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Tuesday 20 August 2024
Maryland felon pleads guilty to federal firearms offense in VirginiaRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Maryland man pled guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on Nov. 8, 2023, Damontae James Garner, 24, of Silver Spring, was driving a stolen Cadillac when Virginia State Police observed him making erratic lane changes. When the trooper attempted to initiate a traffic stop, Garner accelerated. Garner drove the stolen vehicle over stop sticks that had been deployed by another trooper, puncturing the tires and stopping the car when it collided with the rear guard of a parked tractor trailer in a weigh station. Garner and a female passenger got out of the Cadillac and briefly fled on foot before troopers detained them.
While conducting an inventory search to tow the Cadillac, a trooper found a backpack containing a 7.62 caliber, semi-automatic firearm loaded with 26 rounds of ammunition. Garner admitted in today’s plea that he possessed the firearm. As a previously convicted felon, Garner cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.
Garner is scheduled to be sentenced on Jan. 8, 2025. He faces up to 15 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; Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; and Colonel Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police Superintendent, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Wright is 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-49.
Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Drug-Linked Murder in Butler CountyRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Tuesday sentenced a man who fatally shot someone in Butler County, Missouri to protect a heroin conspiracy to 20 years in prison.
James Odell Johnson pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin and one count of conspiracy to possess and discharge a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. He admitted shooting a man in Poplar Bluff at the behest of Shanesha “Nikki” Burns in connection with a heroin distribution conspiracy. The victim’s body was discovered on May 20, 2018.
The heroin conspiracy involving Johnson and Burns began at least as early as 2018, according to their guilty pleas. James Michael Cohen and others would transport heroin from St. Louis, Missouri to Butler County twice a month. Cohen and others would then sell the heroin. Members of the conspiracy used Burns’ home just outside Poplar Bluff to sell and store heroin. Burns also sold heroin. Johnson obtained heroin for his own use and for resale from Cohen and others in half-ounce to ounce quantities. Cohen also supplied firearms to Johnson at various times during the conspiracy.
Two days before Johnson’s victim’s body was discovered, the Missouri State Highway Patrol learned that heroin was being processed and packaged at Burns’ home. The Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force and the Butler County Sheriff’s Office went to the house and Burns agreed to let them perform a search. They found marijuana, heroin and cocaine base. Burns believed that someone who had just left the home had tipped off police and told Johnson that she wanted him killed. Johnson lured the victim to the home with drugs supplied by Burns and Cohen, and then invited the victim to a rural area to go shooting. When the victims’ gun jammed, Johnson shot him with his own 9mm handgun. Johnson was later arrested with murder weapon.
Cohen was found in the possession of drugs and guns multiple times. On Jan. 28, 2019, police stopped him and digital scales, a 9mm semi-automatic handgun, methamphetamine, heroin and $2,494 in cash. On Oct. 8, 2020, he was caught with another handgun, as well as about 444 grams of meth. On Feb. 23, 2021, Cohen was arrested at a St. Louis hotel with about 468 grams of fentanyl and 778 grams of meth. He had a pistol in his car.
Burns, now 37, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and conspiracy to possess a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and Judge Schelp sentenced her in March to 20 years in prison. Cohen, 37, of St. Louis County, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute heroin. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison in February.
The sentence for Johnson runs consecutive to a 10-year term that he received for a 2018 case in which he shot a Poplar Bluff police detective / Drug Enforcement Administration task force officer in the arm. Johnson received a total of 30 years in prison in that 2018 case.
The Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force, the Poplar Bluff Police Department, the Butler County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Missouri State Highway Patrol investigated the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Los Angeles Man Admits Conspiring to Launder MoneyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A California man today admitted conspiring to launder money obtained from internet-related fraud, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Charles Singleton, 64, of Los Angeles, California, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo to an indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering (Count One).
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From September 2018 to August 2020, Singleton worked with conspirators to launder money obtained through business email compromises, a method of wire fraud often targeting businesses or individuals working on business transactions involving high-dollar wire transactions. The fraud is carried out by compromising, hacking, or “spoofing” legitimate email accounts through social engineering or computer intrusion techniques to cause employees of a target company, or other individuals involved in legitimate business transactions, to conduct unauthorized transfers of funds, most often to accounts controlled by the fraud perpetrators.
Singleton opened several business bank accounts in the names of companies he controlled and received proceeds of wire fraud in those accounts. Singleton and his conspirators then withdrew and transferred money from various bank accounts and shared among themselves the account information of bank accounts. Singleton also executed at least one fraudulent contract with a conspirator for a wire of $70,000. As part of the plea, Singleton agreed to forfeit over $1.1 million constituting proceeds derived from the conspiracy.
The charge of money laundering conspiracy carries a maximum term of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the value of the funds involved in the transfer, whichever is greater. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 28, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, Woodland Park Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Farhana C. Melo of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Newark.
singleton.indictment.pdfLarge-Scale Hartford-Area Fentanyl Distributor Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JOHNNY MILNER, also known as “Blaze” and “O.G.,” 46, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Robert N. Chatigny in Hartford to 10 years of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for trafficking fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department received information from various sources that Milner was distributing fentanyl to street-level narcotics dealers in the SANA apartment complex located on Main Street in Hartford, which is commonly referred to as the “Sands,” and that he was using locations on Prospect Avenue and Bellevue Street in Hartford to store and distribute narcotics. On February 21 and March 15, 2023, investigators made controlled purchases of approximately 100 grams of fentanyl from Milner at a liquor store he operated on Hillside Avenue in Hartford.
On March 29, 2023, investigators conducted court-authorized searches of locations in Hartford and New Britain connected to Milner. A search of the Bellevue Street apartment revealed packaged fentanyl, numerous items used to process and package narcotics, and a loaded .22 caliber Ruger rifle. A search of an apartment on Chestnut Street in New Britain that Milner used revealed approximately 64 grams of xylazine-laced fentanyl, several digital scales, a money-counting machine, and $221,301 in cash. Milner was arrested at the New Britain apartment.
Milner has been detained since his arrest. On March 12, 2024, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
On January 22, 2024, Milner’s associate, James Jones, 42, who lived at the Bellevue Street apartment, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He awaits sentencing.
In July 2021, during a separate drug trafficking investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, investigators observed Milner carrying a shopping bag and entering the passenger side of a car that had just arrived at the Bellevue Street apartment. He then exited the car without the bag, but carrying a backpack. Investigators followed the car as it drove away, stopped it, and found the shopping bag. It contained $141,030 in cash, and was seized as suspected narcotics proceeds.
This matter was investigated by the FBI’s Northern Connecticut Gang Task Force and the Hartford Police Department, with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Hartford Task Force. The FBI Task Force includes members of the Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, New Britain Police Department, West Hartford Police Department, Connecticut State Police and Connecticut Department of Correction. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff.
Laredo felon indicted for trafficking fentanyl and possessing various firearmsRead the Press Release
LAREDO, Texas – A 39-year-old man has been charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, distribution of fentanyl, being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession of a machine gun, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
A federal grand jury has now returned a four-count indictment against Rolando Soliz. Previously in custody upon the filing of a criminal complaint Aug. 1, he is set to appear for his arraignment on the indictment in the near future.
According to the charges, over the course of two days, law enforcement conducted surveillance on Soliz. During the surveillance, authorities witnessed him allegedly perform multiple hand-to-hand narcotics transactions. Law enforcement stopped one of his customers who they searched and arrested for possession of fentanyl, according to the charges.
The charges further allege the customer had previously purchased fentanyl from Soliz. On previous occasions, he had also allegedly seen large quantities of fentanyl in Soliz’s apartment.
On July 31, authorities executed two search warrants for properties associated with Soliz and found 10 firearms including a short-barrel rifle with no serial number with modifications to operate as a machine gun, according to the charges.
As a convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition per federal law.
In addition to the firearms, law enforcement allegedly discovered nearly 25 grams of fentanyl and seized $16,311 in U.S. currency.
If convicted, Soliz faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $1 million maximum fine.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Customs and Border Protection, Webb County Attorney’s Office and Webb County Constables.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew P. Hakala-Finch is prosecuting the case.
Justice Department Announces Civil Rights Investigation into Conditions at Tennessee’s Trousdale Turner Correctional CenterRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has opened an investigation into the conditions at Trousdale Turner Correctional Center, a Tennessee Department of Correction facility operated by the private correctional management company CoreCivic. Trousdale Turner, located approximately an hour outside of Nashville, is Tennessee’s largest correctional facility.
Based on an extensive review of publicly available information and information gathered from stakeholders, the department has found significant justification to open this investigation, including state audits that have flagged dangerous understaffing and safety concerns since Trousdale Turner first opened in 2016. The investigation will examine whether Tennessee protects those incarcerated at Trousdale Turner from harm, including physical violence and sexual abuse.
“People are incarcerated at Trousdale Turner as punishment for their crimes, but in our legal system, punishment does not and cannot include violence and sexual abuse,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The Justice Department is launching this comprehensive investigation to determine if there are systemic constitutional violations regarding the treatment of people in this privately-run correctional facility. We are committed to protecting the constitutional rights of people held inside jails and prisons across our country.”
“Publicly available information suggests that Trousdale Turner has been plagued by serious problems since it first opened its doors,” said United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis. “This includes reports of staffing shortages, physical and sexual assaults, murders, and a 188% turnover rate among prison guards just last year. Although CoreCivic owns and operates Trousdale, the State of Tennessee is ultimately responsible for the safety of the people incarcerated there. This investigation seeks to determine whether Tennessee is meeting its constitutional obligations.”
The Justice Department notified State officials of the investigation earlier today and pledged that the department will work cooperatively with them in conducting the investigation and identifying solutions to any problems that are uncovered.
The department has not reached any conclusions regarding the allegations in this matter. The investigation will be conducted under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act. This statute gives the department the authority to investigate systemic violations of the rights of individuals in institutional settings, including prisons.
The Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section is conducting this investigation jointly with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee. Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the department via phone at 888-392-7031 or by email at [email protected].
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division’s work regarding correctional facilities is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt/rights-persons-confined-jails-and-prisons.
Justice Department Announces Civil Rights Investigation into Conditions at Tennessee's Trousdale Turner Correctional CenterRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee Henry C. Leventis and Assistant Attorney General Kristin Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division announced today that the Justice Department has opened an investigation into the conditions at Trousdale Turner Correctional Center, a Tennessee Department of Correction facility operated by the private correctional management company CoreCivic. Trousdale Turner, located approximately an hour outside of Nashville, is Tennessee’s largest correctional facility.
Based on an extensive review of publicly available information and information gathered from stakeholders, the department has found significant justification to open this investigation, including state audits that have flagged dangerous understaffing and safety concerns since Trousdale Turner first opened in 2016. The investigation will examine whether Tennessee protects those incarcerated at Trousdale Turner from harm, including physical violence and sexual abuse.
“Publicly available information suggests that Trousdale Turner has been plagued by serious problems since it first opened its doors,” said United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis. “This includes reports of staffing shortages, physical and sexual assaults, murders, and a 188% turnover rate among prison guards just last year. Although CoreCivic owns and operates Trousdale, the State of Tennessee is ultimately responsible for the safety of the people incarcerated there. This investigation seeks to determine whether Tennessee is meeting its constitutional obligations.”
