecurity requirements and Georgia Tech’s own policies — to satisfy the demands of the professor who headed the lab.
The lawsuit further alleges that in December 2020 Georgia Tech and GTRC submitted a false cybersecurity assessment score to DoD for the Georgia Tech campus. DoD requires contractors to submit summary level scores reflecting the status of their compliance with applicable cybersecurity requirements on covered contracting systems that are used to store or access covered defense information. The submission of this score was a “condition of contract award” for Georgia Tech’s DoD contracts. The lawsuit alleges that the summary level score of 98 for the Georgia Tech campus that Georgia Tech and GTRC reported to DoD in December 2020 was false because (1) Georgia Tech did not actually have a campus-wide IT system and (2) the score was for a “fictitious” or “virtual” environment and did not apply to any covered contracting system at Georgia Tech that could or would ever process, store or transmit covered defense information.
“Cybersecurity compliance by government contractors is critical in safeguarding U.S. information and systems against threats posed by malicious actors,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia. “For this reason, we expect contractors to abide by cybersecurity requirements in their contracts and grants, regardless of the size or type of the organization or the number of contracts involved. Our office will hold accountable those contractors who ignore cybersecurity rules.”
“Deficiencies in cybersecurity controls pose a significant threat not only to our national security, but also to the safety of the men and women of our armed services who risk their lives daily,” said Special Agent in Charge Darrin K. Jones of the DoD's Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “As force multipliers, we place a substantial amount of trust in our contractors and expect them to meet the strict standards our service members deserve.”
The whistleblower lawsuit was filed by Christopher Craig and Kyle Koza, who were previously senior members of Georgia Tech’s cybersecurity compliance team, under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, which allow private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and to receive a share of any recovery. The act permits the United States to intervene and take over responsibility for litigating these cases, as it has done here. A defendant who violates the act is subject to liability for three times the government’s losses, plus applicable penalties.
On Oct. 6, 2021, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco announced the department’s Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative to hold accountable entities or individuals that put U.S information or systems at risk by knowingly providing deficient cybersecurity products or services, knowingly misrepresenting their cybersecurity practices or protocols or knowingly violating obligations to monitor and report cybersecurity incidents and breaches. Information on how to report cyber fraud can be found here.
Senior Trial Counsel Jake M. Shields of the Justice Department's Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam D. Nugent and Melanie D. Hendry for the Northern District of Georgia are handling the matter.
The case is captioned United States ex rel. Craig v. Georgia Tech Research Corp, et al., No. 1:22-cv-02698 (N.D. Ga.). Investigative support is being provided by the DoD Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Air Force Office of Special Investigations and Air Force Material Command.
The claims alleged by the United States are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
ComplaintUnited States Files Suit Against the Georgia Institute of Technology and Georgia Tech Research Corporation Alleging Cybersecurity ViolationsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – The United States has filed a complaint-in-intervention against the Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech) and Georgia Tech Research Corporation (GTRC) raising claims under the False Claims Act and federal common law alleging that those defendants failed to meet cybersecurity requirements in connection with U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) contracts.
GTRC is an affiliate of Georgia Tech that contracts with government agencies for work to be performed at Georgia Tech and its related entities. On February 20, 2024, the United States intervened in a whistleblower suit brought by current and former members of Georgia Tech’s cybersecurity team against Georgia Tech and GTRC.
“Cybersecurity compliance by government contractors is critical in safeguarding U.S. information and systems against threats posed by malicious actors,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “For this reason, we expect contractors to abide by cybersecurity requirements in their contracts and grants, regardless of the size or type of the organization or the number of contracts involved. Our office will hold accountable those contractors who ignore cybersecurity rules.”
“Government contractors that fail to fully implement required cybersecurity controls jeopardize the confidentiality of sensitive government information,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department’s Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative was designed to identify such contractors and to hold them accountable.”
“Deficiencies in cybersecurity controls pose a significant threat not only to our national security, but also to the safety of the men and women of our armed services that risk their lives daily,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Darrin K. Jones, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “As force multipliers, we place a substantial amount of trust in our contractors and expect them to meet the strict standards our service members deserve.”
The United States’ complaint alleges that, from at least as early as 2019 and extending for multiple years, Georgia Tech essentially had “no enforcement” of federal cybersecurity regulations in connection with DoD contracts and fostered a “culture of somebody up the line is going to overturn me . . . [so] I might as well go ahead and ignore the policy” with respect to cybersecurity compliance. Georgia Tech, the suit alleges, routinely acquiesced to the demands of “star researchers”—who were treated like “star quarterbacks” because they secured large government contracts—when those researchers “pushed back” on cybersecurity compliance because the researchers found it troublesome.
Specifically, the lawsuit alleges that from at least May 2019 until at least February 2020, the Astrolavos Lab at Georgia Tech failed to develop and implement a required system security plan that set out the cybersecurity controls that were put in place in the lab to comply with applicable DoD cybersecurity requirements. Nor, until August 2019 at the earliest, did Georgia Tech undertake to implement the required DoD cybersecurity controls at the lab the suit alleges. Even when the Astrolavos Lab finally implemented a system security plan in February 2020, the lawsuit alleges that Georgia Tech failed to properly scope that plan to include all covered laptops, desktops, and servers, and then in the ensuing years failed to monitor and update that plan as required by applicable cybersecurity rules and regulations.
Additionally, the lawsuit alleges that from at least as early as May 2019 until December 2021, the Astrolavos lab failed to install, update, or operate anti-virus or anti-malware tools on desktops, laptops, servers, and networks at the lab. Georgia Tech allegedly approved the lab’s refusal to install antivirus software—in violation of both federal cybersecurity requirements and Georgia Tech’s own policies—to satisfy the demands of the professor who headed the lab. In connection with contracts that DoD entered into with GTRC on behalf of Georgia Tech, defendants were obligated to implement these and other cybersecurity controls at the Astrolavos Lab.
The lawsuit further alleges that in December 2020, Georgia Tech and GTRC submitted a false and fraudulent cybersecurity assessment score to DoD for the Georgia Tech campus. DoD requires contractors to submit summary level scores reflecting the status of their compliance with applicable cybersecurity requirements on covered contracting systems that are used to store or access covered defense information. The submission of this score is a “condition of contract award” for most DoD contracts. The lawsuit alleges that the summary level score of 98 for the Georgia Tech campus that Georgia Tech and GTRC reported to DoD in December 2020 was false and fraudulent because: (1) Georgia Tech did not have, nor could it ever have, a campus-wide IT system; (2) the score was for a “fictitious” or “virtual” environment that was a “construct” since it was not “specifically associated to any active research at Georgia Tech” and was “not actually describing something that exists;” and (3) the score was not for any covered contracting system at Georgia Tech that could or would ever process, store, or transmit covered defense information.
On October 6, 2021, the Deputy Attorney General announced the Department’s Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative to hold accountable entities or individuals that put United States information or systems at risk by knowingly providing deficient cybersecurity products or services, knowingly misrepresenting their cybersecurity practices or protocols, or knowingly violating obligations to monitor and report cybersecurity incidents and breaches. Information on how to report cyber fraud can be found here. This lawsuit is the first matter the United States has litigated as part of the Civil Cyber-Fraud Initiative.
The whistleblower lawsuit was filed by Christopher Craig and Kyle Koza, who were previously senior members of Georgia Tech’s cybersecurity compliance team, under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act. The act allows private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and to receive a share of any recovery. The act also permits the United States to intervene and assume responsibility for litigating these cases, as it has done here. A defendant who violates the act is subject to liability for three times the government’s losses, plus applicable penalties.
This case is being handled by the Justice Department’s Civil Division and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia. The case is captioned United States ex rel. Craig v. Georgia Tech Research Corp, et al., No. 1:22-cv-02698 (N.D. Ga.). Investigative support is being provided by the DoD Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and Air Force Material Command.
This matter is being handled by Senior Trial Counsel Jake M. Shields and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam D. Nugent and Melanie D. Hendry.
The claims in which the United States has intervened are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Conviction of Church Rock Man for Shooting at Law EnforcementRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Church Rock man has pleaded guilty in federal court in federal court to charges related to attack on law enforcement officers on the Navajo Nation.
According to court documents, in the early morning of July 22, 2023, the Navajo Police Department (NPD) received reports of a man identified as Elijah Touchine, 24, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, walking near his residence, shooting a gun, and threatening to hurt someone. Officers from the NPD and New Mexico State Police responded to the area and came under fire from an unknown direction, prompting them to take tactical action to protect themselves. Law enforcement could hear the bullets whizzing past and striking the ground nearby. They pursued the shooter into a canyon but had to discontinue the search after twelve hours due to dark conditions.
Later that day, the FBI, with assistance from the Gallup Police Department, located Touchine at a local gun store in Gallup, NM. He was taken into custody without incident. During the investigation, it was determined that Touchine had forced his grandmother to purchase ammunition and an AR-15 firearm for him through threats of violence. When asked why he was buying a gun, Touchine replied, “I don’t know, shoot up any cop I see.”
Law enforcement recovered a .40 caliber Taurus handgun and ammunition in a black bag from the trunk of his grandmother’s vehicle.
At sentencing, Touchine faces 12 to 17 years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Touchine will be subject to up to 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 Gallup Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau Investigation investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigation, New Mexico State Police and Gallup Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas Marshall is prosecuting the case.
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U.S. Attorney Dena J. King Meets with Faith Leaders in AshevilleRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Dena J. King and U.S. Attorney’s Office personnel met with faith leaders in Asheville today, to discuss community matters, address local challenges, and collaborate on joint priorities, including public safety, youth violence prevention and intervention, civil rights, and the protection of houses of worship. The meeting was part of an ongoing effort to further collaboration between law enforcement and faith-based organizations to promote the safety of Asheville communities.
During the meeting, U.S. Attorney King emphasized the importance of a united approach to identifying and addressing the challenges that impact communities. “Faith leaders play a vital role in assisting and uplifting the communities they serve. Their partnership is essential in addressing the root causes of criminal activity that threatens the safety of our citizens, ensuring the protection of civil rights, and fostering trust between law enforcement and the communities we are sworn to protect,” said U.S. Attorney King.
The discussion focused on the unique perspective that faith leaders add to conversations centered on community safety, and how their knowledge, influence, and collaboration can assist federal prosecutors and law enforcement in preventing and combating criminal activity and promoting community safety. Topics covered during the meeting included strategies for reducing violence, intercepting drug trafficking, and removing illegal firearms from the streets. The group also discussed the protection of civil rights and explored ways to enhance collaboration between law enforcement and faith communities to reduce youth violence and foster trust through shared efforts and open dialogue.
“Community safety is not just the responsibility of law enforcement,” U.S. Attorney King noted. “It requires the collective effort of all stakeholders, including our faith-based partners. Together, we can create safer neighborhoods and thriving communities through stronger alliances.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office remains committed to partnering with faith leaders and other community partners to address issues pressing to local communities. Following today’s discussion, U.S. Attorney King and her team will continue to engage with faith leaders, listen to their concerns, and work collaboratively on proposed solutions.
Additional information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office can be found here.
Two Former Presidents of Boilermakers International Union Among Seven Indicted for $20M Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in Kansas returned an indictment yesterday charging seven defendants, including five current and former high-level officers of the International Brotherhood of Boilermakers, Iron Ship Builders, Blacksmith, Forgers and Helpers (Boilermakers Union) for their alleged roles in a 15-year, $20 million embezzlement scheme.
The defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit offenses under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, as well as other charges including embezzlement, health care fraud, wire fraud, and theft in connection with health care and retirement plans.
