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3 October 2024
Ohio Man Sentenced for Federal Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Arkmeem Y. Vaughn, age 51, of Zanesville, Ohio, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for methamphetamine charges.
Vaughn pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in February 2024. According to court documents and statements made in court, the Elkins Police Department conducted a traffic stop on Vaughn and found 151 grams of crystal methamphetamine, $7,000 cash, and a drug ledger. Vaughn was traveling from Ohio to Elkins to sell methamphetamine.
Vaughn will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
The Mountain Region Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Ocala Convicted Felon Indicted for Illegal Possession of A Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Alan Ellis Gillespie, Jr. (31, Ocala) with possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. If convicted, Gillespie faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. Gillespie is currently detained pending the resolution of the criminal case.
According to the indictment and evidence presented in court, on August 27, 2024, a deputy from the Marion County Sheriff’s Office attempted to conduct a traffic stop on a vehicle. Gillespie exited that vehicle through the passenger door and fled on foot. During the chase, Gillespie threw a backpack on the ground. Once Gillespie was apprehended, a search of his backpack revealed an AK-47 style pistol loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition. At the time, Gillespie had previous state felony convictions for battery – prior offense, carrying a concealed firearm, and possession of cannabis more than 20 grams. As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
This case is part of the 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 for occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Northwest Arkansas Woman Ordered to Pay More Than $3.4 Million in Restitution for Money Laundering and Filing of False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE - A Springdale woman was sentenced on August 15, 2024, to 13 years in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. Yesterday, she was ordered to pay over $3.4 million in restitution on one count of money laundering and one count of Filing a False Income Tax Return. The Honorable Judge Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court documents, Shelly Jo Ketcher, age 58, waived indictment by a grand jury and pleaded guilty to a criminal information charging her with money laundering and filing a false income tax return. Ketcher, worked as a bookkeeper and accountant at a Northwest Arkansas company for approximately 5 years. During that time Ketcher embezzled over $2.5 million from the company. Ketcher carried out her scheme in multiple ways including unauthorized and unearned payments to herself, unauthorized payments to credit card companies as well as unauthorized and unearned payments to others who were not employees of the company. In reference to the Filing a false income tax return charge, Ketcher reported false wages and salaries on her personal federal tax returns.
Ketcher’s criminal history showed a prior conviction out of the Northern District of Oklahoma in 2006 for Wire Fraud as well as two Oklahoma state convictions for Embezzlement.
U.S. Attorney Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, and the Fayetteville Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly Marshall prosecuted the case for the United States.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website at www.pacer.gov.
Newburyport Man Arrested in Scheme to Defraud Home Repair Insurance ProviderRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Newburyport man has been charged with defrauding a home repair insurance provider by billing for purported repair jobs that were never performed.
Christian Decristofaro, 40, has been arrested and charged by criminal complaint with wire fraud. Decristofaro as arrested yesterday and will make an initial appearance in federal court in Boston at 2:30 p.m. today.
According to the charging document, Decristofaro allegedly caused NE Premier Home Services LLC (NE Premier) – a purported home repair company he controlled – to enroll as a contractor with the home repair insurance provider (the victim). It is alleged that Decristofaro used false or stolen identities to enroll non-existent or unsuspecting homeowners in insurance plans with the victim insurance provider. Decristofaro then allegedly reported fictitious home emergencies to the victim on behalf of the purported homeowners and requested that NE Premier be assigned to perform the repairs. He then allegedly caused NE Premier to bill the victim insurance provider for the repair jobs, even though inspections of the properties showed no evidence of any repair work having been done. As a result of these fraudulent billings, between approximately 2022 and 2023, the victim insurance provider allegedly paid NE Premier at least $1.5 million for services that NE Premier had not rendered.
The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, restitution and forfeiture. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan C. Cleary and Leslie A. Wright of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the complaint are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
New York Man Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Illegally Possessing Cocaine and FentanylRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A New York man was sentenced to 27 months in prison for illegally possessing cocaine and fentanyl for distribution, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Isidro Fernandez, 36, New York, previously pleaded guilty to before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden to an information charging him with one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Judge Hayden imposed the sentence on Oct. 2, 2024, in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Feb. 26, 2021, law enforcement officers recovered a total of over 5 kilograms of cocaine and over 3 kilograms of fentanyl from a Passaic County residence occupied by Fernandez and from a vehicle that was seen leaving the residence. Fernandez admitted possessing the controlled substances with the intent to distribute.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Hayden sentenced Hayden to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, which comprises special agents and task force officers of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New York City Police Department, and New York State Police, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea D. Coleman of the Opioid Abuse Prevention and Enforcement Unit in Newark.
New York Man Sentenced to 15 years in Federal Prison for Traveling to Oregon to Sexually Abuse a Child He Met Playing an Online Video GameRead the Press Release
MEDFORD, Ore.—A New York man was sentenced to federal prison Tuesday for traveling to Southern Oregon to sexually abuse a child and capturing the abuse on video.
Brent Johnson, Jr., 26, was sentenced to 180 months in federal prison and a life term of supervised release.
According to court documents, in August 2021, Johnson contacted a child through an online video game and, after exchanging phone numbers with the child, continued communicating with them via text messages and phone calls. Undeterred by the child’s age, in late 2021, Johnson traveled to Southern Oregon where he sexually abused the child and captured the abuse on video. In February 2022, the child’s mother contacted law enforcement after receiving text messages and images from Johnson.
On May 5, 2022, a federal grand jury in Medford returned a three-count indictment charging Johnson with sexually exploiting a child, distributing child pornography, and traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
On June 26, 2024, Johnson pleaded guilty to sexually exploiting a child and distributing child pornography.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents in Long Island, New York, and Medford, and the Rogue River Police Department. It was prosecuted by Judith R. Harper, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Anyone who has information about the physical or online exploitation of children are encouraged to contact HSI at (866) 347-2423 or submit a tip online at report.cybertip.org.
Federal law defines child pornography as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a minor. It is important to remember child sexual abuse material depicts actual crimes being committed against children. Not only do these images and videos document the victims’ exploitation and abuse, but when shared across the internet, re-victimize and re-traumatize the child victims each time their abuse is viewed. To learn more, please visit the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at www.missingkids.org.
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. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Possessing Postal Service Key and Stolen MailRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced the October 1, 2024 sentencing of HAVON MONTGOMERY (“MONTGOMERY”), age 20, of New Orleans, who previously pled guilty on April 30, 2024 to a two-count indictment. The indictment charged him with Unlawful Possession of Stolen Mail and Use of a United States Postal Service (USPS) mail “arrow” key, a device used by USPS employees to access authorized mail receptacles.
According to the indictment, on August 22, 2023, MONTGOMERY was found in possession of approximately 132 pieces of stolen mail as well as the USPS “arrow” key during the execution of a search warrant at his residence.
United States District Court Judge Greg G. Guidry sentenced MONTGOMERY six (6) months of home incarceration, to be followed by four (4) years of probation, 100 hours of community service and a mandatory $200 special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Maestri of the General Crimes Unit is charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Couple Sentenced for Federal Controlled Substances and Federal Gun Control Acts ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – JAVAN ROBINSON a/k/a “Diddy” (“ROBINSON”), age 61, and MICHELE COLEMAN (“COLEMAN”), age 57, both of New Orleans, were sentenced on October 1, 2024, by United States District Judge Greg G. Guidry, after previously pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and possess with the intent to distribute, cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, distribution of cocaine, possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), 846, and 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(a)(1), 924(a)(2), 924(e)(1), and 924(c)(1)(A)(i) respectively. Specifically, ROBINSON was sentenced to 280 months of imprisonment, five years of supervised release, and a $700 mandatory special assessment fee. COLEMAN was sentenced to 97 months of imprisonment, five years of supervised release, and a $300 mandatory special assessment fee.
According to court documents, ROBINSON and COLEMAN conspired to distribute a quantity of cocaine within the Eastern District of Louisiana. After receiving information that both defendants were conducting narcotics transactions within Orleans Parish, Federal Bureau of Investigation agents and New Orleans Gang Task Force (NOGTF) members conducted surveillance, set up pole cameras, conducted controlled purchases, and executed search warrants on two residences associated with both defendants. Agents located multiple firearms, cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana, paraphernalia, and a large amount of money between those residences.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.
New Charges Filed Against Alleged Stalker Who Distributed Revenge Porn, Threatened, and Fired Shots at Ex-GirlfriendRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A U.S. District Court grand jury returned a 27-count superseding indictment today charging Nahvarj Mills, 31, of Brandywine, MD, with stalking, disseminating non-consensual pornography, and numerous firearms charges related to three shootings. The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division; and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Mills is charged with cyberstalking in violation of a protective order; cyberstalking; interstate stalking in violation of a protection order; interstate stalking in violation of a protection order – emotional distress, use of a dangerous weapon; two counts of interstate stalking in violation of a protection order – bodily injury, emotional distress, use of a dangerous weapon; interstate violation of a protection order; three counts of interstate violation of a protection, use of a dangerous weapon; three counts of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon; possessing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence; interstate communications with intent to extort; assault with intent to kill while armed; three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon; three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence; and four counts of first degree unlawful publication.
Mills has been detained since February 2024.
According to court documents, Mills and the alleged victim, his former significant other, began dating in approximately December 2022. Mills physically abused the victim on multiple occasions. In approximately the summer of 2023, the victim ended the relationship with Mills. Angry about the breakup, Mills began contacting the victim by phone. He appeared uninvited at her workplace in Maryland and at her home in the District. Mills threatened to distribute sexually explicit images of the victim and then he made good on his threat.
On November 23, 2023, the victim received text messages stating in part, “Got no job, got no kids, got no family. I have nothing to do. But what I do have, is the money to keep bothering you.”
Around December 31, 2023, the victim received 30 phone calls from “No Caller ID.” The calls followed an attempt by the victim to meet up with Mills in an effort to make amends. Those efforts ended when Mills pulled out a gun and pointed it at the victim’s head.
On January 2, 2024, the victim reported Mills’ conduct to the MPD and filed a petition for a Civil Protection Order (CPO). The victim’s mother subsequently electronically served Mills with a Temporary Protection Order at his known phone number. In the same conversation, Mills sent the mother numerous sexually explicit photos and videos of the victim. Mills also wrote, “I can easily pull this .40 trigger,” followed by photos of a firearm and ammunition that appear consistent with the .40 caliber firearm and ammunition later recovered from Mills’ home pursuant to a residential search warrant.
Also in early January, Mills allegedly created a fake Instagram account in the victim’s name. The victim then received several messages from the account threatening to disseminate sexually explicit images and videos of her. Mills later made good on his threat and sent out the images and videos to several individuals who knew the victim. On January 6, 2024, Ring camera footage captured footage of a man believed to be Mills outside the victim’s home. The man spread typed-out paragraphs containing threatening messages along with explicit images. A few days later, on January 11, 2024, the victim found more sexually explicit photos on her lawn.
On January 19, 2024, a D.C. Superior Court Judge granted a CPO, which ordered Mills to stay away from the victim, her home, her workplace, her vehicle, and her family.
On January 20, 2024, Mills again spread sexually explicit images outside the victim’s home. On this occasion, the victim personally observed Mills in her front yard and saw him return to a vehicle along with another individual.
Also on January 20, 2024, Mills allegedly spread sexually explicit images outside another victim’s home. He also reportedly sent numerous unwanted and threatening text messages and made unwanted calls to this victim. Mills is now charged with one count of cyberstalking in connection with this victim.