“People are incarcerated at Trousdale Turner as punishment for their crimes, but in our legal system, punishment does not and cannot include violence and sexual abuse,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke. “The Justice Department is launching this comprehensive investigation to determine if there are systemic constitutional violations regarding the treatment of people in this privately-run correctional facility. We are committed to protecting the constitutional rights of people held inside jails and prisons across our country.”
The Justice Department notified State officials of the investigation earlier today and pledged that the department will work cooperatively with them in conducting the investigation and identifying solutions to any problems that are uncovered.
The department has not reached any conclusions regarding the allegations in this matter. The investigation will be conducted under the Civil Rights of Institutionalized Persons Act. This statute gives the department the authority to investigate systemic violations of the rights of individuals in institutional settings, including prisons.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Tennessee is conducting this investigation jointly with the Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section. Individuals with relevant information are encouraged to contact the department via phone at 888-392-7031 or by email at [email protected].
Additional information about the Civil Rights Division’s work regarding correctional facilities is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt/rights-persons-confined-jails-and-prisons.
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Jury convicts federal inmate for punching and injuring deputy U.S. marshalRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A federal jury has returned a guilty verdict against a man with ties to the Humble area for the assault of federal officer resulting in bodily injury, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
The jury deliberated for approximately two hours before finding Cedric Tyrone Walker, 42, guilty after a two-day trial.
The jury heard that on Dec. 27, 2022, authorities learned that on two occasions Walker failed to return in a timely manner to the residential reentry center (RRC), also referred to as a halfway house, where he was serving a federal prison sentence.
Law enforcement told the RRC Walker should be transported back to a federal detention center. However, Walker was reluctant to comply with instructions from authorities and struck a deputy U.S. marshal (DUSM) in the mouth with a closed fist.
A struggle ensued on the ground, and authorities restrained Walker after two taser deployments. Law enforcement then took Walker to a federal detention center and refused medical attention.
The injured DUSM arrived at the emergency room where he received treatment for a laceration on his lip which required 12 stitches. As a result of the assault, he also sustained two chipped teeth.
“The U.S. Marshals Service is the oldest federal law enforcement agency, and for over 200 years they have performed some of law enforcement’s most dangerous work,” said Hamdani. “While Walker may have not known that long history, he should have known that striking a DUSM with a closed fist comes with severe consequences and would not go unnoticed. We noticed when we brought this case against Walker and so did 12 of his fellow citizens in handing down today’s guilty verdict.”
The defense attempted to convince the jury Walker did not cause the injury. They did not believe those claims and found him guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks presided over the trial and set sentencing for Oct. 31. At that time, Walker faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He has been and will remain in custody pending sentencing.
The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carrie Wirsing and Anna Swanson are prosecuting the case.
Jackson Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Federal Prison for Selling FentanylRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp on Tuesday sentenced a man who sold fentanyl to a federal informant to 12 years in prison.
Rodney G. Harris, 45, of Jackson, Missouri, pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl and admitted that he sold fentanyl to an individual in Cape Girardeau County twice in 2022. Unbeknownst to Harris at the time, the individual purchasing the fentanyl was working as an informant for law enforcement officials. According to court documents, Harris has multiple felony convictions, including several convictions for methamphetamine-trafficking offenses. At the time he sold the fentanyl, Harris was on parole supervision through the State of Missouri stemming from a 2013 conviction for distributing methamphetamine. After serving the 12-year sentence, Harris will be placed on a 3-year term of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Cape Girardeau County Sheriff’s Office, the Southeast Missouri Drug Task Force and the Drug Enforcement Administration . Assistant United States Attorney Jack Koester handled the prosecution for the Government.
Hot Springs Woman Sentenced to More Than 15 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
HOT SPRINGS – A Hot Springs woman was sentenced yesterday to 188 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release on one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute More Than Fifty (50) Grams of Methamphetamine. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court in Hot Springs.
According to court documents, Teri Lee Patton, age 41, was identified by law enforcement to be distributing methamphetamine in the Hot Springs, Arkansas area.
Between the months of February of 2023 and March of 2023, investigators were able to conduct multiple controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Patton.
On March 15, 2023, a search was conducted at Patton’s residence, resulting in investigators locating and seizing approximately 448.54 grams of pure methamphetamine. The methamphetamine seized during the search warrant and from the controlled purchases was subsequently forwarded to the Drug Enforcement Administration Laboratory for confirmatory testing and determined to be a total of 523.27 grams of pure methamphetamine.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Hot Springs Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Achorn prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov.
Hays County man sentenced to Life in federal prison for sexually exploiting children onlineRead the Press Release
PLANO, Texas – A San Marcos man has been sentenced to Life in federal prison for child exploitation violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.
Christopher Scott Little, 48, pleaded guilty to coercion and enticement of minors and was sentenced to Life in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Sean D. Jordan on August 19, 2024.
According to information presented in court, in the summer of 2021, a child living in North Texas reported being extorted by individuals online. The Texas Rangers and FBI began investigating and discovered that Little had been targeting the child in North Texas from his residence in San Marcos. At the time of his arrest, Little was found to be communicating with hundreds of individuals on social media applications, most of whom appeared to be minors. In each conversation, Little used the same strategy – identifying himself as a young girl named “Amber,” who was deaf and mute, and thus unable to engage in videochatting. Amber would then coerce and entice the children into taking pictures of their nude bodies and recording videos of themselves engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Amber also introduced the children to her cousin, “Brandon,” also actually Little, and encouraged the children to sexually submit to Brandon in order to please Amber. If the children refused to comply, Amber and Brandon threatened them with harm, including threatening to kill the children and their families. To date, 10 children have been identified as Little’s victims. Little has been convicted of multiple offenses against children, stretching back almost 20 years.
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Texas Department of Public Safety and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marisa Miller.
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Hagerstown Woman Sentenced to Twenty Years in Federal Prison for the Sexual Exploitation of MinorsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland - U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar today sentenced Ashley Marie Tibbs, age 34, of Hagerstown, Maryland, to 20 years in federal prison, followed by lifetime supervised release, for sexual exploitation of a child. Judge Bredar also ordered that, upon her release from prison, Tibbs will be required to register as a sex offender in the places where she resides, where she is an employee, and where she is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”).
The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore; Chief Paul Joey Kifer, Chief of the Hagerstown Police Department; and Frederick County State’s Attorney J. Charles Smith, III.
According to Tibbs’ guilty plea and other court documents, Tibbs sexually abused two minor victims, who were then between the ages of 2 and 5. On each occasion, Tibbs sexually abused the victims, produced videos of the abuse, and sent the videos to co-defendant John Balch in exchange for money. Balch paid Tibbs $38,325 via Cash App.
Balch was previously sentenced to 60 years in federal prison for his exploitation of six minors. Co-defendants Jane Campbell and Amber Ricketts were also sentenced to more than 17 years and 10 years in federal prison, respectively, for distribution of child pornography.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
U.S. Attorney Barron commended HSI, the Hagerstown Police Department, and the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in this investigation. U.S. Attorney Barron also recognized the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Northern District of West Virginia and the Middle District of Florida, and the FBI’s Pittsburgh Field Office for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul E. Budlow and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Joyce King, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Gary Man Convicted of Drug Conspiracy and Using a Firearm to Commit MurderRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Devonte Hodge, 32 years old, of Gary, Indiana, was found guilty of conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances (cocaine and 100 grams of heroin) and using a firearm to commit murder following a 6-day jury trial presided over by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Hodge is scheduled for sentencing December 5, 2024. Any specific sentence to be imposed will be determined by the District Court Judge after consideration of federal statutes and the United States Sentencing Guidelines.
This case was investigated by the FBI/GRIT Task Force and the ATF/HIDTA Task Force with the assistance of the Hobart Police Department, the Indiana State Police, the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, the Gary Police Department, the Kokomo Police Department, and the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David J. Nozick and Joel Mathur.
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 Sutter County Church Administrator Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Fraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Chanell Easton, 38, of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez to five years and one month in prison for a multi‑year embezzlement scheme, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
In October 2023, Easton pleaded guilty to 22 counts of wire fraud, and on March 5, 2024, and following a bench trial, she was found guilty of on two counts of aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, from 2013 to 2018, Easton worked as the church administrator at a church in Yuba City. During her employment, Easton stole over $360,000 from the church, including from its food pantry and youth ministry, during a years-long embezzlement scheme. Easton used credit cards associated with the church to make personal purchases — at a hair salon, retail stores, online retailers, a vacation rental service, and to buy VIP concert tickets — and then paid off the resulting balance with the church’s money. One of the credit cards Easton used during her scheme belonged to the church’s youth minister, and Easton used his identity to make thousands of dollars in unauthorized personal purchases on Zappos.com. Easton’s use of the youth minister’s identity allowed her to obscure her embezzlement and to shift suspicion away from herself, thereby allowing her fraudulent scheme to continue.
Easton also transferred money directly from the church’s bank accounts to her own personal account, paid down the balance of her own personal credit card, and paid her cellphone provider for her personal bills and for new phones. Easton also stole money from the church by writing checks to others for personal expenses and by writing checks to herself, on which she forged the signatures of the church’s treasurer or the head volunteer of the church’s food pantry.
A hearing to determine restitution was set for Nov. 19, 2024.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot Wong prosecuted the case.
Former Mail Carrier Convicted of Receiving Bribes, Fraud Conspiracy and Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A former U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail carrier has been convicted of bribery, fraud, and conspiracy charges, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Emerson Pavilus, 49, of Union, New Jersey, was convicted on Aug. 15, 2024, on all three counts of an indictment charging him with receiving bribes as a public official, conspiring to defraud the United States, and conspiring to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. The jury returned the verdict following a trial before U.S. Circuit Court Judge Stephanos Bibas, sitting by designation in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Jersey.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence presented at trial:
Pavilus was a mail carrier at the post office in Flanders, New Jersey. From at least 2015 to 2020, Pavilus received cash payments in exchange for helping individuals intercept packages containing illegal narcotics and other illicit materials. Pavilus provided his conspirators with addresses for vacant houses along his mail route to which they could ship illegal packages. Pavilus then intercepted those packages from the mail stream and personally delivered them to his conspirators in exchange for bribe payments at places other than the addresses listed on the packages.
The bribery charge is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain from the offense, or three times the monetary equivalent of the bribe amount, whichever is greatest. The conspiracy to defraud the United States charge carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain from the offense, whichever is greater. The narcotics offense carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison, and a maximum fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker; the USPS Office of Inspector General, Northeast Area Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Matthew Modafferi; and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, in Newark, under the direction of Postal Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division, with the investigation leading to the guilty verdict. He also thanked the Irvington Police Department.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jordann R. Conaboy and Mark J. McCarren.