“As alleged in the indictment, these defendants, including two former presidents of the Boilermakers Union, enriched themselves by spending millions of dollars in union funds for their own benefit, including for salary and benefits for no-show jobs, tuition, rent, luxury international travel, meals, vacation payouts, and unauthorized loans,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This indictment marks an important step in restoring financial security to the Boilermakers Union and control of the union’s future to its membership. The department is committed to protecting union members from officials who abuse their positions of authority for their own personal ends.”
The defendants are former union president Newton Jones, 71, of Chapel Hill, North Carolina; former secretary-treasurer William Creeden, 76, of Kearney, Missouri; former president Truman “Warren” Fairley, 59, of Chapel Hill; current secretary-treasurer Kathy Stapp, 53, of Shawnee, Kansas; former vice president Lawrence McManamon, 76, of Rocky River, Ohio; Kateryna Jones, 32, of Chapel Hill; and Cullen Jones 35, of Chapel Hill.
“Union members pay their dues believing union leaders will use the money in support of the organization’s mission to advocate for and protect employment rights,” said U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher for the District of Kansas. “The Department of Justice is deeply concerned whenever there are accusations of fraud and misappropriation of union funds.”
“The employees believed the Union executives would promote and protect their best interests. Instead, they allegedly utilized their positions for personal and financial gain,” said Special Agent in Charge Stephen A. Cyrus of the FBI Kansas City Field Office. “By allegedly unlawfully misappropriating Union funds, the defendants betrayed their members’ trust and confidence. Anyone who unlawfully profits at the expense of others will be held accountable.”
“We would like to thank our fellow law enforcement partners, the Criminal Division, and the United States Attorney’s Office for working collaboratively to bring change within the Boilermakers International Union,” said District Director Christiane Abendroth of the Department of Labor’s Office of Labor-Management Standards (OLMS). “Today’s indictment of seven defendants, including five current and former high-level officers, is a direct result of OLMS’s audit findings and a multi-agency criminal investigation. We look forward to obtaining justice for the rank-and-file union members by removing officers who allegedly treated the union as their personal piggy bank.”
Over the course of 15 years, the defendants, led by Newton Jones and William Creeden, allegedly engaged in widespread embezzlement of the funds of the Boilermakers Union including:
- Over $5 million in unnecessary luxury international travel;
- Over $2 million in salary and benefits to Kateryna Jones and Cullen Jones for no-show jobs, at which they were not required to work, including payment of two years of salary to Kateryna Jones for a period when she resided in Ukraine and was dating Newton Jones;
- Hundreds of thousands of dollars in tuition, rent, and relocation expenses for members of the family of Newton Jones;
- Millions of dollars in cash payments relating to fraudulently claimed vacation time;
- Hundreds of fraudulent restaurant charges by Newton Jones and Kateryna Jones in their hometown;
- Funds wrongly expended to engage in email surveillance of Union employees to defend Newton Jones and McManamon from internal union charges; and
- $7 million in loans from the Boilermakers Union MORE Fund executed by Newton Jones and Creeden to the Bank of Labor, which were not authorized under the terms of the Boilermakers Union constitution or its conflict-of-interest policy.
The indictment also charges Newton Jones and Creeden with wire fraud relating to their alleged demand and acceptance of no-show employment with the Bank of Labor for which they were paid more than $3.4 million each in salary, benefit contributions, and other paid benefits. The indictment additionally seeks forfeiture of $20 million.
If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the RICO conspiracy count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Kansas City Field Office and the Department of Labor are investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Vincent Falvo of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Faiza Alhambra and Jabari Wamble for the District of Kansas 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.
Three Men Charged with December 2023 Armed Robbery of Lawrence Jewelry StoreRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Yesterday, a criminal complaint was unsealed charging three men with the December 2023 armed robbery of a jewelry store in Lawrence, during which they allegedly stole over $500,000 worth of jewelry and precious metals.
Eric Rosario, a/k/a “Maniactico,” 26; Rosnel Polanco, 26; and Robert Santana, a/k/a “Amaury Perez,” a/k/a “Piccarine,” 29, all of Lawrence, were charged with one count each of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery (commonly referred to as Hobbs Act robbery). Santana was arrested yesterday. Rosario and Polanco were previously arrested on related state charges and remain in custody. The defendants will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
According to charging documents, on Dec. 15, 2023, the defendants allegedly entered a Lawrence jewelry store armed with firearms. Numerous employees of the store were present at the time, and it is alleged that the defendants robbed them of their jewelry and cell phones. The defendants then allegedly pointed firearms at the victims’ heads and pressed the firearms to their backs as they brought the victim employees downstairs to the basement where the jewelry store’s office and safes were located.
Once downstairs, the defendants allegedly forced the owner of the store to open the safes containing the jewelry and other precious metals. In total, approximately $500,000 in jewelry and precious metals are alleged to have been taken. The second safe could not be successfully opened. It is alleged that the defendants then fled the scene in a rented Nissan Altima that was later found burned and torched in a field in Maine the following day.
The charge of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. 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; Essex District Attorney Paul F. Tucker; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; John E. Mawn, Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Lawrence Police Chief Millix Bonilla made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Cumberland County (Maine) Sheriff’s Department (Maine) and the Norway (Maine) and Oxford (Maine) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Three Florida Men Plead Guilty in Multimillion-Dollar Tax Refund SchemeRead the Press Release
Christopher Johnson, of Orlando, Florida, and Jasen Harvey, of Tampa, Florida, pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring to defraud the United States by promoting a tax fraud scheme called the “Note Program.”
Arthur Grimes, of Ocoee and Orlando, Florida, previously pleaded guilty on April 2 to obstructing the IRS in connection with the scheme.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2015 to 2018, Johnson and Harvey conspired to promote a scheme in which Harvey and others prepared tax returns for clients that claimed large nonexistent income tax withholdings had been paid to the IRS, and sought large refunds based on those purported withholdings. The conspirators charged clients fees and required them to pay over a portion of the fraudulently obtained refunds.
Overall, the defendants claimed over $3 million in fraudulent refunds on their clients returns, of which the IRS paid about $1.5 million.
Grimes participated in the scheme by causing four false income tax returns prepared by Harvey to be filed. When the IRS attempted to recover a refund issued to Grimes based on one of those returns, Grimes made false statements and submitted false documents to an IRS revenue officer and transferred funds to a nominee bank account.
Johnson was paid more than $200,000 in 2016 and more than $100,000 in 2017 as his share of the proceeds from the scheme. Johnson filed false tax returns for those years that did not report that income, resulting in a tax loss of $78,259.
A sentencing hearing will be set at a later date for Johnson and Harvey. They each face a maximum penalty of five years in prison for the conspiracy charge.
Grimes is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 12. He faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison for the tax obstruction charge.
All three defendants also face a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. 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 and U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Melissa Siskind, Jeffrey McLellan and Caroline Pearson of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Hu for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
Texas Man Charged with Armed Kidnapping of Rideshare DriverRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Texas man was charged with kidnapping a rideshare driver at gunpoint and forcing the driver to travel to South Florida.
According to allegations in the criminal complaint, a rideshare driver working in Arlington, Texas, picked up Miguel Alejandro Pastran Hernandez, 23, on Aug. 16 at approximately 10:30 p.m. Pastran Hernandez had ordered a ride to a closed gas station. When they arrived at the gas station, Pastran Hernandez pulled out a gun and the victim heard a round being chambered in the firearm. Pastran Hernandez threatened to tie up and put the driver in the back of the vehicle. Pastran Hernandez then ordered the victim to drive to Florida, through multiple states. When they arrived in south Florida, Pastran Hernandez discussed his plan to kidnap another victim for ransom. On Aug. 19, Pastran Hernandez made the victim drive to a store in Hialeah to buy supplies for the second kidnapping. While at the store, the victim fled from Pastran Hernandez who was later arrested and found in possession of a bag containing a loaded firearm.
During his appearance in Miami federal court on Aug. 20, on charges of kidnapping, carjacking and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, Pastran Hernandez was ordered detained. A pre-trial detention hearing is scheduled for Aug. 26. An arraignment hearing is scheduled for Sept. 3.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, announced the charges.
FBI Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Hannah is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
A criminal complaint contains allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-mj-3751.
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Tennessee Man and Company Plead Guilty to Violating the Clean Water ActRead the Press Release
On Aug. 20, Christopher Domermuth, 49, and Domermuth Environmental Services LLC (DES), based in Knoxville, Tennessee, both pleaded guilty today to violating the Clean Water Act by knowingly discharging pollutants into a navigable waterway without a permit. Sentencing has been set for Dec. 12 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville.
Domermuth faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison, followed by a term of supervised release of up to one year. The parties have recommended to the Court that DES pay a $50,000 fine and be placed on probation for three years.
According to court documents, Domermuth operated DES, which was engaged in the business of processing petroleum-contaminated soil and water in Knoxville. On July 26, 2018, DES workers rolled over a previously exhumed underground storage tank, which spilled a mixture of petroleum and water onto a concrete pad at the facility. DES employees and Domermuth threw absorbent pads into the spilled mixture and then used a portable pump to pump the petroleum-contaminated mixture over a retaining wall at DES. The oily mixture flowed over a neighboring property and into a culvert leading to the Holston River.
“Domermuth Environmental Services and Christopher Domermuth were supposed to be cleaning up contaminated water and soil to protect the environment, but instead caused the discharge of pollutants. These felony guilty pleas demonstrate our commitment to enforcing the Clean Water Act,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department's Environment and Natural Resources Division.
“Our office is committed to protecting our natural resources in East Tennessee,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee. “I applaud the collaborative efforts of the federal and state law enforcement agencies that brought these violators to justice.”
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division, EPA Office of Inspector General (OIG), Tennessee Valley Authority-OIG, FBI and Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Matthew T. Morris of the Justice Department’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy S. Dykes for the Eastern District of Tennessee are prosecuting the case.
Tennessee Man and Company Plead Guilty to Violating the Clean Water ActRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On August 20, 2024, Christopher Domermuth, 49, and Domermuth Environmental Services, LLC (“DES”), based in Knoxville, both pleaded guilty today to violating the Clean Water Act by knowingly discharging pollutants into a navigable waterway without a permit, in violation of 33 U.S.C. §§ 1311 and 1319(c), in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Mr. Domermuth faces a maximum term of up to three years in Federal prison, followed by a term of supervised release of up to one year.
According to court documents, Mr. Domermuth operated DES, which was engaged in the business of processing petroleum-contaminated soil and water in Knoxville. On July 26, 2018, DES workers rolled over a previously exhumed underground storage tank which spilled a mixture of petroleum and water onto a concrete pad at the facility. DES employees and Mr. Domermuth threw absorbent pads into the spilled mixture and then used a portable pump to pump the petroleum-contaminated mixture over a retaining wall at DES. The oily mixture flowed over a neighboring property and into a culvert leading to the Holston River.
“Domermuth Environmental Services and Christopher Domermuth were engaged in a business that was supposed to be cleaning up contaminated water and soil to protect the environment,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim. “Their actions instead led to the discharge of pollutants into the environment they were supposed to help protect. These felony guilty pleas represent our commitment to enforcing the Clean Water Act.”
“Our office is committed to protecting our natural resources in East Tennessee,” said United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III. “I applaud the collaborative efforts of the federal and state law enforcement agencies that brought these violators to justice.”
This prosecution was the result of a joint investigation between the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) - Criminal Investigation Division, EPA - Office of Inspector General (OIG), the Tennessee Valley Authority-OIG, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation conducted the investigation. Senior Trial Attorney Matthew T. Morris of the Department of Justice’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy S. Dykes are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
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Tattnall County mechanic pleads guilty to tampering with logging equipment to evade environmental controlsRead the Press Release
STATESBORO, GA: A Tattnall County man awaits sentencing after pleading guilty to operating a business that tampered with government-mandated emissions controls on commercial logging equipment.