The campaign of stalking and violence against the first victim escalated further in late January 2024. Three separate shootings targeted the victim’s bedroom on January 21, 22, and 23. The third shooting occurred after Mills called the victim and threatened to kill her.
On January 26, 2024, Mills returned to the victim’s home where police arrested him and charged him with violating the protection order. Once again, the court ordered Mills to stay away from the victim and not contact her. Nonetheless, Mills made continued efforts to contact the victim.
On February 7, 2024, Mills was arrested pursuant to a warrant issued by the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. Mills has been detained since his arrest on February 7, 2024.On July 18, 2024, a federal Grand Jury returned an initial seven-count indictment, and Mills was transferred to federal custody.
This case is being investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Washington D.C., the FBI’s Washington Field Office Violent Crimes Task Force, and the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen Houck, Marco Crocetti and Caroline Burrell of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
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Multiple pharmaceutical distributor executives, sales representatives and brokers charged in connection with unlawful sales of over 70M opioid pillsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON - Charges have been unsealed as part of a larger enforcement action related to the unlawful distribution of nearly 70 million opioid pills and over 30 million doses of other commonly abused prescription drugs to alleged Houston-area pill-mill pharmacies. Three Houston-area pharmacy operators were also charged for their role in the schemes. Nine individuals have pleaded guilty.
According to court documents, the opioids allegedly distributed - oxycodone, hydrocodone and hydromorphone - were available in numerous strengths and forms, but the distributors allegedly sold the drugs almost exclusively in their most abused, most powerful immediate-release pill forms, i.e., the ones that sold for the most money on the black market. The distributors also allegedly sold prescription drug potentiators such as alprazolam, carisoprodol and promethazine with codeine syrup known for their reputation of enhancing the high from the opioids. The distributors allegedly charged their Houston customers far more for the drugs than what a legitimate pharmacy could or would pay.
As alleged in the charging documents, the defendants mostly targeted pill-mill pharmacies in and around Houston - a nationally recognized “hot zone” for diversion of pharmaceutical opioids onto the black market. The distributors sought to thwart Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) oversight function in several ways, including by following what one defendant called a “blueprint” for avoiding detection: high prices, low purchasing limits for the controlled drugs and compliance measures that only served appearances. In addition, the distributors were all located outside Texas, far removed from their Houston-area pill-mill pharmacy customers and the communities ravaged by their alleged offenses.
“The distributors that sourced pills into the Houston area may be located across the country, but they targeted Houston, helping to make it a known ‘hot zone’ for drug diversion,” said Hamdani. “This office will always support the prosecution of individuals who are believed to have thwarted law enforcement and oversight by operating across state lines and posing as legitimate businesses, while poisoning our district by targeting pill mills with precisely the drugs at the heart of our country’s addiction crisis. These cases build on this district’s history of systematically dismantling pill-mill clinics, pharmacies and the often-violent drug-trafficking organizations responsible for selling these pills in our community.”
“The defendants, including pharmaceutical drug distributors, allegedly exploited the opioid crisis for profit — selling dangerous and addictive drugs to pill-mill pharmacies at above-market prices, knowing that the drugs would end up on the black market,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s (DOJ) Criminal Division. “These charges represent the Justice Department’s largest criminal enforcement action targeting executives, brokers, and alleged pill-mill pharmacy owners for unlawfully distributing opioids and other commonly abused drugs. Our message is clear: we will not hesitate in our pursuit of those involved in dumping addictive pharmaceutical drugs onto the streets.”
Those charged include Velencia Griffin, 42, Kendal Lyons, 29, and Andre Reid, 44, Houston; Sheldon Dounn, 71, and Jason Smith, 43, Plantation, Florida Plantation; Hernan Alvarez, 52, Phoenix, Arizona; Joshua Weinstein, 50, Miami, Florida; Eric Bailey, 59, St. Louis, Missouri; Joseph Pesserillo, 38, The Villages, Florida; Cassandra Rivera, 40, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida; Richard “Dick” Osbourne, 78, Memphis, Tennessee and Courtney Rotenberry, 45, Savannah, Tennessee.
For unlawful distribution-related count, those charged face up to 20 years in federal prison, while a conspiracy to defraud the United States carries a possible five-year prison term. Conspiracy to use a communications facility to further the commission of a drug felony has a maximum four-year possible prison term.
The DEA, Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General (DHHS-OIG), FBI, U.S. Postal Service - OIG, Food and Drug Administration - Office of Criminal Investigations and Texas Medicaid Fraud Control Unit conducted the investigation with assistance from the Department of Homeland Security, General Services Administration - OIG, Broward County, Florida, Sheriff’s Office, Houston Police Department and other federal and state law enforcement agencies.
DOJ Trial Attorneys Drew Pennebaker and Devon Helfmeyer are prosecuting the cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Fyffe is assisting with forfeiture. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Southern District of Texas, Southern District of Florida, Eastern District of Missouri and Eastern District of North Carolina are assisting with the prosecution.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
An indictment, information or complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Mobile Man Sentenced to 18 Months in Prison for Illegally Possessing a MachinegunRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Mobile man was sentenced to 18 months in prison for illegally possessing a machinegun.
According to court documents, on January 23, 2024, Hunter Lee Powell, 21, was arrested by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation after Powell sold a machinegun-conversion device to another individual. A machinegun-conversion device is commonly referred to as a “Glock switch,” and renders a pistol into a fully automatic weapon.
Powell was indicted for being in possession of a machinegun and pled guilty to the charge. United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer sentenced Powell to 18 months in prison followed by a 3-year term of supervised release for possessing the machinegun.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated 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.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica S. Terrill prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Mississippi Man Charged in Sextortion Scheme Involving more than 40 VictimsRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man was arrested today in Jackson on federal charges relating to an alleged “sextortion” scheme that targeted multiple victims, including minors.
According to a nine-count indictment unsealed this week, Marquez Cameron Jones Weston, 22, allegedly operated a “sextortion” scheme in which he engaged in cyberstalking, interstate threats, extortion, attempted production of child pornography, and transportation of child pornography over the internet. As part of the scheme charged in the indictment, Weston attempted to and did extort money and nude and sexually explicit photographic images from at least 47 different identified female individuals over the internet, with more unidentified. Several of these females were minors. The indictment alleges Weston committed these crimes from July 2023 through February 2024.
“We are seeing a troubling increase throughout the nation of ‘sextortion’ as criminals, like this defendant, use information they gain through on-line communications, hacking, or other means to blackmail juveniles and other victims into giving them pornography,” said U.S. Attorney Todd Gee. “I encourage parents to be aware of who their children are communicating with on-line, and all internet users to be cautious about sharing their personal information on-line.”
“Today’s arrest demonstrates the steadfast commitment of the FBI, USAO and our law enforcement partners in protecting our communities from being victimized by sextortion,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff. “Marquez Cameron Jones Weston’s deliberate actions in targeting the innocence of our youth will not be tolerated. The FBI will continue to aggressively investigate and bring predatory individuals, like Mr. Weston, to justice.”
Weston made his initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew S. Harris of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison.
In February, a federal grand jury named Weston in a separate indictment charging him with possession of child pornography. If convicted of that charge, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Robert A. Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case with assistance from the Sam Houston State University Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly T. Purdie is prosecuting the case.
The FBI provides the following six tips on how people can protect themselves from sextortion schemes:
- Be selective about what you share online. If your social media accounts are open to everyone, a predator may be able to figure out a lot of information about you.
- Be wary of anyone you encounter for the first time online. Block or ignore messages from strangers.
- Be aware that people can pretend to be anything or anyone online. Videos and photos are not proof that people are who they claim to be. Images can be altered or stolen. In some cases, predators have even taken over the social media accounts of their victims.
- Be suspicious if you meet someone on one game or app and this person asks you to start talking on a different platform.
- Be in the know. Any content you create online—whether it is a text message, photo, or video—can be made public. And nothing actually “disappears” online. Once you send something, you don’t have any control over where it goes next.
- Be willing to ask for help. If you are getting messages or requests online that don’t seem right, block the sender, report the behavior to the site administrator, or go to an adult. If you have been victimized online, tell someone.
If you, your child, or someone you know is being exploited via sextortion, contact your local FBI field office, call 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324), or report it online at the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3). Additional resources can found at Sextortion and Financially Motivated Sextortion — FBI. If you believe you are a victim in this particular case, please also contact the United States Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Mississippi.
U.S. Attorney Todd Gee recently recorded an Internet Safety PSA warning about the dangers of online predators.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Michigan Man Sentenced to 86 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Shauntay Wade, 43 years old, of Niles, Michigan, was sentenced by United States District Court Senior Judge Jon E. DeGuilio after being found guilty of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm following a 3-day jury in February 2024, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Wade was sentenced to 86 months in prison followed by 2 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case in December 2021, Wade physically assaulted a woman, pointed a gun at her, and then hid the gun once a 911 call was made. Responding officers found the gun along with over 150 grams of marijuana and 35 grams of cocaine. Wade has several prior felony convictions, any one of which prohibit him from possessing the firearm in this case.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Mishawaka Police Department and Indiana State Police Laboratory. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Hannah T. Jones and Katelan McKenzie Doyle.
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.
Miami Tax Return Preparers and Brothers Agree to Permanent InjunctionRead the Press Release
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida issued a permanent injunction today against Miami tax return preparers and brothers, George and Luis Brito, and their businesses. The permanent injunction bars George Brito from preparing federal income tax returns, working for or having any ownership stake in any tax preparation business, assisting others (including family members) prepare tax returns or set up business as a preparer and transferring or assigning customer lists to any other person or entity. The court similarly enjoined Luis Brito, George’s brother, from preparing income tax returns for individuals. The Britos consented to entry of the permanent injunction against them.
The complaint alleged that George and Luis Brito owned or controlled Brito and Brito Accounting USA Inc. According to the complaint, the Brito brothers prepared returns for customers that claimed various false or fabricated deductions and credits, including fabricated residential energy credits, false and exaggerated itemized deductions and fictitious and inflated business expenses.
According to the permanent injunction, George Brito and his businesses are forever barred from preparing returns for others and from any involvement in the preparation of federal tax returns. He has closed his office located at 407 Lincoln Rd #9A, Miami Beach, FL 33139.
The terms of the agreed order require Luis Brito to inform his customers that has been permanently enjoined from preparing tax returns except for certain types of business forms, including those reporting payroll, unemployment and corporate income taxes. The agreed order states that as a condition for being allowed to prepare those forms, the IRS is allowed to make unscheduled and random on-site visits to Luis Brito’s business and requires him to complete at least 24 hours of tax preparation education by Dec. 31.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
Taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against unscrupulous tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers.
In the past decade, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
Brito Consent Injunction.pdfMerrillville Doctor Sentenced to Prison and Ordered to Pay RestitutionRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Johann Farley, 60 years old, of Crown Point, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to health care fraud.
Farley was sentenced to 12 months and 1 day in prison followed by 1 year of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution totaling $557,000 to Indiana Medicaid ($444,000) and Medicare ($113,000).
According to documents in the case, Farley was a physician who ran an addiction treatment practice in Merrillville, Indiana. Many of his patients struggled with opioid addiction and relied on him to treat their addiction. Farley required these patients to come to his office frequently, sometimes on a daily basis, but the visits only lasted a few minutes, and his patients often did not even see him. For over four years, Farley submitted claims to Medicaid and Medicare falsely representing that he had complex, extended visits with his patients for several hours each week. In total, between January 2016 and May 2020, Farley billed Medicaid and Medicare for more than 7,000 services he did not provide and was paid more than $557,000 for work he never performed.