Former Blackberry Volunteer Fire Chief Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 FraudRead the Press Release
PIKEVILLE, Ky.— The former Fire Chief of the Blackberry Volunteer Fire Department (BVFD) in Pike County, Christopher Chapman, 35, pleaded guilty, on Tuesday, before U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell to theft of public funds.
In 2021, as part of the American Rescue Plan Act, to support communities and local governments that were struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the federal government distributed emergency funding to local governments to maintain vital local services. In Spring 2022, Pike County local government authorized the distribution of $50,000 of these funds through grants that were allocated for the purchase of turnout gear for fire and rescue, along with equipment and building maintenance. Chapman applied for these grants on behalf of BVFD, and the local government awarded the full amount of the grants.
According to his plea agreement, on April 11, 2022, Chapman created a company named Rural Public Safety Equipment, LLC. (RPSE), as the sole organizer and member, and registered it with the West Virginia Secretary of State. Chapman then informed members of the BVFD that he could obtain fire safety equipment at cost from a safety equipment company, and he failed to disclose that he was the owner of the company. The fire department pre-paid and ordered $76,854.50 worth of fire and safety equipment from RPSE. Instead of using the prepayments from BVFD to fulfill the orders, Chapman never fulfilled any fire and safety equipment orders, spent all the money on his own personal use, and withdrew $61,500 in cash from the RPSE bank account.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael E. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; and Bruce Roberts, Interim Executive Director, Kentucky Fire Commission, jointly announced the guilty plea.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI and the Kentucky Fire Commission. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Dunn-Pirio is prosecuting the matter on behalf of the United States.
Chapman is scheduled to appear for sentencing on November 25, 2024. He faces a maximum of 10 years in prison. However, the Court must consider the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the applicable federal sentencing statutes before imposing its sentence.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
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Five Individuals Sentenced for Possession of Glock Switches and Other Gun CrimesRead the Press Release
TUSCALOOSA, Ala. - Five individuals have been sentenced for possession of “Glock switches” and other gun crimes in the City of Tuscaloosa and surrounding areas, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
Donterio Nickson, 23, of Tuscaloosa, was sentenced to 57 months in prison. In April, Nickson pleaded guilty to possession of a machine gun conversion device—commonly referred to as a “Glock switch.” Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin A. Keown, Sr. prosecuted the case.
Jahleo Pugh, 20, of Tuscaloosa, was sentenced to 20 months in prison. In April, Pugh pleaded guilty to possession of a machine gun. Assistant U.S. Attorney Darius C. Greene prosecuted the case.
Kemontay Smith, 19, of Tuscaloosa, was sentenced to 24 months in prison. In April, Smith pleaded guilty to possession of a machine gun. Assistant U.S. Attorney William R. McComb prosecuted the case.
Markeias Thompson, 19, of Tuscaloosa, was sentenced to 24 months in prison. In April, Thompson pleaded guilty to possession of a machine gun. Assistant U.S. Attorney William R. McComb prosecuted the case.
Keyonte Howard, 21, of Tuscaloosa, received 36 months’ probation following his conviction in May for providing false information in connection with the purchase of a firearm. Assistant U.S. Attorney Darius C. Greene prosecuted the case.
These sentences are the result of collaborative efforts by the ATF, Tuscaloosa Police Department, Tuscaloosa County Sheriff’s Office, and Tuscaloosa District Attorney’s Office to identify and focus enforcement on individuals who illegally possess “Glock switches” and firearms in the Northern District of Alabama.
The cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Fentanyl Importer/Supplier and Sex Trafficker Sentenced to Life in PrisonRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Joseph Marion (41, St. Petersburg) to life in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, and crack cocaine; distributing fentanyl; distributing a mixture of fentanyl and heroin that resulted in serious bodily injury; and possessing fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, and crack cocaine with the intent to distribute it. As part of his sentence, the court also ordered Marion to forfeit the $13,190 that was recovered from his pocket at the time of his arrest, which represented proceeds from his criminal conduct.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial and sentencing, Marion imported fentanyl and fentanyl analogues from China via the U.S. mail. Marion blended and packaged the fentanyl himself and then sold fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, and crack cocaine to multiple street dealers, each of whom further distributed those drugs to users. During the trial, one of those street dealers testified that she bought 40-100 bags of fentanyl from Marion each day, every day, for several years. Marion sold between 7.1 and 17.8 kilograms of fentanyl, enough to kill over 70,000 people, to just this one street dealer.
In November 2019, a woman who was with Marion in his apartment snorted Marion’s fentanyl, thinking it was heroin, and nearly died. Paramedics arrived at the apartment and saved her life, though she was hospitalized for days afterward.
In addition to importing and selling drugs, Marion also trafficked women for sex. He often recruited women who were addicted to his drugs and then advertised and “managed” them as prostitutes.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Secret Service, the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the St. Petersburg Police Department, and the Clearwater Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael M. Gordon.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Federal Jury Convicts Man of Possessing Multiple Firearms While Trafficking Fentanyl in Chicago SuburbsRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A federal jury has convicted a man on drug and firearm charges for possessing multiple guns while trafficking fentanyl and other narcotics in the Chicago suburbs.
The jury on Friday found OMARI ANDREWS, JR. guilty of possessing an AR-15 style firearm and three handguns while trafficking fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana in Mt. Prospect, Ill., in 2023. The jury returned its verdicts after a week-long trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago. Prior to trial, Andrews pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl and heroin in Westmont, Ill., Villa Park, Ill., Des Plaines, Ill., and Hillside, Ill., in 2022 and 2023.
Andrews, 24, of Mt. Prospect, Ill., has been detained in federal custody since his arrest in 2023. U.S. District Judge Edmond E. Chang set sentencing for Dec. 18, 2024. Andrews faces a maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
The verdicts were announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Sean Fitzgerald, Special Agent-in-Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in Chicago. The Skokie, Ill. and Evanston, Ill. Police Departments provided valuable assistance. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alejandro G. Ortega and Sean Hennessy.
Holding firearm and drug offenders accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) – the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy. In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.
Federal Inmate Indicted for Possession with the Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Jessie Wooden (36, Miami) on a two-count indictment charging him with possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of contraband by a federal prisoner. If convicted, Wooden faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A federal grand jury had returned the indictment on Wooden on May 28, 2024.
According to the indictment, on March 10, 2024, Wooden was a federal inmate at the Coleman Federal Correctional Complex. He possessed at least 50 grams of methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it. He also was in possession of marijuana, tetrahydrocannabinol (a Schedule I controlled substance), and buprenorphine (a Schedule III controlled substance).
An indictment is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a federal criminal offense. Every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being prosecuted as part of a United States Department of Justice task force aimed at rooting out contraband and misconduct in the Federal Bureau of Prisons. The task force was led by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the DOJ Office of the Inspector General, with support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
Federal Grand Jury in Louisville Returns 5 Indictments Charging 37 Defendants with Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Charges Include Methamphetamine, Cocaine, and Fentanyl
Louisville, KY – On August 6, 2024, a federal grand jury in Louisville charged a total of 37 defendants from across Kentucky and California in five separate indictments involving methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine trafficking offenses and firearms offenses. The indictments were the result of a lengthy investigation conducted as part of the Organized Crime and Drug and Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF).
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Sheila G. Lyons of the DEA Chicago Field Division and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Michael Gannon of the DEA Indianapolis District Office, Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of the Cincinnati Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation, and Chief Art Ealum of the Owensboro Police Department made the announcement.
According to the first indictment, 14 defendants are all charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances. Beginning as early as March 2023 and continuing through August 5, 2024, the defendants conspired to possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. The defendants charged in the first indictment are:
- D’Andre Williams, 40, of Adelanto, California,
- Djuan Truss, 42, of Louisville,
- Rayshawn Spearman Sr., 39, of Louisville,
- Elmondo Elliott, 55, of Los Angeles, California,
- Desmond Knox, 50, of Menifree, California,
- Rayshawn Spearman Jr., 26, of Louisville,
- Brandan Arnold, 42, of Louisville,
- Antonio Arnold, 44, of Louisville,
- Dwayne Evans, 35, of Louisville,
- Melanie Surrell, 45, of Louisville,
- Antionio Evans, 42, of Louisville,
- Davonte Hoskins, 28, of Louisville,
- Gardner Webb, 31, of Louisville, and
- Tanaja Lee, 23, of Louisville.
Williams, Truss, Spearman Sr., and Elliott are also each charged with possession with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a methamphetamine mixture and possession with the intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. According to a federal criminal complaint filed in relation to these charges on July 7, 2024, members of the DEA Evansville Resident Office and Louisville Division Office received information from a confidential source regarding the possible distribution of large quantities of crystal methamphetamine and cocaine. Through follow up investigation, members of the surveillance team observed a transaction between Williams and Truss at a Love’s gas station in Shepherdsville, Kentucky. According to the complaint affidavit, members of the Kentucky State Police made contact with Williams and Truss and conducted further investigation. Law enforcement ultimately seized cardboard boxes containing approximately 252.9 pounds of methamphetamine and 12 kilograms of cocaine.
According to the second indictment, 8 defendants are all charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Beginning as early as March 2023 and continuing through August 5, 2024, the defendants conspired to possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The defendants charged in the second indictment are:
- Richard Boarman, 48, of Owensboro, Kentucky,
- Joshua Estap, 40, of Owensboro, Kentucky,
- Justin Riley, 41, of Owensboro, Kentucky,
- Bobby Douglas, 56, of Lexington, Kentucky,
- Jamie Voyles, 44, of Owensboro, Kentucky,
- Gregory Nuckols, 61, of Owensboro, Kentucky,
- Zachariah Nance, 44, of Utica, Kentucky, and
- Hope Warsinsky, 39, of Owensboro, Kentucky.
According to the third indictment, 3 defendants are all charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Beginning as early as March 2023 and continuing through August 5, 2024, the defendants conspired to possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The defendants charged in the third indictment are:
- Cameron Jackson, 24, of Owensboro, Kentucky,
- Damone McGuire, 29, of Owensboro, Kentucky, and
- Tyler Vinson, 32, of Owensboro, Kentucky.
Jackson is also with one count of possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to the indictment, on May 1, 2024, Jackson possessed a Trail Blazer Arms .22 caliber pistol, a Taurus 9-millimeter pistol, a Zastava Arms .762 caliber pistol, and ammunition. Jackson was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.
On December 16, 2019, in Daviess Circuit Court, Daviess County, Kentucky, Jackson was convicted of manslaughter in the second degree, receiving a stolen firearm, tampering with physical evidence, and possession of a controlled substance in the first degree, first offense (methamphetamine).
According to the fourth indictment, 8 defendants are all charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Beginning as early as March 2023 and continuing through August 5, 2024, the defendants conspired to possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The defendants charged in the fourth indictment are:
- Jason Salyer, 50, of Louisville,
- Julia Parrish, 53, of Owensboro, Kentucky,
- Jonathan Hawkins, 43, of Owensboro, Kentucky,
- Jeramey Hawkins, 46, of Owensboro, Kentucky,
- Timothy Roach, 37, of Owensboro, Kentucky,
- Charles Nelson, 41, of Utica, Kentucky, and
- Joe Turner, 46, of Owensboro, Kentucky.