Justin Taylor, 30, of Collins, Ga., pled guilty in U.S. District Court to an Information charging him with Conspiracy to Tamper with a Monitoring Device, and Fraud and False Statement, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. The plea subjects Taylor to a possible statutory sentence of up to five years in prison and substantial financial penalties, followed by a period of supervised release upon completion of any prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Emissions controls on heavy duty commercial equipment exist to help prevent excessive pollution from diesel engines, and evading those controls makes the air dirtier and less safe for everyone,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “With this plea agreement, Justin Taylor will no longer profit at the expense of our communities.”
As described in court documents and testimony, Taylor was a mechanic working from a shop at his home and at remote job sites from as early as Jan. 1, 2018, through Jan. 20, 2021. Using a high-powered computer that supported diagnostic tools for heavy-duty logging equipment, Taylor performed emission-control “deletes” for more than 200 owners of diesel engines.
The changes Taylor made to the emission controls on those machines disabled the electronic monitoring devices and methods required under the Clean Air Act. Taylor routinely charged $2,000 for this service, earning more than $1.2 million during this period while reporting only $166,853 in income.
As a consequence of falsifying the information on his tax filings for the years 2018, 2019, and 2020, Taylor agrees in his plea to pay a total of $279,642 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service, along with accrued interest.
U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall will schedule sentencing for Taylor upon completion of a pre-sentence investigation by U.S. Probation Services.
“Justin Taylor has pled guilty to conspiring to violate the Clean Air Act and tampering with the emissions control equipment on hundreds of Tigercat brand heavy-duty diesel logging equipment throughout the Southeast,” said Acting Director Jennifer Lynn of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division. “These crimes would increase air pollution which intensifies respiratory illnesses and environmental degradation. This guilty plea serves as a reminder that EPA and our partners are steadfast in our commitment to protect human health and the environment.”
“Justin Taylor assisted others in illegally evading EPA rules, receiving payments for it and failing to pay taxes on it,” said Demetrius Hardeman, Special Agent in Charge, Atlanta Field Office of IRS Criminal Investigations. “Justin Taylor enriched himself substantially and did not fully report his income or pay taxes. IRS Special Agents will continue to investigate and hold tax cheats accountable”
The case was investigated by the Environmental Protection Agency’s Criminal Investigation Division and IRS Criminal Investigations, and prosecuted for the United States of America by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Darron J. Hubbard.
Swanzey Man Indicted for Stealing Firearms from a Federal Firearms LicenseeRead the Press Release
CONCORD –A Swanzey man was indicted in federal court for stealing firearms from a federally licensed gun store, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Khale Guillou, 19, of Swanzey, was indicted on one count of theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee. Guillou is in Massachusetts state custody on unrelated charges. He will appear in federal court on a later date.
On July 6, 2024, Guillou stole 17 firearms from the premises of a person federally licensed to deal in firearms, including one rifle and 16 pistols.
The charge of theft of firearms from a federal firearms licensee provides for a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to a 3-year term of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Keene Police Department, Swanzey Police Department, Winchester Police Department, and Tewksbury Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Krasinski is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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.
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St. Michael Woman Pleads Guilty to Child Abuse and Related Charges in Death of One-Year-OldRead the Press Release
BISMARCK – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that Kenzie Rose Baker, age 27, from St. Michael, North Dakota, is scheduled to be sentenced on January 22, 2025, for her role in the death of a one-year-old child on the Spirit Lake Reservation. Baker appeared in federal court on August 16, 2024, in Fargo and pleaded guilty before District Court Judge Peter Welte to accessory after the fact, child abuse in Indian country, and child neglect in Indian country.
“The abuse and death of this young child was senseless, wasteful, and utterly cruel,” Schneider said. “There is no undoing the disregard for life shown in this case, but by holding child abusers accountable in federal court we hope that future tragedies can be prevented. Our partners in federal law enforcement and career prosecutors will continue to use every tool at our disposal to protect kids.”
As noted in court documents, Baker called 911 on February 18, 2023, from a home in St. Michael on the Spirit Lake Reservation and reported a one-year-old child was not breathing. The child was transported to CHI St. Alexius in Devils Lake, North Dakota and was pronounced dead.
An autopsy concluded the cause of death was “battered child” due to multiple, repeated injuries of various ages which were evident upon external and internal examination. The child’s internal injuries were untreated, giving rise to infection and sepsis.
Baker admitted she observed swelling present for two weeks but failed to seek medical care. After the child’s death, Baker’s co-defendant, Collin Ray Delorme, claimed an external injury to the child’s back, which was above a spinal fracture, occurred when he misjudged a step and his boot slipped and a flashlight hit the child. Law enforcement attempted to locate and seize the flashlight and Baker said she would provide it, but she did not.
Delorme, the co-defendant, is charged with four offenses including felony murder in Indian country, child abuse in Indian country, and child neglect in Indian country. Delorme is scheduled for jury trial on November 19, 2024. Baker and Delorme are detained in custody pending Baker’s sentencing and Delorme’s trial. The Indictment in this case pertaining to Delorme is not evidence of guilt, Delorme is presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lori H. Conroy and SheraLynn Ternes.
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Solar Company Owner Indicted for FraudRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – On August 14, 2024, a federal grand jury in Tucson returned an 11-count indictment against Daniel Jarrett Ridlinghafer, 37, of Marana for Bank Fraud, Wire Fraud, and Mail Fraud.
The indictment alleges that Ridlinghafer owned and operated Psalm 112 LLC, d.b.a. Tucson Solar Pros, a solar installation company based in Tucson. Beginning in January 2021 and continuing through July 7, 2022, Ridlinghafer engaged in a scheme to defraud at least 25 homeowners and two federally insured credit unions. Ridlinghafer, or his employees, signed fraudulent contracts with victim homeowners for the purchase and installation of solar power electrical systems on the victims’ homes. The victim credit unions then funded loans for many of the projects based on those contracts. After receiving payment from the victim homeowners and credit unions, Ridlinghafer abandoned the projects, failed to provide the victim homeowners any of the equipment they had purchased, and did not install any solar equipment on their homes. Ridlinghafer allegedly defrauded the victim homeowners and credit unions out of at least $695,000.00.
A conviction for Bank Fraud carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1,000,000.00 fine. A conviction for Mail Fraud and Wire Fraud carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000.00 fine.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-2024-05232 TUC-RM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-115_Ridlinghafer# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Sevierville Man Sentenced to over 12 Years Imprisonment for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On August 21, 2024, Ronnie Joe Maples, 47, currently of Sevierville, Tennessee was sentenced to 151 months by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Following his incarceration, Maples will be on lifetime supervised release and will be required to register with state sex offender registries and to comply with special sex offender conditions.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Maples pled guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252A(a)(2).
According to documents filed in the case, Maples and another individual discussed actively molesting children and producing child pornography on the internet. During these discussions, Maples received child pornography from this individual. In November 2022, the individual with whom Maples was communicating began cooperating with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the United States Secret Service (USSS). Law enforcement subsequently obtained a search warrant for Maples’ Facebook account and cellular phone, which confirmed that Maples received child pornography.
U.S. Attorney of the Eastern District of Tennessee, Francis M. Hamilton III, and FBI Special Agent in Charge, Joseph E. Carrico made the announcement.
The criminal information was the result of an investigation by the FBI and the USSS.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Kolman represented the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources.”
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Salisbury Man Sentenced to 78 Months for Possessing a Stolen FirearmRead the Press Release
Rutland, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on August 21, 2024, Scott Clark, 41, of Salisbury, Vermont, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mae D’Agostino to 78 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Clark previously pleaded guilty to possessing a stolen firearm on July 13, 2023.
According to court records, on September 23, 2022, Clark unlawfully entered a camper which had been parked at a campground in Salisbury, Vermont. While inside of the camper, Clark located and took possession of a Glock Model G23 .40 caliber pistol that belonged to the camper’s owner. Clark was confronted by a Vermont State Police trooper responding to complaints of a suspicious person attempting to break into campers at the campground. While Clark was being questioned he clandestinely removed the Glock from his person and provided it to his girlfriend, who was standing nearby and then placed the Glock in her purse. The Vermont State Police trooper observed the Glock in the girlfriend’s purse and seized the pistol.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Vermont State Police, the Middlebury Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan A. Ophardt and Thomas J. Aliberti. Clark was represented by Karen Shingler, Esq.
Saint Tammany Parish Man Sentenced for Violating Federal Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – LARRY JAMES (“JAMES”), age 23, of Madisonville, Louisiana, was sentenced on August 20, 2024 after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute, 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 846. JAMES also pled guilty to three counts of distribution of fentanyl and, one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846.
JAMES was sentenced to 63 months imprisonment, four years of supervised release, and a $500 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, JAMES sold fentanyl pills to an undercover agent on August 25, 2023, September 8, 2023, and September 15, 2023. On September 28, 2023, law enforcement searched JAMES’s residence pursuant to a state search warrant and found additional fentanyl pills, packaging materials, two digital scales, and three firearms.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Department. Assistant United States Attorney Rachal Cassagne of the Narcotics Unit oversees the prosecution.
SBA employee indicted in COVID-19 fraud schemeRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – A Carrollton man has been charged with federal violations related to a COVID-19 fraud scheme in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.
Faruk Syed, 44, was named in the two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury on August 15, 2024, in the Eastern District of Texas. The indictment charges Syed with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering. Syed made his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kimberly C. Priest Johnson.
According to information presented in court, Syed was employed by the U.S. Small Business Administration as a loan specialist and was responsible for reviewing and approving applications for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) related to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Syed allegedly conspired to submit multiple fraudulent applications for EIDL loans requesting hundreds of thousands of dollars of CARES Act funds. As an SBA loan specialist, Syed approved these fraudulent loan applications in his official capacity. He then received the loan proceeds and laundered the money through his Fidelity Investment account.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
If convicted, Syed faces up to 20 years in federal prison.
This case is being investigated by the SBA-OIG and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean J. Taylor.
A grand jury indictment is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Pendleton County Couple Sentenced for Armed Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
COVINGTON, Ky. – A DeMossville, Ky., couple, Robert Gullion, 31, and Catelyn Simpson-Barnett, 33, were sentenced on Thursday, by U.S. District Judge David Bunning, to 204 months and 138 months, respectively, for possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. Gullion was also sentenced for possession of a firearm in furtherance of the drug trafficking.
According to their plea agreements, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle occupied by Gullion and Simpson-Barnett, finding two bags of fentanyl, a loaded syringe on the passenger floorboard, and three bags of a crystal substance later confirmed to be 722.8 grams of methamphetamine. Law enforcement also seized multiple safes in the vehicle, one containing a bag of 27 grams of methamphetamine, a handgun with an extended magazine, other drug paraphernalia, miscellaneous pills, and $5,509.04.
Gullion and Simpson-Barnett both admitted to their roles in conspiring to distribute the controlled substances for approximately two months. Gullion claimed ownership of the firearm and admitted that he possessed the firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
Under federal law, Gullion and Simpson-Barnett must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences. Upon their release from prison, they will both be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for five years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Erek Davodowich, Acting Special Agent in Charge, DEA, Louisville Field Division; and Chief Brian Valenti, Covington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and Covington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Bracke prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
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Palm Beach County Man Sentenced to over Nine Years in Prison for Possessing a Firearm and Ammunition as a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On Aug. 20, Charles Grim Rudolph, 32, of Riviera Beach, Fla., a 23-time convicted felon, was sentenced to 114 months in federal prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release, by U.S. District Judge Kenneth A. Marra after having been convicted at trial for being a felon in unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.
