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13 September 2024
Two drug traffickers sentenced to lengthy prison terms in case arising from investigation of Aryan Family prison gangRead the Press Release
Tacoma – Two men indicted in March 2023 as part of a drug distribution organization associated with an Aryan prison gang were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma for drug and gun crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Ronaldo McComb, 59, of Ridgefield, Washington, was sentenced to 13 years in prison. Isaac Cervantes, 32 of Phoenix was sentenced to 9 years in prison. At the sentencing hearing for Cervantes, Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo said, “We are talking about massive quantities of controlled substances. This is not some street-level dealer…. The amount of societal harm from these substances is almost immeasurable.” Discussing the firearms involved in the offense, Judge Estudillo said, “these are not small-time firearms, and obviously they’re there to protect the drug trade, and people suffer from the violence involved in this.”
McComb pleaded guilty in June 2024 to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and felon in possession of a firearm. McComb acknowledged multiple recorded phone calls with coconspirators in which he discussed his drug trafficking activities involving distributing multi-pound quantities of methamphetamine and tens of thousands of fentanyl pills and creating a distribution network of fentanyl pills up to Alaska. He further admitted to possessing large quantities of heroin and a 9mm handgun that law enforcement seized from the trunk of his vehicle following a traffic stop in February 2022. Law enforcement eventually arrested him on March 22, 2023. On that date, authorities found methamphetamine, heroin, three firearms, and large quantities of cash and gold bars in McComb’s Kalama residence. As part of the plea, McComb stipulated to the forfeiture of that cash and gold as proceeds of his drug trafficking. McComb was prohibited from possessing firearms due to his felony convictions for assault and robbery in Clark County and another assault conviction in Cowlitz County.
Cervantes was arrested in Phoenix at the time of the drug takedown. Cervantes assisted the drug traffickers by transporting fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other drugs to Washington from Arizona. He also worked at the stash house where the crew pressed powdered fentanyl into pills.
On July 1, 2021, Cervantes was stopped in Oregon with 50,000 counterfeit M30 Oxycodone pills in a vehicle belonging to one of the leaders of the drug distribution cell. In November and December 2022, Cervantes was associated with the “stash house” in Shelton, Washington, where law enforcement later seized 64 kilograms of fentanyl pills—some 640,000 pills. Also at the stash house they found more than 15 kilograms of methamphetamine and a kilogram of fentanyl powder. In addition to the drugs, law enforcement seized two pill presses, 23 firearms, a silencer and more than $81,000 in cash.
Cervantes pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances in February 2024.
In making their sentencing recommendations, prosecutors pointed out that fentanyl laced pills can be deadly, writing to the court “…first-time users of fentanyl, are sometimes unaware that the counterfeit oxycodone pills they are taking contain fentanyl, their lives are put at risk with every use of these dangerous substances. This has resulted in an unprecedented epidemic of overdose deaths in the United States, and an unrelenting increase in overdose deaths in Washington state…. the National Center for Health Statistics, Centers for Disease Control, estimates that, despite a small decrease in overdose deaths nationwide, Washington had an increase in overdose deaths of over 27% in the year ending December 2023.”
The investigation of the drug trafficking ring resulted in the seizure of 245 pounds of methamphetamine, more than 830,000 fentanyl pills and an additional 26 pounds of fentanyl pills and powder, more than six pounds of heroin, 225 firearms and more than $668,000 in cash.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This investigation was led by the FBI with critical investigative teamwork from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Washington State Department of Corrections and significant local assistance from the Tacoma Police Department, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, and the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force, led by the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office. Throughout this investigation the following agencies assisted the primary investigators: Washington State Patrol, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, Lakewood Police Department, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zach Dillon and Max Shiner.
Two Missouri Felons Sentenced on Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Two convicted felons who were caught with firearms and homemade silencers have been sentenced to prison.
U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Friday sentenced Steven Matthew Dinzebach, 35, of Franklin County, Missouri to 72 months in prison. He will be on supervised release for three years after his release from prison.
U.S. District Judge Audrey G. Fleissig on Wednesday sentenced Bryan Daniel Flynn, 44, of Ballwin, to 75 months in prison. He will be on supervised release for two years after his release from prison.
Flynn pleaded guilty in April to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted being caught with 30 firearms, despite being a convicted felon who is barred from possessing guns. He also had homemade silencers, ballistic vests, stolen property and drugs.
St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department detectives conducted a court-approved search of Flynn’s home in Ballwin on July 25, 2023, after learning that he was participating in a stolen property ring, his plea agreement says. Detectives found 4.48 grams of cocaine, .44 grams of methamphetamine and cocaine, 10 Diazepam tablets, one Alprazolam tablet and 300 grams of psilocybin. Flynn admitted being in possession of a Ford F250 stolen from Ranken Technical College, which was stored on his property near Troy, Missouri. Detectives found 27 firearms there, as well as homemade silencers, three large containers of firearm accessories, two large containers of ammunition, five ballistic vests and stolen property.
Flynn’s cell phone led detectives to two storage units in Festus, Missouri that contained two more guns and ammunition. His boat, which was stored in a marina in St. Charles, contained another silencer, a drum magazine loaded with .22-caliber rounds and a large amount of ammunition. On Aug. 7, 2023, Flynn’s assistant turned a 7.65mm Walther firearm into law enforcement, saying Flynn had asked her to hide it at a “cabin” in Ballwin.