According to the fifth indictment, 4 defendants are all charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Beginning as early as May 2023 and continuing through August 5, 2024, the defendants conspired to possess with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. The defendants charged in the fifth indictment are:
- Diana Miranda, 38, of Owensboro, Kentucky,
- Deandre Williams, 27, of Louisville,
- Timothy Roberts, 46, of Owensboro, Kentucky, and
- Shalonna Slaughters, 57, of Owensboro, Kentucky.
Thirty-one of the 37 defendants have been arrested or are otherwise in custody. Twenty-six defendants have made their initial court appearances before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky or the Central District of California. Six defendants, Jackson, Williams, Truss, Jeramey Hawkins, Hoskins, and Bermudez are currently in state custody and will make an initial appearance before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at a future date.
The following defendants have not yet been arrested: Brandan Arnold, Webb, Lee, and Williams.
If convicted, each of the defendants except Jackson face a minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. Jackson faces a minimum sentence of 15 years in prison. All the defendants face a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The cases are being investigated by the DEA, IRS-CI, and the Owensboro Police Department, with assistance from the FBI, the Kentucky State Police, the Indiana State Police, the Louisville Metro Police Department, the Evansville Police Department, the DEA Evansville Resident Office River City Drug Task Force – Indiana HIDTA, and the Vanderburgh County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Dahl and Josh Porter are prosecuting the cases.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Federal Firearms Licensee Pleads Guilty to Firearm Trafficking and Straw Purchasing ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to conspiring to illegally traffic and straw purchase firearms.
Cory Daigle, 29, of Revere, pleaded guilty to one count of trafficking in firearms; one count of illegal possession of a machine gun; one count of receipt or possession of unregistered firearm; one count of conspiracy to make false statements in records required to be kept by an FFL; and one count of aiding and abetting making false statements in records required to be kept by an FFL. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Nov. 20, 2024. Daigle was charged by criminal complaint in January 2023 along with Gustavo Rodriguez and Shakim Grant. He was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2023.
Daigle was a licensed firearms dealer doing business as Steelworks Defense Solutions. From in or about August 2022 through November 2022, Daigle and Rodriguez conspired to create false entries in records required to be maintained by Daigle, an FFL, in order to conceal the illegal sale of multiple firearms via Grant to Rodriguez, who could not lawfully purchase or possess firearms. Specifically, Daigle and Grant made and signed false representations on required forms to disguise Rodriguez’s identity as the true firearm purchaser. Rodriguez is prohibited from possessing a firearm. Additionally, Daigle attempted to coverup the illegal straw purchase by providing false information to law enforcement. One of the guns sold by Daigle was used two weeks later in a shooting outside of Rodriguez’s residence. According to court documents, the same gun, was subsequently recovered from a juvenile in New Bedford by police. In January 2023, multiple guns were seized during a search of Daigle’s residence. They were found in numerous safes, as well as on furniture, in bedrooms, in drawers and in open areas throughout the residence.
Grant pleaded guilty in May 2023 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 18, 2024. Rodriguez pleaded guilty on Nov. 13, 2023 and is awaiting sentencing.
The charge of conspiracy to make false statements in records required to be kept by an FFL provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of aiding and abetting making false statements in records required to be kept by an FFL provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of trafficking in firearms provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of illegal possession of a machine gun provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of receipt or possession of an unregistered firearm provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Revere Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Drug Trafficker Who Hid Fentanyl Pills in Kid’s Stuffed Animal Sentenced to 8+ YearsRead the Press Release
A Dallas drug trafficker who stashed fentanyl pills inside his child’s stuffed bear was sentenced today to more than eight years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Jorge Miguel Arteaga Medina, 23, was charged via criminal complaint in April 2023 and indicted later that month. He pleaded guilty in February to possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute and was sentenced Tuesday by U.S. District Judge Ada Brown to 97 months confinement.
According to court documents, Mr. Arteaga Medina acquired fentanyl pills from a source of supply in Mexico known to agents as “22” and sold them to customers in the Dallas area.
In February 2023, a confidential source bought 171 grams of fentanyl pills from Mr. Arteaga Medina. During the meeting, which was recorded, the defendant advised the source to contact him if he/she needed more fentanyl pills in the future.
In April 2023, the confidential source again reached out to Mr. Arteaga Medina and asked to purchase more pills. The defendant said he had roughly 3,000 pills in his possession but would need to contact his superior in Mexico – believed to be “22” – if the source needed more than that.
Agents then approached Mr. Arteaga Medina and advised him of their investigation. He readily admitted to having a large quantity of pills in his apartment as well as a Smith & Wesson handgun inside the satchel strapped to his chest.
He brought the agents to his apartment, where his wife and small child lived, and showed them the pills. Some were in this bedroom closet, and the remainder were concealed in his child’s stuffed bear.
At Tuesday’s sentencing hearing, prosecutors introduced into evidence photographs of the pills inside the stuffed animal as well as posters Mr. Arteaga Medina kept in his home glorifying “Santa Muerte” (“Our Lady of Holy Death”), the skeletal so-called patron saint of drug dealers.
The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Leal prosecuted the case.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
Additional photographs introduced into evidence at sentencing available upon request.
Devon Physician Agrees to Pay $8,000 to Resolve Alleged Controlled Substances Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Daniel Rubino, M.D., has agreed to pay $8,000 to resolve allegations that he violated the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) by dispensing and distributing Schedule III and Schedule IV controlled substances without an effective prescription issued for a legitimate medical purpose. The United States’ investigation involved Dr. Rubino’s self-prescribing practices at his medical office, Daniel T. Rubino, P.C., located at 176 E. Conestoga, Devon, Pa., 19333.
As part of the settlement, Rubino has entered into a two-year Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which includes additional responsibilities regarding the handling of controlled substances. The MOA imposes compliance obligations significantly more stringent than those in the applicable laws and regulations.
Between March 2020 and December 2022, DEA investigators discovered that Rubino was self-prescribing Schedule III and IV medications while he treated patients at his medical office, specifically buprenorphine and eszopiclone. During this time period, DEA identified that Rubino had written approximately 44 prescriptions to himself, and that he had done so without the oversight of a prescribing physician and with no initial assessments, reevaluations, or routine monthly visits with a full assessment of his chronic pain and urinalysis. Accordingly, Rubino repeatedly dispensed or distributed Schedule III and IV controlled substances to himself without an effective prescription in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 829(b) and 21 C.F.R. § 1306.04.
Congress enacted the CSA to deter the illegal importation, manufacture, distribution, possession, and improper use of controlled substances, including prescription medications, and requires individuals and entities registered with the DEA to maintain complete and accurate records of all controlled substances and security systems so that controlled substances are no lost, stolen, or inappropriately dispensed.
“Physicians who dispense and distribute Schedule III and IV controlled substances to themselves are engaging in a form of diversion,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Physicians and pharmacists have a responsibility to ensure that all controlled substances are tracked through a distribution chain and are prescribed in the usual course of professional practice. Our office is committed to ensuring total compliance with the Controlled Substances Act and we will vigorously enforce violations whenever we find them. Self-prescribing by physicians is no exception.”
“The goal of DEA’s closed system of distribution is to create accountability for controlled substances – this includes accountability for physicians who self-prescribe controlled substances,” said Thomas Hodnett, Special Agent in Charge of DEA’s Philadelphia Field Division. “By self-prescribing numerous prescriptions for controlled substances over the course of more than two years, Rubino violated this closed system and created an environment where controlled substances could not be tracked through a distribution chain. As a pain management physician himself, Rubino should have known better.”
The government’s pursuit of this matter illustrates its emphasis on combating diversion of controlled substances. The dispensing and distributing requirements applicable to DEA registrants, including physicians, are the tools by which the DEA deters drug diversion.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA’s Philadelphia Field Division, and the investigation and settlement were handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deborah W. Frey and Anthony Scicchitano.
Deltona Man Pleads Guilty to Transferring Unregistered FirearmsRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that James Edward Snider, Jr., (25, Deltona) has pleaded guilty to transferring unregistered firearms. Snider faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison, and sentencing is set for December 11, 2024.
According to court documents, Snider transferred one or more machinegun conversion devices that were not lawfully registered. A search of Snider’s residence located additional machinegun conversion devices and firearm silencers.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Nate.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Couple Admits COVID-19 Loan Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
TRENTON N.J. – A New Jersey couple admitted fraudulently obtaining approximately $790,000 in federal Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) payments, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Diana Valteri, 42, and Edmond Haxhillari, 43, of Sparta, New Jersey, and Cypress, Texas, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Robert Kirsch in Trenton federal court on Aug. 19, 2024, to informations charging them with wire fraud and money laundering.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law enacted on March 29, 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Valteri and Haxhillari are a married couple who from June 2020 through August 2020 participated in a fraudulent scheme to receive $790,000 in COVID-19 emergency relief loans and cash advances meant for distressed small businesses under the EIDL program. Valteri and Haxhillari submitted fraudulent loan applications on behalf of several businesses that purported to have employees and revenue, but were actually shell companies with no business operations. After receiving the EIDL funds based on their fraud, Valteri and Haxhillari diverted the proceeds for their own personal gain.
The wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and the money laundering charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Each charge also carries a maximum fine of $250,000, or twice the gross gain to the defendants or gross loss to the victim, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 22, 2025.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy; special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan; special agents of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General, Boston-New York Field Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Bradley Parker, and special agents from the Small Business Administration, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, Eastern Regional Office, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Fatime Meka Cano and Aja Espinosa of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
haxhillari.information.pdf valteri.information.pdfConvicted Felon Is Sentenced to Prison for Reoffending While on Federal Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A previously convicted felon on federal supervised release was sentenced to prison today on drug and gun charges, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Charles Lee Farmer, 50, of Charlotte, was ordered to serve 46 months in prison followed by three years on supervised release, after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base, and possession of multiple firearms by a convicted felon. Additionally, Farmer was ordered to serve a consecutive six-month prison term for violating conditions of his supervised release, for a total sentence of 52 months in prison.
According to court documents and court proceedings, Farmer was previously convicted in the Western District of North Carolina for a firearms offense. After serving an active prison term, Farmer was placed on court-ordered supervised release under the U.S. Probation Office. On November 20, 2021, federal probation officers conducted a warrantless search of Farmer’s residence, after they received information that Farmer was dealing narcotics. During the search, probation officers located cocaine and cocaine base, digital scales, and other drug paraphernalia, and seized multiple firearms and multiple rounds of ammunition.
Farmer remains in federal custody. He will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the U.S. Probation Office in the Western District of North Carolina for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Regina Pack of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte 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.
City of Los Angeles to Pay $20.8 Million for Discharging More Than 12 Million Gallons of Untreated Wastewater into Santa Monica BayRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The City of Los Angeles has agreed to pay a total of $20.8 million to fix issues at the Hyperion Water Reclamation Plant and to complete related environmental projects in connection with the discharge of millions of gallons of wastewater into Santa Monica Bay in 2021.