After 9:30 p.m., July 26, 2023, a West Palm Beach Police officer spotted a car with illegal tint pull out of a motel parking lot and conducted a traffic stop on the car, driven by Rudolph. Rudolph did not have a valid license, and after the officer saw two baggies of drugs in plain view near the gear shifter, conducted a search of the car. Rudolph’s girlfriend, the passenger, had a purse inside the car by her seat. Inside the purse was a loaded .38 special revolver. A DNA test identified Rudolph’s DNA on the gun.
The guilty verdict in this case resulted in Rudolph’s fifth conviction for being a felon in unlawful possession of a firearm. Rudolph was on probation for the same offense at the time of his arrest in this matter.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson, of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, and West Palm Beach Police Chief Frank Adderley announced the sentence.
The case was investigated by the FBI, ATF and West Palm Beach Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emily Walters and Adam McMichael 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 gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-80002.
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Owner of North Carolina High Performance Car Business Pleads Guilty to Employment Tax CrimeRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – North Carolina businessman George William Taylor Jr. of Wilmington pled guilty today to not paying more than $2 million in employment taxes and not filing employment tax returns.
“The vast majority of working Americans pay their fair share in taxes, supporting our nation’s infrastructure, education, and national security. But for years this businessman took millions from employees’ paychecks, supposedly for taxes, and spent it to pad his business and personal expenses,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Tax cheating like this undermines faith in our system and can’t be tolerated in honest business. Hardworking taxpayers won’t stand for it, and neither will the IRS.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, Taylor, owned and operated National Speed, a high-performance automotive services business. As the chairman and president of National Speed, Taylor was responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare, and income taxes from employees’ wages and paying those taxes to the IRS. From 2014 through 2021, Taylor withheld the taxes, but did not pay those withholdings over to the IRS, nor did he file the necessary employment tax returns. During the same period, he also did not pay the employer’s share of those taxes to the IRS.
In total, Taylor caused a tax loss to the IRS of $2,272,072.
“Employment tax evasion results in the loss of tax revenue to the United States government and can cause financial hardship to employees in the form of lost or delayed social security or Medicare benefits,” said Special Agent in Charge Donald “Trey” Eakins, Charlotte Field Office, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). “Failure to pay over withheld taxes is a serious offense. Business owners have a responsibility to withhold income taxes for their employees and then remit those taxes to the IRS. CI special agents will pursue anyone who collects these taxes and uses the funds for their own personal gain.”
Taylor is scheduled to be sentenced on November 19, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison. He also faces a period of supervised release, restitution, and monetary penalties. 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 Michael Easley, of the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Brian Flanagan of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Ontjes of the Eastern District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case.
Omaha Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Cory A. Goforth, age 42, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was sentenced August 22, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, after having pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, and delivery of methamphetamine. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Goforth to 168 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Goforth’s release he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On July 5, 2023, a cooperating witness purchased 27 grams of actual meth from Goforth at an Omaha location. On July 26, 2023, a search warrant was conducted at Goforth’s Omaha residence. Officers found 115 grams of meth along with evidence of drug dealing. Goforth was home at the time and during a post arrest interview, admitted to purchasing 2-3 pounds per week for the past 4-5 months from his supplier.
This case was investigated by the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office
Norfolk Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Conspiring to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan T. Lehr announced that John E. Kohler, age 53, of Norfolk, Nebraska was sentenced on August 22, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Kohler to 120 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Kohler will be required to complete a 5-year term of supervised release.
Kohler sold methamphetamine to an undercover investigator in Nebraska on three occasions in 2022. The first sale occurred on April 18, 2022, and yielded approximately one ounce of meth. The second sale occurred on April 26, 2022, and yielded 1¾ ounces of meth. The third sale occurred on August 24, 2022, and yielded 2 ounces of meth.
On March 2, 2023, the undercover investigator arranged another deal to purchase 8 ounces of meth from Kohler. Kohler was pulled over in Lincoln, Nebraska before completing the sale. During a search of Kohler’s vehicle, over 8 ounces of meth was found in his possession.
Evidence from Kohler’s phone dating back to February 13, 2022, corroborated Kohler’s involvement in meth trafficking with other parties.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol as part of the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force.
New York Man Sentenced to Seven Years for Interstate Travel in Aid of Drug Trafficking and Violating His Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Marcello Whyte, age 40, of Queens, New York, was sentenced on August 21, 2024, to five years imprisonment for interstate travel in aid of drug trafficking and an additional two years of imprisonment for violating the terms of his supervised release on his prior federal drug conviction.
According to United States Attorney Gerard Karam, Whyte was convicted in federal court in 2011 for conspiring to distribute between 100 and 400 kilograms of marijuana and sentenced to serve 70 months’ imprisonment to be followed by four years of supervised release. Approximately five months after his release from federal prison, and while on supervised release, Whyte was stopped on March 18, 2016, by Pennsylvania State Police Troopers on I-81 driving a rented vehicle from New York to Pennsylvania. Troopers recovered approximately 249 grams of cocaine inside the vehicle and Whyte pled guilty to interstate transportation in and of drug trafficking in 2019 and remained free pending sentencing. In July 2020, Whyte was arrested in New York and found to be in possession of a loaded firearm and marijuana. Whyte posted bail for that offense but failed to appear for his federal sentencing. He remained a fugitive for approximately four years, until March 23, 2024, when he was arrested in New York and charged with controlled substance offenses. The New York charges remain pending.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police and the Drug Enforcement Agency and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney William Behe and Assistant United States Attorney Bruce Brandler.
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New Orleans Man Sentenced for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –HORACE WASHINGTON (“WASHINGTON”), age 55, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on August 21, 2024 by United States District Judge Ivan L. R. Lemelle for violating the Federal Controlled Substances Act, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court records, the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) received information from a confidential source that WASHINGTON, who had previously been convicted of a federal drug trafficking offense, was again dealing drugs. Through investigation, DEA agents learned that WASHINGTON was getting the drugs from sources near the Texas/Mexico border. These sources would fly to New Orleans, while another co-conspirator drove a car with the drugs to New Orleans. The agents eventually seized ten kilograms of cocaine that WASHINGTON’s coconspirator left in a car in a Westbank parking lot.
Judge Lemelle sentenced WASHINGTON to 121 months imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Haller, Senior Litigation Counsel and Project Safe Neighborhoods.
Morganton Man Is Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Allen Lee Henson, 54, of Morganton, N.C., was sentenced today to 168 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for trafficking methamphetamine, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Charlotte District Office, and Sheriff Banks Hinceman of the Burke County Sheriff’s Office (BCSO), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and court proceedings, in March 2021, the Burke County Sheriff’s Office initiated an investigation after learning that Henson was acquiring methamphetamine and then re-distributing it to others within the Burke County area. During the investigation, BCSO investigators used a confidential source to purchase methamphetamine from Henson at his residence on at least two occasions. On April 23, 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Henson’s residence. During the search, deputies seized distribution quantities of methamphetamine, marijuana, digital scales, drug paraphernalia, and $23,733 in U.S. currency. Court records show that on February 10, 2022, Henson met with an undercover officer (UC) in Caldwell County, where Henson sold the UC more than 71 grams of methamphetamine in exchange for $1,400 in cash.
On November 15, 2023, Henson pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and the Burke County Sheriff’s Office, with the assistance of the Lenoir Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.
Man Who Threatened to Kill Federal Judges and Other Public Officials Sentenced to 20 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who sent letters from state prison expressing a desire to kill federal judges, U.S. Marshals, and federal prosecutors was sentenced to an additional 20 years in prison.
During a hearing in Miami, on Aug. 19, Michael Dean Drew, 51, was sentenced to 240 months in prison, to run consecutive to the sentence he is currently serving. Drew had previously been sentenced, five times, for sending threatening letters to federal judges, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, and federal law enforcement officers.
“The public officials who work to keep our country safe and uphold the rule of law should not have to fear for their lives or the lives of their families,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This sentence should make clear that the Justice Department has no tolerance for violence or threats of violence against public servants.”
“Law enforcement officers, judges, and prosecutors work every day to keep us safe against an ever-growing list of threats,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Threatening them for doing their jobs to keep our communities safe strikes at the very heart of our society. This long sentence sends a strong message that we will take all measures to protect the public servants who dedicate their lives to ensure our public safety.”
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office will not tolerate heinous threats of violence that target prosecutors, the judiciary, and our partners in law enforcement,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “As evidenced in the case against Michael Dean Drew, we will continue to investigate threats against public servants and aggressively seek penalties against those who engage in such abhorrent crimes. We must protect our dedicated government employees, so that they may carry out their jobs without fear and ensure the functions of our democracy.”
“The U.S. Marshals Service is dedicated to protecting our justice system and those who serve it,” said U.S. Marshal Gadyaces Serralta for the District of Southern Florida. “We will not tolerate threats against prosecutors, judges, or law enforcement. Just as we did in the case of Michael Dean Drew, we will continue to investigate and hold accountable anyone who tries to intimidate public servants. Protecting those who enforce the law is crucial to maintaining our democracy and keeping our communities safe.”
According to the court record, in May 2023, Drew mailed a letter to a federal judge in the Southern District of Florida threating that the judge would die a violent death for presiding over a particular criminal case. In August 2023, Drew mailed two letters to the federal courthouse in Miami, in which he threatened another federal judge and members of the U.S. Marshal Service. In each of the letters, Drew described how he was recruiting other people to violently murder the judge and members of the U.S. Marshal Service. In September 2023, Drew mailed letters from his place of incarceration in Florida to Assistant U.S. Attorneys in Virginia and Georgia stating that he had recruited gang members and members of the Aryan Nation to carry out the violent murder of the Assistant U.S. Attorneys and their family members. In all the letters, Drew expressed his sincere intent to carry out the threats and described in detail how each of the victims would die.
In one letter, Drew said he would “take great pleasure in knowing you will suffer and die” and that the judge’s body would be “discarded as a piece of trash, thrown in a ditch.” In the letter addressed to the U.S. Marshals Service, Drew said he was “recruiting” as many fellow inmates as possible into the Aryan Nation gang and that “[o]ur first objective is to murder as many U.S. Marshals as possible… I and my fellow comrades have taken a blood oath to kill, harass, terrorize and destroy federal agents.” In each of the letters, Drew explained how the victim’s death would be in retaliation for their role in the judicial system.
On June 6, Drew pleaded guilty to five counts of mailing threatening communications.
The FBI Miami Field Office and the U.S. Marshals Service Miami investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Funk, Zachary E. Keller, and Emily Rose Stone for the Southern District of Florida prosecuted the case.
Man Who Threatened to Kill Federal Judges and Other Public Officials Sentenced to 20 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A man who sent letters from state prison expressing a desire to kill federal judges, U.S. Marshals, and federal prosecutors was sentenced to an additional 20 years in prison.
During a hearing in Miami, on Aug. 19, U.S. District Judge Federico Moreno sentenced Michael Dean Drew, 51, to 240 months in federal prison, a term of incarceration above the guideline range, to run consecutive to the sentence he is currently serving. Drew had previously been sentenced, five times, for sending threatening letters to federal judges, Assistant U.S. Attorneys, and federal law enforcement officers.
“The public officials who work to keep our country safe and uphold the rule of law should not have to fear for their lives or the lives of their families,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This sentence should make clear that the Justice Department has no tolerance for violence or threats of violence against public servants.”