Dinzebach pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of one of more firearms in May. He admitted being caught by investigators with a .22-caliber handgun equipped with a homemade silencer, a .380-caliber handgun and a large amount of ammunition. He also admitted selling firearms to Flynn after first doubling their purchase price. Dinzebach told investigators that he purchased guns from a website where people conducted private firearms sales. Two of the firearms seized from Flynn were traced to Dinzebach’s wife as the purchaser.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the cases. Assistant U.S. Attorney Torrie Schneider prosecuted the cases.
"Instead of learning from their past, they chose to continue a life of crime and put our community at risk of potential gun violence,” said Bernard G. Hansen, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Kansas City Field Division. "Today’s sentencing demonstrates the outstanding partnership between ATF and the St. Louis Police Department as well as the commitment we share to work together in keeping firearms out of the hands of felons so that our streets are safer for everyone.”
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.
Two Men Each Sentenced to More Than 100 Years in Prison for Killing 13-Year-Old Malachi LukesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tyiion Freeman, 25, and Koran Jackson, 24, both of Washington, D.C., were sentenced today to 108 years and 164 years, respectively, for a nine-day shooting spree that culminated in the March 1, 2020, murder of 13-year-old Malachi Lukes.
The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge James VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
A Superior Court jury on July 10, 2024, found Freeman, Jackson, and a third conspirator, Stephon Nelson, guilty of first-degree murder while armed, several counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, conspiracy to commit various firearms offenses and other firearms-related charges. Nelson, who supplied the illegal firearms, is scheduled for sentencing on September 19, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence, between February 1, 2020, and May 31, 2020, Freeman and Jackson, along with two other defendants who are awaiting trial, participated in a firearms conspiracy.
Using the firearms from that conspiracy, the defendants engaged in four separate shooting sprees that resulted in the murder of Malachi Lukes and assaults on 10 other victims. Three of shootings stemmed from a longstanding rivalries among various District of Columbia neighborhoods.
According to the evidence, on March 1, 2020, Jackson, Freeman, and two co-conspirators traveled to the Shaw neighborhood in a stolen vehicle. Malachi and his three teenage friends were walking to a basketball court. The defendants followed the teens and pulled alongside them. Two defendants exited the stolen vehicle and opened fire on the boys, killing Malachi Lukes and grazing another. Immediately thereafter, the defendants drove 10 minutes to another neighborhood where they opened fire on another victim.
In announcing the sentences, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those investigating the case from the MPD, the FBI Washington Field Office's Violent Crimes Task Force and ATF along with the Arlington County Police Department. They also thanked the Arlington County Sheriff Department; U.S. Marshals Service; U.S. Capitol Police; D.C. Department of Forensic Sciences; DOJ Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section; Montgomery County Police Department; D.C. Department of Corrections; and the Internal Revenue Service—Atlanta Branch.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle Jackson, Tamara Rubb, and Nebiyu Feleke, with assistance from Lead Paralegal Sharon Newman, Supervisory Paralegal Tasha Harris, Paralegals April Urbanowski and Alyssa Schroeder, Superior Court Operations Manager Linda McDonald, and Victim Witness Advocate Jennifer Allen.
Two Members of Kennedy Street Crew Sentenced for Fentanyl Trafficking, Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Aaron DeAndre Mercer, 33, and Ronald Lynn Dorsey, 30, both of Washington D.C. and members of the violent Kennedy Street Crew (KDY), were sentenced today to federal prison terms for their roles in a drug trafficking organization operating open-air drug markets in Northwest Washington D.C.
Mercer was sentenced to 10 years in prison for being a bulk supplier of fentanyl, marijuana, and cocaine base for the KDY organization. Dorsey was sentenced to 30 months for laundering KDY’s trafficking proceeds by establishing phony businesses and shell companies and by using local casinos.
The sentences were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Washington Division, ATF Special Agent in Charge James VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives - Washington Division, and Special Agent in Charge Kareem Carter, of the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Washington D.C. Field Office.
Mercer, aka “Curby,” pleaded guilty on June 14, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, marijuana, and cocaine base before U.S. District Judge Beryl A. Howell. Dorsey pleaded guilty on February 8, 2024, to conspiracy to commit money laundering.
According to court documents, KDY members operated open-air drug markets on an 11-block stretch of Kennedy Street in Northwest Washington, D.C., as well as surrounding streets. Like many drug trafficking organizations (DTOs), KDY armed itself with fire power to facilitate the drug trade and defend its territory from rival crews.
For his part, Mercer conspired with his KDY associates to traffic fentanyl in bulk in addition to cocaine base and marijuana. Dorsey concealed the proceeds of KDY’s illegal operations, helping to smuggle bulk quantities of drugs by flying 15 times to the West Coast, and conducting retail sales of crack cocaine and marijuana in the open-air markets. Dorsey and co-defendant Kenneth Olugbenga created two businesses for money laundering: Heavy Baggz LLC and HBG LLC. The later purported to be a music, entrepreneurial, and car detailing business, but tax records for both entities confirmed that neither business reported income. Dorsey, aka “HBGeezy,” also used the businesses to apply for, and receive, two forgivable loans from the Small Business Administration during the Covid pandemic. He allegedly used the EIDL and PPP loans to purchase bulk narcotics to further fuel KDY’s drug trafficking. Dorsey and his co-conspirators also concealed illicit income at D.C. area casinos by using drug trafficking proceeds to wager bets, then cash out the funds after incurring small losses to make the funds appear as if they were legitimate.