Hyperion, the City’s oldest and largest wastewater treatment facility, collects, treats, and disposes of wastewater for Los Angeles and several other municipalities, including Beverly Hills, Culver City, El Segundo, Santa Monica, San Fernando, and West Hollywood. Hyperion’s service area includes more than 4 million people.
Hyperion treats an average of 260 million gallons of wastewater per day, of which 225 million gallons are discharged through its 5-Mile Outfall to the Santa Monica Bay and 35 million gallons are conveyed to a water recycling facility for advanced treatment and reuse. Treatment of wastewater begins in a portion of the facility called the Headworks area, which involves the use of bar screens to remove large objects such as branches, plastics, and rags, from the entering wastewater.
“We in Southern California love our beaches and people in our community deserve clean waters free of contamination when they visit the beach,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “This agreement requires the City to take concrete steps and commit substantial funds to improving the Hyperion facility and thereby prevent a disaster like this from reoccurring. Our office is committed to protecting our environment and we will continue to use our federal authority to ensure the safe use of our natural resources for future generations.”
In July 2021, the Headworks became inundated with debris, causing wastewater to flood that area. Hyperion’s relief system was triggered and approximately 12.5 million gallons of untreated wastewater was discharged through the Facility’s 1-Mile Outfall into the Santa Monica Bay. Offshore water quality testing and monitoring subsequently conducted around the 5-Mile Outfall showed exceedances of applicable water quality standards for total coliform bacteria, E. coli, and Enterococcus.
To resolve the U.S. Attorney’s criminal investigation, the City has agreed to spend no less than $20 million to perform and complete various projects at Hyperion, which the City agreed to perform under an Administrative Order On Consent previously issued by the EPA. That work includes improvements on Hyperion’s Distributed Control System, such as integrating bar screens, level sensors and other ancillary equipment, integrating the alarm or status screens software to remove the antiquated alarms, training Hyperion operators responsible for control room operations on the updates, and constructing high-level channel overflow manage improvements.
In addition, the City has agreed to continue and expand upon its water quality testing program in compliance with its permits and will add two additional water quality testing sites between Dockweiler Beach and King Harbor. The City will also complete its rapid bacteria testing study and seek accreditation from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency so it can test for bacterial levels in ocean water on a more rapid basis. The City will also retain a qualified third-party auditor to conduct annual audits of Hyperion’s operations to determine whether it is in compliance with the work described above and the Clean Water Act
Finally, the City has agreed to perform a one-year community outreach service project in coordination with the Los Angeles Sanitation and Environmental Department and a nonprofit. That work will include meetings with local government officials and community members, developing an improved emergency communications plan, and coordinating educational outreach with residents and schools. The cost of the additional monitoring, rapid bacteria testing study, and the community outreach project is estimated to be no less than $800,000.
The United States Environmental Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division is investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Dennis Mitchell and Mark Williams of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section, as well as Assistant United States Attorney Mack Jenkins, Chief of the Criminal Division, are prosecuting this case.
Cincinnati man sentenced to more than 13 years in prison for sex trafficking missing teenRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati man was sentenced in federal court here today to 162 months in prison for sex trafficking a missing teen girl.
As part of his conviction, Payton Jamar Brown, 26, was ordered to pay nearly $58,000 in restitution to the minor victim and forfeit his home on Niagara Street in Cincinnati. Proceeds of the sale of his forfeited home will be paid to Brown’s victim as restitution.
According to court documents, from June until October 2022 and again in February 2023, Brown sex trafficked the teenaged girl.
Brown met the victim online and began a relationship with her. The victim began to reside with Brown, who created prostitution advertisements of her. Brown would transport the victim to hotels for prostitution dates that he had arranged. Brown arranged at least 40 prostitution dates in this timeframe and collected the proceeds from the victim.
In October 2022, Colerain police officers responded to Brown’s residence and recovered the victim, who was subsequently taken to a juvenile facility in another state.
In February 2023, the juvenile escaped the facility and messaged Brown on Instagram to pick her up. Brown drove interstate to pick up the victim and her friend and bring them to his residence. Brown again created a prostitution advertisement of the victim and arranged sexual encounters with other men for money.
Throughout his time with the victim, Brown would regularly engage in sex acts with the minor and record those acts with a cell phone. He would then sell the photos and videos to others online.
Brown was arrested by the FBI in February 2023. He pleaded guilty in October 2023.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Colerain Township Police Chief Edwin C. Cordie III; and members of the Regional Electronics and Computer Investigations (RECI) task force announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Douglas R. Cole. Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Healey is representing the United States in this case.
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Chowan County Jail Escapee Sentenced to Nine Years on Federal Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – An Albemarle man, who escaped from a Chowan County Jail, was sentenced to 108 months in prison for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon after he was apprehended two days after his escape with a loaded .40 caliber firearm. On April 16, 2024, Russell Heath, age 48, pled guilty to the charge.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Heath escaped from the Chowan County Jail in the evening hours of October 19, 2022. He escaped by placing a correctional officer in a headlock and holding a shank to his neck while threatening to kill him if another correctional officer did not place his cell phone in a trash can. After the officers complied with his orders, Heath locked them in a jail cell and fled after changing into street clothes. On October 21, 2022, Currituck County Sheriff’s Deputies responded to a citizen call in Moyock (approximately 50 miles away) regarding a suspicious man, later identified as Heath, who was seen on residential video cameras. Deputies encountered Heath walking in the area and attempted to apprehend him. Heath began backing away and then struggled with deputies. They fell into a ditch where Heath was ultimately tased as he was grabbing towards his waistband. After tasing Heath a second time, Deputies noticed a loaded .40 caliber firearm on the ground near Heath. Deputies were able to safely take Heath into custody at that point. Heath provided a false name and date of birth to deputies.
Heath has a lengthy criminal history that includes a 2009 conviction for second-degree kidnapping, and a 2023 conviction for three counts of breaking and entering. Heath has pled guilty to two counts of second-degree kidnapping and one count of felony escape from a local jail in connection with his escape in October 2022.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Terrence W. Boyle. Currituck County Sheriff’s Office and ATF investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Phil Aubart prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-CR-6-BO-RN.
Cape Girardeau Postal Worker Sentenced to Prison for Stealing MailRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – A former U.S. Postal Service mail carrier who both stole and failed to deliver customers’ mail was sentenced Tuesday to 14 months in prison.
U.S. District Judge Matthew T. Schelp also ordered Robert Gafford, 34, to pay a $5,000 fine and restitution of $1,605.
Gafford of Jackson, Missouri, was convicted by a jury in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau in February of one count of delaying or destroying mail and one count of embezzlement of mail.
Gafford worked out of the Cape Girardeau Post Office annex and was responsible for delivering mail on a rural route in or near Scott City, Missouri. In late 2021, the postmaster received complaints from a couple on Gafford’s route that they were not receiving mail and packages, according to evidence and testimony presented at the trial. The couple have Informed Delivery, a Postal Service program that provides pictures of the mail that is scheduled to be delivered that day. The couple sent postal officials images of missing mail. There were days when their mail was not delivered and officials found it at the Post Office and days in which the mail could not be located, according to evidence and trial testimony. When confronted by supervisors and told he must deliver the mail, Gafford said that he did not like the location of the victims’ mailbox, according to court records. He was also issued a written warning.
Frustrated when their mail was still not being delivered, the couple mailed an Apple AirTag tracking device to themselves and traced it to Gafford’s home after it wasn’t delivered, the trial showed. A special agent with the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General then sent a test piece of mail with a tracking device. Investigators watched as Gafford stopped at his personal vehicle before leaving post office property in his mail vehicle that day. They also independently tracked Gafford’s postal vehicle as he skipped the couple’s mailbox. They tracked the test piece to Gafford’s personal vehicle after he left for the day, then pulled him over and seized the test piece and the couple’s other undelivered mail from his SUV’s glove box, the trial showed.
Gafford’s refusal to deliver the victims’ mail and eventual theft of their mail lasted months, despite postal officials “extraordinary efforts to simply get Gafford to do his job,” Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Hahn wrote in a sentencing memo. “The victims of Gafford’s months long failure to deliver their mail endured constant apprehension of not receiving their mail, including packages ordered from Amazon, a victim’s operator’s license from the Missouri Department of Revenue, and other mail.”
The memo says Gafford continued to steal mail after the jury’s verdict. In early 2024, the postmaster reported receiving complaints about missing mail from residents on Dalhousie Drive in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, according to the sentencing memo. The postmaster and the mail carrier for that route placed an AirTag in a package and monitored the package. On April 23, 2024, the package disappeared and the postmaster traced it to Gafford’s home, the memo says. A court-approved search on May 2, 2024, revealed the package, and two Arrow keys, which unlock U.S. Postal Service collection boxes, cluster boxes and other locks, the memo says.
The U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Hahn and Christopher Shelton prosecuted the case.
Buffalo man arrested on gun and drug chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Raekwon Gordon, 25, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking activities, and being a felon in possession of a gun. The charges carry a maximum penalty of life in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey Jacovetti, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on April 5, 2024, Buffalo Police attempted to conduct a traffic stop of a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed on Bailey Avenue. The vehicle did not comply and fled. Throughout the pursuit, the vehicle was driven in a reckless manner, passing vehicles and ignoring traffic lights, and at a high rate of speed. Officers managed to follow the vehicle until it parked in the driveway of Roslyn Street residence. Officers discovered a loaded firearm in the front yard of the house next door, which they believe was likely thrown from the front passenger side of the vehicle. A second loaded machine gun was recovered on the sidewalk down the street.
Gordon and two other individuals were taken into custody at the scene. Officers recovered 336 fentanyl pills from the vehicle and $5,526 in cash from Gordon. Subsequent investigation determined that Gordon’s DNA was present on the machinegun. In 2018 and 2022, Gordon was convicted of felony charges and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Gordon made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and was held pending a detention hearing.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan miller, 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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Atlantic County Man Admits Possessing Unregistered Machineguns and Other ItemsRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – An Atlantic County, New Jersey, man today admitted possessing unregistered machineguns and other items, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Michael John James, 30, of Somers Point, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Edward S. Keil to an information charging him with possessing unregistered machineguns and other firearms, as defined under the National Firearms Act.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In February 2024, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at James’ residence, where they recovered dozens of firearms and ballistics items. Among the recovered items were three operable machine guns, an operable weapon modified to be shorter than a standard rifle, an operable weapon modified to be shorter than a standard shotgun, and three silencers. James admitted that he possessed all of the items recovered from his residence. James also admitted that these machine guns and other firearms were operable when he possessed them.
The charge to which James pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 30, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Ross A. Marchetti; special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker; personnel from the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor William Reynolds; and officers of the Somers Point Police Department, under the direction of Chief Robert C. Somers, with the investigation leading to today’s arrest.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn Waegener and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
james.information.pdfAssistant Pastor Convicted at Trial for $800,000 Investment Scheme Is Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Michael Mandel Baldwin, 55, of Alexandria, Virginia, was sentenced today to 27 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release on charges of wire fraud and securities fraud, for orchestrating an $800,000 investment scheme, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Jason Byrnes, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Secret Service, Charlotte Field Office, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to trial evidence, witness testimony, and filed court documents, from 2009 to 2021, Baldwin served as Assistant Pastor and Musical Director for a church in Northern Virginia, and Chief Executive Officer of the Miracle Mansion, LLC (Miracle Mansion). Trial evidence established that Baldwin used his position of trust within the church and fake promotional material to promote his investment scheme to victims that included churches, congregation members, and individual investors. To convince victims to invest in the Miracle Mansion project, Baldwin repeatedly lied about the viability, legitimacy, and success of the project, and used the names of well-known corporations and organizations to falsely claim they had endorsed the project.