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office will not tolerate heinous threats of violence that target prosecutors, the judiciary, and our partners in law enforcement,” stated U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “As evidenced in the case against Michael Dean Drew, we will continue to investigate threats against public servants and aggressively seek penalties against those who engage in such abhorrent crimes. We must protect our dedicated government employees, so that they may carry out their jobs without fear and ensure the functions of our democracy.”
“Law enforcement officers, judges, and prosecutors work every day to keep us safe against an ever-growing list of threats,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Threatening them for doing their jobs to keep our communities safe strikes at the very heart of our society. This long sentence sends a strong message that we will take all measures to protect the public servants who dedicate their lives to ensure our public safety.”
"Threats against officers of the court strike at the very heart of our judicial system,” said Jeffrey B. Veltri, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Miami Field Office. “The dedicated agents and prosecutors who investigate and prosecute criminal activity and the judges who impartially operate our court system must be unburdened by intimidation. This is fundamental to the rule of law. The FBI will relentlessly investigate and bring to justice those individuals who attempt to tip the scales of justice through fear and threats.”
"The U.S. Marshals Service is dedicated to protecting our justice system and those who serve it," said Gadyaces Serralta, U.S. Marshal for the District of Southern Florida. "We will not tolerate threats against prosecutors, judges, or law enforcement. Just as we did in the case of Michael Dean Drew, we will continue to investigate and hold accountable anyone who tries to intimidate public servants. Protecting those who enforce the law is crucial to maintaining our democracy and keeping our communities safe."
According to the court record, in May 2023, Drew mailed a letter to a federal judge in the Southern District of Florida threating that the judge would die a violent death for presiding over a particular criminal case. In August of 2023, Drew mailed two letters to the federal courthouse in Miami, in which he threatened another federal judge and members of the U.S. Marshal Service. In each of the letters, Drew described how he was recruiting other people to violently murder the judge and members of the U.S. Marshal Service. In September of 2023, Drew mailed letters from his place of incarceration in Florida to Assistant U.S. Attorneys in Virginia and Georgia stating that he had recruited gang members and members of the Aryan Nation to carry out the violent murder of the Assistant U.S. Attorneys and their family members. In all the letters, Drew expressed his sincere intent to carry out the threats and described in detail how each of the victims would die.
In one letter, Drew said he would “take great pleasure in knowing you will suffer and die” and that the judge’s body would be “discarded as a piece of trash, thrown in a ditch.” In the letter addressed to the U.S. Marshals Service, Drew said he was “recruiting” as many fellow inmates as possible into the Aryan Nation gang and that “[o]ur first objective is to murder as many U.S. Marshals as possible… I and my fellow comrades have taken a blood oath to kill, harass, terrorize and destroy federal agents.” In each of the letters, Drew explained how the victim’s death would be in retaliation for their role in the judicial system.
On June 6, Drew pled guilty to five counts of mailing threatening communications.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, and U.S. Marshal Gadyaces S. Serralta of the U.S. Marshals Service made the announcement.
FBI Miami and the U.S. Marshals Service Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Funk and Zachary A. Keller prosecuted the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily R. Stone is handling asset forfeiture.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case no. 24-CR-20039.
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Man Who Distributed Fentanyl Powder Resulting in an Overdose Sentenced to over 9 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who sold fentanyl powder, pills containing fentanyl, and “ice” methamphetamine in Dubuque, Iowa, was sentenced today to 118 months in federal prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
Alexander John Chapman, age 31, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 20, 2024 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
From March 2023 through December 2023, Chapman obtained controlled substances through the mail from three sources of supply in Arizona. While some of the packages with controlled substances were shipped directly to Chapman’s residence in Dubuque, Chapman also had packages mailed to other addresses.
In May 2023, Chapman received a package from one of his suppliers containing fentanyl pills and fentanyl powder and re-distributed the substances to others.
An individual who used the fentanyl powder distributed by Chapman and overdosed. From March 2023 through December 2023, Chapman received at least 28 packages containing controlled substances from his sources of supply in Arizona.
Chapman was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Chapman was sentenced to 118 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Chapman is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin, and it was investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force and the United States Postal Inspection Service, at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 24-CR-01003.
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Major Enforcement Operation in Guatemala Secures Arrest of Human Smuggler Indicted by Joint Task Force Alpha for Links to 2022 Mass Casualty Event in TexasRead the Press Release
Remote video URLOn Wednesday, extensive coordination and collaboration between the Justice Department and its domestic and international partners resulted in a major enforcement operation that dismantled a human smuggling network based in Guatemala. In June 2022, this network smuggled people into the United States on a journey that ended with the deaths of 53 migrants in a tractor-trailer in San Antonio, Texas. Twenty-one of the deceased migrants were Guatemalan.
This case is part of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), created by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security to strengthen U.S. enforcement efforts against human smuggling emanating from Central America.
On Aug. 21, Guatemalan law enforcement executed multiple search and arrest warrants across Guatemala, working together with United States law enforcement agents. At the request of the United States, Guatemalan authorities arrested Guatemalan national Rigoberto Ramon Miranda-Orozco, who has been indicted in the Western District of Texas in connection with the investigation. Six individuals arrested as part of the operation will be charged locally in Guatemala.
Miranda-Orozco, 47, whose indictment was unsealed today, allegedly conspired with other smugglers to facilitate the travel of four migrants from Guatemala through Mexico, and ultimately, to the United States. He allegedly charged the migrants, or their families and friends, approximately $12,000 to $15,000 for the journey. The indictment alleges that three of these migrants perished in the tractor-trailer, and the fourth suffered serious bodily injury. Miranda-Orozco is charged with six counts related to migrant smuggling resulting in death or serious bodily injury. He faces maximum penalties of life in prison.
“Over the past two years, the Justice Department has worked methodically to hold accountable those responsible for the horrific tragedy in San Antonio that killed 53 people who had been preyed on by human smugglers,” said Attorney General Garland. “With these arrests, the Justice Department and our partners in Guatemala have now arrested a total of 14 people for their alleged involvement in this tragedy. We are committed to continuing to work with our partners both in the United States and abroad to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Colombia, and Panama.”
“Smugglers prey on migrants and seek profits with complete disregard for human life, as we saw in this tragic incident that killed 53 people,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “The men and women at Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) work every day to disrupt these sophisticated smuggling networks, and we will continue to work alongside our federal and international partners to dismantle them at every level of operation.”
“In launching Joint Task Force Alpha three years ago, the Department of Justice directed every tool at our disposal to the dismantling of human smuggling networks across the continent. And after the tragic deaths of 53 migrants in June 2022, we pledged to hold accountable those responsible, no matter where they live or operate,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Today’s arrests in Guatemala are a continued fulfillment of that pledge. We will not rest in our efforts to disrupt the smuggling networks that capitalize on desperation and foster misery throughout the Western Hemisphere.”
“As alleged in the indictment, Miranda-Orozco recruited some of the migrants who died in the back of a tractor-trailer near San Antonio, Texas, in June 2022, and worked with a network of smugglers to transport them from Guatemala through Mexico into the United States,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This tragedy is a dire warning of the dangers that human smugglers cause by exposing migrants to life-threatening conditions for the smugglers’ financial gain. Dismantling human smuggling networks is a critical priority for the Criminal Division, and we will continue to work with our domestic and international law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute these cases, no matter where the offenders may be found.”
“This was a complex operation and a major success for the progression of this case — apprehending a key orchestrator of the horrendous smuggling operations in which families were charged thousands of dollars for trusted transport across the U.S. border from Guatemala and other countries,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “This significant development in the case demonstrates the commitment of this office, the Department of Justice, and our partners at all necessary levels, to ensure all 53 migrants who died in the 2022 tractor-trailer tragedy get their justice.”
“HSI is deeply immersed in the global fight against human smuggling that includes our international operations within Central and South America. These arrests reflect the disruption of Central American human smuggling organizations that recruit, organize and transport people,” said HSI Executive Associate Director Katrina W. Berger. “Combating this prolific, transnational crime is one of our top priorities. Our special agents and criminal analysts are actively engaged with law enforcement partners and task forces around the globe working to dismantle criminal networks that treat human life like a commodity. HSI will keep exhausting every resource available to bring human smugglers to justice.”
“The men and women of CBP are unwavering in their commitment to combat and dismantle the human smuggling networks that ruthlessly exploit and endanger the lives of migrants — from the time of this tragic incident in San Antonio, to today’s important step in bringing those responsible to justice,” said Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner Troy A. Miller of the CBP. “Our collective work through Joint Task Force Alpha remains critical to our ongoing efforts at disrupting smuggling operations across the hemisphere and the world.”
The human smuggling organization allegedly loaded 65 migrants into a tractor-trailer, which court documents allege lacked functioning air conditioning as it drove north on a Texas interstate. As temperatures rose, some of the migrants inside the trailer allegedly lost consciousness, while others clawed at the walls, trying to escape. By the time the tractor-trailer reached San Antonio, the indictment alleges, 48 migrants had already died. Another five migrants died after being transported to local hospitals. Six children and a pregnant woman were among the deceased.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas has previously charged seven other defendants for their alleged involvement in this smuggling event, including through indictments filed in 2022 and 2023. Four of these seven defendants have pleaded guilty.
The indictment against Miranda-Orozco and the cooperation between U.S. and Guatemalan authorities were spearheaded by JTFA and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas. Given the rise in prolific and dangerous smuggling emanating from Central America with effects in the United States, JTFA’s goal is to disrupt and dismantle human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Colombia, and Panama with a focus on networks that endanger, abuse or exploit migrants, present national security risks, or engage in other types of transnational organized crime.
Since its creation, JTFA has successfully increased coordination and collaboration between the Justice Department, Department of Homeland Security, and other interagency law enforcement participants, and with foreign law enforcement partners, including El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Colombia, and Panama; targeted those organizations who have the most impact on the United States; and coordinated significant smuggling indictments and extradition efforts in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country. JTFA is comprised of detailees from southwest border U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, including the Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Arizona, and Southern District of California, and dedicated support for the program is also provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division that are part of JTFA — led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP), and supported by the Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training, Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Office of Enforcement Operations, Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA), and Violent Crime and Racketeering Section. JTFA is made possible by substantial law enforcement investment from Department of Homeland Security, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners.
HSI San Antonio investigated the case, with valuable assistance from HSI Guatemala and the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. CBP’s National Targeting Center/Operation Sentinel; U.S. Border Patrol; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; San Antonio Police Department; San Antonio Fire Department; Palestine Police Department, OIA, and OPDAT provided valuable assistance. The Justice Department thanks Guatemalan law enforcement, who were instrumental in furthering this investigation.
HRSP Trial Attorney Alexandra Skinnion and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jose Luis Acosta, Eric Fuchs, Sarah Spears, and Amanda Brown for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case, with assistance from HRSP Historian/Latin America Specialist Joanna Crandall.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Lowell Man Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Prison for Armed Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lowell man was sentenced yesterday for the robberies of three Worcester banks in April 2023.
Joselito Santiago-Matias, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to 76 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Santiago-Matias was also ordered to pay $20,528 in restitution. In May 2024, Santiago-Matias pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery and two counts of armed bank robbery.
On April 3, 2023, Santiago-Matias entered a Santander Bank in Worcester wearing a mask, demanded money from the teller and carried away $7,560. On April 12, 2023, Santiago-Matais entered a Berkshire Bank in Worcester while wearing a mask and carrying a firearm, pointed the firearm gun at the teller and stole $2,150. On April 19, 2023, Santiago-Matias entered a Santander Bank in Worcester. While inside the bank, he pointed a firearm at the teller and threatened, “give me the bag or I will shoot you.” Santiago-Matias left the bank with $10,818.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Worcester Police Department Interim Chief Paul B. Saucier made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan D. O’Shea of the Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Louisville Man Sentenced to over 12 Years in Federal Prison for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A Louisville man was sentenced today to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison for distributing, receiving, and possessing child pornography.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Nashville made the announcement.
