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Wednesday 31 July 2024
New Jersey Man Indicted for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jose Colon, age 50, of Bloomfield, New Jersey, was indicted on July 30, 2024, by a federal grand jury on three counts of production of child pornography.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Colon communicated with multiple minor victims who he enticed into creating images of themselves engaged in sexually explicit activity and then directed them to send those images to him via cellphone.
The case is being investigated by the Department of Homeland Security. Assistant United States Attorney Luisa Honora Berti is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is thirty years imprisonment as to each count, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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New Albany Man Sentenced to Twenty Months in Federal Prison for Stealing over $1.2 Million from his EmployerRead the Press Release
NEW ALBANY- Caleb Keller, 38, of New Albany, Indiana has been sentenced to 20 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to wire fraud and money laundering.
According to court documents, Keller began working for his employer in 2011, soon after graduating college. Between April 2017 and June 2021, Keller created and submitted 101 false and fraudulent invoices to his former employer through his side business, Polyglot Developers. After arranging for his employer to contract with Polyglot, he created two fictitious employees, “Matt Pearson” and “Grant Miller.” He then drafted false invoices that billed his employer for services allegedly performed by the two fake employees.
For example, on April 29, 2019, Keller submitted a $19,940 invoice to his employer for services allegedly rendered by four employees, including $15,200 for services allegedly rendered by the two fictitious employees. When an executive at his employer became suspicious of the fake employees and demanded a meeting with “Matt Pearson,” Keller pretended to be Pearson on a Zoom call by using a video filter. During the meeting, it became obvious that Pearson was not real and that the person purporting to be Pearson was actually Keller. Following the meeting, Keller was fired and his employer’s relationship with Polyglot was terminated.
In April 2022, Keller was interviewed by law enforcement investigators and insisted that Pearson and Miller were actual employees who provided services to his employer. In July 2022, Keller was interviewed again and admitted that the purported employees were fake and that he had impersonated Pearson on the Zoom call.
Due to this years’ long scheme, Keller’s employer was deceived into paying Keller approximately $1,210,120 for work they believed was completed by fictitious employees of Keller’s business. Keller used the fraudulently obtained money to pay for personal expenses.
“Trusted employees can cause tremendous harm to a business when they exploit their positions to steal and cover it up,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Protecting Hoosiers and Hoosier businesses from fraud is a top priority for federal law enforcement. Thanks to the efforts of the FBI, IRS-CI, and our federal prosecutor, this criminal has been accountable for his actions. The federal prison sentence imposed here should be a warning to would-be fraudsters that economic crimes can lead to paying a very serious price.”
“The defendant betrayed the trust of his company through his deceit and web of lies for his personal gain and this sentence sends a clear message that there are consequences for such greed,” said FBI Indianapolis Special Agent in Charge Herbert J. Stapleton. “The FBI is committed to continuing to root out these white-collar criminals and ensure they are held accountable.”
“Today’s sentencing sends a clear message: those who engage in wire fraud and money laundering schemes will be held accountable,” said Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “Our dedicated special agents worked tirelessly to uncover this long-running scheme, and this outcome underscores our commitment to bringing justice to individuals like Caleb Keller, who exploit and defraud their employers. IRS Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners will continue to pursue and prosecute those who violate the trust placed in them, ensuring that financial crimes do not go unpunished.”
The FBI and IRS-CI investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by Chief U.S. District Judge Tanya Walton Pratt. Judge Pratt also ordered that Keller pay $1,210,120 in restitution to the victim business.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew B. Miller, who prosecuted this case.
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More than a Dozen Individuals Indicted in Drug Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A federal grand jury in Columbia returned a 21-count indictment against 13 individuals for drug trafficking offenses. The indictment alleges that beginning in January 2016, 13 individuals engaged in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute large quantities of cocaine, fentanyl, and methamphetamine.
Ten defendants were arraigned in federal court today:
Quincey Jackson, 40, of Columbia
Timothy Gayton, 32, of Rock Hill
Elijah Rhodes, 42, of Columbia
Desane Washington, 19, of Summerton
Shane Bennett, 32, of Summerton
Byron Canty, 35, of Rowesville
James Croslen, Jr., 48, of Summerton
Kenneth Robinson, 46, of Columbia
Clifton Mickles, 43, of Rock Hill
Richard Ragin, 46, of Columbia
Three defendants remain at large.
This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), FBI Columbia Field Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Marshals Service, Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office, Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, City of Columbia Police Department, and Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Major is prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs stated that all charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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Monroe County Man Charged with Drug Trafficking and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that John Nester, age 54, of Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury for drug trafficking and firearm offenses.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Nester with possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl, possessing a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm on June 19, 2024, in Monroe County.
The matter was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Pocono Mountain Regional Police, and the Monroe County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney James M. Buchanan is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Mitchell Man Sentenced for Falsification of Union Financial ReportsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Jacob Wilkins, age 43, of Mitchell, Nebraska, was sentenced on July 31, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for two counts of falsification of annual financial reports filed by a labor union. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Wilkins to 5 years’ probation. Wilkins will also have to serve 10 weekends in jail. Wilkins has also been ordered to pay $21,381.82 in restitution to the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 1836. Prior to sentencing, Wilkins paid $2,316.39 in restitution back to the union.
Wilkins served as president of the National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 1836 union out of Scottsbluff, Nebraska, from 2001 until he resigned in August 2021. As the union’s president, Wilkins was required by Federal law to keep bank statements and supporting documentation such as receipts and invoices that would justify spending union money. The president and secretary-treasurer annually file an accounting statement with the Department of Labor documenting annual losses, assets, liabilities, receipts, and disbursements.
Between 2016 and 2020, Wilkins used union funds for personal expenses totaling $23,698.21. The embezzlement came to light in 2021 when other union members noticed union funds being used for expenses that were not approved by the union, and that were not union-related purchases. Wilkins admitted he used union funds for personal expenses, could not remember how he spent cash withdrawals from the union checking account, and admitted he did not obtain consent from union members before spending union money. Wilkins admitted he stopped keeping records showing how he used union funds as of 2010.
“There are consequences for individuals who breach the trust placed in them to be good stewards of union funds. Jacob Wilkins embezzled $23,698.21 from National Association of Letter Carriers Branch 1836 that should have been used for its members’ benefit,” said Christiane Abendroth, District Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards. “OLMS is committed to hold accountable anyone who unlawfully exploits their position for financial gain at the expense of their fellow union members.”
This case was investigated by U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards.
Mississippi Man Pleads Guilty to Firearm and Counterfeiting ChargesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Bryan Lyndell Chapman (26, Mississippi) has pleaded guilty to manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Chapman faces up to 20 years in federal prison on the counterfeiting charge, up to 15 years’ imprisonment on the firearm charge, and payment of restitution to the victims he defrauded. As part of the plea agreement, Chapman has agreed to forfeit a Bushmaster pistol, ammunition, and a printer, all traceable to his offenses. Chapman was arrested on February 26, 2024, and ordered detained. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 26, 2024.
According to court documents, in late 2023 into January 2024, Chapman traveled from Tennessee to Florida. During his trip, he manufactured counterfeit Federal Reserve notes and passed them at various businesses. On January 17, 2024, a member of the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO) investigated a vehicle occupied by Chapman. During the investigation, the CCSO located inside the vehicle a loaded firearm, ammunition, equipment for manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes, 78 counterfeit $20 bills, and 35 pages of incomplete counterfeit bills with only the front of a $20 bill printed on it. The CCSO subsequently determined that Chapman was out on bond for a felony firearm charge pending in Mississippi and had previously been convicted in Tennessee of felony aggravated assault. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – Jacksonville Office, and the United States Secret Service – Jacksonville Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
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.
Mexican man imprisoned for attempting to enter U.S. with hundreds of child pornography videos and imagesRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 29-year-old Mexican national has been sentenced for possession of child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Juan Manuel Garza-Fuentes pleaded guilty Feb. 6.
U.S. District Judge Rolando Olvera has now ordered Garza-Fuentes to serve 78 months in federal prison. Garza was further ordered to serve 35 years of supervised release following the completion of his prison term, during which time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Garza-Fuentes was further ordered to pay $13,000 in restitution and a $3,000 special assessment. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
The investigation began in July 2023 after Garza-Fuentes attempted to make entry into the United States through the Brownsville and Matamoros Port of Entry. Authorities conducted a forensic analysis of Garza-Fuentes’ cell phone and discovered 255 videos and 170 images of child pornography.
Garza-Fuentes will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ana C. Cano prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Memphis Man Sentenced to over 25 Years in Federal Prison for Hobbs Act RobberyRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – Malik Motley, 25, of Memphis, has been sentenced to 303 months in federal prison after being convicted of a Hobbs Act robbery committed in October 2021. Kevin G. Ritz, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today.
According to the information presented in court, on October 3, 2021, Motley entered a Memphis-area Dollar General store with a black mask covering his face. Instead of paying for items that he placed on the counter, Motley pulled a silver handgun from his pants and demanded money from the register. The cashier was unable to open the cash register, and Motley shot her in the face at point blank range, grabbed items from the counter and fled the store.
Motley was arrested two days later in an abandoned house. During a search of Motley’s residence, officers located the clothing he wore during the robbery and a silver Smith & Wesson .357 revolver. The gun was loaded with three live rounds of ammunition.
In October 2023, Motley pled guilty to one count of Hobbs Act Robbery and one count of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence. On July 20, 2024, United States District Court Judge John T. Fowlkes sentenced Motley to 303 months in federal prison for the crimes and ordered him to serve five years of supervised release after his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Safe Streets Task Force and the Memphis Police Department.
United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Raney Irwin, who prosecuted this case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Maryland Woman Pleads Guilty for Role in Million Dollar Fraud Scheme at New Orleans Marine Forces Reserve FacilityRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that KAMILA HORAKOVA DUDLEY (“DUDLEY”), age 43, of Silver Spring, Maryland, pled guilty on July 30, 2024, before United States District Judge Greg G. Guidry to misprision of a felony, namely, wire fraud, in violation of Title18, United States Code, Section 4.
According to court documents, DUDLEY was employed by Company A from September 2008 through March 2023; and, from March 2017 through November 2018, she served as Company A’s office manager. As Company A’s office manager, DUDLEY, among other things, prepared and submitted Company A’s invoices for payment.
In approximately March 2017, Company A subcontracted with Company B to provide onsite support services at the Marine Forces Reserve (MARFORRES) facility in New Orleans, Louisiana. Company A, by and through multiple employees, committed wire fraud by knowingly submitting materially false invoices to Company B, knowing that Company B would, in turn, present the false information to the United States for payment. From March 2017 through November 2018, Company A billed the United States, through Company B, for services not provided. The fraudulent invoices included the names of Company A’s executives, who performed no work at MARFORRES. The fraudulent invoices also included the names of certain individuals who worked full-time on a separate contract at a separate facility and, thus, performed no work at MARFORRES. Because neither Company B nor the United States was aware of the fraudulent nature of the invoices, Company A was paid approximately $1,300,000 under the subcontract.
Despite having knowledge of these events, that constituted wire fraud, DUDLEY did not make known the information and, further, attempted to conceal it. For example, on or about October 31, 2017, DUDLEY was notified by one of her colleagues that Company A’s cost submissions contained the names of individuals who worked on a separate contract and who performed no work at MARFORRES. DUDLEY did not make that information known, including the fact that prior invoices containing those names were false and fraudulent. DUDLEY resumed the preparation and submission of Company A’s invoices, removed only the challenged names, and concealed the fraudulent nature of the earlier submissions.