This investigation was conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. 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.
It was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department, the DEA’s Washington Division, ATF’s Washington Field Division, FBI Washington Field Office and the IRS-Criminal Investigation Washington, D.C. Office.
It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey and Sitara Witanachchi of the of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by former Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian Lynch.
DEFENDANTS
NAME
AGE
CHARGES
Kenneth Ademola Olugbenga
27
Pleaded Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with the Intent to Distribute 500 Grams or more of Cocaine Base, and a Detectable Amount of Marijuana; and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense.
Khali Ahmed Brown, aka “Migo Lee”
22
Charged with Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana and 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl; Assault with a Dangerous Weapon and Aiding and Abetting; Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl; Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana; Possessing a Machine Gun During a Drug Trafficking Offense; Unlawful Possession of a Machine Gun; Possession of a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number
Miasiah Jamal Brown, aka “Michael Jamal Crawford”
21
Pleaded Guilty to Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense
Tristan Miles Ware, aka “Greedy”
23
Pleaded Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms or More of Marijuana; and Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense
Herman Eric-Bibmin Signou, aka “Herman Signour”
23
Sentenced 3/22/2024, to 40 Months for Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess with Intent to Distribute 100 Kilograms of More of Marijuana
Cameron Xavier Reid
26
Sentenced 5/31/2024, to Five Years for Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Kilograms of More of Marijuana
Aaron DeAndre Mercer, aka “Curby,”
27
Sentenced 9/13/2024, to 10 Years for Conspiracy to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl, Marijuana, and Cocaine Base
David Penn, aka “Turtle”
30
Pleaded Guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute 40 Grams or More of Fentanyl; and two counts of Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense.
Ronald Lynn Dorsey, aka “Ron G” and “HBGeezy”
29
Sentenced 9/13/2024, to 30 Months for Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering
Antonio Reginald Bailey, aka “Boy Boy,” and “Fellow King”
22
Sentenced 2/8/24, to 24 Months for Receiving a Firearm While Under Indictment
Anthony Trayon Bailey, aka “Fat Ant,” and “Bizzle”
27
Sentenced 4/26/24, to 15 months for Conspiracy to Possess with the Intent to Distribute Marijuana Within 1,000 Feet of a Protected Location
Angel Enrique Suncar, aka “Coqui”
29
Pleaded Guilty to Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense
Warren Lawrence Fields, III, aka B-Dub
26
Sentenced 5/16/24, to 90 months for Possessing a Firearm During a Drug Trafficking Offense and Conspiracy to Commit Money Laundering
Defendant Cameron Reid is from Falmouth, VA; all remaining defendants are from Washington, D.C.
23cr0202
Twelve Defendants Sentenced for Violent Home Invasion Robberies to Steal CryptocurrencyRead the Press Release
A Florida man was sentenced to 47 years in prison on Wednesday for his role in a scheme involving a series of home invasion robberies targeting cryptocurrency. Between Sept. 5 and Sept. 12, a total of 12 men have been sentenced for their role in the scheme.
According to court documents and evidence presented at the trial, Remy Ra St Felix, 25, of West Palm Beach, and his co-conspirators stole over $3.5 million from victims through SIM swapping and violent home invasions in which they held victims at gunpoint, assaulted them, and bound them with plastic cable ties. St Felix was convicted on June 25 by a federal jury in Greensboro, North Carolina, after a six-day trial. In addition to his sentence of incarceration, St Felix was sentenced to five years of supervised release and ordered to pay $524,153.39 in restitution.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, beginning in late 2020, St Felix’s co-conspirator, Jarod Gabriel Seemungal, 23, of West Palm Beach, and foreign co-conspirators stole cryptocurrency from victims’ accounts at exchanges. They obtained access to the accounts by gaining control of the victims’ phone numbers through SIM swapping. In 2022, Seemungal and his co-conspirators devised the home invasion scheme and recruited St Felix and others to assist with the invasions. St Felix later became the leader of the home invasion crew. In September 2022, St Felix and members of the crew committed violent home invasions in Delray Beach and Homestead, Florida. In Delray Beach, the victims were held at gunpoint in their home. In Homestead, a man and his family were held at gunpoint in their home, and then the man was abducted, held hostage, and beaten, before the man was found by law enforcement 120 miles from his home.
Later in 2022, St Felix and his crew targeted a Little Elm, Texas, man and made several trips to attempt the robbery. In December 2022, Seemungal and a Houston-based crew comprised of Deangelo Lee Contreras, 21, Tristian Rene Gamez, 21, Victor Gonzalez, 27, Jesus Salazar, 24, Cristian Valdez, 21, and Jesus Gerardo Valdez, Jr., 27, all of Houston, Texas, committed the home invasion. The Little Elm man and members of his family were held at gunpoint and restrained in their home for over three hours, during which time members of the crew tortured the man and his mother. The perpetrators stole approximately $150,000.00 in cash, two Rolex watches, and a valuable necklace and pendant.