The case was investigated by the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Indiana Attorney General’s Office, the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin F. Wolff and Steven J. Lupa.
Maui Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Explosive Device and PowdersRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – United States Attorney Clare E. Connors announced that Robert Francis Dumaran, 47, of Kahului, Maui, pleaded guilty in federal court yesterday to possessing explosive powders as a convicted felon and possessing an unregistered destructive device. Dumaran’s sentencing is set for February 2, 2025, before United States District Judge Jill A. Otake.
According to court documents and information presented in court, Dumaran admitted he attempted to detonate a homemade firework at the intersection of Lono Avenue and Hina Avenue on Maui, Hawaii, during either the late evening of July 22, 2024, or the early morning of July 23, 2024. Dumaran’s homemade firework contained black powder (gunpowder) and flash powder. As a convicted felon, Dumaran was prohibited from possessing explosives. The Maui Police Department (“MPD”) discovered and rendered safe Dumaran’s homemade firework in the morning of July 23, as reported in a prior press release.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”) later searched Dumaran’s residence and discovered an improvised hand grenade. Dumaran admitted he crafted and possessed that grenade for use as a defensive weapon capable of causing destruction and death.
Dumaran is not charged in connection with improvised explosive devices recovered on August 7, 2024, in Kula, Maui or the August 8, 2024 explosion in Pukalani, Maui.
The case was investigated by the FBI and MPD. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan D. Slack and Wayne A. Myers are prosecuting the case.
Massachusetts Man Sentenced to 3 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl and Methamphetamine in the Seacoast AreaRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Massachusetts man was sentenced today in federal court for drug trafficking in New Hampshire, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Carlos Alejandro Chevalier Santos, 23, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Samantha Elliott to 36 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release. In June 2024, Chevalier Santos pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute and two counts of distributing controlled substances. Charges are still pending against Santos’ four co-conspirators, Jose Luis Guerrero Nunez, Eddy Mendez Carmona, Juan Carlos De Los Santos Romero, and Luis Guerrero Cabral.
“Methamphetamine and fentanyl destroy lives and fuel violence in our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “Law enforcement in New Hampshire will continue to be relentless in the pursuit to identify individuals participating in drug trafficking at every layer of the supply chain.”
“DEA stands committed to keeping highly addictive drugs like methamphetamine and fentanyl off the streets of New Hampshire,” said Acting DEA Special Agent in Charge Stephen Belleau, Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. “Today’s sentence not only holds Mr. Chevalier Santos accountable for his crimes but serves as a warning to those traffickers who are contributing to the drug crisis in America. This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative law enforcement efforts and our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
Santos was part of a Methuen-based drug trafficking organization that was distributing significant quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine in the Seacoast area. Santos was identified as a “runner,” or a person who makes drug deliveries on behalf of the organization. In early 2024, Santos made at least two deliveries of controlled substances to undercover law enforcement officers, including the delivery of a pound of methamphetamine.
The Drug Enforcement Administration led the investigation. The Seabrook Police Department, Hampton Police Department, Portsmouth Police Department, Methuen Police Department, and the New Hampshire State Police provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kasey Weiland and Heather Cherniske are prosecuting the case.
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Massachusetts Man Sentenced for Possessing Stolen FirearmRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A West Springfield, Massachusetts man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for possessing a stolen firearm.
Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Jadin Andino, 22, to three years of probation and ordered to pay $500 in restitution. Andino pleaded guilty on February 28, 2024.
According to court records, in April 2022, Andino took possession of a 9mm firearm knowing that it had been stolen from a pawn shop in Waterville.
Ryan Ansart, 22, of West Springfield, Mass. and Damiean Marcial-Alexander, 22, of Waterville have each pleaded guilty to stealing firearms from the Waterville pawn shop and are awaiting sentencing.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Waterville Police Department investigated the case.
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Maryland Woman Sentenced for Conspiring to Defraud the GovernmentRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Maryland woman was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for conspiracy to defraud the government of thousands of dollars between 2014 to 2018.
Chantelle Boyd, 53, of Woodsboro, Md., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to six months home confinement, followed by two years of supervised release. The government recommended a sentence of six months in prison. Boyd will also be ordered to pay restitution in an amount to be determined at a later date. In April 2023, Boyd pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy, 10 counts of theft of government funds and false declarations. Boyd was arrested and charged in July 2020 along with co-defendant Thomas Bouchard.
Bouchard was the Contracting Officer in charge of the U.S. Army Natick Contracting Division, a full-service contracting organization for the Department of Defense. According to the charging documents, in 2014, Bouchard used his long-standing relationship with Evolution Enterprise, Inc., a government contractor, to have Boyd hired for a “no show” job as an assistant that specifically supported Bouchard. Boyd’s position cost the Department of Defense more than $490,000 during her time at Evolution from 2014 to 2018, during which Boyd performed little if any useful function.
Bouchard and Boyd took numerous government-funded trips, ranging in duration from two to 15 days, under the guise that they were work related. This included 31 trips to Orlando, Fla., among other locations such as Clearwater Beach, Fla. and Stafford, Va., during which Boyd allegedly performed little if any work. For many of the trips, Bouchard and Boyd stayed in the same hotel room and spent time at the pool and Disney parks – all during business hours. In order to conceal the personal nature of the trips, Bouchard altered, created and approved false travel to reimburse the Boyd for out-of-pocket expenses. Additionally, Boyd made false statements to the grand jury in May 2018 in relation to these trips.Bouchard pleaded guilty in April 2023. In August 2024, Bouchard was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison followed by one year of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $487,658.87 in restitution.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Joseph Dattoria, Special Agent in Charge of the General Services Administration Office of Inspector General; Patrick Hegarty, Special Agent in Charge of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service; and Michael Connor, Special Agent in Charge of the Army Criminal Investigation Division Major Procurement Fraud Field Office made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Neil J. Gallagher, Jr. of the Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced to 63 Months in Ponzi Scheme CaseRead the Press Release
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - A former resident of Durham, NC was sentenced to 63 months of imprisonment and ordered to pay restitution totaling $6,170,045.68 after pleading guilty to one count of the use of manipulative and deceptive devices and one count of wire fraud, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina.
NAYEEM CHOUDHURY, currently of Fort Worth, TX was sentenced to a 63-month term of imprisonment by the Honorable Loretta C. Biggs, United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. In addition to prison time, CHOUDHURY was ordered to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court filings, CHOUDHURY, while a resident of Durham, NC, began soliciting option trading investments for his company, Dream Venture Capital Group, LLC, through friends and family networks, as well as through social media accounts and webpages. CHOUDHURY told potential investors that their investments were no-risk because he guaranteed the principal, that he would pay investors exorbitant monthly returns sometimes as high as twenty-five percent, and that he had a proven track record of successful options trading and won far more than he lost. None of these statements were true. In fact, of the eleven months CHOUDHURY traded investor funds before his fraud was identified, he suffered net trading losses in nine of those eleven months. Despite this, CHOUDHURY continued to solicit new investors, repeating the same misrepresentations identified above. He also paid older investors with principal invested by new investors, representing it to be trading gains, in what is colloquially known as a Ponzi scheme.
CHOUDHURY lost over $5 million dollars in investor funds and used other funds for extravagant personal purchases, including an $85,000 Mercedes Benz G63. In total, he was responsible for a loss of $6,170,045.68, victimizing 88 different individuals.
“CHOUDHURY’s mendacity knew no bounds: he mined the trust of friends and family to find new victims, even as the losses were piling up,” said U.S. Attorney Hairston. “We are grateful to the agencies that investigated this unconscionable conduct and helped hold this defendant accountable.”
“CHOUDHURY presented himself as an investment expert promising significant profits with little to no financial risks. He took money from his own family and friends to cover massive trading losses and fund extravagant personal expenses. While fraud of this magnitude can have a lasting impact, we hope CHOUDHURY’s federal prison sentence will bring a sense of justice to his victims,” said Robert M. DeWitt, the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.
The investigation was undertaken by Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley E. Waid.
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Man Sentenced for Attempting to Traffic Firearms InternationallyRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Sourivahn Phonthepsone, a Canadian citizen, has been sentenced to federal prison for conspiring to traffic 50 firearms to Ontario, Canada.
“Firearm traffickers present a danger to communities everywhere, both nationally and internationally,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “We remain resolute in our unwavering commitment to work with our federal law enforcement partners to identify and dismantle gun trafficking operations and to prosecute those who jeopardize the safety of our communities by funneling firearms to criminals.”
“The arrest and conviction of this individual represent a significant victory in the fight against international firearms trafficking,” said ATF Assistant Agent in Charge Alicia D. Jones. “Our agents executed a meticulously planned operation, ensuring that dangerous weapons never made it into criminal hands. ATF will continue to be relentless in its pursuit of those who endanger public safety.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Over a three-month period in 2023, Phonthepsone conspired with multiple individuals to purchase 50 firearms for $40,000 from a source in Atlanta, Georgia, with the intent of transporting the firearms to Canada for resale. In August 2023, Phonthepsone resided in Ontario, Canada and began communicating with a source in the United States about acquiring firearms. Phonthepsone asked the source to provide a quote for the price of each firearm. He also offered to travel to the United States to meet the source in person.
In September 2023, Phonthepsone flew from Toronto, Canada to Dallas, Texas and met with the source and an undercover federal agent. During the meeting, Phonthepsone and the two individuals discussed the types and prices of firearms for purchase. Phonthepsone indicated that his associates would transport 20 firearms into Canada at a time. He agreed to pay $800 per firearm and estimated they would resell for approximately $2,000 each in Canada. At the end of the meeting, Phonthepsone gave the undercover agent a $1,000 down payment. Phonthepsone returned to Canada the next day.
On October 6, 2023, Phonthepsone flew from Toronto to Atlanta and arranged to meet with the undercover agent on October 11, 2023, to make a deal to purchase the firearms. Phonthepsone met the undercover agent at a storage unit in Fairburn, Georgia, where he gave the agent $40,000 in cash for the firearms. After Phonthepsone initiated the transfer for some of the 50 firearms, ATF special agents arrested him without incident.
Sourivahn Ed Phonthepsone, 24, of Ontario, Canada, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr. to seven years, three months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Phonthepsone was convicted of the firearms trafficking conspiracy charge on April 29, 2024, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Annalise K. Peters prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.
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.
Madison Man Convicted of Sexual ExploitationRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A jury has convicted a Madison man of child exploitation, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
The jury returned a guilty verdict against Anthony Ray Lawrence, 37, of Madison, after 3 days of testimony before U.S. District Court Judge Madeline H. Haikala. Lawrence was convicted of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor.
According to evidence presented at trial, between April and May 2023, Lawrence used a social media application to engage with someone he thought to be a 14-year-old female but who actually was an undercover law enforcement officer. He told the undercover officer that he used the application to meet younger girls. On May 1, 2023, Lawrence traveled from Madison, Alabama, to Homewood, Alabama, to engage in a sexual act with a minor. At the time of his arrest, Lawrence possessed condoms and sexual lubricant. He had rented a hotel room nearby.
If you suspect or become aware of possible sexual exploitation of a child, please contact law enforcement. To alert the FBI Birmingham Office, call 205-326-6166. Reports can also be filed with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) or online at www.cybertipline.org.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
The FBI investigated the case along with the Homewood Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel S. McBrayer and R. Leann White are prosecuting the case.