DUDLEY faces a maximum term of imprisonment of three (3) years, up to a $250,000 fine, up to one year of supervised release, a $100 mandatory special assessment fee, and restitution to the United States Department of the Navy for her conduct. Sentencing has been scheduled before Judge Guidry on October 29, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the special agents of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, and members of the Defense Contract Audit Agency. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andre Lagarde of the Public Integrity Unit.
Man who robbed postal carrier at gunpoint sentenced to 90 months in prisonRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – Lamarion Gray, 19, of Cincinnati, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to seven and one-half years in prison for the armed robbery of a United States postal carrier last summer. Gray is one of more than a dozen defendants charged in the Southern District of Ohio since 2022 with crimes related to postal robberies.
Court documents say Gray approached a letter carrier delivering mail on foot on the afternoon of July 12, 2023. Gray brandished a firearm, pointed it at the letter carrier, and demanded that she turn over her keys. After the letter carrier gave Gray the keys, Gray fled on foot. Inspectors canvassed the neighborhood, talked with neighbors, and found surveillance footage showing Gray going into his girlfriend’s residence.
Inspectors executed a search warrant at Gray’s residence. They recovered large amounts of stolen mail, including many stolen checks. Gray pleaded guilty on March 1, 2024, to one count of robbery of U.S. property.
“This case is part of a series of mail thefts and bank frauds that have victimized the Greater Cincinnati area over the past few years,” said Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. “Armed assault on a postal worker has a significant, negative impact on all letter carriers, and eventually on everyone in the community who relies on the U.S. Postal Service.”
Gray’s sentence includes five years of supervised release after he completes his time in prison, and $14,176 in restitution to the victim.
Lesley Allison, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Pittsburgh Division; and Colerain Township Police Chief Edwin C. Cordie III joined Mr. Parker in announcing the sentence imposed today by Senior U.S. District Judge Michael R. Barrett. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy S. Mangan is representing the United States in this case.
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Man Sentenced for Coercion and Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
A Maryland man was sentenced yesterday to 17 years in prison for coercion and enticement of a minor.
According to court documents, beginning as early as 2011, Paul Francis Blaisse, 65, of Walkersville, engaged in live video chats on the internet with minor children who were engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Blaisse sent nearly 100,000 messages to hundreds of individuals on video chat sites who offered access to minor children via webcam. During these chats, Blaisse discussed his sexual interest in children and distributed child sexual abuse material (CSAM). The Frederick County, Maryland, Sheriff’s Office identified Blaisse after receiving a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an individual using an IP address associated with Blaisse’s residence uploaded CSAM to a video chat account.
In October 2018, Blaisse used Skype, an online video chat application, to entice a minor child in the Philippines to engage in sexually explicit conduct. Blaisse used screen recording software to create CSAM. Records of Blaisse’s Skype activity show that he communicated with an adult in the Philippines who arranged for the minor child to participate in a video chat with Blaisse. FBI agents interviewed the minor child, who stated that the person paid them to do a sexually explicit show on Skype for a “foreigner.” In addition to these chats, Blaisse’s electronic devices contained hundreds of images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, including prepubescent minors.
Blaisse was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release and to pay over $83,000 in restitution to his victims. After his release from prison, Blaisse will be required to register as a sex offender in the place where he resides, where he is an employee, and where he is a student, under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland; State’s Attorney J. Charles Smith III of Frederick County; and Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the FBI Baltimore Field Office made the announcement.
The Frederick County Sheriff’s Office, FBI, and Justice Department’s High Technology Investigative Unit investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Eduardo Palomo of the Justice Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Aubin for the District of Maryland, and Chief Counsel Joyce King of the Frederick County State’s Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Louisville Pediatrician Sentenced to 12 years in Federal Prison on Attempted Murder-for-Hire and Aiding and Abetting Interstate Stalking ChargesRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY –Stephanie M. Russell was sentenced today on two counts of a federal indictment charging her with using a facility in interstate commerce, or causing another person to travel in interstate commerce, in the attempted murder-for-hire of her ex-husband, as well as aiding and abetting interstate stalking of her ex-husband.
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.
According to court records, Stephanie Russell, 53, a pediatrician in Louisville was sentenced to 10 years on the attempted murder-for-hire charge and 2 years on the interstate stalking charge, with the sentences to run consecutively for a total sentence of 12 years. Russell’s term of imprisonment will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. In addition, Russell was ordered to pay a fine in the amount of $10,000.
Russell, a pediatrician, owned and ran KidzLife Pediatrics in Norton Commons, in Louisville, Kentucky. Beginning in July 2021, Russell caused another to travel in interstate commerce, and used a telephone, a facility of interstate commerce, with the intent that the murder of her former husband, R.C., be committed in violation of the laws of the Commonwealth of Kentucky and offered to pay for that murder.
In July 2021, during a contentious custody battle with her ex-husband, R.C., Russell began soliciting multiple KidzLife employees, asking if they knew someone who would be willing to kill R.C. In the spring of 2022, the FBI was notified of Russell’s solicitations, and began an investigation. As part of that investigation, a cooperating witness provided Russell with the telephone number of a purported hitman from the Chicago area. That hitman was an FBI Special Agent working undercover. Beginning on May 15, 2022, Russell had several recorded telephone conversations with the purported hitman. In one call, Russell and the purported hitman had the following exchange:
Hitman: Obviously you want [R.C.] killed, right, . . . ?
Russell: I want him to be completely gone from my life, yes . . . .
Hitman: Well I mean that can be in the Bahamas, but I don’t think we’re talking a vacation away. I think we’re talking in the ground.
Russell: I mean, do you like, do they disappear? Do you like shoot them on the road? Like what happens? Or should I just not know?
Hitman: It really depends on, I mean, price dictates. That’s just how that goes. The more work I got to do, the more it’s going to cost you, but it could be, do you want it to look like a suicide? Do you want it to . . .
Russell: Yes, that would be amazing.
Russell ultimately agreed to pay the purported hitman $7,000, with half due up front. On May 18, 2022, Russell was caught on surveillance video leaving $3,500 in a specimen box outside the KidzLife building for the hitman to retrieve. The purported hitman drove to Louisville from Illinois and was videotaped as he picked up the payment. The FBI arrested Russell the next day.
Further, according to court documents and evidence presented at the change of plea hearing, between December 1, 2018, and August 9, 2019, during custody litigation, Russell, aided and abetted by J.S., a person who traveled to Louisville from Michigan, engaged in conduct that caused and attempted to cause her former husband substantial emotional distress, and Russell did so with the intent to harass and intimidate him. Specifically, Russell encouraged J.S. to harass R.C., and she provided J.S. with a burner phone to use while doing so. The harassing conduct included visiting R.C.’s office unannounced, pretending to be a WAVE-3 reporter and leaving R.C. accusatory voicemails from the phone provided by Russell on R.C.’s phone, entering R.C.’s garage and leaving a note inside the garage pretending to be a reporter writing a derogatory story that could involve R.C., and leaving fliers, with R.C.’s photograph and other personal identifying information, on cars at R.C.’s office. The fliers contained defamatory allegations of misconduct and were intended to be viewed by R.C.’s co-workers, supervisors, and potentially clients.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The FBI investigated the case, with assistance from the Louisville Metro Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marisa Ford and David Weiser prosecuted the case, with assistance from paralegal specialists Adela Alic and Carissa Moss.
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Leader of Tech Support Fraud Scheme Sentenced to Seven Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that VINOTH PONMARAN was sentenced to seven years in prison for participating in a fraud conspiracy that exploited elderly victims by remotely accessing their computers and convincing victims to pay for computer support services that they did not need and which were never actually provided. In total, the conspiracy generated more than $6 million in criminal proceeds from at least approximately 6,500 victims. PONMARAN previously pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Vernon S. Broderick, who imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Vinoth Ponmaran was a leader of a sophisticated fraud scheme that preyed on over 6,000 victims, including the elderly. This conspiracy caused pop-up windows to appear on victims’ computers—pop-up windows which claimed, falsely, that a virus had infected the victim’s computer. Through this and other misrepresentations, Ponmaran's fraud scheme deceived his many victims, including some of society’s most vulnerable members, into paying a total of more than $6 million. Today’s sentence sends a clear message: those who exploit the vulnerable for financial gain will pay a heavy price.”
According to the allegations contained in the Superseding Information, court filings, and statements made in court, including during PONMARAN’s plea proceeding and sentencing:
From approximately March 2015 through July 2018, PONMARAN was a member of a criminal fraud ring (the “Fraud Ring”) based in the U.S. and India that committed a technical support fraud scheme targeting elderly victims located across the U.S. and Canada, including in the Southern District of New York. The Fraud Ring’s primary objective was to trick victims into believing that their computers were infected with malware in order to deceive them into paying hundreds or thousands of dollars for phony computer repair services. Over the course of the conspiracy, the Fraud Ring generated more than $6 million in proceeds from at least 6,500 victims.
The scheme generally worked as follows. First, the Fraud Ring caused pop-up windows to appear on victims’ computers. The pop-up windows claimed, falsely, that a virus had infected the victims’ computers. The pop-up windows directed the victims to call a particular telephone number to obtain technical support. In at least some instances, the pop-up windows threatened victims that, if they restarted or shut down their computer, it could “cause serious damage to the system,” including “complete data loss.” In an attempt to give the false appearance of legitimacy, in some instances the pop-up windows included, without authorization, the corporate logo of a well-known, legitimate technology company. In fact, no virus had infected victims’ computers, and the technical support phone numbers in the pop-up windows were not associated with the legitimate technology company. Rather, these representations were false and were designed to trick victims into paying the Fraud Ring to “fix” a problem that did not exist. And while the purported “virus” was a hoax, the pop-up windows themselves did cause various victims’ computers to completely “freeze,” thereby preventing these victims from accessing the data and files in their computer—which caused some victims to call the phone number listed in the pop-up windows. In exchange for victims’ payment of several hundred or thousand dollars (depending on the precise “service” victims purchased), the purported technicians remotely accessed the victim’s computers and ran an anti-virus tool, which is free and available on the Internet.
PONMARAN was an India-based leader of the Fraud Ring. Among other things, PONMARAN managed a call center in India that was used to provide purported computer repair services to victims of the scheme. PONMARAN also recruited co-conspirators in the U.S. to register fraudulent corporate entities and open bank accounts that were used to receive fraud proceeds from victims of the scheme. PONMARAN also laundered fraud proceeds in multiple ways, including by directing co-conspirators to wire fraud proceeds to accounts in India and the U.S.
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In addition to his prison sentence, PONMARAN, 36, a citizen of India, was sentenced to three years of supervised release and forfeiture of $6,110,884.51.
PONMARAN’s co-defendants, Romana Leyva and Ariful Haque, were both sentenced by Judge Paul A. Crotty in 2022, following their respective guilty pleas. Leyva was sentenced to 100 months in prison and three years of supervised release, and she was ordered to forfeit $4,679,586.93 and to pay restitution of $2,707,882.91. Haque was sentenced to one year and one day in prison and three years of supervised release, and he was ordered to forfeit $38,886.32 and to pay restitution of $470,672.16.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the New York Office of the Homeland Security Investigations’s El Dorado Task Force, Cyber Intrusion/Cyber Fraud Group. Mr. Williams also thanked the New York City Police Department for its assistance on this case.
This matter is being handled by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Neff is in charge of the prosecution.
Lakeland Man Sentenced to More Than 3 Years for Bringing Loaded Firearm into Tampa International Airport TerminalRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Abraham Othman Yacoub (26, Lakeland) to three years and six months in federal prison for violating airport security requirements and attempted possession of a dangerous weapon on an aircraft. Yacoub entered a guilty plea on April 10, 2024.
According to the court records, on August 4, 2023, Yacoub arrived at Tampa International Airport to board a flight to Las Vegas, Nevada. Yacoub entered the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) screening line and placed his backpack, shoes, and other personal items into a TSA bin before proceeding through TSA screening.