John Christopher Cecil, 40, was sentenced to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release, for four counts of distribution, two counts of receipt, and one count of possession of child pornography. According to court documents, Cecil was an active participant in online child pornography chat groups focused on trading and chatting about child pornography.
Cecil was also ordered to pay $58,000 in restitution to multiple victims in the case.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by HSI Louisville.
Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Spencer McKiness prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
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Linneus Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Penobscot and Aroostook County Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Linneus man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for his role in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
According to court records, between January 2018 and December 2021, James Valiante, 42, and others trafficked methamphetamine and fentanyl in Penobscot and Aroostook counties and elsewhere. Valiante, a drug dealer in Aroostook County, participated in the conspiracy by regularly obtaining quantities of drugs from his source of supply in the Bangor area.
Valiante faces 10 years to life in prison and a maximum fine of $10 million to be followed by up to five years of supervised release. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Twenty-one defendants have been charged in this and related cases for their part in the northern Maine drug trafficking conspiracy. To date, 10 of the defendants have been sentenced and nine have pleaded guilty:
Sentenced:
- Andrew Adams (32, Aroostook County) – 10 years
- Wayne Smith (33, Bangor) – 85 months
- Danielle McBreairty (34, Glenburn) – 20 years
- Blaine Footman (38, Bangor) – 5 years
- Nicole Footman (41, Holden) – 3 years
- Dwight Gary, Jr. (54, Medway) – Time served
- Matthew Catalano (38, Penobscot County) – 165 months
- Thomas Hammond (26, Charleston) – 84 months
- Christopher Coty (44, Bangor) – 4 years
- James King (55, Caribou) – 165 months
Pleaded Guilty:
- Sarah McBreairty (36, Dixmont)
- John Miller (23, Caribou)
- Shelby Loring (29, Bangor)
- Joshua Young (48, Presque Isle)
- Joshua Jerrell (30, Orrington)
- Carol Gordon (53, Bangor)
- Jason Cunrod (42, Caribou)
- Aaron Rodgers (43, Bangor)
- James Valiante, 42 (Linneus)
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case. Assistance was provided by the police departments in Orono, Bangor, Brewer, Caribou, Presque Isle and Houlton. U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee also recognized the cooperation and coordination provided by the Maine State Attorney General’s Office and the Aroostook County District Attorney’s Office.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces: 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.
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Lehigh Valley Man Charged with Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Fraud and for Defrauding Local Car DealershipsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Justin Heimbach, 33, of Bath, Pennsylvania, has been charged by indictment with six counts of mail fraud and four counts of wire fraud in connection with schemes to defraud the federal government and multiple local car dealerships.
In March of 2020, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), which created the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program (PUA). The PUA program provided unemployment benefits to individuals not eligible for regular unemployment compensation, or extended unemployment benefits.
The indictment alleges that Heimbach, who operated a construction company called TeamKJ Construction, engaged in a scheme that caused fraudulent PUA applications to be filed in the names of individuals allegedly no longer employed by TeamKJ as a result of COVID-19. In reality, the applications contained a number of materially false statements, including that the applicant had lost their job with TeamKJ as a result of COVID-19 and the date the applicant lost their job with TeamKJ due to the pandemic.
The indictment further alleges that Heimbach successfully defrauded multiple Lehigh Valley car dealerships by purchasing vehicles in the names of other construction companies registered to or associated with him, by writing checks for those vehicles on bank accounts that were either closed or had an insufficient balance to cover the transaction.
If convicted, Heimbach faces a maximum possible sentence of 200 years in prison.
The case was jointly investigated by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, the United States Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, and the FBI – Allentown Resident Agency. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy M. Lanni and S. Chandler Harris.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Lawsuit Filed Against Upland Company for Allegedly Starting Fire that Burned Hundreds of Acres in San Bernardino National ForestRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The United States today filed a lawsuit alleging that the South Fire – which burned hundreds of acres in the San Bernardino National Forest in the summer of 2021 – was caused by an Upland-based grading, concrete, and pipeline contracting company’s negligent operation of an excavator in a rocky area.
The lawsuit filed in United States District Court alleges that Garrett J. Gentry General Engineering Inc. and its owner, Garrett J. Gentry, were negligent by starting the fire and failing to prevent it from spreading. As a result, they are liable for damages sustained by the United States during the fire, the lawsuit alleges.
The United States Forest Service sustained fire suppression costs more than $2.2 million, according to the complaint.
“Investigators determined that the fire started when the steel treads of the excavator, operated by Gentry Engineering and Gentry, contacted rocks, causing ignition of fuel, such as dry vegetation,” the lawsuit states. “Gentry Engineering and Gentry were aware of the danger of a rock strike by the excavator and failed to take action to prevent a fire.”
The wildfire started on August 25, 2021, and ultimately destroyed residences and structures and resulted in evacuation of residences. The fire burned more than 680 acres, including 450 acres in the San Bernardino National Forest.
This matter is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Quist of the Civil Division’s Complex and Defensive Litigation Section.
Knoxville Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Enticement of A ChildRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On August 22, 2024, Dominique J. Starr, 29, currently of Knoxville, Tennessee, was sentenced to 180 months imprisonment by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Following his incarceration, Starr will be on supervised release for twenty years and will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions during his supervised release.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Starr agreed to plead guilty to an information charging him with one count of enticement of a child in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b).
According to documents filed with the court, in October 2022, Starr began communicating online with a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) undercover agent in Portland, Oregon, whom Starr believed to be a 13-year-old female. Starr solicited nude photos and sex from the purported minor on several occasions over a period of many months. Starr also threatened to stalk, kidnap, and rape the purported minor. During the investigation, undercover agents from two other FBI offices reported contact with Starr after he solicited nude photos and discussed meeting them for sex. The FBI obtained search warrants for social media accounts associated with Starr which showed Starr was in contact with approximately 47 other purported minors ranging in age from 9 years old to 17 years old.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee and FBI Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico made the announcement.
The criminal information was the result of an investigation by the FBI. This investigation was led by FBI Special Agent Jason Stewart.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Kolman represented the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources.”
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Jefferson City Man Sentenced to 16 Years for Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
JEFFRSON CITY, Mo. – A Jefferson City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for the armed robbery of a Jefferson City credit union.
Tre Joseph Connor, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to 16 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Connor to pay $111,700 in victim restitution.
On Feb. 16, 2024, Connor was found guilty at trial of one count of bank robbery, one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the evidence at trial, Connor ran into the River Region Credit Union, 3608 W. Truman Blvd. in Jefferson City, on the morning of Jan. 19, 2023. Connor, wearing all black clothing, a black ski mask, and black gloves, brandished a Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic pistol. He leaped over the customer counter into the employee-only space, demanded to be taken to the vault, and ordered a credit union employee to open the vault. Connor stole approximately $111,700 from the vault, filled a backpack with the cash, and left through a side door.
The money Connor stole from the bank was never recovered.
Investigators used security cameras from various sources to identify Connor, including Walmart security camera footage that depicted Connor’s purchases of clothing and other items used in the robbery.
Evidence admitted at trial suggested that Connor began planning to rob a bank as early as Jan. 4, 2023, when he first conducted an internet search for “bank robbery.” He continued to plan for weeks leading up to the commission of the crime, inquiring “when do most bank[s] typically have the most money,” “how many bankers press the silent button during robbery” and “how long does it take police to respond to a bank robbery.”
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Connor, who has prior felony convictions for dissemination of private sexual images and harassment, was on probation at the time he committed the armed robbery.
This case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Kummerer and Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa A. Pierce. It was investigated by the Jefferson City, Mo., Police Department, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Investment Fraud Disrupted by Seizure of $5 Million in CryptocurrencyRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina announced the seizure of nearly $5 million worth of Tether, a cryptocurrency pegged to the U.S. dollar. These seized funds were traced to cryptocurrency addresses allegedly associated with the laundering of criminally derived proceeds stolen from victims of cryptocurrency investment scams, commonly known as “pig butchering.”
“Americans are losing their life’s savings to investment frauds as funds are being rapidly transferred to cryptocurrency accounts overseas,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “In this case one victim lost his entire individual retirement account to a scam. We are clawing back every dollar we can, even when criminals are located abroad. We are determined to seize their illegal proceeds and return money to the victims.
According to court filings, criminal actors approached and recruited victims through the guise of a romantic relationship to develop their trust. Once the relationship was established, the scammer would claim to have a technique to quickly make large profits trading cryptocurrency and introduce their victim to a fictitious cryptocurrency trading platform that bore a similar name and appearance to a legitimate cryptocurrency trading platform. These fake investment platforms display a fictitious investment portfolio with abnormally large investment returns, which is designed to induce the victim to invest more. When the victims do attempt to withdraw funds, they are unable to do so and are often met with various excuses, including being told that they must pay a “tax” or “penalties” to release their funds, which is just a technique for the scammers to elicit even more money out of their victims.
Once the victims’ funds have been transferred to a cryptocurrency wallet under the scammers’ control, the funds are quickly moved through many other wallets to obfuscate the nature, source, control, and ownership of those fraud proceeds. In this case, agents, and analysts from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were able to trace those victim funds into and through various cryptocurrency wallets allegedly used in furtherance of the fraud and money laundering scheme, some of which still contained large amounts of funds subject to seizure and forfeiture.
“As criminal actors continue to evolve in the world of cyber-enabled fraud, the FBI and its law enforcement partners must also evolve,” said FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge Robert M. DeWitt. “This cryptocurrency seizure serves as an example of the FBI adapting to the changing criminal landscape and fighting for victims of cyber-enabled fraud schemes.”
The Department would like to acknowledge Tether for its assistance in effectuating the transfer of these assets.
If you are a victim of a cryptocurrency scam, or other scam involving the use of the Internet, please file a report with the IC3 at ic3.gov and with the FTC at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Related court documents and information from the seizure warrant are on PACER by searching for Case No.5:24-MJ-1976.
Illegal Alien Found Guilty of Federal Meth and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
Oscar Navarro-Zepeda, 42, from Spencer, Iowa, was convicted by a jury on August 22, 2024, after a 3 ½ day trial in federal court in Sioux City. Navarro-Zepeda was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine; possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; possession of firearm by prohibited person; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Evidence at the trial showed that between April 2021 and April 2023, in the Northern District of Iowa and elsewhere Navarro-Zepeda was involved in a conspiracy that distributed more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, including more than 50 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine. Evidence also showed that on April 18, 2023, during a search warrant at Navarro-Zepeda’s residence in Spencer, Iowa, law enforcement seized approximately 33 pounds of methamphetamine, which he intended to distribute to others in the Spencer, Iowa, area. Officers also seized $17,932; an AR-15 style .223 caliber rifle, with two loaded magazines in a rifle case and a partial box of .223 ammunition, as well as various items of drug distribution and use paraphernalia. Navarro-Zepeda was prohibited from possessing firearms and possessed either or both firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking, to protect himself, his drugs and drug proceeds from others.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Navarro-Zepeda remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. On all of the convictions, Navarro-Zepeda faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-4029. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Hot Springs Woman Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
HOT SPRINGS – A Hot Springs woman was sentenced on August 20th to 120 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release on one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute More Than Fifty (50) Grams of Methamphetamine. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court in Hot Springs.
According to court documents, Crystal Megan Huckaby, age 39, was identified by law enforcement to be distributing methamphetamine in Hot Springs, Arkansas area.