According to evidence presented at trial, Baldwin solicited investments from a Charlotte-area church and its congregation members, as well as other entities located throughout the United States, including in Virginia, Arkansas, Florida, and Georgia. As part of the fraud, Baldwin’s promotional material falsely described Miracle Mansion as “a one-of-a-kind entertainment complex that [would] reshape the face of family entertainment in the Washington Metropolitan region,” with a mission that “promotes family-focused inspiration, entertainment and enrichment anchored by a Biblical worldview.” To promote the scheme, Baldwin held in-person and virtual meetings with potential investors, during which he falsely claimed the investors’ money would be used to develop, create, and construct Miracle Mansion, including to purchase the land on which Miracle Mansion would be built.
According to witness testimony, in furtherance of the scheme, Baldwin presented to investors several investment opportunities, including “GroundSwell 73,” which he described as “73 acres = 7,300 people, investing $73 per month, for 73 months.”
As court documents reflect, Baldwin lied to victims and would-be investors that The Kennedy Center and high-level executives at Hobby Lobby and Chick-Fil-A had endorsed and supported Miracle Mansion. However, contrary to Baldwin’s claims, high-level executives with Hobby Lobby and Chick-Fil-A testified at trial that they neither knew nor supported Baldwin and his project.
Rather than using the victims’ money to create, develop, and construct Miracle Mansion as promised, Baldwin spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on his personal lifestyle, including to pay for personal expenses, travel, gym memberships, and meals at restaurants. He also made large credit card payments and cash withdrawals. Baldwin also used a portion of the victims’ money to pay others involved in Miracle Mansion, and to make Ponzi style payments to some of the investors who were questioning the status and the legitimacy of the project.
At today’s sentencing hearing, federal prosecutors contended that Baldwin preyed on his victims’ religious affiliations, charitable inclinations, and trust in the defendant as a friend and religious advisor and noted that Baldwin inflicted emotional and spiritual harm on his victims.
Baldwin will be ordered to report to the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney King thanked the U.S. Secret Service for leading the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caryn Finley and Kenneth Smith of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
92K Rounds of Ammo Found During Bridge of the Americas Bus Inspection, Drivers Arrested on Smuggling of Goods ChargesRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – Two Mexican national bus drivers were arrested Saturday in El Paso on criminal charges related to their alleged smuggling of firearm ammunition.
According to court documents, Lucio Enriquez Garcia, was the driver of a charter bus bearing a Mexico license plate when he approached the Bridge of the Americas Port of Entry. Garcia told the Customs and Border Protection officer that he was carrying 16 passengers with some children from Phoenix, Arizona to Zacatecas, Mexico and there were no firearms on board. An assistant bus driver, Ramiro Antonio Barbosa Resendiz, also denied possession of firearms.
Further inspection revealed 26 black totes, 11 of which contained 33,000 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition. The remaining 15 totes contained 59,900 rounds of .223 caliber rifle ammunition for a total of 92,900 rounds of ammunition.
Garcia and Resendiz made their initial appearances in court Monday and are each charged with one count of smuggling goods from the United States. If convicted, they each face up to 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations and CBP are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg McDonald is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Monday 19 August 2024
Woman Who Used the Dark Web to Commit a Murder-for-Hire to Kill an Ex-Boyfriend’s New Girlfriend is Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Salt Lake City, Utah – A Utah woman who attempted to commit murder-for-hire by using the dark web was sentenced to 78 months’ imprisonment today after she engaged in a murder for hire scheme.
“I am very troubled by this case,” said Senior U.S. District Court Judge David Sam, who went on to express his deep appreciation to law enforcement for their hard work in this case. “As a result of all that work, a life was saved,” said Judge Sam.
Krista Renae Stone, 23, of Salt Lake City, was sentenced Monday morning after she pleaded guilty in May 2024 to the use of interstate commerce facilities in the commission of murder-for-hire. In addition to her term of imprisonment, Stone was sentenced to three years’ supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made at the change of plea and sentencing hearing, beginning in March 2023 and continuing through September 2023, Stone used the internet, specifically the dark web, with the intent to murder an ex-boyfriend’s girlfriend. In return for the murder, Stone agreed to pay money. Stone further admitted she engaged with a website offering “hitman for hire” type services and “ordered” the killing of the victim for $5,000 using Bitcoin to complete the order. Stone included a detailed description of the victim, including a photograph, the victim’s location, and how she wanted the murder committed. The website, which is not run by law enforcement, is under investigation.
“Ms. Stone’s murder-for-hire plot was a brazen attempt against another person’s life that caused extreme emotional harm. Without law enforcement discovering the website Ms. Stone was using and the extensive investigation by law enforcement, the outcome would be far more devastating,” said U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins of the District of Utah. “We are grateful to the agents who worked on this case and hope today’s sentence brings a sense of closure to the victim and her family.”
"Murder-for-hire turns the sanctity of life into a transaction, making our communities vulnerable to further acts of violence,” said Christopher Miller, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations. “HSI luckily prevented this plot being carried out, and our agents are committed to preventing crimes that would commodify human life.”
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
Assistant United States Attorney Carol A. Dain of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
Washington, D.C. Man Sentenced to Twenty Years Imprisonment for the Armed Robberies of Two Phone Stores in MarylandRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – On Monday, August 19, United States District Judge Matthew J. Maddox sentenced Donte Antwaun Herring, of Washington, D.C. to 20 years’ imprisonment, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, as a result of his convictions for the armed robberies of two phone stores in December 2020. On March 1, 2024, a federal jury convicted Herring of the robberies after less than an hour of deliberation.
The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office; and Chief Robert McCullough of the Baltimore County Police Department.
According to the evidence presented at his five-day 2024 trial, on December 17 and 23, 2020, Herring and his co-conspirators robbed phone stores in Halethorpe and Owings Mills, Maryland, respectively. In each robbery, Herring and his co-conspirators used firearms.
Specifically, according to trial testimony, on December 17, 2020, at shortly after 7:15 p.m., Herring and a co-conspirator entered a phone store in the 3900 block of Washington Boulevard, in Halethorpe, Maryland. After initially posing as customers browsing for cell phones, the co-conspirator and Herring announced a robbery and brandished firearms—pointing them in the direction of the victim employee. Trial evidence proved that Herring ordered the victim employee to take him and the co-conspirator to the store’s safe, then ordered the victim to open the safe. Herring and the co-conspirator then removed various electronic devices from the safe, including multiple boxes of Apple cellular telephones, watches and iPads, along with cash from the store’s register. They then fled in a maroon minivan.
Witnesses testified that in the robbery on December 23, 2020, co-defendant Rico Dashiell entered a telephone store in the 10000 block of Reisterstown Road in Owings Mills, Maryland and acted like a customer. Herring and another co-conspirator then entered the store brandishing firearms and Dashiell pointed a gun at a victim employee. Witnesses testified that Herring and the co-conspirator pointed their guns at a victim customer and other employees and ordered them to get down on the floor. The victim customer was also ordered to empty his pockets and Herring and the co-conspirator took the victim’s wallet (containing his driver’s license and credit cards), along with his car keys and an Apple iPhone 8S plus, valued at approximately $350. Herring and the co-conspirator went to the back room and Dashiell escorted a victim employee to the back room at gunpoint and ordered the victim to open the store safe. Once the victim complied, Herring and the co-conspirator removed nearly all of the electronic devices from the safe—including Apple and Samsung Galaxy devices (76 devices total)—and placed them in large garbage bags they had brought with them. When Herring and the co-conspirator finished emptying the safe, they ordered the three victims from the main floor of the store to the room in the back of the store where the safe was kept. According to trial testimony, as Herring and the co-conspirator left the room, the co-conspirator pepper sprayed the victims’ faces. In the meantime, Dashiell directed a victim employee to open the store’s cash register and stole $322.
Herring and his co-conspirators then fled in a vehicle that had been stolen earlier in the day and that had tags stolen from another vehicle. According to trial evidence, law enforcement was able to track the vehicle to a home in Catonsville, Maryland, where aviation units were able to film Herring, Dashiell and the co-conspirator unloading the stolen merchandise from the car and taking it into the residence.
As detailed in trial testimony, law enforcement officers arrived at the residence and attempted for hours to make contact with the suspects and other occupants of the residence. After two young children who lived at the residence (who had no relation to the robbers) came out of the house, law enforcement executed a search warrant of the residence and arrested the robbers, who had been hiding in the attic. During a search incident to arrest, law enforcement seized, among other things, $622.16 from the co-conspirator ($322 of which was proceeds from the robbery), along with a round of ammunition.
According to trial evidence, during their search of the residence, law enforcement also recovered, among other things, the clothing, gloves, and headwear worn by the robbers during the robberies; the 76 stolen devices; the canister of pepper spray used to spray the victims; the stolen wallet belonging to one of the victims; and, the three firearms used by Herring, Dashiell and the co-conspirator, as well as a Polymer 80 Gray Grip with a black slide 9mm semi-automatic pistol, with no serial number, commonly known as a “ghost gun,” which was also loaded.
Electronic evidence presented at trial included multiple text messages in which Herring discussed his planning of the December 23, 2020 robbery. It likewise included photographs from a co-conspirator’s iCloud account that showed Herring holding large amounts of cash within hours of the robbery on December 17, 2020.
Co-defendant Rico Dashiell, age 25, of Fort Washington, Maryland, previously pleaded guilty to his role in the robbery and was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison. Co-Defendant Jones’s trial is set to commence on September 23, 2024.U.S. Attorney Barron commended the FBI and Baltimore County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron also thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Paul A. Riley and Michael F. Aubin, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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U.S. Attorney’s Office recovers approximately $700,000 for victims of Kalispell fraudsterRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — The U.S. Attorney’s Office recently recovered approximately $700,000 for victims of a Kalispell man who defrauded investors in a multi-million-dollar scheme involving oil and gas leases and artwork, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
The defendant, John Kevin Moore, also known and Kevin Moore, of Kalispell, was convicted in August 2018 by a federal jury of 21 counts of wire fraud, money laundering and false statement crimes and sentenced in 2019 to more than 10 years in prison, ordered to pay more than $2.2 million in restitution and to forfeit more than $1.9 million.