The Hillsborough County Aviation Authority Rules and Regulations for Tampa International Airport state that “[n]o person except those persons authorized by law may carry a firearm or concealed weapon inside the passenger terminal and sterile areas of the airport…” Further, the airport has clearly posted no-firearms signs at the entry of every airport security line.
TSA electronically screened Yacoub’s items with an x-ray machine and observed a firearm inside of Yacoub’s bag. While TSA agents were attempting to locate the bag containing the firearm, Yacoub took his bag from the conveyor belt and proceeded to the nearest men’s restroom. Once in the restroom, Yacoub removed the firearm from his backpack, wrapped it in toilet paper, and hid it in a trashcan.
A short time later, Yacoub exited the men’s restroom and returned to the TSA screening area, still holding his backpack, where he was met by a TSA agent. TSA agents rescreened Yacoub’s backpack and questioned Yacoub who lied to TSA agents and told them that he had not brought a firearm into the airport. The airport terminal had to be evacuated of passengers and numerous flights were delayed.
The Tampa Airport Police Department (TPA PD) responded to the screening area, questioned Yacoub, and searched the men’s restroom that Yacoub had entered. Inside a trashcan in the bathroom, TSA and TPA PD officers located a black firearm partially wrapped in toilet paper with 14 nine-millimeter rounds of ammunition inside of a magazine loaded into the gun.
Yacoub agreed to forfeit the Glock 19 and assorted ammunition, seized on August 4, 2023, which are traceable to proceeds of the offense.
This is Yacoub’s second time bringing a firearm into a Florida airport. In late 2020, Yacoub brought a firearm into the TSA secured area of an airport in Miami-Dade County. Yacoub pleaded guilty on August 19, 2021, to carrying a concealed firearm for that offense.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Transportation Security Administration, and the Tampa International Airport Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Karyna Valdes.
Kirkland, Washington, home remodeler pleads guilty to wire fraud for scheme using forged subcontractor invoicesRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 58-year-old Kirkland, Washington, home remodeling contractor pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to wire fraud for his scheme to steal more than $3.5 million from customers using fake invoices, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Joseph D. Bergevin admitted that he forged invoices to steal money from 24 customers who had hired him for their remodeling projects. U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead scheduled sentencing for November 7, 2024.
According to the plea agreement, between 2016 and 2019, Bergevin served as the general contractor on a number of home remodeling projects. As the general contractor, Bergevin was responsible for arranging for subcontractors to do specific work on the project and making sure they got paid. However, during the wire fraud scheme, Bergevin presented his customers with hundreds of forged subcontractor invoices. Bergevin used the names, logos, and other identifying information about the subcontractors to create the false invoices. He then sent them to the customers for payment. Bergevin falsely told the customer that the invoice was for work that had been done or would be done. In some instances, he claimed that by paying “up front” the customer could lock in lower rates for building materials when the work was done.
The false invoices totaled $3,554,054 and went to twenty-four different customers. Under the terms of the plea agreement, Bergevin is responsible for at least $3,554,054 in restitution. Prosecutors will present evidence at sentencing supporting restitution for all the losses caused by the criminal conduct in this scheme.
Prosecutors have agreed to recommend a sentence at the low end of the guidelines range determined by the court. Judge Whitehead is not bound by the recommendation and can impose any sentence allowed by law.
Wire fraud is punishable by up to twenty years in prison.
The case is being investigated by the FBI, the Kirkland Police Department, and King County Sheriff’s Office.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Dion and Yunah Chung.
Kansas Man Pleads Guilty to Brandishing Gun and Using Death Threats and Racial Slurs to Intimidate Two Black Children and an AdultRead the Press Release
A Kansas man pleaded guilty today to two counts of interference with federally-protected activities, two counts of interstate threats and one count of interference with housing.
Austin Schoemann, 30, of Wichita, admitted during his plea hearing that, on July 27, 2022, he brandished a firearm and used racial slurs in order to threaten two Black juveniles while they were entering a QuikTrip gasoline station, and that he also used his firearm to threaten a Black adult who intervened to support the juveniles.
“This defendant committed serious hate crimes when he used guns and death threats to terrorize two Black children and an adult who came to their aid,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The defendant’s hate-fueled crime spree continued when he made threats to a white woman and her family that he would shoot and kill any Black person visiting her home. Racially-motivated threats and violence, in any form, are unacceptable in our society. The Justice Department is committed to enforcing federal civil rights laws to protect crime victims targeted because of race.”
“Racially based violence and threats of violence should never be tolerated. This reprehensible behavior is illegal and subject to federal criminal prosecution,” said U.S. Attorney Kate E. Brubacher for the District of Kansas. “The Justice Department will defend civil rights and prosecute anyone who harasses and threatens people based on their race.”
“There is no place for race-based violence in the state of Kansas,” said Special Agent in Charge Stephen Cyrus of the FBI Kansas City Field Office. “Every individual is entitled to the fundamental right to live their lives without fear and intimidation based solely on their race. Today’s plea underscores the FBI’s commitment to investigating and preventing racially motivated crimes. These crimes have a wide-ranging impact and the FBI, along with our law enforcement partners, have no tolerance for these types of threats.”
Schoemann also acknowledged that, beginning in January 2022 and continuing through August 2022, he interfered with the federally protected housing rights of a white woman by making threats to hurt or kill any Black people who visited her home. Schoemann further admitted that he sent videos and messages to the woman’s family members and others in which he repeatedly threatened to shoot and kill Black people.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 16. Under the terms of his plea agreement, Schoemann faces a penalty of 63 to 84 months in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Kansas City Field Office and Wichita Police investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron Smith for the District of Kansas and Trial Attorney Thomas Johnson of the Civil Rights Division are prosecuting the case.
KC Man Pleads Guilty to Straw Purchase of Firearm Found After Mass Shooting at Super Bowl RallyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man pleaded guilty in federal court today to the illegal straw purchase of a firearm recovered at the scene of the mass shooting at Union Station during the celebration of the Kansas City Chiefs Super Bowl victory on Feb. 14, 2024.
Ronnel Dewayne Williams, Jr., 22, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to one count of conspiracy to make false statements in the acquisition of a firearm.
By pleading guilty today, Williams admitted that he participated in the criminal conspiracy from Nov. 25, 2023, to Feb. 21, 2024. Williams made false statements to a licensed firearms dealer on Nov. 25, 2023, claiming he was the actual buyer of a Stag Arms lower receiver, which was intended to deceive the dealer into making the sale to Williams. Firearm receivers, or frames, house the firing mechanism and other internal parts of a firearm. The receiver can be loaded and fired, or built into a complete firearm by adding components. By federal definition, a receiver is a firearm and is the only controlled component of a firearm.
Williams admitted he was not the true buyer of the firearm, but was purchasing the firearm on behalf of a co-conspirator who was not of lawful age to purchase the firearm himself. Williams admitted he provided the firearm to his co-conspirator on the same day of the purchase.
Law enforcement officers recovered the firearm, with an affixed 300-blackout barrel, on Feb. 14, 2024, in the area of 30 West Pershing Road, Kansas City, Mo., following the mass shooting incident.
Williams also admitted that, between Feb. 16 and Feb. 21, 2024, he provided materially false statements to federal law enforcement officers regarding the acquisition and disposition of the Stag Arms lower receiver.
Under federal statutes, Williams is subject to a sentence of up to five years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jess Michaelsen. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
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.
Bipartisan Safer Communities Act
This case was prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.
Jacksonville Man Indicted for Producing, Distributing, and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an eleven-count indictment charging Joshua Keith Davis (52, Jacksonville) with producing, distributing, and possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). If convicted, Davis faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, up to 30 years, in federal prison, for each production offense (5 counts), a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, up to 20 years’ imprisonment, for each distribution offense (5 counts), and up to 20 years in prison for the possession offense (1 count).
According to court documents, between 2011 and 2013 Davis produced CSAM and later distributed the material. Davis was also found in possession of CSAM in 2022. He is currently detained pending the resolution of his ongoing state and federal criminal charges.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Nate.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Hartford Man Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Federal Prison for Trafficking FentanylRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ISSACHAMIL TORRES, also known as “Chamil,” 38, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to 66 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation revealed that Torres was trafficking fentanyl from his residence on Crown Street in Hartford, and that he was using an apartment on Nutmeg Lane in East Hartford to store, process and package narcotics for street sale. On January 25, 2023, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of the East Hartford apartment and seized approximately 5,400 dose bags of fentanyl, approximately one kilogram of unpackaged fentanyl, and items used to process and package narcotics. Torres, Efrain Cheverez, and Enrique Rodriguez Rivera, who were present in the apartment, were arrested at that time. That same day, a search of Torres’s Hartford residence revealed distribution quantities of fentanyl and crack cocaine, and approximately $30,000 in cash.
On May 7, 2024, Torres pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute, and to possess with intent to distribute, 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Torres, who is released on a $100,000 bond, is required to report to prison on September 30.
Cheverez and Rodriguez pleaded guilty to related charges. On December 19, 2023, Rodriguez was sentenced to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, and on May 13, 2024, Cheverez was sentenced to 28 months of imprisonment.
This investigation was conducted by the DEA’s Hartford Task Force, which includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Hampton landlord racially harassed and evicted tenants, then used their identities to defraud COVID relief programsRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Hampton man pled guilty today to wire fraud, aggravated identity theft, and race-based interference with housing and employment.
According to court documents, David L. Merryman, 59, owns 39 rental properties in Newport News and 23 more in Hampton. Many of Merryman’s rental properties were in poor condition and located in low-income neighborhoods. He primarily rented the properties to underprivileged African American tenants with limited credit and housing options.
From 2019 through at least January 2024, Merryman engaged in a multifaceted scheme that included obtaining rent relief benefits to which he was not entitled, as well as fraudulently obtaining large initial payments in the form of security deposits, prepaid rent, and other fees for rental homes that were in poor repair. Merryman implied to prospective tenants that he would lease the rentals for longer tenancy terms but intended to evict them as quickly as possible to restart the cycle of fraud and collect more high initial payments from new tenants.
On several occasions, Merryman harassed his minority tenants with slurs, comments about slavery, mocking comments, death threats, and other assaultive conduct related to their race, all in violation of their right to occupy and lease a dwelling free from racially motivated harassment, threats, and force. He also interfered with at least one victim’s right to enjoy employment free from racial threats and assaultive conduct.
Merryman fabricated lease documents, often with incorrect information related to the tenants, and backdated documents before forging tenants’ signatures and falsely representing that he was authorized to act on their behalf.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, state and federal governments made rent relief benefits available to those struggling during the national health crisis. Merryman filed fraudulent rent relief applications and used his tenants' names and personal information without their consent and forged their signatures. In many cases, he obtained significant sums of rent relief without telling the tenants, even evicting, or seeking to evict, the very same tenants for unpaid rent. To obtain housing-assistance payments from the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), Merryman also made false representations about the condition of his rental properties and whether he was receiving other payments that would be duplicative of federally funded rental assistance.
Merryman also defrauded tenants by obtaining money and property from them under false pretenses, primarily through false representations that he would repair his properties to induce tenants to pay significant upfront fees for neglected, even uninhabitable, properties that he never intended to improve.
For example, a tenant, identified as L.G., made requests for necessary repairs to the home she was renting, to which Merryman repeatedly made racially derogatory responses. In April 2019, Merryman threatened to turn L.G. and her children into “potting soil.” L.G. obtained a protective order against Merryman, who then responded by, among other things, parking his vehicle just outside the prohibited radius of the order and intimidating L.G. and her family.