MS-13 Gang Members Charged in Superseding Indictment for Crimes of Deadly Violence in Nassau CountyRead the Press Release
Earlier today, a 17-count superseding indictment was unsealed in federal court in Central Islip charging seven members of the violent transnational criminal organization La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as the MS-13, with multiple racketeering offenses including two murders, one attempted murder, murder conspiracies, a narcotics trafficking conspiracy and related firearms offenses (the “Superseding Indictment”). Two of those defendants, William Lainez-Duran, also known as “Chino” and “Spanky,” and Elvin Eulises Vasquez-Lopez, also known as “Pikachu,” were arrested this morning in Hempstead, New York and will be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Steven L. Tiscione. Another defendant, Jose Omar Yanes-Romero, also known as “Jose Pineda,” “Chino” and “Iron,” was arrested this morning in Culpeper, Virginia, and will be arraigned at the Charlottesville federal courthouse in the Western District of Virginia. Two of the remaining three defendants are in custody on criminal charges, and the third is in immigration custody and will be arraigned at a later date.
Defendants Henry Aquino-Hernandez, also known as “Zancudo,” an associate of the Herndon City clique, Yanes-Romero, a member of the Coronados clique and Lainez-Duran, a member of the Hempstead clique, have been charged with participating in the July 19, 2022 murder of Walter Ochoa. Defendant Gerson Hernandez, also known as “Steven Jefferson,” “Jeffrey,” “Serio,” “Serioso” and “Necio,” a member of the Hempstead clique, was previously charged with participating in the murder. Henry Canales, also known as “Thunder” and “Cruzito,” a member of the Coronados clique who is currently in New York State custody, has been charged with a related murder conspiracy, as well as with being an accessory after the fact. Additionally, Jairo Cornejo-Crespin, also known as “Flaco,” a member of the Hempstead clique, has been charged with a December 15, 2023 attempted murder, which occurred adjacent to Hempstead High School. Separately, Canales and Vasquez-Lopez, a member of the Coronados clique, are charged with a May and June 2022 conspiracy to murder rival gang members.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James E. Dennehy, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), William S. Walker, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI), Anne T. Donnelly, Nassau County District Attorney and Patrick J. Ryder, Commissioner, Nassau County Police Department (NCPD), announced the charges.
“The racketeering offenses alleged in the superseding indictment, including murder, murder conspiracies, drug trafficking, and a brazen shooting outside Hempstead High School at dismissal time demonstrate the MS-13 gang members’ brutality and utter disregard for human life,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “The relentless efforts of the prosecutors in my Office and our local and federal law enforcement partners to bring these offenders to justice will help reduce violence on Long Island and make our communities safer.”
Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation to the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Virginia, the Richmond Division of the FBI, the Culpeper County Sheriff's Office and the Culpeper Police Department.
“These six MS-13 members allegedly conducted a series of retaliatory murders, shootings, and drug trafficking in furtherance of the gang’s nefarious tactics and criminal operations on Long Island,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Dennehy. “This alleged violence recklessly jeopardized public safety as it encroached on neighborhoods, school properties, and recreational spaces, placing innocent bystanders in the crosshairs. With the assistance of our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, the FBI will continue to dismantle all MS-13 cliques plaguing our communities.”“Today’s charges underscore our unwavering focus on public safety and the continued collaboration with our law enforcement partners to address the threat posed by MS-13 to Long Island communities. HSI New York will not stand idly by as the MS-13 gang attempts to strengthen its presence in Nassau County,” stated HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Walker. “With each new indictment, we continue to whittle away at MS-13 on Long Island and at its false notion of impunity from the law.”
“For years, the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office has worked with our federal and local law enforcement partners to cripple MS-13 and other criminal organizations and has successfully diminished their impact in our communities,” stated Nassau County District Attorney Donnelly. “The defendants targeted in this wide-ranging indictment have been involved in multiple violent crimes in Hempstead and ruthless gang violence that has cost so many individuals their lives. We will continue to collaborate with our federal and local partners to take down dangerous gang members and protect our residents.”
As set forth in the superseding indictment and a detention memorandum filed earlier today, six defendants are charged with participating in the July 19, 2022 murder of Ochoa in Uniondale Park in Uniondale, New York. Ochoa was targeted by the MS-13 because he was suspected of being a member of a rival street gang. Hernandez, Aquino-Hernandez, Canales, Lainez-Duran, Vasquez-Lopez, Yanes-Romero and other MS-13 members also allegedly plotted the murder in retaliation for the killing of an MS-13 member 11 days earlier, which the MS-13 blamed on the 18th Street gang. On the evening of July 19, Ochoa was with another individual in Uniondale Park when they were approached by Hernandez, Yanes-Romero and a third MS-13 member who were armed with a .45 caliber handgun and at least one knife. The three gang members shot Ochoa to death and stabbed him in the neck, and then fled the park.
The superseding indictment also charges Cornejo-Crespin, who was previously charged in Nassau County and is currently incarcerated, with an attempted murder in Hempstead. Specifically, on December 15, 2023, near Hempstead High School, Cornejo-Crespin used a 9-millimeter semiautomatic pistol bearing no make, model or serial number (also known as a “ghost gun”) to shoot an 18-year-old male that he believed to be a rival gang member. The victim was shot five times but survived. The shooting took place at approximately 3:22 p.m., shortly after school dismissal, when numerous students were walking around the neighboring area.
Finally, the superseding indictment charges six of the defendants with conspiring to distribute cocaine and marijuana. These charges stem from the MS-13 cliques’ street-level sales of cocaine and marijuana on Long Island, the proceeds of which were used to help finance the MS-13’s criminal operations including purchasing firearms, ammunition and other weapons and sending money to MS-13 leadership in Central America.
The superseding indictment is the latest in a series of federal prosecutions by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York targeting members of the MS-13, a violent transnational criminal organization. The MS-13’s leadership traditionally has been based in El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala and Mexico, but the organization also has thousands of members and an increasing number of leaders in the United States. With numerous branches, or “cliques,” the MS-13 is the most violent criminal organization on Long Island. Since 2003, hundreds of MS-13 members, including dozens of clique leaders, have been convicted on federal felony charges in the Eastern District of New York. A majority of those MS-13 members have been convicted on federal racketeering charges for participating in murders, attempted murders and assaults. Since 2010 alone, this Office has obtained indictments charging MS-13 members with carrying out more than 70 murders in the Eastern District of New York, and it has convicted dozens of MS-13 leaders and members in connection with those murders. These prosecutions are the product of investigations led by the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force, comprising agents and officers of the FBI, the NCPD, the Suffolk County Police Department, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Department, the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, the Suffolk County Probation Office, the New York State Police, the Hempstead Police Department, the Rockville Centre Police Department and the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.
If convicted, Hernandez, Aquino-Hernandez, Lainez-Duran and Yanes-Romero face up to life in prison, or the death penalty; Cornejo-Crespin faces up to life in prison; Canales faces up to 55 years in prison; and Vasquez-Lopez face up to 50 years in prison. The charges in the superseding indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Megan E. Farrell, Justina L. Geraci and Paul G. Scotti are in charge of the prosecution.
New Defendants:
HENRY AQUINO-HERNANDEZ (also known as “Zancudo”)
Age: 20
Bowling Green, Virginia (formerly of Uniondale, New York)HENRY CANALES (also known as “Thunder” and “Cruzito”)
Age: 24
Auburn, New York (formerly of Hempstead, New York)JAIRO CORNEJO-CRESPIN (also known as “Flaco”)
Age: 24
Brooklyn, New York (formerly of Freeport, New York)WILLIAM LAINEZ-DURAN (also known as “Chino” and “Spanky”)
Age: 24
Uniondale, New YorkElvin Eulises Vasquez-Lopez (also known as “Elvin Amaya” and “Pikachu”)
Age: 23
Hempstead, New YorkJose Omar Yanes-Romero (also known as “Jose Pineda,” “Iron,” “Speedy” and “Chino”)
Age: 24
Culpeper, Virginia (formerly of Hempstead, New York)Defendant Previously Indicted:
GERSON HERNANDEZ (also known as “Steven Jefferson,” “Jeffrey,” “Serio,” “Serioso” and “Necio”)
Age: 23
East Meadow, New York (formerly of Hempstead, New York)E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-369 (S-1)(JMA)
Licensed firearms dealer in King William pleads guilty to falsifying form for missing shotgunRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A federally licensed firearms dealer in King William, Virginia, pled guilty today to making false material statements regarding a missing firearm.
According to court documents, Thomas Christian Berberich owned and operated Pamunkey River Guns, LLC, (PRG). On March 14, 2023, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) began an inspection of PRG. After reconciling the firearms at PRG against the open entries in PRG’s acquisition and disposition book, investigators determined that a .410 caliber shotgun had no disposition in PRG’s records and was not present in the store. On March 22, 2023, an ATF investigator instructed Berberich to report the shotgun as lost or stolen and complete an ATF Loss/Theft Form.
On April 5, 2023, Berberich directed a co-conspirator to come to PRG to complete paperwork for the sale of the missing shotgun, which they did on April 7, 2023. Berberich signed the ATF Form 4473, certifying that the information on the form was true, correct, and complete. Neither the shotgun nor any money was exchanged. Berberich sent an email that day to the ATF investigator reporting that the missing shotgun was found on April 6, 2023, in a box in a closet at PRG, and that the shotgun was then sold to a customer on April 7, 2023.
When the investigator returned to PRG on April 12, 2023, Berberich provided him with a copy of the false Form 4473. After the investigation, Berberich forfeited his federal firearms license.
Berberich is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 5, 2025. The maximum penalty for making false statements is five 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, and James VanVliet, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Wright and Peter S. Duffey 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-cr-131.
Latham Woman Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of a ChildRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kristy Lynne Koldis, age 46, of Latham, New York, was sentenced today to 180 months (15 years) in prison and 15 years of supervised release for sexual exploitation of a child. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.
In previously pleading guilty, Koldis admitted that she created sexually explicit content depicting the lewd and lascivious exhibition of V-1’s genitals from the time V-1 was approximately 9 years old through the time V-1 was approximately 13 years old and distributed the files to Joshua White, who pled guilty on December 13, 2023, to distribution and possession of child pornography. His sentencing is currently scheduled for December 12, 2024.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also imposed special assessments totaling over $55,000 and ordered Koldis to pay $5,000 in restitution. Koldis will have to register as a sex offender upon her release from prison.
Homeland Security Investigations and the New York State Police investigated this case, which is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael D. Gadarian as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Lakeland Man Charged with Ten Counts of Bank FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Abraham Othman Yacoub (26, Lakeland) with 10 counts of bank fraud. Yacoub faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison on each count. The indictment also notifies Yacoub that the United States is seeking an order of forfeiture in the amount of $181,540.51, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.
According to the indictment, from at least January 2021 until approximately February 2023, Yacoub made dozens of fraudulent deposits and withdrawals on behalf of his companies, Visionary Auto Body LLC, and Visionary Auto Care LLC, at financial institutions throughout the Middle District of Florida. Yacoub opened and maintained business bank accounts in the name of his companies and executed two primary fraud schemes.
In the first scheme, Yacoub deposited the same previously deposited checks into various business banking accounts that he controlled at different financial institutions, knowing that the checks had previously been deposited and paid, causing the victim banks to credit his accounts for the amount of the check.
In the second scheme, Yacoub drafted fraudulent business checks from closed business bank accounts and then deposit these checks into other active business banking accounts that he controlled, causing the banks to credit him with the amount of the fraudulent business check.