In April 2023, St Felix and Elmer Ruben Castro, 23, of West Palm Beach, invaded the home of a wife and a husband in Durham, North Carolina. Prior to the invasion, St Felix’s co-conspirators obtained unauthorized access to the couple’s email account and conducted multiple days of surveillance on their home. During the invasion, the men violently assaulted the couple, threatened them with guns, and restrained them with plastic cable ties. They forced the man to provide access to his computer and cryptocurrency exchange account. Seemungal then remotely accessed the computer and stole over $150,000.00 worth of cryptocurrency. Conspirators laundered the funds through anonymity-enhanced cryptocurrencies, as well as “instant exchanges” and decentralized finance platforms that did not conduct know-your-customer checks.
In July 2023, St Felix traveled from Florida to Long Island, New York, to commit a home invasion of a family of five. Before St Felix could do so, however, he was arrested. At the time of his arrest, St Felix was in possession of two firearms and plastic cable ties.
Throughout the conspiracy, the conspirators communicated via an encrypted messaging application to plan their crimes. They identified targets and discussed how to gain entry to homes, the tools required to carry out the crimes, the technical aspects of cryptocurrency, and the patterns of life of their targets.
They also circulated pictures of their targets and their targets’ homes. In addition to the home invasions described above, conspirators used the encrypted messaging application to plan additional home invasion robberies in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Orlando, Florida; and Georgia. Seemungal and the foreign co-conspirators financed the purchase of rental cars, hotel rooms, and firearms by co-conspirators Haisel Daily, 22, of West Palm Beach, and Ruben Matias Nicolopulos Silva, 22, of Lake Worth, Florida, to use during the robberies.
Seemungal was also sentenced yesterday to 20 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release and ordered to pay $4,038,479.39 in restitution. Seemungal pleaded guilty on December 19, 2023, for his role in the scheme to steal cryptocurrency by hacking victims’ cryptocurrency accounts as well as the home invasion and robbery scheme.
On Feb. 6, Castro pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnapping and kidnapping. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 1.
On May 29 and 30, nine of St Felix’s and Seemungal’s co-conspirators pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnapping, and were sentenced as follows:
- Jose Alfredo Avila, 27, of West Palm Beach, was sentenced on Sept. 11, to 20 years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release and ordered to pay $365,100.00 in restitution.
- Contreras was sentenced on Sept. 5, to 15 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release and ordered to pay $355,800.00 in restitution.
- Daily was sentenced on Sept. 5, to 25 years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release and ordered to pay $524,153.39 in restitution.
- Gonzalez was sentenced on Sept. 6, to 12 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $355,800.00 in restitution.
- Nathan Noel Quintana, 24, of Royal Palm Beach, Florida, was sentenced on Sept. 6, to 16 years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release and ordered to pay $365,100.00 in restitution.
- Silva was sentenced on Sept. 5, to 12 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release and ordered to pay $524,153.39 in restitution.
- Cristian Valdez was sentenced on Sept. 6, to 12 years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release and ordered to pay $355,800.00 in restitution.
- Jesus Valdez was sentenced on Sept. 6, to 12 years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release and ordered to pay $355,800.00 in restitution.
- Jesus Manuel Santiago, III, 23, of West Palm Beach, is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 1.
Also, on May 29 and 30, Salazar and Gamez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to interfere with commerce through robbery. Salazar was sentenced on Sept. 5, to five years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release and ordered to pay $355,800.00 in restitution. Gamez was sentenced on Sept. 11, to eight years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $355,800.00 in restitution.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina; and Special Agent in Charge Robert M. DeWitt of the FBI Charlotte Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Charlotte Field Office investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the Durham Police Department and the FBI New York, Miami, Houston, Mobile, and Newark Field Offices.
The National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET) of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) is partnered with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina in prosecuting the case. CCIPS/NCET Trial Attorney and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Iverson for the Middle District of North Carolina and CCIPS Trial Attorney Brian Mund are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Southern District of Florida, Southern District of Texas, and Eastern District of Texas provided valuable assistance.
NCET was established to combat the growing illicit use of cryptocurrencies and digital assets. Within CCIPS, NCET conducts and supports investigations into individuals and entities that enable the use of digital assets to commit and facilitate a variety of crimes, with a particular focus on virtual currency exchanges, obfuscation services, and infrastructure providers. NCET also sets strategic priorities regarding digital asset technologies, identifies areas for increased investigative and prosecutorial focus, and leads the department’s efforts to collaborate with domestic and foreign government agencies as well as the private sector to aggressively investigate and prosecute crimes involving cryptocurrency and digital assets.
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Twelve Defendants Sentenced for Violent Home Invasion Robberies to Steal CryptocurrencyRead the Press Release
A Florida man was sentenced to 47 years in prison on Wednesday for his role in a scheme involving a series of home invasion robberies targeting cryptocurrency. Between Sept. 5 and Sept. 12, a total of 12 men have been sentenced for their role in the scheme.