Another tenant, identified as E.P., regularly paid Merryman rent from 2015 until she was laid off from her job in 2021 during the pandemic after suffering medical problems resulting in her hospitalization. On May 10, 2021, Merryman applied to the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development for approximately $15,100 in rent relief benefits for E.P. and forged her signature, all without her consent. Despite obtaining those benefits for E.P., Merryman evicted her, citing her unpaid rent. E.P. then lost all her belongings when Merryman sent a crew to remove them from her home and tow her car when she was hospitalized.
After Merryman failed to complete a driveway construction project, the customer hired a concrete construction business owner, identified as E.S., to finish the job. E.S. had worked in the concrete construction business for more than 40 years. On July 8, 2020, shortly after E.S. finished the project, he received a call from Merryman, who repeatedly threatened him. E.S. obtained a protective order against Merryman, after which, in March 2021, Merryman came to a different jobsite where E.S. was working and stared at him and his team.
Merryman is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 18. He faces up to twenty years in prison for wire fraud, up to one year in prison on both the race-based interference with housing count and the race-based interference with employment count, and a mandatory minimum of two years in prison to be served consecutive to any other term of imprisonment imposed for aggravated identity theft. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Rae Oliver Davis, Department of Housing and Urban Development Inspector General; and Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys D. Mack Coleman, Julie D. Podlesni, and Brian J. Samuels are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-cr-4.
Four Individuals Plead Guilty to Federal Charges Arising Out of International Mail and Wire Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
The scheme operated for years in West Michigan and throughout the United States
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark A. Totten today announced that four individuals pleaded guilty to federal charges for participating in an international mail and wire fraud scheme originating in Nigeria and frequently targeting elderly individuals. Fatai Okunola, 37, of Kalamazoo, Michigan; Oluwaseyi Adeola, 34, of Dallas, Texas; and Cory McDougal, 33, of Romeoville, Illinois, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and Ijeoma Adeola, 36, also of Dallas, Texas, pleaded guilty to misprision of a felony (the failure to report the commission of a felony to appropriate authorities and taking an affirmative step to assist in the concealment of the crime) for her role in affirmatively concealing the operations of the conspiracy. Fatai Okunola additionally pleaded guilty to making false statements on his application for naturalization as a United States citizen and money laundering related to assisting other individuals in purchasing vehicles with money from the fraud scheme and exporting the vehicles to Nigeria.
“Securing these guilty pleas is a step forward to ensuring justice for the victims of this international fraud scheme,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “The defendants used modern technology, including the internet and social media platforms – something we all rely upon every day to communicate and carry out legitimate tasks in our daily lives – to prey on elderly and vulnerable victims. Some of the victims in this case lost their retirement savings, took loans against their homes, or suffered other financial distress because of the defendants’ alleged lies. My office will vigorously pursue sentences that appropriately reflect the seriousness of this financial fraud and the damage they have done to the public’s confidence in the information we all receive over the internet every day.”
According to court records, the defendants conspired with individuals primarily in Nigeria to defraud individuals in the United States, many that were elderly or particularly vulnerable, through a variety of fraud schemes using interstate wire transmissions or the mail system. The conspirators in Nigeria created false online personas to develop relationships with their victims over the internet, through social media, by text messages or by telephone. These relationships centered around romantic interests, offers to buy or sell goods or services, apartment rentals, or offers to make loans or provide grant funding, among other schemes. The conspirators sent pictures or provided other information to the victims to make their schemes appear genuine. When the conspirators used telephone calls, they used voice-over-internet-protocol numbers to make it appear as if the calls were originating within the United States near the victims. After developing the relationships, the conspirators asked for money for a variety of reasons related to the scheme.
After the victims agreed, the conspirators directed the victims to send the money to the defendants, who opened numerous bank accounts to receive the victims’ money. On some occasions, the defendants received the victims’ money in post office boxes maintained under alias names or through payments made payable to “shell” businesses that the defendants, including Ijeoma Adeola, created to receive fraud proceeds. The victims sent the money to the defendants through the mail, bank-to-bank transfers, or through peer-to-peer money transfer services like Zelle or PayPal. After the defendants received the money in their accounts, they transferred the money to each other, to the conspirators overseas, and to their own accounts in Nigeria. Fatai Okunola used some of the fraud proceeds he received to assist others in purchasing automobiles in the United States and then exporting them to Nigeria. According to the indictment, defendants received more than $2 million dollars in their accounts from the scheme between 2017 and 2022.
All defendants will be sentenced on January 14, 2025. Fatai Okunola, Oluwaseyi Adeola, and Cory McDougal each face a maximum sentence of up to 20 years in prison for their roles in the conspiracy to commit mail and wire fraud and will be ordered to pay restitution to their victims. Okunola additionally faces a maximum sentence of up to 10 years in prison for his money laundering conviction, up to 5 years in prison for his conviction related to making false statements on his naturalization application, and possible removal and deportation from the United States. Ijeoma Adeola faces a maximum sentence of up to 3 years in prison and will be ordered to pay restitution to her victims.
“HSI continues to ensure that fraudsters are held accountable for their crimes and today’s guilty plea is evidence of that,” said HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey. “By working together at all levels of law enforcement, we can dismantle interstate and international fraud networks that prey on hard-working people across the country.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is charged with safeguarding the nation’s mail system, and those who use it, from fraud and exploitation – a charge we take very seriously,” said USPIS Inspector in Charge Rodney Hopkins. “Particularly when it comes to our most vulnerable populations, we work tirelessly alongside our partners to prosecute such financial predators to the fullest extent of the law. I would like to thank HSI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan for their partnership and the great work on this case leading to today’s guilty pleas.”
Individuals who believe they may be a victim of this fraud and who have not yet communicated with the U.S. Attorney’s Office are encouraged to visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdmi/victim-and-witness-assistance-program/vw-large-cases/okunola or contact Breane Warner, Victim Assistance Specialist, at (616) 808-2064. A list of post office boxes, email addresses, and fraudulent names used in this case are posted on the website.
Anyone who suspects an ongoing internet crime is encouraged to file a report with the Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3.gov), the FBI’s central hub for reporting cybercrime. Those reports often provide invaluable information to help the FBI and its law enforcement partners investigate and prosecute fraud schemes like the one charged in this case.
Federal law enforcement provides a number of tips on how to protect yourself from similar internet or email scams, including:
- Be cautious of unsolicited phone calls, e-mails, and mailings.
- Never give or send any sensitive information (including your date of birth, account numbers, or passwords), credit or debit card numbers, or money to unverified people or businesses.
- Resist the pressure to act quickly. Scammers create a false sense of urgency to lure people to immediate action.
- If you recognize a scam attempt, immediately end all communication with the perpetrator.
The Homeland Security Investigations, and United States Postal Inspection Service, Grand Rapids offices, are investigating this case. The Kalamazoo Department of Public Safety also provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ron Stella is prosecuting the case.
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Former operations manager admits embezzling from Billings federal credit unionRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — The former operations manager of a Billings federal credit union admitted today to embezzling more than $60,000 while employed there, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Kelly Jo Muzzana, 40, pleaded guilty to an information charging her with embezzlement by credit union employee. Muzzana faces a maximum of 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine and five years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Muzzana’s release was continued pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court records that from January 2023 through Dec. 12, 2023, Muzzana, who was the operations manager at Altana Federal Credit Union, embezzled more than $60,000 of credit union funds by using debit cards, credit cards and account information of customers to make unauthorized purchases. In addition, Muzzana processed customers’ fraudulent spending claims personally to avoid detection and prevented many of the customers from filing police reports, Some, however, did file police reports. Muzzana had access to customer data and was responsible for processing Altana’s entire fraud-alert process. Muzzana created duplicate bank cards for customers’ accounts and took them home with her in addition to taking cards Altana received in the mail that were undelivered to customers. Muzzana used the bank cards to make purchases online and in retail stores around Billings.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The Billings Police Department and FBI conducted the investigation.
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Former gym owner indicted for recording minors in tanning salon and home, possessing child pornography and enticing childrenRead the Press Release
STATESBORO, GA: The former owner of a Toombs County fitness and tanning business has been indicted on federal charges involving the sexual exploitation of multiple children.
Walter Joey Drew, 41, of Kite, Ga., is charged in a newly unsealed federal indictment with six counts of Production of Child Pornography; three counts of Attempted Production of Child Pornography; six counts of Possession of Child Pornography; and one count each of Receipt of Child Pornography and Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
The charge of Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor carries a statutory minimum sentence upon conviction of 10 years in federal prison, up to life imprisonment, while production or attempted production charges carry a statutory minimum sentence upon conviction of 15 years in federal prison, up to 30 years. Conviction on any of the charges carries substantial financial penalties and restitution, a requirement to register as a sex offender, and up to lifetime supervised release upon completion of any prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Criminal indictments contain only charges; defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Drew is the former owner of the now-closed Legacy Performance Center in Lyons, Ga., a gym with a tanning center. The indictment alleges that from February 2021 to June of 2023, Drew produced or attempted to produce sexually explicit visual depictions of at least eight minor victims at the gym and his residence, and had those images in his possession. The indictment also alleges that Drew attempted to entice one of the minor victims to engage in sexual activity to produce child pornography.
Drew faces related state charges in Toombs County, in the Southern District of Georgia, and from separate conduct at a previous residence in White County, in the Northern District of Georgia.
Investigators from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) are seeking information from anyone who might be a victim or believes they have relevant information about Drew or his former business. Those with information are asked to call the HSI Tip Line at 866-347-2423.
The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Jason W. Blanchard.
Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678, or https://report.cybertip.org/.
Former Jacksonville Electric Authority CEO Aaron Zahn Sentenced to Four Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Steal City Funds and Wire FraudRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Aaron Zahn (44, formerly of Jacksonville Beach) to four years in federal prison for conspiracy to steal and embezzle City of Jacksonville municipal funds and for wire fraud. Zahn was found guilty after a four-week jury trial on March 14, 2024.
According to court documents and evidence admitted at trial, Zahn became the interim CEO of the Jacksonville Electric Authority (JEA) in April 2018, then the permanent CEO in November 2018. During his tenure as CEO, Zahn led a process to convince the JEA Board of Directors that if JEA did not privatize or recapitalize, the historically successful municipal utility (in operation since 1895) faced daunting headwinds that it would not overcome over the ensuing decade, such that considering privatization through a statutorily required process known as an Invitation To Negotiate (ITN) was the only viable path forward. During that process in the summer of 2019, Zahn developed a bonus plan known as the Performance Unit Plan (PUP) that appeared to pay reasonable bonuses to PUP unit holders if JEA hit certain performance metrics. In reality, the PUP had hidden aspects designed to pay Zahn and other JEA executives lavish bonuses based on a calculation tethered to a sale of the municipal utility.
Trial evidence showed that the 100,000 PUP units were designed to increase in value from $10 to upwards of $11,500, for a potential bonus pool of $315,000,000, which would have been funded from the sale or privatization of JEA. Zahn expected to personally benefit from the PUP if JEA was sold in the amount of approximately $40 million, and Zahn expected other high level JEA executives to make approximately $10 million. The PUP was a made-up stock tethered to a public entity (JEA) that had no concept of equity. The formula was engineered to lead to the certainty of large payouts of money if JEA was sold pursuant to minimum requirements for recapitalization that Zahn created.
On November 18, 2019, after studying the PUP and asking numerous questions of Zahn and others, the City of Jacksonville Council Auditor issued a memorandum to the Members of the Jacksonville City Council that exposed the true nature of the PUP, based on potential net proceeds to the City of Jacksonville upon a sale of JEA in the amounts of $3 billion to $5 billion. After the Council Auditor revealed the intention to steal and embezzle funds from the sale of JEA, the ITN process was cancelled, and Zahn was terminated from his CEO position.