“In addition to obtaining a federal prison sentence, the collection of restitution for victims of fraud is essential in the pursuit of justice, although it is often difficult to obtain restitution because the fraudster usually spends all the money. Here, however, through the extraordinary dedication and hard work of our financial litigation team, we were able to track down and recover a significant amount of money for victims of Moore’s fraud and prevent Moore from benefiting from the sale of a ranch in which he had invested,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
In seeking to collect restitution, the U.S. Attorney’s financial litigation division asserted its restitution lien against Moore’s interest in a ranch in Valley County held by Moore’s now-dissolved business, Milk River Hunting Preserve, LLC. Through a civil settlement reached in U.S. District Court in July, the government secured approximately $700,000 in restitution for the victims in Moore’s criminal case from the proceeds of the sale of the ranch.
At Moore’s criminal trial, the government presented evidence that Moore set up two companies, Big Sky Mineral Resources LLC and Glacier Gala, and used them to solicit money from investors by purporting to buy oil and gas leases and to buy and sell lucrative artwork. Instead, prosecutors alleged, Moore used investors’ money to pay off earlier investors and to pay for personal expenses, including payments on multi-million-dollar properties. Moore received more than $2 million from victims based on false claims he made regarding the mining of oil and gas and minerals and the sale of art.
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U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Conviction of Bloomfield Man for Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily InjuryRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Bloomfield man pleaded guilty in federal court to charges related to a July 4th domestic abuse incident.
According to publicly available court documents, on July 4, 2024, Deshaun Begay, 20, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, repeatedly assaulted Jane Doe by biting, punching and kicking her, and using dog leash, a dumbbell and a chain with a lock on it. As a result of the assault, the victim suffered serious bodily injuries, including scalp lacerations and fractures to her nasal bone and eye socket.
The Court ordered that Begay remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
At sentencing, Begay faces up to 10 years in prison followed by to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department, the Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Probasco is prosecuting the case.
View the Plea Agreement# # #
U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Conviction in Unemployment Fraud CaseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man pleaded guilty in federal court to mail and wire fraud charges stemming from a scheme exploiting CARES Act provisions.
According to publicly available court documents, between April 2020 and October 2020, Pholopater Faltas, 26, submitted fraudulent unemployment insurance applications to the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions in the names of at least eight individuals. To that end, Faltas solicited personally identifying information from these individuals, falsely promising to access benefits on their behalf. The fraudulent applications contained materially false statements to ensure approval and allowed Faltas to control the disbursed funds.
As a result of this scheme, the New Mexico Department of Workforce Solutions disbursed at least $66,867 in unemployment benefits, which Faltas controlled through debit cards and bank accounts. Faltas misled the purported applicants about their eligibility and retained the majority of the funds for himself.
In his plea agreement, Faltas acknowledged that the offenses were related to the federal CARES Act, enacted in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and involved the use of interstate mailings and wire communications.
The Court ordered that Faltas remain on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
At sentencing, Faltas faces up to 30 years in prison followed by to five years of supervised release and a fine not to exceed $1 million.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today.
The United States Secret Service - Albuquerque Resident Office and the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case with assistance from the Department of Labor – Office of the Inspector General. The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Mexico prosecuted the case.
View the Plea Agreement# # #
U.S. Attorney Announces $600,000 False Claims Act Settlement with Medical Practice and Its Owners for Improper Medicare and Medicaid BillingRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Naomi Gruchacz, the Special Agent in Charge of the New York Regional Office of the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”), announced today that the United States has filed and simultaneously settled a civil fraud lawsuit against ORANGE MEDICAL CARE, P.C. (“ORANGE MEDICAL”) and its owners, ASHIKKUMAR A. RAVAL and MANISH A. RAVAL (together, the “RAVALS” and with ORANGE MEDICAL, the “Defendants”).
The RAVALS are physicians who own and operate ORANGE MEDICAL, a family medicine practice that provides primary care services to patients in Newburgh, New York. The settlement resolves claims that ORANGE MEDICAL and the RAVALS fraudulently billed Medicare and Medicaid by submitting claims for primary care services that were not rendered or supervised by the physician identified in the claim for payment and had, in fact, been rendered by non-credentialed providers.
Under the settlement approved Saturday, August 17, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Paul Gardephe, ORANGE MEDICAL and the RAVALS will pay $268,800 to the U.S. and have admitted and accepted responsibility for conduct alleged in the Complaint as further described below. ORANGE MEDICAL and the RAVALS have also agreed to pay $331,200 to the State of New York to resolve the State of New York’s claims, for a total recovery of $600,000. The settlement amount is based on the Office’s and the State of New York’s assessment of ORANGE MEDICAL’s and the RAVALS’ ability to pay based on the financial information they provided. The parties have also executed a Consent Judgment in the amount of $1,646,835, which may be enforced if the Defendants do not make the payments required under the settlement agreement.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Orange Medical and the Ravals submitted false claims to Medicare and Medicaid, failing to accurately identify who was involved in their patients’ treatment. This Office is committed to ensuring that individuals and entities billing federal health care programs do so in an honest manner.”
HHS-OIG Special Agent in Charge Naomi Gruchacz said: “As a part of this settlement, the defendants acknowledged that Orange Medical obtained funds from the Medicare and Medicaid programs for claims that did not comply with those programs’ billing rules. Individuals and entities that participate in the federal health care system are required to obey the laws meant to preserve the integrity of program funds and the provision of appropriate, quality services to patients.”
As alleged in the Complaint filed in Manhattan federal court:
From November 2006 through December 2022, ORANGE MEDICAL and the RAVALS submitted claims to Medicare and Medicaid that listed one of the RAVALS as the rendering provider even though the services had been rendered by non-credentialed providers, without the direct supervision of the RAVALS. On many such occasions, the RAVALS were traveling outside of the U.S. at the time the patient received the treatment.
As part of the settlement, ORANGE MEDICAL and the RAVALS admitted and accepted responsibility for certain conduct alleged by the U.S., including the following:
- ORANGE MEDICAL and the RAVALS understood that they were prohibited by relevant federal healthcare program rules from submitting claims for reimbursement to Medicaid in the State of New York for primary care services if the physician listed as the rendering provider on the claim for reimbursement had not actually rendered the services and, with respect to Medicare, if the services were not, at minimum, rendered “incident to” medical services actually provided by the physician listed on the claim. ORANGE MEDICAL and the RAVALS further understood that, in order to receive reimbursement from Medicaid, a healthcare provider must be enrolled as a provider in the Medicare or Medicaid program at the time the services are rendered.
- Nonetheless, ORANGE MEDICAL and the RAVALS frequently submitted claims to Medicaid and Medicare for primary care services that listed Manish Raval or Ashikkumar Raval as the rendering provider, even though they had not rendered the services for which reimbursement had been sought. In fact, the services had been performed by providers who had not enrolled in the Medicare or Medicaid programs. Further, the providers that had rendered the services were often not physicians, but instead nurse practitioners or physician assistants. On many such occasions, the RAVALS had no personal involvement or supervision in the treatment of the patient and were traveling outside of the U.S. at the time that the services were furnished.
- ORANGE MEDICAL and the RAVALS also altered patient records to reflect falsely that one of the RAVALS had seen a patient when, in fact, the patient had been seen by a different provider.
- As a result of the conduct described above, ORANGE MEDICAL received reimbursements from Medicare and Medicaid for primary care claims that did not comply with those programs’ billing rules.
In connection with the filing of the lawsuit and settlement, the Government joined a private whistleblower lawsuit that had been filed under seal pursuant to the False Claims Act.
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Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of HHS-OIG, and he thanked the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit at the New York State Attorney General’s Office for its extensive collaboration in the investigation and resolution of this case.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Frauds Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney David E. Farber is in charge of the case.
Two More Defendants Sentenced to Prison for Roles in Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Charles Clinton Cordle, 66, of Ashland, Kentucky, and Josie Irene Copley, 59, of Flatwoods, Kentucky, were each sentenced today to three years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for their roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Southern District of West Virginia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 23, 2023, Cordle received approximately 14 grams of methamphetamine and 9 grams of fentanyl in the area of the 2700 block of Highlawn Avenue in Huntington after arranging to receive the controlled substances during a phone call with another person. A law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Cordle following the transaction, and the officer located and seized the methamphetamine and fentanyl during the traffic stop. Cordle admitted that he intended to distribute the controlled substances.
On October 25, 2023, Copley purchased approximately 13.98 grams of fentanyl in Huntington from co-defendant Kyla Smith after calling Smith and arranging the transaction. After Copley purchased the fentanyl, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Copley was a passenger. Copley told the officer she had drugs in her possession and surrendered the fentanyl she had obtained from Smith. Copley admitted that the officer also seized approximately 2.11 grams of methamphetamine during the traffic stop that she possessed and intended to sell.
On November 15, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Copley’s residence in Flatwoods, Kentucky. Officers seized quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl and a New England Firearms .410-gauge shotgun.
Cordle, Copley and Smith are among 27 individuals indicted in a 53-count indictment that charges the defendants with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl transported from Detroit, Michigan, in Huntington and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia.
Cordle pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl, and Copley pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl. Smith, also known as “Flaca,” 29, of Huntington, pleaded guilty on April 3, 2024, to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and awaits sentencing. Cordle, Copley and Smith are among 21 defendants who have pleaded guilty in the main case. One other of the 27 indicted individuals pleaded guilty to a related offense in a separate case. The indictment against the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentences. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-180.
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Third Individual Sentenced to Federal Prison Following Armed Robbery of Convenience StoreRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – Today, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama announced the sentencing of the third and final defendant for his role in the armed robbery of a convenience store.
On August 15, 2024, 33-year-old Marquis Shawn McKeithen, from Montgomery, Alabama, received a sentence of 141 months in prison. Earlier, on October 19, 2023, Kallisa Ann Mendenhall, 27, a resident of Tyler, Alabama, received a sentence of 114 months. Finally, on July 13, 2023, 21-year-old Jon'derius Lashon Scott, also from Montgomery, received a 94-month sentence. All three defendants previously pleaded guilty to charges of interference with interstate commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm during a federal crime of violence.
According to court records, on December 1, 2022, McKeithen, Mendenhall, and Scott entered a convenience store on U.S. Highway 331 in Montgomery County, Alabama, all carrying firearms. Scott watched the door with his firearm out and ready while McKeithen and Mendenhall approached the counter. McKeithen leapt over the counter and grabbed the clerk, placing his gun to the clerk’s head. Mendenhall remained on the other side of the counter with her gun pointed at the clerk. McKeithen demanded the clerk give them money from the register. Once McKeithen had the money, the three exited the station and sped away in a vehicle.
McKeithen’s sentence reflects an additional unrelated charge of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On March 13, 2022, law enforcement in Shelby County found McKeithen in possession of a handgun. McKeithen has a previous felony conviction and is prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
The FBI Mobile Field Office and the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case, with assistance from the Montgomery Police Department, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, and the Vestavia Hills Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Brandon W. Bates prosecuted the case.
Texas Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Federal Prison for Kidnapping an Adult Victim and Transportation of a Minor Across State LinesRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A Texas man was sentenced today to 35 years in federal prison for 14 criminal offenses, including, among others, kidnapping an adult victim and transportation of a minor across state lines.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office made the announcement.