According to court documents and evidence presented at the trial, Remy Ra St Felix, 25, of West Palm Beach, and his co-conspirators stole over $3.5 million from victims through SIM swapping and violent home invasions in which they held victims at gunpoint, assaulted them, and bound them with plastic cable ties. St Felix was convicted on June 25 by a federal jury in Greensboro, North Carolina, after a six-day trial. In addition to his sentence of incarceration, St Felix was sentenced to five years of supervised release and ordered to pay $524,153.39 in restitution.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, beginning in late 2020, St Felix’s co-conspirator, Jarod Gabriel Seemungal, 23, of West Palm Beach, and foreign co-conspirators stole cryptocurrency from victims’ accounts at exchanges. They obtained access to the accounts by gaining control of the victims’ phone numbers through SIM swapping. In 2022, Seemungal and his co-conspirators devised the home invasion scheme and recruited St Felix and others to assist with the invasions. St Felix later became the leader of the home invasion crew. In September 2022, St Felix and members of the crew committed violent home invasions in Delray Beach and Homestead, Florida. In Delray Beach, the victims were held at gunpoint in their home. In Homestead, a man and his family were held at gunpoint in their home, and then the man was abducted, held hostage, and beaten, before the man was found by law enforcement 120 miles from his home.
Later in 2022, St Felix and his crew targeted a Little Elm, Texas, man and made several trips to attempt the robbery. In December 2022, Seemungal and a Houston-based crew comprised of Deangelo Lee Contreras, 21, Tristian Rene Gamez, 21, Victor Gonzalez, 27, Jesus Salazar, 24, Cristian Valdez, 21, and Jesus Gerardo Valdez, Jr., 27, all of Houston, Texas, committed the home invasion. The Little Elm man and members of his family were held at gunpoint and restrained in their home for over three hours, during which time members of the crew tortured the man and his mother. The perpetrators stole approximately $150,000.00 in cash, two Rolex watches, and a valuable necklace and pendant.
In April 2023, St Felix and Elmer Ruben Castro, 23, of West Palm Beach, invaded the home of a wife and a husband in Durham, North Carolina. Prior to the invasion, St Felix’s co-conspirators obtained unauthorized access to the couple’s email account and conducted multiple days of surveillance on their home. During the invasion, the men violently assaulted the couple, threatened them with guns, and restrained them with plastic cable ties. They forced the man to provide access to his computer and cryptocurrency exchange account. Seemungal then remotely accessed the computer and stole over $150,000.00 worth of cryptocurrency. Conspirators laundered the funds through anonymity-enhanced cryptocurrencies, as well as “instant exchanges” and decentralized finance platforms that did not conduct know-your-customer checks.
In July 2023, St Felix traveled from Florida to Long Island, New York, to commit a home invasion of a family of five. Before St Felix could do so, however, he was arrested. At the time of his arrest, St Felix was in possession of two firearms and plastic cable ties.
Throughout the conspiracy, the conspirators communicated via an encrypted messaging application to plan their crimes. They identified targets and discussed how to gain entry to homes, the tools required to carry out the crimes, the technical aspects of cryptocurrency, and the patterns of life of their targets. They also circulated pictures of their targets and their targets’ homes. In addition to the home invasions described above, conspirators used the encrypted messaging application to plan additional home invasion robberies in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; Orlando, Florida; and Georgia. Seemungal and the foreign co-conspirators financed the purchase of rental cars, hotel rooms, and firearms by co-conspirators Haisel Daily, 22, of West Palm Beach, and Ruben Matias Nicolopulos Silva, 22, of Lake Worth, Florida, to use during the robberies.
Seemungal was also sentenced yesterday to 20 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release and ordered to pay $4,038,479.39 in restitution. Seemungal pleaded guilty on December 19, 2023, for his role in the scheme to steal cryptocurrency by hacking victims’ cryptocurrency accounts as well as the home invasion and robbery scheme.
On Feb. 6, Castro pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnapping and kidnapping. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 1.
On May 29 and 30, nine of St Felix’s and Seemungal’s co-conspirators pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnapping, and were sentenced as follows:
- Jose Alfredo Avila, 27, of West Palm Beach, was sentenced on Sept. 11, to 20 years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release and ordered to pay $365,100.00 in restitution.
- Contreras was sentenced on Sept. 5, to 15 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release and ordered to pay $355,800.00 in restitution.
- Daily was sentenced on Sept. 5, to 25 years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release and ordered to pay $524,153.39 in restitution.
- Gonzalez was sentenced on Sept. 6, to 12 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $355,800.00 in restitution.
- Nathan Noel Quintana, 24, of Royal Palm Beach, Florida, was sentenced on Sept. 6, to 16 years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release and ordered to pay $365,100.00 in restitution.
- Silva was sentenced on Sept. 5, to 12 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release and ordered to pay $524,153.39 in restitution.
- Cristian Valdez was sentenced on Sept. 6, to 12 years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release and ordered to pay $355,800.00 in restitution.
- Jesus Valdez was sentenced on Sept. 6, to 12 years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release and ordered to pay $355,800.00 in restitution.
- Jesus Manuel Santiago, III, 23, of West Palm Beach, is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 1.
Also, on May 29 and 30, Salazar and Gamez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to interfere with commerce through robbery. Salazar was sentenced on Sept. 5, to five years in prison, followed by four years of supervised release and ordered to pay $355,800.00 in restitution. Gamez was sentenced on Sept. 11, to eight years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $355,800.00 in restitution.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina; and Special Agent in Charge Robert M. DeWitt of the FBI Charlotte Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Charlotte Field Office investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the Durham Police Department and the FBI New York, Miami, Houston, Mobile, and Newark Field Offices.
The National Cryptocurrency Enforcement Team (NCET) of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) is partnered with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina in prosecuting the case. CCIPS/NCET Trial Attorney and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Iverson for the Middle District of North Carolina and CCIPS Trial Attorney Brian Mund are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Southern District of Florida, Southern District of Texas, and Eastern District of Texas provided valuable assistance.