“Fraud and corruption pose a fundamental threat to our national security and our way of life, and the FBI will not tolerate those who seek to deceive American citizens. As a taxpayer, you are entitled to decisions based on the public's best interest, and we take very seriously our responsibility to investigate and aggressively pursue individuals who attempt to defraud publicly funded institutions in a selfish effort to line their own pockets,” said Special Agent in Charge Kristin Rehler of the FBI Jacksonville Field Office. “FBI Jacksonville is committed to ensuring that anyone who violates the public's trust is held accountable to the fullest extent possible.”
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and investigators from the State Attorney’s Office for the Fourth Judicial Circuit assigned to the FBI. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys A. Tysen Duva and Chip Corsmeier.
Former Green Beret and Venezuelan National Charged with Violating Export and Firearms LawsRead the Press Release
Note: View the indictment here.
Tampa, FL – Jordan Guy MacDonald Goudreau, 48, of Melbourne, Florida, and Yacsy Alexandra Alvarez, 43, of Tampa, Florida, were arrested yesterday pursuant to a now-unsealed indictment charging them with conspiracy to violate export laws, smuggling goods from the United States, violating the Arms Export Control Act, and violating the Export Control Reform Act. The indictment also charges Goudreau with violating the National Firearms Act and unlawful possession of machineguns.
According to court documents, beginning in November 2019, Goudreau, Alvarez and others conspired to export AR-type firearms, night vision devices, laser sights and other equipment from the United States to Colombia, without obtaining the required export licenses. These unlicensed exports were undertaken to carry out activities in Venezuela. In furtherance of the conspiracy, Goudreau, Alvarez and their co-conspirators procured firearms and military-related equipment through Goudreau’s Melbourne-based company, Silvercorp, and exported those items to Colombia, where some of the items were seized by the Colombia National Police. The indictment further alleges that Goudreau unlawfully possessed machineguns and unregistered silencers.
If convicted, Goudreau and Alvarez face the following maximum penalties: five years in prison for conspiracy, 10 years in prison for smuggling, 20 years in prison for violations of export control laws, and 10 years in prison for each violation of the National Firearms Act and unlawful possession of a machinegun. The indictment also notifies Goudreau and Alvarez that the United States intends to forfeit firearms and other military equipment, which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security are investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Risha Asokan and Daniel J. Marcet for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Menno Goedman and Emma Ellenrieder of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Green Beret and Venezuelan National Charged with Violating Export and Firearms LawsRead the Press Release
Jordan Guy MacDonald Goudreau, 48, of Melbourne, Florida, and Yacsy Alexandra Alvarez, 43, of Tampa, Florida, were arrested yesterday pursuant to a now-unsealed indictment charging them with conspiracy to violate export laws, smuggling goods from the United States, violating the Arms Export Control Act, and violating the Export Control Reform Act. The indictment also charges Goudreau with violating the National Firearms Act and unlawful possession of machineguns.
According to court documents, beginning in November 2019, Goudreau, Alvarez and others conspired to export AR-type firearms, night vision devices, laser sights and other equipment from the United States to Colombia, without obtaining the required export licenses. These unlicensed exports were undertaken to carry out activities in Venezuela. In furtherance of the conspiracy, Goudreau, Alvarez and their co-conspirators procured firearms and military-related equipment through Goudreau’s Melbourne-based company, Silvercorp, and exported those items to Colombia, where some of the items were seized by the Colombia National Police. The indictment further alleges that Goudreau unlawfully possessed machineguns and unregistered silencers.
If convicted, Goudreau and Alvarez face the following maximum penalties: five years in prison for conspiracy, 10 years in prison for smuggling, 20 years in prison for violations of export control laws, and 10 years in prison for each violation of the National Firearms Act and unlawful possession of a machinegun. The indictment also notifies Goudreau and Alvarez that the United States intends to forfeit firearms and other military equipment, which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations and the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security are investigating the case, with valuable assistance provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Risha Asokan and Daniel J. Marcet for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Menno Goedman and Emma Ellenrieder of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
IndictmentForestport Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Henry C. Albrecht, Jr., age 54, of Forestport, New York, was sentenced today to serve 180 months (15 years) in federal prison for presenting, receiving, and possessing child pornography.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.
During his previously entered guilty plea, Albrecht admitted that, from at least May 2021 through February 28, 2023, he received child pornography images and videos using social media messaging applications and from another adult who gave him a flash drive with child pornography files saved onto it. Albrecht admitted further that, in December 2022, he had a live video call with another adult and shared his screen with that person and presented multiple videos of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Albrecht also possessed more than 2,500 files of child pornography on various devices on the day of his arrest.
In addition to imposing a 15-year term of imprisonment, United States District Judge David N. Hurd also sentenced Albrecht to serve a 15-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, at which time Albrecht will be required to register as a sex offender. Albrecht also was ordered to forfeit to the United States the electronic devices he used to commit the offenses.
HSI investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael D. Gadarian prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Florida businessman indicted for defrauding real estate developers out of millions of dollarsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Florida businessman made his initial appearance after a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, returned an indictment charging him with defrauding corporate clients in Kansas, Missouri, Utah, and Ohio by fraudulently inducing them to enter loan agreements to finance construction projects and then misappropriating more than $4 million in deposits made by the victims.
According to court documents, David Ingram, 72, of Sanford, Florida (previously of North Carolina), is charged with four counts of wire fraud.
Ingram is accused of making false representations to developers seeking loans for large-scale construction projects. Ingram represented that his company, AltosGroups, had lines of credit with major international financial institutions. Multiple times in 2019, Ingram required victims to wire deposits into AltosGroups bank accounts as a condition of obtaining financing, and he told them the deposits would be placed in dedicated escrow or reserve accounts. Instead, Ingram allegedly commingled most of that money with other funds and made unauthorized transactions including transfers to his and his wife’s bank accounts for personal use. One $3 million deposit was sent to a Mexican financial institution without the developer’s knowledge or authorization. AltosGroups then canceled the financing contracts with the developers without returning the deposits.
The defendant made his initial court appearance on July 30, 2024, in the Middle District of Florida. He is scheduled to appear before U.S. Magistrate Judge Teresa J. James of the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas at 1:30 p.m. on August 14, 2024.
IRS Criminal Investigations and the U.S. Secret Service are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ryan J. Huschka is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###Florida Man Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Fort Welton, Florida, man convicted of Involuntary Manslaughter. The sentencing took place on July 25, 2024.
Giles Frederick Hulsmann, 38, was sentenced to two and a half years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Hulsmann was indicted for Involuntary Manslaughter by a federal grand jury in June of 2023. He pleaded guilty on May 3, 2024.
On November 24, 2022, Hulsmann found himself lost and near Pine Ridge, South Dakota, significantly off route from his destination. Rather than pulling over and orienting himself with the area, Hulsmann flew into a rage and drove approximately 80 MPH in a 45 MPH zone when he struck a motorcyclist. An accident reconstructionist determined that Hulsmann did not utilize his brakes or swerve before hitting the motorcyclist head on.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Oglala Sioux Tribe Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
Hulsmann was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Florida Businessman Charged with Bankruptcy OffensesRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging David Ingram (72, Sanford) with four counts of making false declarations on bankruptcy forms and one count of making a false oath or account during a bankruptcy proceeding. If convicted on all counts, Ingram faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment, in January 2023, Ingram executed and caused to be filed two separate Chapter 11 bankruptcy petitions and associated schedules under criminal penalty on behalf of two companies he controlled: (1) Altosgroups Florida, LLC (Altos-FL); and Altosgroups North Carolina, LLC (Altos-NC) with the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Florida. In each bankruptcy case, Ingram made materially false declarations under penalty of perjury on the Schedules of Assets and Liabilities and Statements of Financial Affairs that Altos FL and Altos-NC held approximately $4.6 million of assets held on behalf of creditors in an Altos-FL corporate bank account he controlled. Ingram knew at the time he made the declarations that he had transferred over $3 million of creditor assets Altos-FL was holding out of the Altos-FL bank account in November 2019.
Additionally, Ingram falsely testified under oath at a Section 341 meeting of creditors that the Altos-FL and Altos-NC Schedules of Assets and Liabilities and Statements of Financial Affairs were true and correct.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The Office of the United States Trustee for the Middle District of Florida provided substantial investigative assistance. It will be prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.
Five Individuals Arrested in Multi-State Investigation of a Conspiracy to Distribute Drugs in the Jackson AreaRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – Five individuals were arrested yesterday pursuant to a federal indictment filed in the Southern District of Mississippi charging defendants from Hinds, Madison, and Newton counties. The charges stem from a multi-year federal investigation of a drug trafficking operation distributing methamphetamine, cocaine, and other illegal drugs in the area of Jackson, Mississippi and elsewhere.
The indictment charges nine individuals with various drug trafficking crimes, including, but not limited, to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to do so. Several defendants face mandatory minimum sentences because of the significant quantities of illegal drugs. Additionally, some defendants have been charged with firearms-related crimes.
“The Department of Justice is working hard with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to help make the Jackson area safer by conducting major investigations, like this one, that dismantle drug trafficking and violent organizations,” said U.S. Attorney Todd Gee. “Criminals in Jackson should be on notice that committing crimes as part of a large group is a one-way ticket to federal prison.”
“The Drug Enforcement Administration is committed to protecting our communities from the scourge of drugs,” said DEA Assistant Special Agent in Charge Anessa Daniels-McCaw. “These arrests are the culmination of a multi-year investigation, and we will continue to aggressively pursue those who poison our communities with deadly substances.”
“Citizens throughout Mississippi deserve to live in drug free communities,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff. “These arrests exemplify the collaborative efforts between federal, state and local law enforcement partners in thwarting illegal drug trafficking operations, as we continue to work together making our communities safer.”
“Working alongside our local, state, and federal partners demonstrates that cooperation consistently leads to successful outcomes,” said Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell. “I am proud of the work done in this case to ensure that we are all united in continuing to combat drug crime and ensure safety in Mississippi.”
“I am extremely excited about the collaboration and collective efforts with our federal partners, state partners, and the U.S. Attorney," said Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade. "U.S. Attorney Todd Gee continues his commitment to assisting JPD in our efforts to combat violent crimes. This effort exemplifies his work, along with the federal partners and the hard work of the men and women of the Jackson Police Department to improve the quality of life for the citizens of the City of Jackson.”
The following defendants were arrested yesterday:
James Naylor, 59, of Jackson; Donald Jordan, 49, of Jackson; Cedrick Barber, 48, of Jackson; Aron Brown, 53, of Madison; and Danita Wheeler, 58, of Jackson.
Initial court appearances were held this morning before U.S. Magistrate Judge LaKeysha Greer Isaac in U.S. District Court in Jackson.
The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi, Assistant Special Agent in Charge Anessa Daniels-McCaw of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Marshal Mark Shepherd, Mississippi Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell, Jackson Police Chief Joseph Wade and Hinds County Sheriff Tyree Jones.
The cases are being investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Hinds County Sheriff’s Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Jackson Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam T. Stuart is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carla Clark assisted in the investigation. The Office of Enforcement Operations in the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division also provided assistance.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Five Chinese Nationals Indicted for Scamming Seniors Out of More Than $27 MillionRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – July 31, 2024
SAN DIEGO – An indictment was unsealed today alleging that five individuals participated in a massive, complex fraud and money laundering scheme that resulted in losses of more than $27 million to over 2,000 seniors.