“I commend the excellent work of the trial team and that of our law enforcement partners, the FBI, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Brentwood Tennessee Police Department, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, for their combined investigative effort in bringing the defendant to justice,” stated U.S. Attorney Bennett. “The lengthy sentence imposed by the Court reflects the outrageousness of the defendant’s criminal conduct toward the victims in this case and ensures he will not reoffend for decades to come.”
“The victims in this case never thought using an online dating service would subject them to the type of horrendous actions that this defendant inflicted upon them," said Special Agent in Charge Stansbury. “Today’s sentence affirms the FBI’s steadfast commitment to protecting our community from acts of violence and intimidation and is an important reminder to remain vigilant and cautious as we use the internet in our everyday lives to avoid predators, like this defendant, who wish to harm us all.”
According to court documents, Bryan Douglas Conley, age 42, was sentenced to 35 years in prison, followed by a 25-year period of supervised release, for 14 criminal offenses to include transportation of a minor for illegal sexual activity, and inveigle and decoy kidnapping. To “inveigle” a person means to lure, or entice, or lead the person to do something by making false representations or promises or using other deceitful means. “Decoy” means enticement or luring by means of some fraud, trick, or temptation. He was also convicted of bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and interstate threats to ransom.
The defendant was convicted of these counts following a jury trial in December of 2023. At trial evidence was presented that in November of 2018, Conley, used an online dating website to lure and entice a minor from Ohio to travel to Tennessee to meet with him. Conley created and used a false online profile named “Bryant” and offers of money and property to lure the minor across state lines. Conley and the false profile “Bryant” offered the minor money for sexual activity in Kentucky and Tennessee. Conley ultimately abandoned the minor several days later in Texas and stole her purse and phone.
In January of 2019, Conley used an online date website to inveigle and decoy an adult victim. Conley created the online profile “Lance Debeers” and falsely claimed to be a modeling agent. Both Conley and “Lance” engaged the victim in discussions about modeling. On January 29, 2019, Conley met the victim in Shepherdsville, Kentucky. He took the victim’s phone and provided her an unknown substance to drink as part of the modeling contract. He bound the victim and drove around Ohio, Kentucky, and Tennessee issuing ransom demands to the victims’ parents in Tennessee. The ransom demands included threats to harm the victim if his demands were not met physically and sexually.
On January 30, 2019, Conley retrieved a ransom placed by the FBI in Oak Grove, Kentucky. He was arrested shortly after retrieving the ransom. The victim was located in the car. Prior to the kidnapping, Conley met the victim and took her credit card and attempted to make purchases at a retail store in Oak Grove, Kentucky. He also attempted to access her credit card customer profile using the victim’s social security number.
In June of 2019, after Conley had been arrested and released from custody and ordered to wear an ankle monitoring device, he removed the device and fled to Ohio. He was subsequently arrested and detained.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The FBI, the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Brentwood Tennessee Police Department, and the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Judd and Joel King prosecuted the case with assistance from paralegal James Aaron Cooper.
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Texas Man Sentenced for Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Lonnie Embers, age 53, of San Marcos, Texas, was sentenced August 19, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Embers to 46 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Embers’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
Drug Enforcement Agents agents became aware of co-defendant Gary Pope II as a dealer of cocaine in the Omaha area. This led to a three-month wiretap of Pope’s cell phone in 2022. The wiretap intercepts and resulting investigation confirmed that Pope would receive cocaine deliveries from Texas in kilogram quantities and sell the cocaine in lesser quantities in the Omaha area.
Embers talked on the phone with Pope about distributing cocaine and was seen meeting with Pope at an Omaha hotel for a suspected one-kilogram transaction in June 2022. On July 15, 2022, Embers was arrested in Oklahoma with approximately two kilograms of cocaine and two firearms, a loaded 9 mm pistol and a .270-caliber rifle in a gun case. After being advised of his rights, Embers told investigators he was being paid to transport the cocaine to Omaha from San Antonio.
Pope, age 42, was sentenced to 87 months in prison earlier this year. Pope also received an additional 66-month sentence in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Iowa for possession with intent to distribute marijuana and carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
Co-defendant Joseph Reyes, age 34, of Houston has been sentenced to 46 months in prison.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Ten Additional States Join Justice Department’s Suit Against Live Nation-Ticketmaster for Monopolizing Markets Across the Live Concert IndustryRead the Press Release
Today, the Attorneys General of Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, Utah and Vermont joined a civil antitrust lawsuit filed by the Justice Department, 29 other states and the District of Columbia against Live Nation-Ticketmaster for monopolization and other unlawful conduct in violation of Sections 1 and 2 of the Sherman Act.
The department, and its now-expanded group of 40 co-plaintiffs, filed an amended complaint in the Southern District of New York. The amended complaint also alleges additional details about Live Nation-Ticketmaster’s anticompetitive course of conduct in markets across the live entertainment industry.
Suburban Chicago Businessman Sentenced to a Year in Prison for Underreporting $1.47 Million in TaxesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — The owner of three Chicago-area childcare and transportation businesses has been sentenced to a year in federal prison for underreporting more than $1.47 million in income on his tax returns.
JEREMIAH JOHNSON owned New Beginnings Academy, New Beginnings Child Development, and Epic Transportation. During the calendar years 2015 to 2020, Johnson obtained more than $1.47 million of income from the operation of those businesses but failed to report the money on his individual tax returns. Johnson filed individual tax returns for those years but reported lesser W2 wages and some rental income. The failure to disclose the additional income he received from his businesses resulted in the preparation and filing of materially false individual income tax returns.
During the same time period, Johnson also failed to file corporate tax returns or pay any of the required employer and employee withholdings for federal income tax, Social Security tax, and Medicare.
Johnson, 46, of Frankfort, Ill., pleaded guilty earlier this year to a federal charge of filing a false tax return. In addition to the year-and-a-day prison term, U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly on Wednesday fined Johnson $10,000 and ordered him to pay $123,391 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service.
The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation Chicago Field Office. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen Totten and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Patrick J. King, Jr.
South L.A. Man Sentenced to More Than Seven Years in Federal Prison for Using Instagram to Solicit Bank Account Holders to Deposit Stolen ChecksRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A South Los Angeles man was sentenced today to 87 months in federal prison for leading a conspiracy that defrauded banks and credit unions out of at least $2.7 million by depositing checks stolen from the mail into bank accounts belonging to accomplices he recruited via Instagram.
Carlos Corona, 37, was sentenced by United States District Judge John F. Walter, who also ordered him to pay $2,722,632 in restitution.
Corona pleaded guilty on May 1 to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft.
From October 2020 to August 2023, Corona and other co-conspirators engaged in an elaborate bank fraud scheme using third-party bank accounts and stolen checks. Some co-conspirators stole checks from the U.S. mail stream, including from post office mail collection boxes located outside post offices.
The conspirators took possession of the stolen checks. They, along with others, then solicited bank account holders through social media to provide their debit cards and bank account information, promising these account holders a cut of any fraudulent funds deposited into their accounts.
To circumvent the fraud protections of the banks and credit unions, Corona and others specifically requested bank accounts that had been open for a certain amount of time so they could get access to the stolen funds more quickly.
Bank account holders responded to the social media advertisements and provided members of the conspiracy with the information requested on the ads, including bank account numbers, PIN numbers, debit cards and online banking log-in information.
Corona and other co-conspirators exchanged the bank account holders’ information with each other, and then they deposited the stolen checks into these bank accounts. In most cases, the stolen checks were falsely endorsed in the original payee’s name. Sometimes, the checks were washed or altered to make the payee name correspond to the bank account into which the checks were being deposited.
Corona and others then rapidly depleted the fraudulently deposited funds from the account holders’ accounts by making cash withdrawals, electronic transfers, and debit card purchases. To conceal the fraud, members of the conspiracy instructed account holders – if the banks and credit unions contacted them about the fraudulent deposits – to claim that their accounts had been compromised.
During the scheme, Corona intended to cause at least $5.3 million in losses to the banks and credit unions and caused actual losses to lenders of at least $2.7 million.
Prosecutors have secured 10 convictions in this case.
The United States Postal Inspection Service and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter. The Los Angeles Police Department provided assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Sarah E. Spielberger and Alexandra Michael, both of the General Crimes Section, prosecuted this case.
Sex Offender Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Maurice Fitzgerald Alexander, Jr., 33, of Memphis, Tennessee, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge James A. Soto to 40 years in prison, followed by lifetime supervised release.
Earlier this year, Alexander was convicted by a federal jury after a three-day trial of Sex Trafficking of a Minor by Force, Fraud, or Coercion. The jury also found Alexander guilty of one count of Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking of a Minor Using Force, Fraud, or Coercion, one count of Transportation with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual Activity, and one count of Production of Child Pornography. At the time of the offense, Alexander was already required to register as a sex offender.
On October 4, 2021, officers from the Tucson Police Department responded to a 911 call from the victim and learned she had possibly been trafficked for the purposes of sexual exploitation. A Tucson Police detective quickly responded to a local hospital and immediately initiated an investigation. The investigation revealed that Alexander trafficked the victim, who was 14 years old at the time, through Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, and Colorado between August 19, 2021, and October 4, 2021. Department of Homeland Security Special Agents and Task Force Officers arrested Alexander in Tucson on October 21, 2021. A subsequent review of Alexander’s phone showed that Alexander also forced the minor victim to create photos and videos depicting sexually explicit conduct that were later used in advertisements on social media and various other websites commonly used for prostitution.
The Tucson Police Department and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Nathaniel J. Walters and Monica E. Ryan, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-02972-JAS-EJM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-114_Alexander# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Rota Resident Sentenced to 10 years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
SAIPAN, CNMI– SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that Vincent Masga Songsong, age 40, from the island of Rota in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), was sentenced to 120 months imprisonment for Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM), in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2252(a)(4)(B). The Court also ordered five years of supervised release following imprisonment and sex offender registration anywhere Songsong lives, works, or goes to school. A restitution hearing is set for September 27, 2024.
Songsong was convicted of the same crime in 2015 and sentenced to 78 months imprisonment. He began a term of supervised release thereafter. On June 23, 2023, a United States Probation officer visited Songsong’s place of employment on the island of Rota. Songsong was found in possession of a cellular phone not registered with the Probation Office. The Federal Bureau of Investigation seized the phone and, through forensic analysis, located more than 1,000 video and image files depicting the sexual exploitation of minors. To date, approximately 123 victims have been identified.
“The possession of CSAM is an unconscionable crime that affects the most vulnerable in our communities,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “The harm to child victims can last a lifetime. Our Project Safe Childhood initiative continues to target those who seek to prey on children. Our office will pursue these cases whenever the evidence supports prosecution.”
“The FBI is dedicated to ensuring the safety of children in the United States and its territories,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill. “Today’s sentencing sends a clear message that crimes against children will never be tolerated. Our collective efforts to promote public safety in Hawaii, Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands remains steadfast, and the FBI will continue to investigate, disrupt, and hold accountable those who prey upon the children of our communities.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Albert S. Flores Jr., Assistant United States Attorney in the District of the Northern Mariana Islands.
This was a Project Safe Childhood (PSC) case, 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, PSC 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 PSC, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.