NCET was established to combat the growing illicit use of cryptocurrencies and digital assets. Within CCIPS, NCET conducts and supports investigations into individuals and entities that enable the use of digital assets to commit and facilitate a variety of crimes, with a particular focus on virtual currency exchanges, obfuscation services, and infrastructure providers. NCET also sets strategic priorities regarding digital asset technologies, identifies areas for increased investigative and prosecutorial focus, and leads the department’s efforts to collaborate with domestic and foreign government agencies as well as the private sector to aggressively investigate and prosecute crimes involving cryptocurrency and digital assets.
Strategic Technology Institute, Inc. to Pay $750,000 to Settle False Claims Act AllegationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that Strategic Technology Institute, Inc. (“STI”) will pay $750,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act. STI is a defense military contractor headquartered in Rockville, Maryland.
The settlement resolves allegations that STI submitted false claims in conjunction with obtaining payments from the United States under its subcontract agreement to provide onsite support services at the Marine Forces Reserve (“MARFORRES”) facility in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Government contends that STI submitted false and fraudulent invoices and supporting documents for work it allegedly performed at MARFORRES.
U.S. Attorney Evans credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Defense Criminal Investigative Service and U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service with the investigation leading to the settlement.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Loan “Mimi” Nguyen.
Standing Rock Man Accepts Responsibility for Deadly Shooting on Navajo NationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Standing Rock man charged by federal prosecutors for the fatal shooting of a woman during a confrontation at his home pleaded guilty today to involuntary manslaughter and assault with a dangerous weapon.
According to court documents, on December 30, 2023, Sonny Hannah, 75, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was confronted by Jane Doe 1 outside Hannah’s residence on the Navajo Nation because her car had been broken into while it was parked behind his residence. Hannah became defensive and threatened Jane Doe 1.
Jane Doe 1 walked away and returned to her car. A short time later, Hannah exited his house with a rifle and threatened to shoot Jane Doe 1 if she did not leave. When she did not leave, Hannah fired his gun twice in Jane Doe’s direction from 20 to 35 feet away.
Hannah said he intended to shoot above Jane Doe 1’s head to scare her, but at least one gunshot struck and killed her. In his plea agreement, Hannah acknowledged it was unreasonable to shoot in Jane Doe 1’s direction and that he did so without due caution and circumspection, causing her death.
Additionally, Hannah admitted that immediately after shooting Jane Doe 1, while still holding the gun, he physically motioned towards her children to leave. This action gave Jane Doe 2 reasonable fear that Hannah intended to do bodily harm to her with the rifle.
Hannah will remain in a halfway house pending sentencing, which has not yet been scheduled. At sentencing, Hannah faces up to 10 years in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Hannah must also forfeit the rifle used in the crimes.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary C. Jones is prosecuting the case.
View the Plea Agreement# # #
Special education teacher posing as teen heads to prison for exploiting minor he met onlineRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 43-year-old Mission resident has been sentenced for coercion and enticement of a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Juan Carlos Munoz pleaded guilty March 29.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now sentenced Munoz to serve 168 months in prison immediately followed by five years of supervised release. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. He will also be ordered to register as a sex offender. At the hearing, the court heard how Munoz would not only solicit photos and videos from minor children but would share and exchange those sexually explicit photos with another adult male child predator. In handing down the prison term, the court noted its concern for the safety of our school children.
“Munoz is a predator who hid within the walls of a local school and behind fake personas,” said Hamdani. “This sentence should show this family and all families that justice will bring child predators out of the shadows and placed behind bars where they belong.”
“Mr. Munoz abused his position of public trust as a special education teacher to prey on those he was entrusted to protect,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “The sexual exploitation of children is among the most egregious crimes HSI investigates, and today’s sentencing serves as a reminder that our agency will work tirelessly to protect children from coercion and enticement of minors.”
In November 2022, law enforcement in South Carolina met with a family who discovered their 14-year-old girl was communicating with an individual who was soliciting nude photos and videos. The girl met the individual who claimed to be a 19-year-old teenage boy on a social media/video chat site. Law enforcement uncovered numerous conversations and successfully traced the perpetrator’s phone number to the Rio Grande Valley. They determined his true identity was 41-year-old Munoz, a high school special education teacher.
In December 2022, Texas authorities located Munoz at the school where he was employed. He admitted to communicating with approximately 50 minor children and requesting sexually explicit photos and videos.
Munoz will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
HSI-Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitation Task Force conducted the investigation with the assistance of York County Sheriff’s Office in South Carolina.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Garcia 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.
Southeast Missouri Man Sentenced to 25 Years in Prison for One Fatal, One Nonfatal ShootingRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Friday sentenced a man responsible for one fatal and one non-fatal shooting in Hayti, Missouri in 2023 to 25 years in prison.
Eugene Winters, 44, of Hayti, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau in November to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Winters admitted that just before 7:30 p.m. on April 19, 2023, he shot two people outside "The Store" at 301 Washington Street in Hayti. Winters told police that he argued with one man before going to his vehicle to retrieve his gun. The victim was sitting in his vehicle and Winters believed he had a gun, Winters’ plea says. Winters and the victim argued again, and Winters shot the victim from the driver’s side of the car before walking around to the passenger side of the vehicle and shooting the victim more times, his plea agreement says. The second victim came out of the store and approached Winters, who started shooting at that second victim. Winters followed that man into the store and fired two more shots while the victim was running away.