During a coordinated law enforcement operation this morning in Los Angeles, California and Las Vegas, Nevada, about 60 federal, state and local law enforcement officials arrested four of the defendants—Zhao Wang of Henderson, Nevada; Jiandong Chen of Pomona, California; Jun Li of West Covina, California; and Xin Wang of San Gabriel, California—and searched their homes. The fifth defendant, Youfei Gong, was arrested on April 9, 2024, at his home in San Gabriel, California and was in custody on state charges.
According to the indictment and publicly filed documents, the five defendants and their co-conspirators operated a multinational organized fraud ring targeting elderly victims throughout the United States.
The indictment said conspirators contacted victims through unsolicited pop-up ads, emails and phone calls designed to get victims to contact scam call centers in India. The conspirators used social engineering techniques to build trust with victims. In many cases, the conspirators had victims install remote desktop software that the conspirators used to gain remote access to victims’ computers. After building trust with a victim based on fraudulent pretenses, the conspirators used technical support, government impersonation, bank impersonation and/or refund scams to induce victims to send money to other members of the conspiracy, including the five defendants charged in the indictment.
At the direction of conspirators, victims sent wire transfers or cash in express mail packages to locations throughout Southern California, Nevada and elsewhere. The defendants provided fake names and addresses corresponding with retail locations, including CVS Pharmacy locations, where packages were picked up. The defendants and co-conspirators picked up money-laden packages using fake IDs.
According to the indictment, the defendants specifically targeted elderly Americans. After receiving the victims’ money, the defendants laundered it through cryptocurrency transactions to their India-based co-conspirators. As defendant Xin Wang stated in a text message:
The FBI uncovered the multinational conspiracy showing the coordination between the defendants in the United States and their India-based co-conspirators who were in direct contact with victims. Between just 2021 to 2023, agents identified approximately 2,000 victims who lost more than $27 million to the conspirators. The indictment said the conspiracy continued through June 2024.
“Every day swindlers entangle unsuspecting seniors into scams to steal their hard-earned savings,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “We urge everyone to use caution and consult with others before sending money to strangers they know only through phone calls, texts, or a computer.”
“Southern California is sadly a target rich environment for foreign and domestic scam artists who relentlessly prey on vulnerable Americans and their bank accounts,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “Today's arrests follow hard work by many dedicated law enforcement agencies and will aid our continuing efforts to educate potential victims to avoid responding to strangers who claim to care about them, and never give or send hard-earned money in response to a solicitation.”
“FBI San Diego Elder Justice Task Force, along with FBI LA, has worked tirelessly to bring justice to individuals who target, exploit, and victimize our most vulnerable citizens,” said Stacey Moy Special Agent in Charge for the Federal Bureau of Investigation San Diego Field Office. “The FBI remains resolute in our commitment to disrupt and dismantle foreign-based fraud schemes that prey on our older Americans. We will continue to work side by side with our law enforcement partners to deter and defeat organized fraud rings, no matter where they are located.”
This case was investigated by the San Diego Elder Justice Task Force and its member agencies, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, San Diego County District Attorney’s Office, Carlsbad Police Department, San Diego Police Department, and the California Highway Patrol.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available through the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). You can also report fraud to any local law enforcement agency or on the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center at www.ic3.gov.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Mokhtari.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 24CR1317-RSH
Zhao Wang, aka “Oscar” Age: 40 Henderson, NV
Jiandong Chen, aka “Little Tiger” Age: 40 Pomona, CA
Jun Li Age: 40 West Covina, CA
Xin Wang Age: 36 San Gabriel, CA
Youfei Gong Age: 29 San Gabriel, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Commit Mail and Wire Fraud – Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 1349, 2326
Maximum Penalties: Forty years in prison; $1 million fine
Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments – Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 1956(a)(1)(A)(i), 1956(a)(1)(B)(i) and 1956(h)
Maximum Penalties: Twenty years in prison; maximum fine of $500,000 or twice the amount laundered
Criminal Forfeiture – Title 18, U.S.C., Sections 981(a)(1)(C), 982(a)(1), 982(a)(2)(a), 2328 and Title 28, U.S.C., Section 2461(c)
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation – Office of Inspector General
Homeland Security Investigations
San Diego County District Attorney’s Office
San Diego County Sheriff’s DepartmentSan Diego Police Department
San Diego Elder Justice Task Force
Chino Police Department
Coronado Police Department
Escondido Police Department
Glendora Police Department
Long Beach Police Department
Orange County Sheriff’s Department
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Felon Who Robbed St. Louis Pizza Delivery Driver Sentenced to 9 1/2 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Wednesday sentenced a convicted felon who robbed a pizza delivery driver at gunpoint to nine and one-half years in prison.
Antione L. Shockley ordered wings and two pizzas and had them delivered to a vacant home in the Central West End neighborhood of St. Louis on April 13, 2023. When the driver arrived, Shockley stepped out of a gangway and demanded the food at gunpoint.
On June 24, 2023, Shockley fired a handgun into the air in a school zone. After St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers arrived, Shockley gave the gun to a woman, then pulled a stolen Ruger from his waistband and a rifle from inside his pants and dropped them on the ground. After he was arrested and while he was being booked by police, Shockley struck an officer, injuring the officer’s head.
Shockley is a convicted felon and is thus barred from possessing firearms.
As part of his agreement with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the St. Louis Circuit Attorney’s Office to resolve all charges, Shockley has pleaded guilty to firearm and resisting arrest charges in St. Louis Circuit Court, where he was sentenced in January to seven years in prison.
Shockley, 26, pleaded guilty in January in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one robbery charge and one count of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon.
The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary Bluestone prosecuted the case.
Fact Sheet: Justice Department Actions to Counter the Scourge of Fentanyl and Other Synthetic DrugsRead the Press Release
Over the past several years, the Justice Department has focused on breaking apart every link in the global fentanyl supply chain – from China to Mexico to the United States.
Since the beginning of 2021, the Justice Department has:
- Extradited over 50 cartel members from Mexico to the United States; and
- Charged a dozen Chinese chemical companies and two dozen of their executives for shipping fentanyl precursor chemicals into Mexico and the United States.
This effort has been spearheaded by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the United States’ lead counter-narcotic law enforcement agency.
In 2024 alone, the DEA has:
- Seized over 30 million fentanyl pills and over 4,100 pounds of fentanyl powder, which represents over 208 million deadly doses; and
- Arrested over 2,100 individuals for fentanyl related charges working with its law enforcement partners.
As Attorney General Merrick B. Garland has said, “Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat our country has ever faced, and the Justice Department will not rest until every single cartel leader, member, and associate responsible for poisoning our communities is held accountable.”
Arresting and prosecuting cartel leaders, members, and their associates:
- In April 2023, the Justice Department announced charges against several leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, a transnational drug trafficking organization based in Sinaloa, Mexico, and its facilitators across the globe.
- In October 2023, the Justice Department announced the extradition of Ovidio Guzman Lopez, son of Joaquin Guzman Loera, also known as El Chapo, from Mexico to the United States.
- In April 2024, the Justice Department charged 41 individuals in a 50-count indictment alleging cocaine, fentanyl, heroin, and meth trafficking and related crimes, all operating under the control of the Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generacion (the Jalisco Cartel or CJNG).
- In May 2024, the Justice Department announced the extradition of Néstor Isidro Pérez Salas, also known as El Nini, who the Department alleges was one of the Sinaloa Cartel’s lead sicarios, or assassins.
- In May 2024, the Justice Department announced the extradition of Francisco Pulido after he allegedly supplied the Jalisco Cartel with precursor chemicals used to manufacture controlled substances.
- In July 2024, the Attorney General announced the arrests of alleged leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel, Ismael Zambada Garcia (El Mayo) and Joaquin Guzman Lopez, another son of El Chapo. Both men are facing multiple charges in the United States for leading the Cartel’s criminal operations, including its deadly fentanyl manufacturing and trafficking networks. El Mayo and Guzman Lopez join a growing list of Sinaloa Cartel leaders and associates who the Justice Department is holding accountable in the United States.
- In the course of the investigation into the Chapitos network, the FBI and the DEA have arrested several high-profile targets, and the DEA has conducted operations in 10 countries and seized staggering amounts of illicit materials, including over 2.5 million fentanyl-laced pills, 105 kilograms of fentanyl powder, and 37 kilograms of fentanyl precursor chemicals, amounting to 22,747,441 potentially lethal doses.
Disrupting the chemical precursor supply chain:
- The Justice Department, DEA, and FBI have and will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute every link in the fentanyl supply chain, including the chemical companies and executives in the People’s Republic of China supplying the ingredients used to make this deadly drug.
- On Oct. 3, 2023, the Justice Department announced the unsealing of eight indictments charging China-based companies and their employees with crimes relating to fentanyl and methamphetamine production, distribution of synthetic opioids, and sales resulting from precursor chemicals.
- In February 2024, the Department obtained a nearly 19-year sentence of a defendant responsible for importing tons of fentanyl precursor chemicals from China into Mexico as part of the Jalisco Cartel’s fentanyl trafficking operations.
- In May 2024, the Department extradited another of CJNG’s alleged key chemical suppliers.
- In June 2024, the Justice Department announced a 10-count superseding indictment following a multi-year investigation, named “Operation Fortune Runner,” charging associates of the Sinaloa Cartel with conspiring with money laundering groups linked to Chinese underground banking to launder drug trafficking proceeds. Following the Department’s announcement, China and Mexico took law enforcement actions to arrest fugitives named in the indictment who fled the United States after they were initially charged last year.
Additional actions to counter fentanyl’s fatal impact:
- Over the past year, the Justice Department has convicted dozens of defendants of distributing fentanyl that resulted in the death of the victim, leading courts to impose lengthy terms of incarceration on these drug dealers, including:
- New York Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Fentanyl That Contributed to Two Poisoning Deaths
- California Drug Dealer Sentenced to 78 Months in Fatal Fentanyl Overdose of U.S. Marine
- Texas Men Sentenced to Decades in Prison for Supplying Fentanyl and Other Drugs Sold on Darknet and Causing Fatal ODs
- Tennessee Man Sentenced to Life In Prison For Role In Fentanyl Overdose Death
- Florida Man Sentenced To 40 Years In Prison For Distributing Fentanyl Resulting In Death
- DEA started Operation OD Justice to devote resources to fatal poisoning investigations and provide training to federal, state, and local partners. DEA created Fentanyl Overdose Response Teams in 22 offices across the United States; the teams provide investigative support to fatal poisoning investigations. Every DEA division also has an Overdose Response Coordinator for DEA’s federal, state, and local partners. Since 2023, DEA has worked over 350 poisoning investigations with partners.
- DEA has launched the “One Pill Can Kill” enforcement effort and public awareness campaign. DEA and law enforcement partners have seized millions of fake illicit fentanyl-laced prescription pills and hundreds of pounds of illicit fentanyl powder — millions of potentially lethal doses. In 2024, DEA expanded the One Pill Can Kill public awareness campaign to include a partnership with the NFL Alumni Health Association and launching the One Pill Can Kill Game Over esports tournament.
Targeting criminal enterprises on the Darknet:
- The Joint Criminal Opioid and Darknet Enforcement (JCODE) team is a Justice Department initiative led by the FBI with a mission to target and disrupt criminal enterprises utilizing the Darknet or online platforms to facilitate drug trafficking, specifically opioids. JCODE led Operation SpecTor, a coordinated international law enforcement effort that resulted in 288 arrests and the seizure of 117 firearms, 850 kilograms of drugs, and $53.4 million in cash and cryptocurrency.
- JCODE’s successes include the arrest of an individual operating under the name “Redlightlabs,” who sold approximately 3,800 drug transactions between May-Nov 2022, totaling over 123,000 potentially lethal fentanyl pills, approximately 20 pounds of methamphetamine, and other illicit narcotics. After the FBI arrested the subject, a review of buyer data identified 15 drug overdose victims who purchased fentanyl-laced pills from “Redlightlabs.”