Under both schemes Yacoub attempted to withdraw, transfer, or otherwise spend the funds credited to his accounts before the financial institution realized that the checks were fraudulent.
Yacoub is currently in federal custody. On July 31, 2024, he was sentenced to three years and six months in federal prison for violating airport security requirements and attempted possession of a dangerous weapon on an aircraft after bringing a Glock 19 and assorted ammunition into Tampa International Airport.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karyna Valdes.
Kearney Man Sentenced for Multiple Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Tucker Steven Harders, age 26, of Kearney, Nebraska, was sentenced October 3, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for receipt and possession of child pornography and transportation of obscene materials. Senior United States Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Harders to 96 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Harder’s release from prison, he will begin an 8-year term of supervised release and be required to register as a sex offender.
In October of 2022, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received a report of someone uploading photos depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. NCMEC then received another eight reports in January 2023 for the same account. All of the NCMEC reports included the IP address of the offending accounts. Investigation identified the subscriber as Tucker Harders at an address in Kearney, Nebraska.
In May,2023, the Kearney Police Department served a search warrant on Harders’s physical address. Multiple electronic devices were seized and searched. A search of one of the computers located over 10,000 images of child exploitive and age difficult images, of these, over 1,000 were confirmed child pornography and over 400 were identified via hash values as known to NCMEC. These specific images were located in the downloads folder and indicated a last accessed date of May 5, 2023. The images depicted children as young as three-years-old. A review of additional files located a multitude of chats where Harders would ask for, share, or offer to trade child porn with others.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Kearney Police Department.
Kanawha County Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Federal Drug Crime and Violating Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Carlito Harris Carter, 45, of St. Albans, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and violating supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 22, 2024, Carter sold a quantity of fentanyl to a confidential informant for $50. The transaction took place at Carter’s St. Albans residence.
On January 26, 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Carter’s residence and found approximately 300 grams of methamphetamine, 200 grams of fentanyl, 300 grams of marijuana, various firearm components, ammunition, and $1,695. Carter admitted to possessing and intending to distribute the methamphetamine and fentanyl.
At the time of this offense, Carter was on supervised release following his conviction for distribution of 28 grams or more of cocaine base in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on September 2, 2011. Today’s sentence includes one year in prison for committing a crime while on supervised release.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the St. Albans Police Department.
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney JC MacCallum prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-46.
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KC Man Sentenced in Scheme to Steal Firearms from VehiclesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today as the final defendant in a conspiracy to steal more than 100 firearms from numerous vehicles in the Westport entertainment district and elsewhere in the metropolitan area, which were later sold on social media accounts.
Treyon Bloodsoe, 22, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to seven years three months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Bloodsoe to pay $1,500 in restitution, for which all of the defendants in this case are jointly and severally liable.
On Oct. 26, 2023, Bloodsoe pleaded guilty to his role in the conspiracy to receive, possess, and dispose of stolen firearms and to possessing stolen firearms.
Bloodsoe admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to break into vehicles and steal firearms and other items. Conspirators used social media to advertise the stolen firearms for sale, which included sales to individuals who were prohibited by law from possessing firearms (including Bloodsoe’s sale of a Glock handgun to a juvenile). According to court documents, Bloodsoe and his co-conspirators stole more than 100 firearms obtained from vehicle break-ins from June 18 to Nov. 19, 2021.
Bloodsoe also admitted that he was in possession of a Glock 10mm handgun and a KelTec 5.56x45mm rifle, both of which had been reported as stolen, when law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at his residence on Nov. 4, 2021.
Bloodsoe is the fifth and final defendant, all of whom are residents of Kansas City, Mo., to be sentenced in this case. Rayquan Duane Pettaway, 25, was sentenced to 11 years and eight months in federal prison without parole. Roy Rushing, 27, was sentenced to nine years and two months in federal prison without parole. Drevion Hooker, 22, was sentenced to seven years and one month in federal prison without parole. Bobby Lamb, 22, was sentenced to 11 years in federal prison without parole.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stefan C. Hughes. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Justice Department Sues Missouri Landlords Based on Discriminatory Criminal History PolicyRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has filed a lawsuit alleging that the owners and managers of Suburban Heights Apartments, a residential rental property in Kinloch, Missouri, near St. Louis, engaged in a pattern or practice of race and/or color discrimination against prospective Black tenants by banning tenants with any past felony conviction and certain other criminal histories, in violation of the Fair Housing Act. The defendants, Suburban Heights LLC, Crestline Property LLC, Triline Properties LLC and Jingle Properties LLC, each owned and/or managed the property at various relevant times since at least 2015.
“Rental property owners and managers that ban tenants with a criminal history risk running afoul of the Fair Housing Act,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Policies that perpetuate racial discrimination in the housing market can prove devastating for communities of color. This lawsuit should send a clear message to housing providers that certain criminal history bans on people seeking to put a roof over their heads are not just unfair but unlawful. The Justice Department is committed to enforcing the protections of the Fair Housing Act to prevent housing discrimination on the basis of race and color in all its forms.”
The complaint was filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Missouri and alleges that, during their respective periods of ownership or management of the property from at least November 2015 to January 2024, the defendants publicized and enforced a categorical ban on tenants with felony convictions and certain other criminal histories, regardless of how long ago the conviction occurred. This policy excluded prospective tenants based on their criminal histories, which are known to have significant racial disparities, and which are not accurate proxies for actual underlying criminal activity nor reliable predictors of future criminal activity. By choosing to use that policy, the defendants likely deterred prospective Black tenants from applying to rent and excluded them from housing opportunities at Suburban Heights Apartments.
The allegations were based, in part, on evidence generated by the department’s Fair Housing Testing Program, in which individuals pose as prospective renters to gather information about possible discriminatory practices.
The lawsuit seeks monetary damages to remedy the harms caused by the defendants’ policy, a civil penalty to vindicate the public interest and a court order barring future discrimination.
The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability and familial status. Individuals who believe that they may have been victims of housing discrimination at Suburban Heights Apartments or other dwellings owned or managed by the defendants, or who have other information that may be relevant to this case, may contact the Civil Rights Division’s Housing Discrimination Hotline at 1-833-591-0291. Press 1 for English, press 1 for discrimination in housing and then press 8 for Suburban Heights Apartments to leave a message. Individuals may also send an email to [email protected] or submit a report online.
Justice Department Disrupts Russian Intelligence Spear-Phishing EffortsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department announced today the unsealing of a warrant authorizing the seizure of 41 internet domains used by Russian intelligence agents and their proxies to commit computer fraud and abuse in the United States. As an example of the Department’s commitment to public-private operational collaboration to disrupt such adversaries’ malicious cyber activities, as set forth in the National Cybersecurity Strategy, the Department acted concurrently with a Microsoft civil action to restrain 66 internet domains used by the same actors.
“Today’s seizure of 41 internet domains reflects the Justice Department’s cyber strategy in action – using all tools to disrupt and deter malicious, state-sponsored cyber actors,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “The Russian government ran this scheme to steal Americans’ sensitive information, using seemingly legitimate email accounts to trick victims into revealing account credentials. With the continued support of our private sector partners, we will be relentless in exposing Russian actors and cybercriminals and depriving them of the tools of their illicit trade.”
“This seizure is part of a coordinated response with our private sector partners to dismantle the infrastructure that cyber espionage actors use to attack U.S. and international targets,” said U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey for the Northern District of California. “We thank all of our private-sector partners for their diligence in analyzing, publicizing, and combating the threat posed by these illicit state-coordinated actions in the Northern District of California, across the United States, and around the world.”
“This disruption exemplifies our ongoing efforts to expel Russian intelligence agents from the online infrastructure they have used to target individuals, businesses, and governments around the world,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Working closely with private-sector partners such as Microsoft, the National Security Division uses the full reach of our authorities to confront the cyber-enabled threats of tomorrow from Russia and other adversaries.”
“Working in close collaboration with public and private sector partners—in this case through the execution of domain seizures — we remain in prime position to counter and defeat a broad range of cyber threats posed by adversaries,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “Our efforts to prevent the theft of information by state-sponsored criminal actors are relentless, and we will continue our work in this arena with partners who share our common goals.”
“This case underscores the importance of the FBI’s enduring partnerships with private sector companies, which allow for rapid information sharing and coordinated action. With these seizures, we’ve disrupted a sophisticated cyber threat aimed at compromising sensitive government intelligence and stealing valuable information,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Tripp. “Today’s success highlights the power of collaboration in safeguarding the United States against state-sponsored cybercrime.”
According to the partially unsealed affidavit filed in support of the government’s seizure warrant, the seized domains were used by hackers belonging to, or criminal proxies working for, the “Callisto Group,” an operational unit within Center 18 of the Russian Federal Security Service (the FSB), to commit violations of unauthorized access to a computer to obtain information from a department or agency of the United States, unauthorized access to a computer to obtain information from a protected computer, and causing damage to a protected computer. Callisto Group hackers used the seized domains in an ongoing and sophisticated spear-phishing campaign with the goal of gaining unauthorized access to, and steal valuable information from, the computers and email accounts of U.S. government and other victims.
In conjunction, Microsoft announced the filing of a civil action to seize 66 internet domains also used by Callisto Group actors. Microsoft Threat Intelligence tracks this group as “Star Blizzard” (formerly SEABORGIUM, also known as COLDRIVER). Between January 2023 and August 2024, Microsoft observed Star Blizzard target over 30 civil society entities and organizations – journalists, think tanks, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) – by deploying spear-phishing campaigns to exfiltrate sensitive information and interfere in their activities.
The government’s affidavit alleges the Callisto Group actors targeted, among others, United States-based companies, former employees of the United States Intelligence Community, former and current Department of Defense and Department of State employees, United States military defense contractors, and staff at the Department of Energy. In December 2023, the Department announced charges against two Callisto-affiliated actors, Ruslan Aleksandrovich Peretyatko (Перетятько Руслан Александрович), an officer in FSB Center 18, and Andrey Stanislavovich Korinets (Коринец Андрей Станиславович). The indictment charged the defendants with a campaign to hack into computer networks in the United States, the United Kingdom, other North Atlantic Treaty Organization member countries, and Ukraine, all on behalf of the Russian government.
The FBI San Francisco Field Office is investigating the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California and the Justice Department’s National Security Cyber Section of the National Security Division are prosecuting the case.
The case is docketed at Application by the United States for a Seizure Warrant for 41 Domain Names For Investigation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) and Other Offenses, No. 4-24-71375 (N.D. Cal. Sept. 16, 2024).
An affidavit in support of a seizure warrant and an indictment are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Justice Department Disrupts Russian Intelligence Spear-Phishing EffortsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today the unsealing of a warrant authorizing the seizure of 41 internet domains used by Russian intelligence agents and their proxies to commit computer fraud and abuse in the United States. As an example of the Department’s commitment to public-private operational collaboration to disrupt such adversaries’ malicious cyber activities, as set forth in the National Cybersecurity Strategy, the Department acted concurrently with a Microsoft civil action to restrain 66 internet domains used by the same actors.
“Today’s seizure of 41 internet domains reflects the Justice Department’s cyber strategy in action – using all tools to disrupt and deter malicious, state-sponsored cyber actors,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “The Russian government ran this scheme to steal Americans’ sensitive information, using seemingly legitimate email accounts to trick victims into revealing account credentials. With the continued support of our private sector partners, we will be relentless in exposing Russian actors and cybercriminals and depriving them of the tools of their illicit trade.”