Hayti police arrived, and Winters threw down his gun and laid on the ground.
Both victims were taken to a local hospital, then by air ambulance to the Regional One Health Trauma Center in Memphis, Tenn. due to the seriousness of their injuries. One died.
Winters was a convicted felon and thus is barred from possession of a firearm. His prior convictions include aggravated robbery and aggravated assault. Due to those crimes, Winters qualified as an “armed career criminal,” triggering a possible sentence of 15 years to life in prison.
The Hayti Police Department, Pemiscot County Sheriff’s Office and the Missouri State Highway Patrol Division of Drug and Crime Control investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Hahn prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
South Yarmouth Resident Pleads Guilty to Felon in Possession of Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A South Yarmouth man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court for possessing a firearm. Defendant barricaded himself in basement following domestic disturbance.
Michael Giampapa, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm before U.S. District Judge Richard G. Stearns who scheduled sentencing for Dec. 18, 2024.
On March 16, 2022, local police responded to a call reporting a domestic disturbance at a residence in South Yarmouth involving Giampapa and a family member. Giampapa was barricaded in the basement when police arrived. He spoke by phone with a family member and during that call, stated he has a gun. After a standoff with law enforcement, Giampapa eventually exited the residence and was arrested.
Following a search of the residence where Giampapa was staying a Smith & Wesson M&P Bodyguard loaded .380 handgun was recovered inside a cereal box that was on top of open shelving in the basement. Giampapa had previously been convicted of crimes punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
The firearm charge provides for a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a period of three years of supervised release as well as a $250,000 fine. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Chief Kevin Lennon of the Yarmouth Police Department made the announcement today. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
This case is also part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local, and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information-sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensures that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
South Florida Attorney Who Embezzled Client Funds Charged with Wire Fraud and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
MIAMI - A South Florida attorney, who was recently disbarred, has been charged with wire fraud and money laundering in U.S. District Court for embezzling approximately $650,000 of client funds.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office announced the unsealing of an indictment charging John Spencer Jenkins, 54, formerly of Fort Lauderdale, Fla. As alleged in the indictment, Jenkins, while working as a lawyer, was entrusted with $643,399.35 in proceeds from a client’s estate that were supposed to be distributed to the client’s heirs. Instead of disbursing the funds to the decedent’s heirs, the indictment alleges Jenkins had the funds deposited into his firm’s Interest on Trust Account only to then take the funds for his own personal gain, laundering the funds through another account in the process.
Jenkins was arrested yesterday in Philadelphia, Pa., on the Southern District of Florida indictment. Jenkins is scheduled to have his initial hearing at 1:30 p.m., today, before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Philadelphia.
Jenkins is charged with three counts of wire fraud, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and three counts of money laundering, each of which carry a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. If Jenkins is convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
FBI investigated this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller is prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains mere allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
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-60172.
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Shipment of Pounds of Meth and Cocaine Leads to 134 Months in Prison for St. Louis ManRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Rodney W. Sippel on Friday sentenced a man who was caught by police after a shipment of 15 pounds of methamphetamine and four and one-half pounds of cocaine was intercepted to 134 months in prison.
On March 24, 2022, Damon L. Pruitt was caught by St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers in a home where the meth and cocaine had just been delivered. Earlier in the day, the parcel delivery company opened the package due to concerns about it, found the drugs and called police. A court-approved search of the delivery address, in the 6600 block of Pennsylvania Avenue home, also found two handguns. Pruitt is a convicted felon and told police that he knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms, his plea agreement says.
There was about 6.8 kilograms of meth in the package and more than two kilograms of cocaine.
Pruitt, 38, pleaded guilty in October in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.
Second Canadian resident pleads guilty to massive COVID-19 benefit fraud schemeRead the Press Release
Tacoma – The second of two Nigerian men residing in Canada pleaded guilty Thursday September 12, 2024, in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to wire fraud and aggravated identity theft for his fraud scheme that stole more than $1.3 million in federal funds, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Fatiu Ismaila Lawal, 45, was extradited from Canada in mid-July. U.S. District Judge Robert J. Bryan scheduled his sentencing for December 12, 2024.
According to records filed in the case, Lawal, and codefendant Sakiru Olanrewaju Ambali, 45, used the stolen identities of thousands of workers to submit over 1,700 claims for pandemic unemployment benefits to over 25 different states, including Washington State. In total, the claims sought approximately $25 million, but the conspirators obtained approximately $2.7 million, primarily from pandemic unemployment benefits. As part of his plea agreement, Lawal agreed to make restitution of $1,345,472.
Lawal admits in his plea agreement that he personally submitted at least 790 unemployment claims using the stolen identities of 790 workers. The co-conspirators allegedly submitted claims for pandemic unemployment benefits to New York, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, California, Washington and some 19 other states. Lawal also established four internet domain names that were subsequently used for fraud – creating some 800 different email addresses that were used in this scheme.
Additionally, between 2018 and November 2022, Lawal used stolen personal information to submit 3,000 income tax returns for $7.5 million in refunds. The IRS detected the fraud and paid just $30,000.