In March of 2022, while conducting a narcotics investigation on Huckaby, detectives with the Hot Springs, Police Department (HSPD) and agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), were able to complete a controlled purchase of 54.68 grams of pure methamphetamine from Huckaby.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Hot Springs Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Daniels prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov.
Gran operación de las fuerzas del orden en Guatemala asegura la detención de un traficante de personas acusado por la Fuerza de Tarea Operativa Conjunta Alpha por sus vínculos con el suceso de víctimas masivas en Texas en 2022Read the Press Release
Remote video URLEl miércoles, una extensa coordinación y colaboración entre el Departamento de Justicia y sus socios nacionales e internacionales resultó en una gran operación de las fuerzas del orden que desmanteló un red de tráfico de personas basada en Guatemala. En un viaje en junio de 2022, esta red introdujo ilegalmente a los Estados Unidos a 53 migrantes en un camión de remolque que terminó con su muerte en San Antonio, Texas. Veintiuno de los fallecidos eran guatemaltecos.
Este caso es parte de la Fuerza de Tarea Operativa Conjunta Alpha (JTFA, por sus siglas en inglés), creada por el fiscal general Merrick B. Garland en junio de 2021, en asociación con el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional, con el objetivo de fortalecer los esfuerzos de las fuerzas del orden de los EE. UU. contra el tráfico de personas que proviene de Centroamérica.
El 21 de agosto, las fuerzas del orden guatemaltecas ejecutaron múltiples órdenes de cateo y detención en toda Guatemala, trabajando conjuntamente con agentes de las fuerzas del orden de los Estados Unidos. A solicitud de los Estados Unidos, las autoridades guatemaltecas arrestaron al ciudadano guatemalteco Rigoberto Ramón Miranda-Orozco, imputado por el Distrito Oeste de Texas, en conexión con la investigación. Seis personas arrestadas como parte de la operación serán imputadas en Guatemala.
Miranda-Orozco, 47, cuya acusación formal se hizo pública hoy, presuntamente conspiró con otros traficantes para facilitar el viaje de cuatro migrantes de Guatemala a través de México con destino final a los Estados Unidos. Presuntamente cobró a los migrantes, o sus familias y amigos, aproximadamente entre $12,000 y $15,000 dólares estadounidenses por el viaje. La acusación formal alega que tres de estos migrantes fallecieron en el camión de remolque, y el cuarto sufrió graves lesiones corporales. Miranda-Orozco está imputado por seis cargos relacionados con el tráfico de personas migrantes que resultó en muertes o graves lesiones corporales. Enfrenta una pena máxima de cadena perpetua.
“En los últimos dos años, el Departamento de Justicia ha trabajado metódicamente para que los responsables paguen por la horrible tragedia en San Antonio que mató a 53 personas víctimas de los traficantes de personas”, dijo el fiscal general Garland. “Con estas detenciones, el Departamento de Justicia y nuestros socios en Guatemala hemos llegado a un total de 14 detenidos por su presunta participación en esta tragedia. Estamos comprometidos a continuar el trabajo con nuestros socios tanto aquí en los Estados Unidos como en el extranjero para identificar a los más prolíficos y peligrosos grupos de traficantes de personas que operan en México, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Colombia y Panamá”.
“Los traficantes abusan de los migrantes y buscan ganancias con total desprecio por la vida humana, como vimos en el trágico incidente que mató a 53 personas”, dijo el secretario de Seguridad Nacional Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “Los hombres y mujeres de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional (HSI, por sus siglas en inglés) y el Servicio de Control de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza de los EE. UU. (CBP, por sus siglas en inglés) trabajan cada día para desmantelar esas redes sofisticadas de traficantes, y seguiremos trabajando junto con nuestros socios federales e internacionales para desmantelarlas a todo nivel de operación”.
“Al lanzar la Fuerza de Tarea Operativa Conjunta Alpha hace tres años, el Departamento de Justicia organizó todas las herramientas a nuestra disposición para desmantelar las redes de traficantes de personas en todo el continente. Después de la trágica muerte de 53 migrantes en junio de 22, prometimos llevar ante la justicia a los responsables, sin importar dónde viven o dónde operan”, dijo la fiscal general adjunta Lisa Mónaco. “Las detenciones de hoy en Guatemala son la culminación continua de esa promesa. No descansaremos en nuestros esfuerzos para desbaratar las redes que se aprovechan de la desesperación y fomentan la miseria en el Hemisferio Occidental”.
“Como se alega en la acusación formal, Miranda-Orozco reclutó algunos migrantes que murieron en la parte trasera del camión con remolque cerca de San Antonio, Texas, en junio de 2022. Él trabajo con una red de traficantes para transportar a los migrantes desde Guatemala a través de México con destino final a los Estados Unidos”, dijo la fiscal general adjunta principal Nicole Argentieri, jefa la División Penal del Departamento de Justicia. “Esta tragedia es una funesta advertencia de los peligros que causan los traficantes de personan al exponer a los migrantes a condiciones que ponen en peligro sus vidas a cambio de ganancias para los traficantes. Desmantelar las redes de tráfico de personas es una prioridad principal de la División Penal y seguiremos trabajando con nuestros socios de las fuerzas del orden nacionales e internacionales para investigar y enjuiciar estos casos, independientemente de dónde se encuentren los delincuentes”.
“Esta fue una operación compleja y un gran éxito para el progreso de este caso. Detuvimos a un organizador clave de esta horrible operación de tráfico de personas en la que se cobraba miles de dólares a las familias por un transporte seguro a través de la frontera de los EE. UU., desde Guatemala y otros países”, dijo el fiscal de los EE. UU., Jaime Esparza, del Distrito Oeste de Texas. “Este significativo desarrollo del caso demuestra el compromiso de este oficina, el Departamento de Justicia y nuestros socios a todos los niveles necesarios, para garantizar que los 53 migrantes fallecidos en la tragedia del camión con remolque en el 2022 reciban justicia”.
“HSI se ha comprometido profundamente en la lucha global contra el tráfico de personas que incluye nuestras operaciones internacionales en Centroamérica y Sudamérica. Estas detenciones reflejan el desmantelamiento de organizaciones centroamericanas de tráfico de personas que reclutan, organizan y transportan personas”, dijo la subdirectora ejecutiva de HSI Katrina W. Berger. “Combatir este prolífico crimen transnacional es una de nuestras principales prioridades. Nuestros agentes especiales y analistas penales están activamente en comunicación con nuestros socios de las fuerzas del orden y las fuerzas de tarea operativa en todo el mundo que trabajan para desmantelar las redes criminales que tratan la vida humana como una mercancía. HSI seguirá utilizando todos nuestros recursos disponibles para llevar a los traficantes de personas ante la justicia”.
“Los hombres y mujeres del CBP son firmes en su compromiso de combatir y desbaratar las redes de traficantes de personas que inescrupulosamente explotan y ponen en peligro la vida de los migrantes, desde el momento de este trágico incidente en San Antonio hasta el importante paso dado hoy de llevar a los responsables ante la justicia”, dijo el oficial sénior ejerciendo los deberes del comisionado Troy A. Miller del CBP. “Nuestro trabajo colectivo a través de la Fuerza de Tarea Operativa Conjunta Alpha sigue siendo crítico a nuestros esfuerzos continuos para desbaratar las operaciones de tráfico de personas en todo el hemisferio y en el mundo”.
La organización de tráfico de personas presuntamente cargó a 65 migrantes en un camión con remolque que, se alega en los documentos del tribunal, no tenía un sistema funcional de aire acondicionado mientras conducía hacia el norte por una carretera interestatal de Texas. Al aumentar la temperatura, algunos de los migrantes dentro del remolque presuntamente se desmayaron, mientras que otros arañaban las paredes intentando escapar. Al momento que el camión con remolque llegó a San Antonio, alega la acusación formal, 48 de los migrantes ya habían fallecido. Otros cinco migrantes murieron después de ser transportados a hospitales locales. Seis niños y una mujer embarazada estaban entre los fallecidos.
La fiscalía de los EE. UU. para el Distrito Oeste de Texas, ya imputó a otros siete acusados por su presunta participación en esta operación de tráfico de personas, lo cual incluye acusaciones formales presentadas en el 2022 y 2023. Cuatro de estos acusados se han declarado culpables.
La acusación formal contra Miranda-Orozco y la cooperación entre las autoridades de los EE. UU. y Guatemala fueron lideradas por la JTFA y la Fiscalía de los EE. UU. para el Distrito Oeste de Texas. Dado el aumento en las prolíficas y peligrosas operaciones de tráfico de personas desde Centroamérica con efectos en los Estados Unidos, el objetivo de la JTFA es interrumpir y desmantelar las redes de tráfico de personas que operan en El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, México, Colombia y Panamá, centrándose en redes que ponen en peligro, abusan y explotan a los migrantes, presentan riesgos a la seguridad nacional o participan en otros tipos de delincuencia organizada transnacional.
Desde su creación, la JTFA ha aumentado la coordinación y colaboración entre el Departamento de Justicia, el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional y otros organismos encargados del orden público, además de los socios de las fuerzas del orden extranjeras de El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, México, Colombia y Panamá; se ha enfocado en aquellas organizaciones con mayor impacto en los Estados Unidos; y ha coordinado esfuerzos significativos para presentar acusaciones formales y lograr la extradiciones de traficantes de personas en las fiscalías de los EE. UU. La JTFA está compuesta por agentes de las fiscalías de los EE. UU. de la frontera suroeste, incluidos el Distrito Sur de Texas, el Distrito Oeste de Texas, el Distrito de Arizona y el Distrito Sur de California. También prestan apoyo específico al programa numerosos componentes de la División Penal del Departamento de Justicia que forman parte de la JTFA, dirigidos por la Sección de Derechos Humanos y Procesamientos Especiales (HRSP, por sus siglas en inglés), y con el apoyo de la Oficina para el Desarrollo, Asistencia y Capacitación, la Sección de Estupefacientes y Drogas Peligrosas, la Sección de Lavado de Dinero y Recuperación de Activos, la Oficina de Operaciones de Aplicación de la Ley, la Oficina de Asuntos Internacionales (OIA, por sus siglas en inglés) del Departamento de Justicia y la Sección de Delitos Violentos y Delincuencia Organizada. La JTFA es posible por la gran inversión en las fuerzas del orden que realizan el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional, el FBI, la Administración para el Control de Drogas y otros socios,
HSI de San Antonio investigó el caso, con la valiosa ayuda de HSI de Guatemala y la Unidad de Tráfico de Personas de HSI en Washington, D.C. El Centro Nacional de Objetivos/Operación Centinela de CBP; la Patrulla Fronteriza de los EE. UU.; la Oficina de Alcohol, Tabaco, Armas de Fuego y Explosivos; el Departamento de Policía de San Antonio; el Departamento de Bomberos de San Antonio; el Departamento de Policía de Palestine, la OIA y la OPDAT proporcionaron una valiosa ayuda. El Departamento de Justicia agradece a las fuerzas del orden guatemaltecas que fueron instrumentales en el avance de esta investigación.
La abogada litigante de HRSP, Alexandra Skinnion, y los fiscales auxiliares de los EE. UU., José Luis Acosta, Eric Fuchs, Sarah Spears y Amanda Brown del Distrito Oeste de Texas están procesando el caso, con la ayuda de la historiadora y especialista en Latinoamérica de HRSP, Joanna Crandall.