“This disruption exemplifies our ongoing efforts to expel Russian intelligence agents from the online infrastructure they have used to target individuals, businesses, and governments around the world,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Working closely with private-sector partners such as Microsoft, the National Security Division uses the full reach of our authorities to confront the cyber-enabled threats of tomorrow from Russia and other adversaries.”
"Working in close collaboration with public and private sector partners—in this case through the execution of domain seizures — we remain in prime position to counter and defeat a broad range of cyber threats posed by adversaries,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “Our efforts to prevent the theft of information by state-sponsored criminal actors are relentless, and we will continue our work in this arena with partners who share our common goals.”
“This seizure is part of a coordinated response with our private sector partners to dismantle the infrastructure that cyber espionage actors use to attack U.S. and international targets,” said U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey for the Northern District of California. “We thank all of our private-sector partners for their diligence in analyzing, publicizing, and combating the threat posed by these illicit state-coordinated actions in the Northern District of California, across the United States, and around the world.”
The domain names are identified below:
accutanebb[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 1albuteroltab[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 2allowdoorinto[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 3baijiapaintbrush[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 4baricitinc[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 5cbdhempoilww[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 6cbdonlineww[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 7cenforcep[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 8cialismgz[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 9delitky[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 10divisionintro[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 11dompurifycheerio[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 12fastloginway[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 13fasttruncatedoor[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 14finduscore[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 15gateallowsearch[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 16ghxsjyk[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 17gnfamotidine[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 18gnibuprofen[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 19govdoorsec[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 20hempcbdww[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 21inthetrustview[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 22ithostprotocol[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 23ivermectint[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 24londonshowcorp[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 25maxlliance[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 26myavtsim[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 27newtransfersearch[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 28outviewmachine[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 29setitcloud[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 30smartloginbreak[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 31smartscontract[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 32tipstoway[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 33toolpointtrim[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 34trustvaluespath[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 35verificationtrim[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 36viewwaypath[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 37waylogintexas[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 38webgovview[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 39wingscamein[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 40incomcorporate[.]comSUBJECT DOMAIN NAME 41According to the partially unsealed affidavit filed in support of the government’s seizure warrant, the seized domains were used by hackers belonging to, or criminal proxies working for, the “Callisto Group,” an operational unit within Center 18 of the Russian Federal Security Service (the FSB), to commit violations of unauthorized access to a computer to obtain information from a department or agency of the United States, unauthorized access to a computer to obtain information from a protected computer, and causing damage to a protected computer. Callisto Group hackers used the seized domains in an ongoing and sophisticated spear-phishing campaign with the goal of gaining unauthorized access to, and steal valuable information from, the computers and email accounts of U.S. government and other victims.
In conjunction, Microsoft announced the filing of a civil action to seize 66 internet domains also used by Callisto Group actors. Microsoft Threat Intelligence tracks this group as “Star Blizzard” (formerly SEABORGIUM, also known as COLDRIVER). Between January 2023 and August 2024, Microsoft observed Star Blizzard target over 30 civil society entities and organizations – journalists, think tanks, and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) – by deploying spear-phishing campaigns to exfiltrate sensitive information and interfere in their activities.
The government’s affidavit alleges the Callisto Group actors targeted, among others, U.S.-based companies, former employees of the U.S. Intelligence Community, former and current Department of Defense and Department of State employees, U.S. military defense contractors, and staff at the Department of Energy. In December 2023, the Department announced charges against two Callisto-affiliated actors, Ruslan Aleksandrovich Peretyatko (Перетятько Руслан Александрович), an officer in FSB Center 18, and Andrey Stanislavovich Korinets (Коринец Андрей Станиславович). The indictment charged the defendants with a campaign to hack into computer networks in the United States, the United Kingdom, other North Atlantic Treaty Organization member countries, and Ukraine, all on behalf of the Russian government.
The FBI San Francisco Field Office is investigating the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California and the Justice Department’s National Security Cyber Section of the National Security Division are prosecuting the case.
The case is docketed at Application by the United States for a Seizure Warrant for 41 Domain Names For Investigation of 18 U.S.C. § 1956(a)(2)(A) and Other Offenses, No. 4-24-71375 (N.D. Cal. Sept. 16, 2024).
An affidavit in support of a seizure warrant and an indictment are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Jury convicts Maryland woman of taking her child to Côte d'Ivoire and leaving the child in violation of a court’s custody ordersRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal jury convicted a national of Côte d'Ivoire on Oct. 1 of taking her child out of the United States and leaving the child there to obstruct a court’s orders granting custody rights to her estranged husband.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, in August 2023, Adjoh Dorcas Manou Epse Assoko, 46, and John Franklin Assoko, who were then legally married and living in Potomac, Maryland, gave birth to a child in Washington. Adjoh filed for divorce from John in December 2023.
On December 19, 2024, Adjoh obtained a protective order against John from the Montgomery County District Court on unsubstantiated grounds of domestic violence. The protective order, which has since been rescinded, awarded primary custody of the child to Adjoh and weekend visitation to John.
On April 30, 2024, Adjoh and the child flew from Dulles International Airport (Dulles) in Virginia to France and then to Côte d'Ivoire. Adjoh did not inform John that she was leaving the country with their child and did not contact him after they departed. On May 3, 2024, at the time John’s next scheduled visitation window was to take place, Adjoh and the child had not returned to the United States, violating the custody arrangement outlined in the protective order.
On May 7, 2024, John filed an emergency motion for temporary sole custody of the child. On May 9, 2024, the Montgomery County Circuit Court held a hearing on that motion, which Adjoh attended via Zoom from Côte d'Ivoire. After Adjoh refused the court’s opportunity to bring the child back so that John could effectuate his visitation rights, the court entered an order granting John temporary primary physical custody of the child.
On June 19, 2024, Adjoh flew from Côte d'Ivoire to France and then to Dulles but left the child in Cote D'Ivoire in the care of family members. The FBI learned that Adjoh had booked a flight out of Dulles for June 26, 2024. Agents arrested Adjoh at Dulles before she could board the flight. Adjoh refused to tell the agents the child’s location within Côte d'Ivoire or the names of the relatives in whose care the child had been left.
Adjoh faces a maximum penalty of three years in prison when sentenced on Jan. 9, 2025. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and David E. Geist, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff accepted the verdict.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith J. Edwards and Cristina C. Stam 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. 1:24-cr-172.
Jamestown man arrested on meth chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Raymond Medina, 19, of Jamestown, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a 1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Donna M. Duncan, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on the evening of February 28, 2024, Jamestown Police officers were dispatched to an 8th Street residence for a domestic incident involving Medina. The resident living at the residence has a valid order of protection against Medina from Jamestown City Court. Medina is known to the Jamestown Police Department from several past incidents, which led to the imposition of officer safety alerts. An officer made contact with Medina, who immediately became argumentative and began to back away. The officer attempted to detain him, but Medina pulled away and the officer grabbed his hooded sweater and advised him to stop pulling away. Medina refused, yelling “I don’t got nothing bro.” Medina then pulled away and fled on foot. As a result, the officer deployed his taser with negative results. Officers tracked Medina a short time later and took him into custody. Along the route that Media fled, officers recovered a quantity of suspected methamphetamine, packaged for individual sale.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Jamestown Police Chief Timothy Jackson, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Inmate guilty of assaulting two correctional officersRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 31-year-old felon from Donna has been convicted of assaulting two correctional officers while housed at Coastal Bend Detention Center in Robstown, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales has found Aaron Gutierrez guilty of two counts of assaulting or impeding a federal officer following a one-day bench trial that occurred Sept. 16.
On Aug. 25, 2023, Gutierrez and six other inmates escaped from a recreation area through an unlocked gate. They ran down a walkway to intercept another inmate belonging to a rival gang. Two correctional officers were escorting that inmate - who was in full restraints.
The seven escaped inmates attacked the defenseless other inmate as well as the correctional officers who were attempting to protect him. As a result, both officers suffered injuries and were transported to the hospital for treatment. One required surgery. Authorities also transported the victim inmate to the hospital for treatment.
Within a minute of the attack, multiple correctional officers converged on the attackers and restrained them.
Gutierrez attempted to convince the court that while he intended to join the fight, he never got the chance because he was the last one to leave the recreation yard. However, testimony revealed that every inmate participated in the attack. Judge Morales did not believe defense claims and found him guilty as charged.
Correctional officers at Coastal Bend Detention Center work on behalf of the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) and are protected as federal officers when in the performance of their official duties.
Judge Morales will impose sentencing in January 2025. At that time, Gutierrez faces up to eight years in federal prison. He will remain in custody pending that hearing.
The other six inmates involved in the attack had previously pleaded guilty. Raul Valdez, 49, San Antonio, received 24 months, while Corpus Christi residents Benito Aguirre, 43, John Steve Espinoza, 31, Joe Isaac Espinoza, 27, and Adalberto Pena, 32, each received 18 months. Emilio Salinas, 34, Edinburg, is set for sentencing Oct. 17.
They all also remain in custody.
The FBI conducted the investigation with assistance from the USMS. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joel Dunn prosecuted the case.
Indianapolis Gun Trafficker Sentenced to Two Years in Federal Prison for “Straw Purchases” of Thirty-Six GunsRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS—Kayvonn Bailey, 26, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to making a false statement to a licensed firearms importer.
According to court documents, on September 2, 2022, Bailey bought a Smith and Wesson .40 caliber pistol from a federally licensed firearms dealer in Beech Grove Indiana. The purchase was captured on store surveillance video, which showed Bailey going to the store with another person. As part of the purchase, Bailey falsely stated on required federal firearms transaction forms that he was the actual buyer of the firearm. In fact, Bailey illegally purchased the gun on behalf this other individual—a gun trafficking scheme known as “straw purchasing”—and Bailey handed the other person the gun after they left the store.
Straw purchasing occurs when a person who is allowed to legally purchase a gun from a federally licensed dealer falsely states that they are purchasing a firearm for themselves, when they know that the gun is actually intended for someone else—frequently someone who is legally prohibited from making the purchase themselves.
On October 20, 2022, the same Smith and Wesson was recovered in Pennsylvania during a traffic stop. During the stop, the driver stated that he was not a United States citizen. Many non-citizens are prohibited from purchasing or possessing firearms, depending on their specific immigration status. The Pennsylvania driver told investigators Bailey was able to get him firearms, and that went with Bailey to the gun store in Beech Grove to purchase the firearm.
Bailey later confirmed to investigators that he purchased the firearm for the person who accompanied him to the store, and that he had illegally straw-purchased and sold thirty-six firearms. In May of 2023, after the illegal firearm purchases, Bailey was convicted in state court of domestic battery and intimidation using a firearm.
“Unscrupulous individuals who illegally put guns in the hands of folks who have no lawful business being armed help fuel gun violence in Indiana and across the country,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Not only did this criminal illegally traffic three dozen guns into the hands of prohibited people, but he also later engaged in armed domestic violence, demonstrating the danger he poses to his partner and our community. Together, with our partners at ATF, our office will continue to make our neighborhoods safer by targeting the sources of crime guns and holding illegal gun traffickers accountable.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James P. Hanlon.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy C. Fugate, who prosecuted this 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.
This case was brought as part of the LEATH Initiative (Law Enforcement Action to Halt Domestic Violence), named in honor of Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) Officer Breann Leath, who was killed in the line of duty while responding to a domestic disturbance call. A partnership among the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the IMPD, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana, the LEATH Initiative focuses federal, state, and local law enforcement resources on domestic violence offenders who illegally possess firearms.