Building partnerships to combat transnational organized crime:
- The DEA is combating the availability of illegal pill presses by working with online retailers to educate them about the sale of pill presses and components used in the production of deadly fake pills. In February 2024, DEA issued a letter to e-commerce companies regarding their responsibility as regulated entities to comply with the recordkeeping, identification, and reporting requirements of the Controlled Substances Act as it relates to the distribution, importation, and exportation of pill press equipment.
- The FBI has dedicated additional resources to combat transnational organized crime on the front lines throughout Mexico and South and Central America, where the threat is emanating. Assistant Legal Attaches work with international partners to further investigations with U.S interests. The FBI also expands its presence in Mexico through Border Liaison Officers, a dedicated team of agents positioned in FBI Offices along the southwest border with unique authority to routinely work matters of U.S interests in Mexico. The FBI also works with nearly 3,000 task force officers across almost 300 task forces engaged in combating gangs and criminal enterprises that drive the fentanyl crisis.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) continues to work to choke off cartels’ access to weapons through Operation Southbound, the Department’s signature initiative to disrupt the trafficking of firearms from the United States to Mexico.
FCI Allenwood Inmate Charged with Possession of A Weapon and A Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Thomas Burton, age 48, a New York City native, was indicted on July 30, 2024, by a federal grand jury for possessing a weapon and controlled substance while being an inmate in prison.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Burton was discovered to be in possession of a homemade shank and synthetic marijuana on June 19, 2024.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). Assistant United States Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for possessing a weapon in prison is five years imprisonment, three years of supervision, and a fine. The maximum penalty under federal law for possessing a controlled substance in prison is one year of imprisonment, one year of supervision, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Eight People Charged in 23-Count Narcotics Trafficking and Felon in Possession IndictmentRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Seven residents of Florida were charged in a 23-count indictment for their respective involvement in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, fentanyl and oxycodone. An eighth defendant was charged with being a felon in unlawful possession of a firearm.
Michael Donaldson, 37, of Clearview, Leo Gilbert 35, of Miami Gardens, Jamare Andre Gardner, a/k/a “Maury,” 25, of Miami Gardens, Deshun Richard James, 36, Jose Albert Ruiz, 34, of Miami, Kim Whitehurst, a/k/a “A-Boy,” 31, of Miami, and Hasani Nesbitt, a/k/a "Get Right,” 45, of Miami Gardens, were charged with conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and distribution of a controlled substance within 1,000 feet of a school. The indictment charges that cocaine, oxycodone and methamphetamine were distributed within 1,000 feet of south Florida schools. Donte Ike Gosha, 37, of Miami Gardens, was charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
On July 29, Donaldson, Gosha, Whitehurst, Gardner, and Gilbert were arrested in Miami-Dade County, Fla. On July 30, Donaldson, Gosha, Whitehurst, Gardner, and Gilbert had their initial appearances on the indictment.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, Chief Delma Noel-Pratt of the Miami Gardens Police Department, and Special Agent in Charge Christopher A. Robinson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Miami Field Division, made the announcement.
The FBI, Miami Gardens Police Department, and ATF investigated the case. The Safe Streets Violent Gang Task Force (SSVGTF), to include participants from the U.S. Secret Service, City of Miami Police Department, and Miami-Dade Police Department, provided invaluable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Chattah is prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This investigation was carried out by members of the South Florida High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force. The South Florida HIDTA, established in 1990, is made up of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies who, cooperatively, target the region’s drug-trafficking and money laundering organizations. The South Florida HIDTA is funded by the Office of National Drug Control Policy, which sponsors a variety of initiatives focused on the nation’s illicit drug trafficking threats.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 24-cr-20282.
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Detroit Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Derek Romel Glaze, also known as “Zeke,” 32, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced today to eight years in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for distribution of 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on December 1, 2022, Glaze sold approximately 110 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in a vehicle on the 800 block of Marcum Terrace in Huntington. Glaze admitted to the transaction and to arranging it with the confidential informant beforehand.
Glaze further admitted to selling approximately 11 grams of fentanyl to a confidential informant on November 30, 2022, and approximately 29.5 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant on January 17, 2023.
Law enforcement officers arrested Glaze on February 7, 2023. Glaze admitted that he told investigators that he received methamphetamine and fentanyl on consignment and distributed it in the Huntington area. Glaze further admitted that he distributed at least 20 pounds of methamphetamine during the preceding six months.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cabell County Sheriff's Office.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph F. Adams prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-20.
Deltona Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jatarius Nyquan Horne (27, Deltona) today pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon. Horne faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on July 3, 2022, officers with the Orlando Police Department stopped a vehicle on West Central Boulevard, in Orlando, after they observed the vehicle bearing two different license plates from two separate states. When they approached the vehicle, officers observed marijuana in plain view. Officers removed the vehicle’s occupants, including Horne, who had a loaded 9mm handgun in his waistband. Horne had been previously convicted of multiple felony offenses, including fleeing to elude and burglary. Therefore, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Orlando Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Aakash Singh.
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.
Delaware County Man Sentenced to 90 Months in Prison for Using Explosives to Try to Rob Six Area ATMsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Cushmir McBride, 25, of Yeadon, PA, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Joshua D. Wolson to 90 months’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, $417,463 in restitution, and a $300 special assessment for setting off explosives near ATMs inside a Target, a Wells Fargo bank branch, and Wawa stores.
McBride and two others were charged in connection with those crimes in an April 2021 indictment and a January 2022 superseding indictment. In January of this year, McBride pleaded guilty to conspiracy to maliciously damage property used in interstate commerce by means of an explosive, and aiding and abetting, as well as five separate counts of maliciously damaging property used in interstate commerce by means of an explosive.
Several of the crimes took place in the aftermath of the October 26, 2020, Philadelphia police officer-involved shooting in the Cobbs Creek section of Philadelphia that resulted in the death of Walter Wallace, Jr. Peaceful protests began that evening and continued into the following days, accompanied by a period of civil unrest, with widespread incidents of looting and violence in various neighborhoods in Philadelphia.
On October 28, 2020, McBride and codefendants Nasser McFall, 25, of Claymont, DE, and Kamar Thompson, 37, of Philadelphia, PA, conspired to break into a Target in the Port Richmond section of Philadelphia and set off an explosive device in order to steal money from an ATM inside. The following day, October 29, the defendants broke into a Wawa on Richmond Street in Philadelphia, where they again set off explosive devices in order to steal money from the ATM. On October 31, 2020, the defendants broke into another Wawa in Northeast Philadelphia and detonated an explosive device. On November 4, 2020, the defendants set off an explosive device in another Wawa in Claymont, DE, in an attempt to rob this store in the same manner, and on December 2, 2020, the three defendants set off an explosive device inside an ATM at a Wells Fargo bank in Philadelphia. McBride was also charged with setting off an explosive device at a Wells Fargo ATM in Philadelphia on March 2, 2021. In total, the defendants were able to steal approximately $417,000 during the course of the conspiracy.
Thompson pleaded guilty in November 2021 to conspiracy to maliciously damage property used in interstate commerce by means of an explosive, and aiding and abetting, six counts of maliciously damaging property used in interstate commerce by means of an explosive, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
McFall pleaded guilty to five counts against him in June 2022, and in January of this year was sentenced by the late U.S. District Judge Gene E.K. Pratter to 78 months’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and restitution in the amount of $256,083.
“McBride and crew carried out a string of violent and dangerous crimes, looking to cash in with a bang,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “Whether you rob a bank with a note, a store with a gun, or an ATM with an explosive, you’re committing a serious federal crime and should expect to be caught and prosecuted. As this defendant and his co-conspirators are learning, crime not only doesn’t pay, it can also cost you dearly.”
“McBride caused significant damage and endangered countless lives by recklessly blowing up ATMs with illegal explosive devices at least six times,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Office. “ATF is committed to protecting our communities from harm and working with our law enforcement partners to disrupt violent explosives-related activity. I want to thank the Philadelphia Police Department, Philadelphia Fire Marshals Office, Delaware State Police, Upper Chichester Police Department, and the United States Attorney’s Office for their efforts in this case.”
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department, with assistance from Delaware State Police and Upper Chichester Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert E. Eckert and Special Assistant United States Attorney David Osborne.
Dale City man found with drugs, firearms, and an extensive shoe collectionRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Dale City man pled guilty today to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
According to court documents, on Jan. 18, 2024, the U.S. Marshals Service’s Capital Area Regional Task Force located Sirri Webb, 40, for whom they had an arrest warrant, in an apartment in Lorton. The apartment was rented in the name of another person who did not know Webb was using the apartment, had not given Webb permission to use the apartment, and gave law enforcement consent to enter the apartment. After knocking and announcing their presence several times with no response, law enforcement entered the apartment, defeating a brace securing the door from the inside.
As law enforcement apprehended Webb, officers observed in plain view a scale with white residue, loose baggies, loose ammunition on the floor, a shotgun resting against a wall, various drugs, large quantities of cash, and a collection of size 12 shoes. Officers seized 745 grams of cocaine, 526 grams of cocaine base, 20 Oxycodone pills, 42 grams of N,N-Dimethylpentylon, a .357 caliber handgun, three 9mm handguns, a .40 caliber handgun, a .38 caliber handgun, an AK47, a 12-gauge shotgun, assorted ammunition, a high-capacity drum magazine, a bulletproof vest, a frame device for stabilized shooting, and $7,080.
Webb is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 1. He faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison for the possession with intent to distribute cocaine charge and a mandatory minimum of five years and up to life in prison to be served consecutively with any other term of imprisonment for the firearm charge. 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; Shannon Saylor, U.S. Marshal for the Eastern District of Virginia; Kevin Davis, Fairfax County Chief of Police; and Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Claude M. Hilton accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald L. Walutes Jr. 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. 1:24-cr-66.
Crystal Springs Man Pleads Guilty to Brandishing a Firearm During a Carjacking in JacksonRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Crystal Springs man pled guilty to brandishing a firearm while carjacking a woman in front of her home in Jackson.
According to court documents, Christopher Lawrence Murray, 31, brandished a pistol during a carjacking in the Jackson area. In May of 2021, Murray and another man approached a woman sitting in her car in front of her home. Working in tandem, both men pointed pistols at the woman and demanded she hand over her cellular phone and the keys to her car. The woman, at gunpoint, complied with the demands and the men left in the woman’s car.
Murray was indicted by a federal grand jury on September 6, 2023. He pled guilty today to brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 29, 2024, and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 7 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
“We are working to reduce carjackings in Jackson by prosecuting offenders in federal court and bringing together federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to identify and arrest individuals and groups involved in carjacking,” said U.S. Attorney Todd Gee.
In an effort to focus resources on carjacking in Jackson, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Jackson Police Department and the Capitol Police Department formed a carjacking task force in April of 2024. In keeping with the Justice Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime, the task force represents a strategic enforcement priority for the department, focusing federal resources on identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the most significant drivers of violent crime.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.
The Jackson Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bert Carraway is prosecuting the case.
Convicted Felon Sentenced to More Than 7 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Tramon Jamal Stewart (23, Orlando) to seven years and three months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Stewart to forfeit a Glock 34 9mm pistol, which was involved in his offense. Stewart entered a guilty plea on April 4, 2024.
According to court documents, on September 27, 2023, the Orange County Sheriff’s Office Gang Enforcement Unit located Stewart to serve a felony arrest warrant. As law enforcement officers approached Stewart, a multi-convicted felon, he fled, jumped a nearby fence, and fell to the ground where he was apprehended. Officers searched Stewart and found a handgun loaded with 22 rounds of ammunition in the magazine and 1 round in the chamber. The handgun had been stolen out of Suwannee County, Florida, and casings from the handgun matched casings from an Orlando shooting in 2023.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Orange County Sherriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Nate.