Una acusación formal es solamente una alegación. A los acusados se les presume inocentes hasta que se demuestre que son culpables más allá de toda duda razonable en un tribunal de justicia
Geneva County Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison Following Federal Drug ConvictionRead the Press Release
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA – Today, United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross announced the sentencing of a Geneva County, Alabama man for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute the illegal drug. On August 22, 2024, a federal judge sentenced 35-year-old Nicholas Leon Hobbs to 144 months in prison. In addition, the judge ordered that Hobbs serve four years of supervised release following his prison term. Federal inmates are not eligible for parole.
According to the plea agreement and other court records, on December 2, 2021, law enforcement officers in Geneva County stopped Hobbs for a traffic violation. In the vehicle, Hobbs had two bags. One bag contained syringes and methamphetamine. The other had multi-colored pills containing methamphetamine. Agents also found a handgun and digital scales. During his May 20, 2024, plea hearing, Hobbs admitted that he possessed the illegal drugs with the intent to distribute them.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorney Justin L. Jones prosecuted.
Frederick County Man Pleads Guilty to Coercion and Enticement of A MinorRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Michael Vance Culpepper, age 56, of Walkersville, Maryland, pleaded guilty on August 21 to federal charges of coercion and enticement of a minor.
The guilty plea was announced by Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland; Inspector General Teri L. Donaldson of United States Department of Energy’s Office of the Inspector General (DOE-OIG); Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Baltimore Field Office; Colonel Roland L. Butler, Jr., Superintendent of the Maryland State Police (MSP); Paul Joey Kifer, Chief of the Hagerstown Police Department (HPD), and State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess of the Office of the State’s Attorney for Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
According to his guilty plea, in April and May 2023, Culpepper used mobile phones and online applications to persuade, induce, entice and coerce two victims whom he believed to be 13- and 14-year-old females to engage in sexual activity.
As to the first victim -- an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a 13-year-old girl -- Culpepper used the internet and his phones to exchange sexually explicit messages and request sexually explicit images. Culpepper encouraged the victim to hide her conversations from her parents, writing, “you DEFINITELY need to delete these texts when we are done.” On May 8, 2023, Culpepper drove approximately 50 miles to meet the victim at a restaurant in Hanover, Maryland. When he arrived, he was arrested.
After Culpepper was released on May 9, 2023 with the condition that he have no further contact with minors, Culpepper initiated online contact with Jane Doe 1, a 14-year-old female. Culpepper used the internet to entice Jane Doe 1 to engage in sexually explicit conversations. Culpepper also sent Jane Doe 1 sexually explicit photos of himself and requested that Jane Doe 1 produce nude images of herself and send them to him. Culpepper arranged a meeting with Jane Doe 1 for the purpose of engaging in unlawful sexual activity. On May 28, 2023, Culpepper picked up Jane Doe 1 near her home, and then drove her around for approximately one hour before stopping at a park. Culpepper used ice cream, money, a hotel room and vaping devices to entice Jane Doe 1 to engage in sexual contact. Jane Doe refused, but following the meeting, Culpepper continued to use the internet to entice Jane Doe 4 to meet with him and engage in sex acts.
Culpepper faces a maximum of life in federal prison and lifetime supervised release for coercion and enticement of a minor. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
U.S. Attorney Barron commended the DOE-OIG, HSI, ARMY CID, MSP, HPD and the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron also thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Paul E. Budlow and Reema Sood, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Fraudster Sentenced to 50 Months’ Imprisonment After Defrauding Farmers Out of $1.2MRead the Press Release
Saint George, Utah – Ryan Palmer, 56, of Sanpete County, was sentenced today to over four years’ imprisonment, a term of five years’ supervised release, and ordered by the court to pay $1,216,884.49 in restitution after he admitted to bank fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. Palmer took over $1.2 million from trusting farmers who were deceived into thinking he would help them buy and sell farm equipment.
According to court documents and statements made at Palmer’s change of plea hearing, beginning in 2017 and continuing until December 2021, Palmer devised a scheme to defraud 25 victims by telling them he could sell or obtain farm equipment on their behalf. Palmer operated a farm equipment company called Palmer Equipment, LLC. Palmer falsely represented to clients that he would sell their agriculture equipment on consignment at specific minimum prices, with the understanding that the clients would receive the sale proceeds and Palmer would receive a portion of those proceeds for his services. Instead, Palmer kept all proceeds and lied to the victims about the sale of their equipment. Other times, he promised to purchase seller victims’ equipment, took possession of the equipment, and made partial payments or failed to make any payments.
On another occasion, Palmer, pledged a victim’s Allis-Chalmers tractor as collateral to obtain a loan without the victim’s authorization. Palmer lied to Utah Independent Bank about who owned the equipment and used a $51,000 loan for his own personal benefit. He then sold and kept the money for himself without delivering the sale proceeds to the tractor’s rightful owner.
United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins made the announcement.
The case was investigated jointly by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office, and the Salina City Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Stephen P. Dent from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
Former executive of injured child benefit program charged with stealing over $4.8 millionRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Providence Forge man was arrested today related to his alleged embezzlement of funds from his former employer, the Virginia Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Program (Birth-Injury Program).
John Hunter Raines, 38, the Chief Financial Officer and Deputy Director of the Birth-Injury Program, is charged in a criminal complaint with felony fraud.
The Birth-Injury program pays monetary compensation to families of infants who suffer from brain or spinal cord injuries resulting from the birth process that render the infant developmentally and/or cognitively disabled. According to Court documents, Raines’ role required that he oversee the finances of the Birth-Injury Program, including approximately $650 million in investments in 2023.
From at least January 2022 through at least October 2023, Raines allegedly stole over $4.8 million from the Birth-Injury Program, including by using his access to the Birth-Injury Program bank account to initiate at least 59 separate wire transactions, sending funds to bank accounts in Raines’ own name. Raines also allegedly used the Birth-Injury Program debit card for personal gain. According to the criminal complaint, Raines spent embezzled Birth-Injury Program money on various personal expenses. For example:
- Raines allegedly purchased numerous vehicles, including eight luxury golf carts for over $160,000 and a 2023 Chevrolet Suburban;
- Raines allegedly spent over $100,000 on gambling, including at Rivers Casino in Portsmouth, Virginia, Colonial Downs Racetrack in New Kent, Virginia, and the Virginia Lottery;
- Raines allegedly spent over $9,000 to hire private limousines, including to chauffer Raines and his guests to Virginia-area vineyards;
- Raines allegedly made numerous purchases of cryptocurrency, including Bitcoin and Dogecoin, and transferred funds to his brokerage accounts;
- Raines allegedly paid over $30,000 for private jet travel to take his wife and friends to Nashville, Tennessee, for three days;
- Raines allegedly paid over $60,000 to pay down his student loan debt, his mortgage, and other loans; and
- Raines allegedly spent over $19,000 to purchase eight separate 2022 1-oz American Gold Eagle Bullion coins and a 100-oz silver bar.
If convicted, Raines faces up to 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Kareem A. Carter, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge of the Washington D.C. Field Office; and Michael C. Westfall, State Inspector General for the Commonwealth of Virginia, made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Avi Panth and Kashan K. Pathan are prosecuting the case.
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. 3:24-mj-75.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Former energy trader for Vitol Inc. guilty in international bribery and money laundering schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 50-year-old former energy trader from Houston has pleaded guilty for his role in a scheme to bribe Mexican government officials to secure contracts for his then-employer Vitol Inc., the U.S. affiliate of the largest independent energy trading firm in the world.
According to court documents, Javier Aguilar and his co-conspirators paid approximately $600,000 in bribes to two senior officials at PEMEX Procurement International Inc. (PPI), a wholly owned affiliate of the Mexican state-owned oil company Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX), in exchange for assistance in winning business for Vitol.
“The Southern District of Texas (SDTX) is ground zero in the fight against foreign bribery and corruption in Latin America,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. “My office’s prosecutors - experts on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) - will continue to bring justice against those who damage the integrity of Texas’s vital energy sector with illegal advantages fueled by greed. This guilty plea begins the process of repairing the damage caused by Aguilar as well as put on notice those who might seek to emulate him and his cohorts.”
Aguilar was a trader in Vitol’s Houston office. Between 2017 and 2020, he and his co-conspirators paid approximately $600,000 in bribes to two senior officials at PPI to obtain numerous contracts for Vitol to supply hundreds of millions of dollars of ethane to PEMEX. To conceal the scheme, Aguilar and his co-conspirators used a series of fake contracts, sham invoices and shell entities incorporated in Curaçao and Mexico. Aguilar and others also used alias email accounts to communicate about the scheme and code words including “shoes,” “medicine,” “invitations” and “coffee,” to describe the bribes.“Javier Aguilar has now admitted that he bribed foreign officials to win business when he worked as an oil and gas trader at Vitol Inc., using shell companies, fake contracts, sham invoices and alias email accounts,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Aguilar’s guilty plea yesterday follows his conviction at trial on related charges earlier this year. His illegal conduct netted Vitol hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts, and now he will pay the price.”
“With this guilty plea, the defendant admits his role in the widespread corruption of the international commodities market and to casting aside laws and rules that apply to all to unfairly line the pockets of the few,” stated U.S. Attorney Breon Peace of the Eastern District of New York (EDNY). “The actions of the defendant and his co-conspirators and of those who act similarly, destroys people’s faith in their governments, disadvantages those who play by the rules, undermines confidence in American businesses worldwide and will not be tolerated by this office or our law enforcement partners.”
“The FCPA has been the law of the land, and enforceable worldwide, for decades. Yet unscrupulous businessmen still try to bribe their way to profit,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri for the FBI’s Miami Field Office. “My message to them is that the charges and penalties you will face are not worth the gain. I want to commend the U.S Attorney’s Offices for EDNY and SDTX and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs for their diligence pursuing this case, but especially the agents and analysts who leave no stone unturned in pursuit of FCPA violators.”
Aguilar pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the FCPA and to a violation of the Travel Act. The FCPA conspiracy charge, which an SDTX grand jury brought, related to conduct that was initially charged in the EDNY. As part of his guilty plea, Aguilar consented to transfer the Texas case to New York, to consolidate the cases and to forfeit $7,129,938. The plea follows Aguilar’s related conviction at trial in February for conspiracy to violate the FCPA, violating the FCPA and conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with schemes to bribe Ecuadorian and Mexican officials. At sentencing, he faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison on the money laundering conviction and five years on each of the other offenses.
In December 2020, Vitol admitted to bribing officials in Ecuador, Mexico and Brazil in violation of the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA. Vitol entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the EDNY. As a part of the resolution, Vitol agreed to pay a combined $135 million in penalties as part of a coordinated resolution with the Department of Justice, Commodity Futures Trading Commission and authorities in Brazil.
Seven of Aguilar’s co-conspirators have pleaded guilty for their role in the scheme and are awaiting sentencing. These individuals have agreed to forfeit more than $63 million in connection with this and related schemes.
FBI Miami’s International Corruption Squad conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherin Daniel and Deputy Chief Suzanne Elmilady for the SDTX are prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorney Clayton P. Solomon and Assistant Chiefs Derek J. Ettinger and Jonathan P. Robell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, Trial Attorney D. Hunter Smith and Deputy Chief Adam J. Schwartz of the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) and EDNY Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew R. Galeotti, Nick M. Axelrod and Jonathan P. Lax. MLARS Special Financial Investigations Unit and Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided substantial assistance.
The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA and Foreign Extortion Prevention Act matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
The Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative is led by a team of dedicated prosecutors in MLARS, in partnership with federal law enforcement agencies, and often with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, to forfeit the proceeds of foreign official corruption. Individuals with information about possible proceeds of foreign corruption located in or laundered through the United States should contact federal law enforcement or send an email to [email protected] or https://tips.fbi.gov/.