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Holmes County man sentenced to prison for illegal possession of a firearmRead the Press Release
Greenville, MS – A Holmes County man was sentenced Wednesday afternoon to more than five years in prison following his conviction for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
According to court documents, Tamarius Webster, 37, of Cruger, Mississippi, pled guilty in April to a charge of possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon. Webster was arrested in September of 2022 while Deputies with the United States Marshals Service were serving an arrest warrant for kidnapping. Webster was found in possession of a firearm in Oxford, Mississippi. Following a hearing on Wednesday, Chief U.S. District Court Judge Debra M. Brown sentenced Webster to 70 months in prison for his illegal possession of that firearm. Upon release from prison, Webster will serve a three-year term of supervised release. Webster was remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals following sentencing.
Following the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner and federal law enforcement officials noted that this investigation and the sentence imposed was significant in ongoing efforts to fight violent crime. “When felons illegally possess and use guns to commit crimes or disrupt the community, we will respond,” remarked Joyner. “This office will continue to work alongside our local, state and federal law enforcement partners to hold accountable individuals who choose to illegally possess and use firearms in our District.”
“In our effort to disrupt violent gun crime in our community, ATF will continue to focus efforts on prohibited individuals who unlawfully possess firearms,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “The sentence imposed today sends a message to convicted felons who are prohibited from possessing firearms that we will continue to work to keep our neighborhoods safe as the top priority for ATF.”
This matter was investigated by the United States Marshal’s Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Carroll County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by AUSA Clyde McGee IV.
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.
HPL gang members sent to prison for attempting to sell machine guns to cartelRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – Two members of the Hermanos de Pistoleros Latinos (HPL) gang have been sentenced for unlawful possession of a machine gun, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Laredo residents and brothers Alberto Del Bosque, 24, and Anthony Del Bosque, 22, pleaded guilty Jan. 4, 2023, and Dec. 9, 2022, respectively. Alberto Del Bosque was also convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
U.S. District Judge Diana Saldaña has now imposed a total 120-month term of imprisonment for Alberto Del Bosque, while his brother received 63 months. Both must also serve three years of supervised release following their sentences. At the hearing, the court heard additional information about both men’s criminal histories as well as a recent shooting in another state where a machine gun similar to the ones the Del Bosque brothers were selling caused the death of four individuals and injured 22 others. In handing down the prison terms, Judge Saldaña noted the machine guns the brothers sold were very dangerous to the public.
“A small piece of plastic produced quickly and at a low cost on a 3-D printer can convert a legal firearm into a machine gun that sprays bullets indiscriminately,” said Hamdani. “The Del Bosque brothers manufactured these pieces of plastic, known as machine gun conversion devices (MCDs) and sold them to a purported cartel associate, which shows a total disregard for human life. This prosecution demonstrates my office’s commitment to disrupting MCD manufacturers and protecting the public by taking gang members, like the Del Bosque brothers, off the streets and into prison cells.” said Hamdani.
On July 5, 2022, law enforcement discovered Alberto Del Bosque was selling firearms and arranged to purchase one. He sold a Draco Nova Modul NAK9, 9mm AK pistol with 12 rounds of ammunition. As a convicted felon, Alberto Del Bosque is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition per federal law.
During August and September 2022, the Del Bosque brothers were also selling 3D-printed drop in auto sears and privately made AR-15s with drop in auto sears. The purchaser of the drop in auto sears and privately made AR-15s claimed to be a procurer of firearms for the Cartel Del Noreste.
A drop in auto sear aka MCD turns a semi-automatic firearm into a machine gun.
On Oct. 6, 2022, authorities executed a search warrant on Anthony Del Bosque’s residence and located a 3D printer with an MCD in the printer, a paper diagram of an AR-15 drop in auto sear, numerous MCDs, multiple calibers of ammunition, AR-15 and 9mm magazines, $18,071 in U.S. currency and a device for making AR-15 lowers.
The HPL translates to Brotherhood of Latin Gunmen. HPL members maintain ties to the cartels and have involvement in the trafficking of controlled substances into the United States.
The Del Bosque brothers have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Border Patrol and Laredo Police Department conducted the investigation. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Former (AUSA) Angel Moreno and AUSA Steven Chamberlin prosecuted the case.
Government Contractor Pays $450,000 to Resolve Breach of Contract AllegationsRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Science Applications International Corporation (“SAIC”) entered into a settlement agreement to resolve breach of contract claims related to work to be performed in Bahrain in 2019. The settlement was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
“American taxpayers work hard each day to provide for their families and through their efforts fund both the security and essential functions of our government,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “Accordingly, our fellow citizens should receive the full measure of those services. This resolution demonstrates our continuing commitment to ensure that government contractors fulfill all contract obligations and are held accountable for the failure to do so.”
The United States contended that SAIC was responsible for breach of a government contract awarded in January 2019 to Engility Holdings, Inc. (“Engility”), a publicly traded company that provided mission support services to federal agencies. In 2019, SAIC acquired Engility. The United States contended that Engility breached the Contract when three employees of its subcontractor, Trace Systems, Inc. (“Trace”), failed to regularly report to work while abroad in Bahrain from September 2019 to November 2019. The United States contended Engility thereafter billed the Government (and the Government paid) for the Trace employees’ work.
“When companies do not provide the items or services they were contracted for, it can pose an unacceptable threat to warfighter readiness and to our national security,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross, NCIS Economic Crimes Field Office. “NCIS and our partners remain diligent in our efforts to ensure allegations of procurement fraud that could lead to mission failure are thoroughly investigated.”
SAIC agreed to pay $450,000 to resolve the United States’ claims.
This civil settlement agreement is not an admission of any liability by SAIC, nor a concession by the United States that its claims were not well-founded.
Assistant United States Attorney Mary Ann Couch represented the United States in this matter, with assistance from the Naval Criminal Investigative Service Economic Crimes Field Office and Defense Criminal Investigative Service.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Georgia Man Convicted of Illegally Possessing a Destructive DeviceRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – On October 2, 2024, a federal jury convicted 43-year-old Waylon Blake Gilreath, Sr., a resident of Williamson, Georgia, for possession of an unregistered destructive device, announced Acting United States Attorney Kevin Davidson.
According to court records and evidence presented during Gilreath’s trial, on March 20, 2024, Montgomery County law enforcement responded to a Hope Hull, Alabama residence following reports of a domestic disturbance. Deputies arrived and found Gilreath sitting on the front porch of the residence. Responding officers were advised of a protection from abuse order prohibiting Gilreath from being on the property. Deputies eventually arrested Gilreath on charges related to the domestic disturbance.
During a search of Gilreath’s vehicle, which was parked on the property, deputies found nine firearms — including handguns and AR-style firearms — numerous rounds of ammunition, several ammunition magazines, and two sets of body armor. Several of the magazines were high-capacity drum style magazines. In addition, deputies located four prescription medication bottles that contained what appeared to be an explosive mixture of some type. Lab analysis later confirmed that the bottles contained two common substances used in exploding targets. Three of the devices were also found to contain shrapnel, which would enhance the destructive power of the devices.
Following this conviction, Gilreath faces a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison with no parole. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled in the coming months.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office, and Montgomery Police Department investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorneys Brandon W. Bates and Christopher P. Moore prosecuted.
Fourteen indicted in multi-state drug trafficking conspiracy linked to deadly fentanyl distributed to members of the Lummi NationRead the Press Release
Seattle – Law enforcement fanned out across the country and in western Washington yesterday arresting 17 people on indictments and criminal complaints for a multi- state drug trafficking conspiracy. The two-year investigation alleges that the trafficking ring has been linked to a fatal fentanyl overdose on the Lummi Nation reservation in Whatcom County. Law enforcement in Georgia, Missouri, Texas, and Arizona executed search warrants and some arrests. Ten of 13 defendants arrested in Washington remain detained at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac, pending hearings later this week and next week. Three defendants were released on bond.
“This investigation revealed that the trafficking organization was a supplier to a community that was rocked by four fentanyl overdose deaths in just four days,” said U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “Fentanyl continues to claim lives in our community – especially in our Tribal communities. We will do all we can to stop the flow of this deadly drug.”
"The significance of this case is that a family drug trafficking organization expanded from Seattle beyond Washington state to locations across the country,” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “This group distributed more than 800,000 fentanyl pills throughout the United States, including in Arizona, Texas, Missouri, Montana, and Georgia. Together with our partners, this demonstrates the national impact of today’s operations by disrupting this source of supply.”
The drug ring was led by Marquis Jackson, 31, who splits time between Atlanta and the Renton, Washington home of his parents, defendants Mandel Jackson, 50, and Matelita (Marty) Jackson, 49. Also linked to the Renton family home were defendants Markell Jackson, 21, and Miracle Patu-Jackson, 22. Members of the Jackson family are indicted for various conspiracy counts including drug trafficking and money laundering conspiracies. Records filed in the case link some of the Jacksons to a Seattle area street gang.
Markell Jackson is a fugitive still being sought by law enforcement. Matelita (Marty) Jackson, Miracle Patu-Jackson and Adean Batinga were released on bond.
The other defendants indicted for drug trafficking include:
Edgar Valdez, 26, of Phoenix
Keondre Jackson, 29, Wichita, Kansas
Michael Young Jr., 43, Tacoma, Washington
Sir-Terrique Devon Milam, 20, Federal Way, Washington
Tyrell Lewis, 32, Federal Way, Washington – a fugitive
Robert Johnson, 20, Renton, Washington
Diyana Abraha, 22, Seattle – a fugitive
Adean Batinga, 20, Burien, Washington
Tianna Karastan, 21, Seattle -a fugitive
Diallo Redd, 34, Tacoma, arrested in Montana on a Montana indictment.
Two additional defendants were arrested in the Seattle area in connection with the serving of yesterday’s search warrants:
Chad Conti, 47, Covington, Washington
Phillip Lamont Alexander, 48, Des Moines, Washington
Over the course of the investigation law enforcement seized more than 846,000 fentanyl pills, nearly 7 kilograms of fentanyl powder, 7 kilograms of cocaine and 29 firearms. They also seized more than $116,000 in cash.
In Whatcom County, teams led by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) arrested four people on criminal complaints for fentanyl distribution. According to the complaints, the Whatcom drug traffickers were linked by phone communication and surveillance to the Jackson drug trafficking organization.
In September 2023, four tribal citizens died of fentanyl overdose within a period of just four days, prompting the Lummi Indian Business Council to declare a state of emergency in response to the escalating fentanyl crisis.
Tribal and federal partners examined the phone of one of the overdose victims and found connections to the Jackson Drug Trafficking Organization. DEA, the Whatcom Gang and Drug Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Bureau of Indian Affairs have continued to work closely with the Lummi Nation Police to identify additional members of this drug trafficking organization with the goal of stopping the flow of fentanyl into Indian Country and elsewhere.
Those arrested on complaints this week include:
Robert Bellair, 41, Ferndale, Washington
Thomas J. Morris, 42, Bellingham, Washington
Patrick James, 40, Bellingham, Washington
Ronald Finkbonner, 50, Bellingham, Washington
All four are charged with possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute.
“The Drug Enforcement Administration’s top priority is to combat fentanyl traffickers responsible for deaths and misery in our communities,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “This case highlights the lengths to which DEA and our partners will go to ensure people trafficking fentanyl are held accountable for the suffering they cause.”