This case was 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 the following 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.
Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Firearms TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Quincy man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to distributing fentanyl to obtain four firearms.
Caesar Ross, 40, pleaded guilty to one count of firearms trafficking and one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Ross was arrested and charged in September of 2023 and has been in custody since his arrest. Today he pleaded guilty to an Information. U.S. District Court Chief Judge Dennis F. Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Oct. 29, 2024.
In 2022, an investigation began into Ross and others for engaging in firearms trafficking and other violations of federal firearm laws. In September 2023, Ross met with a cooperating witness in Quincy to whom he provided approximately 60 grams of fentanyl in exchange for four firearms, each of which had no visible serial number: a Beretta 92F, 9mm pistol; a Beretta Elite IA 9mm pistol; a Glock 22, .40 caliber pistol; and a FN Herstal 5.7, 5.7x28mm pistol. Ross was immediately taken into custody.
The charge of firearms trafficking provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of distribution and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Feld Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division and the Quincy Police Department.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.
Contract Criminals Indicted; Ending Campaign of Arsons, Poisonings and ViolenceRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A superseding indictment was returned today charging Florida residents Bayron Bennett, 33, of Miami, Fausto Villar, a/k/a “Cuba,” 42, of Miami, Avery Bivins, 36, of Miami Gardens, Clementa Johnson, 47, of Tallahassee, Vernon Green, 53, of Miami, Diori Barnard, 47, of Miami, Jerren Keith Howard, a/k/a “Blood,” a/k/a “Omerta Bloody,” 38, of Miami, Michael Jose Dulfo, a/k/a “Mike Dulfo,” a/k/a “Mike D,” 42, of Miami, and Edner Etienne 27, of Miami, for their respective involvement in a campaign to stalk, torment and attempt to kill a victim. If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
According to the court record to include the superseding indictment, since roughly 2022, the victim was subjected to a protracted stalking and attempted murder campaign involving criminal acts to include, multiple arsons, poisonings, an automobile crash, and an instance where contract criminals brandished a firearm in furtherance of a plot to kill the victim. As part of this investigation, law enforcement learned that the scheme against the targeted victim was accompanied by efforts to obstruct justice.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Miami Field Division; Chief of Police Manuel A. Morales of the Miami Police Department (MPD); Director Stephanie V. Daniels of the Miami-Dade Police Department (MDPD); Special Agent in Charge Felipe Williams of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE); Bureau Chief Darrell Wilson Sr. of the Florida Department of Financial Services, Bureau of Fire, Arson, and Explosives Investigations; Sheriff Michelle Cook of the Clay County Sheriff’s Office; Special Agent in Charge Kristin Rehler of the FBI, Jacksonville Field Office, and Chief of Police Jason Cohen of the Pinecrest Police Department, made the announcement.
U.S. Attorney Lapointe commended the law enforcement agencies involved with this investigation for their efforts and assistance.
This is an ongoing investigation. Anyone with information is encouraged to call the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or file a report at tips.fbi.gov.
Special Prosecutions Section Assistant U.S. Attorneys Abbie D. Waxman, Brian Dobbins, and Ignacio J. Vázquez, Jr. are prosecuting this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Stone is handling asset forfeiture.
An indictment contains mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
This case involves acts of alleged domestic violence. Domestic violence can be physical, sexual, emotional, economic, psychological, or technological actions or threats of actions or other patterns of coercive behavior that influence another person within an intimate partner relationship. This includes any behaviors that intimidate, manipulate, humiliate, isolate, frighten, terrorize, coerce, threaten, blame, hurt, injure, or wound someone. Domestic violence can happen to anyone regardless of race, age, sexual orientation, religion, sex, or gender identity. Domestic violence affects people of all socioeconomic backgrounds and education levels. Domestic violence occurs in both opposite-sex and same-sex relationships and can happen to intimate partners who are married, living together, dating, or share a child. If you or someone you know is in immediate danger because of domestic violence, call 911. For additional assistance and resources call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 800-799-SAFE (7233) or visit https://www.justice.gov/ovw/domestic-violence.
This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psn.
This investigation was carried out by members of the FBI’s South Florida Violent Crime and Fugitive Task Force. The Task Force is made up of federal and local law enforcement agencies who cooperatively target the region’s perpetrators of violent criminal offenses and fugitives from justice.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-20110.
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Concealing cocaine carries considerable sentenceRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A 51-year-old Alamo resident has been sentenced for possession with intent to distribute $4 million worth of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Olga Lydia Segundo pleaded guilty April 15.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzalez Ramos has now ordered Segundo to serve 120 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release.
On Jan. 13, Segundo arrived at the Falfurrias Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint driving a white 2010 Chevrolet Silverado. Law enforcement proceeded to ask questions about her trip and Segundo gave answers that did not make sense. Segundo stated she was going to Austin at one point, then to Houston for a job interview but could not remember the name of the company or where the job interview was happening.
During this time, there were freezing temperatures in South Texas, and authorities noticed Segundo did not have any cold-weather clothes or clothes for a job interview.
Segundo gave law enforcement consent to search the vehicle. An x-ray scan showed anomalies in all four tires of the vehicle. Authorities discovered they were lined with welded metal casings that serve as aftermarket compartments.
After drilling through the casings, law enforcement found 24 bundles of cocaine wrapped in cellophane weighing 48 kilograms with an estimated street value of over $4 million.
Segundo will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and BP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Griffith prosecuted the case.
Columbia Woman Sentenced to 15 Months in Federal Prison for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Kathy Drawdy Stewart, 62, of Columbia, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to multiple counts of wire fraud.
Evidence presented to the court showed that Stewart embezzled more than $270,000 from at least late 2016 through May 2023 from her longtime employer, LTC Associates, Inc., while she served as the company’s business manager. During this time, Stewart regularly made unauthorized payments from the company’s bank accounts to her personal American Express account. Stewart’s crimes were ultimately uncovered after she attempted to make an unauthorized $20,000 transfer from the company’s bank account to her American Express account in May 2023. A review of her American Express account revealed that Stewart spent over $100,000 on cosmetic procedures, travel, interior decorating, and retail over the course of her criminal conduct.
United States District Judge Joseph F. Anderson sentenced Stewart to 15 months imprisonment, to be followed by a two-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. Judge Anderson also ordered restitution of over $270,000, which Stewart paid prior to her sentencing, and a fine of $10,000.
This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elle E. Klein and Elliott B. Daniels are prosecuting the case.
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Child Predator Sentenced to 20 Years for Attempting to Entice A Child to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Nicanor Daniel Sanchez (32, Lehigh Acres) to 20 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. The court also ordered Sanchez to forfeit a cellphone, which was used to commit the offense. Sanchez entered a guilty plea on January 9, 2024.
According to court documents, Sanchez had online conversations with an undercover law enforcement officer in which Sanchez expressed his desire to sexually abuse a female child. During those conversations, Sanchez described how he wanted to abuse the child and sent several videos of child sexual abuse material to the undercover officer. One of the videos depicted a young girl being sexually abused. Sanchez agreed to meet for purposes of sex and was arrested.
A search of Sanchez’s cellphone revealed additional child sexual abuse material, including photos and videos depicting the sexual abuse of toddlers.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ross Roberts and Abigail K. King.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Chatham County man sentenced to federal prison for lighting dumpster fire that temporarily closed a restaurantRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA: A Chatham County man was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to setting a fire in a restaurant’s outdoor trash container.
Joshua Daryl McGregor, 34, of Savannah, was sentenced to 60 months in prison after pleading guilty to Arson, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered McGregor to pay restitution for property lost in the fire, and to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Intentionally setting a fire in an effort to shut down or damage someone else’s property is inexcusable,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Joshua McGregor will have substantial time to ponder his post-prison employment options.”
As described in court documents and testimony, McGregor was an employee of the McDonald’s at 2701 Montgomery Ave. in Savannah, and in April 2023 was frustrated because the restaurant was very busy. He lit a piece of cardboard on fire and tossed it into the restaurant’s dumpster, which was full of cardboard and other flammable materials, and ensured the fire ignited before returning to the restaurant.
The fire became so intense that customers in the drive-through lane had to back out of the parking lot, and the restaurant was forced to briefly close while the Savannah Fire Department extinguished the blaze. McGregor, who filmed the fire with his cell phone, was identified on surveillance video as starting the fire. He was arrested by Savannah Police Department investigators, and in May pled guilty to arson in U.S. District Court.
“Arson is an extremely violent crime that not only destroys property but also places firefighters, first responders and the general public at great risk,” said Beau Kolodka, Assistant Special Agent in Charge for the ATF Atlanta Field Division. “The ATF, along with the Savannah Fire’s Arson Unit and our other law enforcement partners, are committed to ensuring that our communities are safe and that those who commit these dangerous acts are held accountable.”
“Savannah Fire’s Arson Unit greatly appreciates our continued ability to work with our local and federal partners to successfully prosecute arson that effects interstate commerce in our jurisdiction,” said Fred Anderson, chief investigator for the Savannah Fire Arson Unit. “These efforts made as a partnership have continued to help make our community safer and greatly reduce the act of arson throughout the city.”
The case was investigated by the Savannah Fire Department, the Savannah Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Makeia R. Jonese.
California Man Sentenced for Interfering with Flight Crew, Forcing Plane to be Diverted to KCIRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A California man was sentenced in federal court today after he was subdued by several passengers and flight attendants when he tried to open the exit door on an American Airlines flight en route to Washington, D.C., forcing the plane to land at Kansas City International Airport in Kansas City, Missouri.
Juan Remberto Rivas, 52, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to 19 months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Rivas to pay $64,434 in restitution to American Airlines.
On Jan. 23, 2024, Rivas pleaded guilty to one count of interfering with flight crew members and flight attendants.
Rivas was a passenger aboard American Airlines flight 1775 traveling nonstop from Los Angeles, Calif., to Washington, D.C., which was diverted to Kansas City International Airport in Kansas City, Mo., on Feb. 13, 2022.
Rivas admitted that he created a disturbance and knowingly intimidated a flight attendant of the aircraft. Rivas went to the front of the plane and was arguing with the flight attendant. Rivas grabbed some plastic silverware and placed the plastic silverware in his shirt sleeve to appear to create a shank. Rivas grabbed a small champagne bottle by the neck and attempted to break the bottle on the counter. Rivas then attempted to open an exit door by lifting the handle.
Another flight attendant grabbed a coffee pot and hit Rivas with it. Rivas was then restrained for the remainder of the flight.
According to court documents, Rivas assaulted the arresting law enforcement officers after the airplane landed and he was being taken into custody. A number of officers were injured in his attempt to flee, resulting in contusions, lacerations, and an injured hand. In addition to this federal case, Rivas faces a pending charge in Platte County, Mo., for assault against a law enforcement officer.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by the FBI.
Cabell County Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Thomas Shane Holland, 54, of Salt Rock, was sentenced today to two years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine. Holland admitted to his role 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, Holland admitted to buying approximately 16 grams of methamphetamine from DTO ringleader Derrell Cashawn Massey outside a Huntington gas station on October 18, 2023. Holland further admitted to arranging the transaction with Massey beforehand by phone. Following the transaction, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle in which Holland was a passenger. Officers found the methamphetamine in a container beside Holland in the vehicle during the traffic stop. Holland admitted that he intended to distribute the 16 grams of methamphetamine.
Holland and Massey 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.
Massey, also known as “Rell” and “Fat Rell,” 34, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty on April 22, 2024, to the distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and awaits sentencing. Holland and Massey 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 sentence. 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.