“The Seattle Police Department appreciates the collaboration with our federal partners in combatting the scourge of the fentanyl crisis and the proliferation of guns from drug trafficking organizations,” said Deputy Chief Eric Barden of the Seattle Police Department. “Fentanyl caused over 1,000 overdose deaths in King County last year. Seattle Police are delighted to partner with the FBI, DEA, USAO and other state and local jurisdictions to dismantle a drug distribution network undoubtedly responsible for deaths in our community.”
The charges contained in the indictment and criminal complaints are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case is being investigated by the FBI, (Seattle, Phoenix, Atlanta, Kansas City, Dallas, Las Vegas, Montana), DEA (Seattle, Kansas City, Wichita, Montana), the Seattle Police Department, King County Sheriff’s Office, Whatcom Gang and Drug Task Force, the Lummi Police Department, the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and United States Border Patrol Blaine Sector Targeting and Intelligence Division.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zach Dillon, Crystal Correa, and Michael Harder.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 180 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE –Marcus B. Roberson, 45 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Roberson was sentenced to 180 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, during 2021 and 2022, Roberson sold and supplied methamphetamine. In March 2022, a search warrant was served at Roberson’s residence where 330 grams of methamphetamine, $4,500, and a pistol were found. Roberson was previously convicted of a serious violent felony, that being robbery in 1998 in Whitley County, Indiana.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Allen County Sheriff’s Department, the Fort Wayne Police Department, the Indiana State Police, and the Auburn Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stacey R. Speith.
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.
Former Postal Carrier Indicted for Throwing Baskets of Mail into a Trash Dumpster in Antioch, TennesseeRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – DuJuan Butler, 33, of Antioch, Tennessee, was charged by a federal grand jury yesterday with unlawfully detaining and delaying the mail, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis for the Middle District of Tennessee.
According to publicly available information, on August 3, 2024, Butler was driving a U.S. Postal Service truck while delivering the mail in Antioch. A woman happened to look out her window and saw Butler take baskets of mail from the Postal truck and throw them into dumpsters behind a strip mall. The woman filmed Butler and then uploaded her video to TikTok where it was viewed millions of times. Other Postal Service employees were later able to recover the discarded mail from the dumpsters.
If convicted, Butler faces up to five years in federal prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
This case is being investigated by the United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Goldin is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until convicted.
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Former Gardiner postmaster admits stealing office bank depositsRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — The former postmaster of the Gardiner post office admitted today to allegations that she stole office bank deposits, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Tanya Lee Holbrook, 42, of Emigrant, pleaded guilty to misappropriation of postal funds and theft of government property as charged in an indictment. Holbrook faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on each charge.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Holbrook was released pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that Holbrook began working as a postmaster of the Gardiner post office in September 2022. In February 2023, the manager of postal operations in Montana contacted the U.S. Postal Services Office of Inspector General regarding concerns that Holbrook was stealing office bank deposits.
An investigation determined that Holbrook routinely issued money orders to herself and others but did not submit the funds for them to USPS. Between November 2022 and September 2023, Holbrook delayed approximately 48 bank deposits, totaling $46,755, from the Gardiner post office. While Holbrook usually sent the cash later when she was paid, she never provided funds for eight deposits, which totaled $24,443, from January 2023 to September 2023. When interviewed, Holbrook confessed to the thefts. Holbrook stated that she issued herself or family members money orders without remitting payment and then delayed sending the funds. Holbrook eventually fell so far behind that she was unable to pay for several deposits.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The USPS Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation.
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Former Cape Girardeau City Councilman IndictedRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – A former Cape Girardeau city councilman has been indicted on drug and gun charges.
Rhettney B. Pierce, 54, was indicted Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau on one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm. The indictment accuses Pierce of possessing more than 50 grams of meth between September 26 and 27, and possessing two 9mm handguns while a user of illegal drugs.
Pierce was arrested on the federal charges Thursday and pleaded not guilty.
A motion seeking to have him held in jail until trial says that a confidential source working with investigators said Pierce had purchased about four ounces of meth in the previous month and was scheduled to buy more. The confidential source contacted Pierce and the two arranged for the purchase of four more ounces at a Cape Girardeau hotel on September 26, the motion says. Pierce paid $300 and was arrested immediately after leaving the hotel room, the motion says.
Investigators found more meth and the two handguns in a court-approved search of Pierce’s home, the motion says.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.This case was investigated by the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force, the Cape Girardeau Sheriff’s Office and the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Shelton is prosecuting the case.
Federal Jury Finds Utah Man Guilty of Stalking the Salt Lake County Sheriff and Other Government OfficesRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah –A federal jury in Salt Lake City returned a guilty verdict against a Salt Lake County resident after he made repeated death threats to the Salt Lake County Sheriff, and other government offices in the spring of 2024.
Ryan Gregory Bracken, 44, of West Valley City, Utah, was convicted of four counts of stalking and one count of interstate communication of threats. Bracken was originally charged by way of complaint on April 4, 2024, and arrested on April 5, 2024. On April 17, 2024, a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Bracken. On August 21, 2024, a grand jury returned a superseding indictment against Bracken.
According to evidence presented at trial, Bracken repeatedly called the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office prior to April and left threatening voicemails. The Information Technology Specialist with Salt Lake County government revealed that between March 20, 2024 and April 2, 2024, Bracken called multiple Salt Lake County government offices, including the Sheriff’s Office, the County Recorder’s Office and the Assessor’s Office 37 times. Twenty-nine of those calls occurred on April 1, and April 2, 2024, and were verbally abusive and threatening.
For example, On April 2, 2024, Bracken called the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office to speak with the elected Sheriff regarding a “fraudulent Sheriff’s sale” on his property and called it a “criminal act.” Bracken threatened to “open fire” on the first person who shows up to his property to evict him. Bracken made specific reference to having a 7.62 millimeter firearm. In a separate call on the same day, Bracken made multiple threats that if the Sheriff’s sale of his property occurred, he would hold the Sheriff responsible for treasonous acts and she would swing from a rope.
Additionally, on April 1, 2024, the Salt Lake County Recorder’s Office received an aggressive, verbally abusive and threating voicemail from a phone number identified as Bracken’s. Bracken also repeatedly called the Salt Lake County Assessor’s office and made numerous threats using abusive, and vulgar language.
Bracken’s sentencing is scheduled for January 7, 2025, at 10:30 a.m. at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated jointly by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Salt Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
Federal Jury Convicts Former Law Enforcement Officer of Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Jesse Rance Moore, 47, of Bell, Florida, was found guilty by a federal jury for possession of short-barreled rifles not registered to him in the National Firearm Registration and Transfer Record. The guilty verdict was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
According to court documents, Moore was employed as a Florida Highway Patrol Trooper from January 13, 2003, to February 27, 2017. FBI Jacksonville was investigating Moore in relation to a string of pharmacy robberies that occurred in 2021. A search warrant was obtained and executed at Moore’s residence in Gilchrist County, Florida. While searching for evidence related to the robberies, law enforcement discovered numerous firearms, boxes of ammunition, and firearms accessories throughout the property. ATF identified three of Moore’s firearms as short-barreled rifles (barrels less than 16 inches) that Moore did not have registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
Sentencing in the case is set for January 7, 2025, at 1:00 p.m., at the United States Courthouse in Gainesville before United States District Judge Allen Winsor. Moore is already serving a 21-year prison sentence out of the Middle District of Florida for offenses related to the pharmacy robberies, and faces up to 10 additional years in prison, 3 years on supervised release, and a $10,000 fine.
This conviction was the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorneys James McCain and David Byron prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access available public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Federal Inmate Convicted of Drug Distribution Offenses Conducted from Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
PENSACOLA, FLORIDA – Antoine D. Wilson, 41, currently incarcerated in Yazoo City, Mississippi, was found guilty by a federal jury for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and conspiracy to use communication facility to facilitate a drug trafficking offense. The guilty verdict was announced by Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
Wilson is currently serving his second federal prison sentence for drug distribution conspiracy at the Federal Correctional Institute in Yazoo City, Mississippi. In 2023, law enforcement discovered Wilson was using a contraband cell phone to orchestrate a large-scale cocaine trafficking organization operating in the Northern District of Florida from his prison cell. Trial testimony demonstrated Wilson’s coordination of multiple cocaine shipments and the receipt of drug payments for in excess of 50 kilograms of cocaine into Pensacola, Florida.
Sentencing is set for January 2, 2025, at 9:00 a.m., at the United States Courthouse in Pensacola, Florida, before the Honorable United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell, II. Wilson faces a mandatory minimum 25 years up to life imprisonment based upon his two prior federal drug trafficking convictions out of Pensacola, Florida.
This conviction was the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Task Force (HIDTA). Assistant United States Attorneys David L. Goldberg and Jessica S. Etherton prosecuted the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
FBI Baltimore Makes 14 Arrests, Seizes Guns and Drugs in Multi-Jurisdictional TakedownRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Fourteen people were arrested yesterday in a large-scale drug and gun bust throughout Annapolis, Anne Arundel County and Baltimore City.
During the operation – which involved over 500 officers, agents and personnel from federal, state and local agencies – law enforcement seized distribution levels of narcotics including cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and oxycodone, one shotgun, three handguns, nearly $40,000 in cash and drug paraphernalia.
“This operation is yet another example of how the teamwork among our law enforcement partners is stronger than ever,” said Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, “If we work together, with our community-based partners, our neighborhoods will be safe and secure.”
"Thanks to diligent and comprehensive investigative work by the FBI’s Annapolis Safe Streets Task Force, a significant drug trafficking organization has been dismantled," said William J. DelBagno, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “In a coordinated effort across three jurisdictions, the FBI and our law enforcement partners worked seamlessly to thwart the capabilities of this criminal enterprise that profited from peddling poison within our communities. We are working hard to identify and stop the most violent offenders and facilitators."
14 people were arrested. 11 of the 14 are facing federal charges of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled dangerous substances. Additional charges could follow.
A complaint is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case 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.
U.S. Attorney Barron commended the FBI-Baltimore Field Office, the Office of the State's Attorney for Anne Arundel County with the assistance of FBI national and regional assets, the Annapolis Police Department, Anne Arundel County Police Department, Baltimore Police Department, Anne Arundel County Sheriff’s Office, Maryland State Police, Maryland Army National Guard, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the United States Marshals Service. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys LaRai Everett and Jonathan Tsuei, who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Ellsworth Repeat Offender Sentenced to 10+ Years, Ordered to Pay $90,000 in Restitution for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: An Ellsworth man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for possessing child pornography.
Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Kevin Lee Ross, 62, to 121 months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered him to pay $90,000 in restitution. Ross was found guilty by a federal jury on June 14, 2024, following a two-day trial. Ross was also sentenced to 24 months for violating his supervised release from an earlier conviction. The sentences will be served consecutively.
According to court records, in March 2023, a relative of Ross called the United States Probation and Pretrial Services Office in Bangor to express concerns that Ross had a cell phone and was using it to view pornography. Ross was on federal supervised release following a 2014 federal conviction for possessing child pornography and was prohibited from possessing any unapproved or unmonitored internet-capable devices.
In April 2023, probation officers conducted an unannounced home inspection at Ross’s residence. During the inspection, the officers discovered a cell phone as well as a trash bag containing drug paraphernalia. When the phone was powered on, its screen displayed a sexually explicit image of a young child and further investigation revealed more than 500 images and videos containing child sexual abuse material. A search of a vehicle used by Lee since his 2021 release from prison revealed a laptop and external hard drive hidden in the spare tire wheel well. The laptop was found to have 187 images and videos of child sexual abuse material while the external hard drive contained 761 images and videos.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – in legal terms, "child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are shared or viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at https://report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.
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