Lawal and Ambali also attempted to use the stolen American identities for Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) to defraud the Small Business Administration (SBA). The pair submitted some 38 applications, but SBA caught most of the fraud and paid only $2,500.
Lawal and Ambali had the proceeds of their fraud sent to cash cards or to “money mules” who transferred the funds according to instructions given by the co-conspirators. They also allegedly used stolen identities to open bank accounts and have the money deposited directly into those accounts for their use.
Lawal and Ambali also used a Telegram channel to teach others how to commit similar frauds and how to misuse personally identifying information. They instructed others how to purchase such information on the dark web and how to use it to fraudulently apply for benefits from various COVID-19 programs.
Prosecutors have agreed to recommend a total of no more than 65 months in prison for Lawal. Judge Bryan is not bound by the recommendation and can impose any sentence allowed by law.
Co-defendant Ambali was sentenced to 42 months in prison in March 2024.
The National Unemployment Fraud Task Force provided a lead on this case to the investigative team in Western Washington. The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG). Also contributing to the investigation were Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Washington State Employment Security Division (ESD), and the Small Business Administration (SBA).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cindy Chang of the Western District of Washington. DOJ’s Office of International Affairs assisted with extradition on this matter.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud related to COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
San Angelo Man Charged with Sextorting Minors and AdultsRead the Press Release
A San Angelo man has been charged with sextorting minors, ranging from 11 to 17 years old, and adults across the United States, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Juelz Sincere Armstead, 21, was charged in a superseding indictment with seven counts of production and attempted production of child pornography, two counts of attempted production of child pornography, and ten counts of cyber stalking. He was arraigned on Wednesday before U. S. Magistrate John R. Parker and is currently in custody.
According to the superseding indictment, beginning in August 2021, Mr. Armstead persuaded at least seven minors to engage in sexually explicit conduct and produced visuals of such conduct. On February 26, 2024, Mr. Armstead attempted to do the same with two additional minors. Mr. Armstead used the images he produced to harass and intimidate the individuals and caused them substantial emotional distress.
An indictment is merely an allegation, not evidence. Mr. Armstead is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Homeland Security Investigations, Tom Green County Sheriff’s Office, San Angelo Police Department, and several federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in Texas, Indiana, Oregon, California, New Jersey, Colorado, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Kansas, North Carolina, Georgia, and Mississippi conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Callie Woolam is prosecuting the federal case.
Rochester man and woman charged with robbing a postal carrier, postal keys and mailRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Shyasia Kelis McCullough, 23, and Malik Shameer McCray, 24, both of Rochester, NY, were arrested and charged by criminal complaint with unlawful possession of USPS mailbox keys, mail theft, robbery of a USPS letter carrier, and conspiracy. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn M. Hartford, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on June 5, 2023, while delivering mail on Lake Avenue in Rochester, a U.S. Postal Service letter carrier was robbed of his keys, which included a mailbox key, vehicle key, and keys to secured buildings along the mail delivery route. Postal Inspectors reviewed video surveillance in the area and identified a suspect and a vehicle suspected of being involved in the robbery. A few days later, on June 9, 2023, a Gates Police Officer spotted the vehicle entering the Westgate Post Office and conducted a traffic stop. McCray was driving the vehicle and McCullough was a passenger. McCray was taken into custody on traffic violations.
During the execution of a search warrant on the vehicle, officers located multiple filled out personal checks with multiple different names on them, as well as a USPS vehicle key and other keys similar to the ones stolen from the letter carrier. Also recovered, numerous cell phones, ski masks, blank check stock paper, invoices, and portions of what appeared to be invoice remittance slips, bank credit/debit cards and identifications in names other than the defendants. These items are indicative of mail theft, check washing, and bank fraud. A ledger was also found listing what appeared to be individuals who provided access to their financial accounts for the purposes of fraudulent check deposits. A review of McCray’s cell phone recovered a chat between McCray and McCullough, with the two discussing the robbery of the mail carrier. It also recovered a photo of the stolen mail keys.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Boston Division Inspector-in-Charge Ketty Larco-Ward, the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith and the Gates Police Department, under the direction of Chief Robert Long.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Rioter Federally Charged with Damaging U.S. Government Property at Union Station Following RallyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Isabella Giordano, 20, of Towson, Maryland, was arrested this morning in connection with a federal criminal complaint charging her with destruction of federal property. -This complaint alleges that Giordano spray painted several pieces of federal property at Columbus Circle in front of Union Station in Washington, D.C., on July 24, 2024.
The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Jessica M. E. Taylor of the U.S. Park Police (USPP).
Giordano will make her initial appearance this afternoon in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia. She is charged with willfully injuring or depredating any property of the United States.
“Politically motivated violent and destructive behavior, regardless its motivation, is a crime—not protected speech,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Today’s federal prosecution should make clear that those who engage in politically motivated violence and destruction in the District of Columbia should expect to be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. We anticipate more charges in connection with the criminal conduct that occurred on July 24, 2024. And we ask for the public’s continued assistance in identifying individuals who engaged in criminal conduct.”
According to court documents, on July 24, 2024, an organization was granted a permit to demonstrate in the area of Columbus Circle, located at Massachusetts Ave. NE, and E St. NE, directly in front of Union Station. From about 3 p.m. until 5 p.m., demonstrators who had gathered in Columbus Circle pulled down flags affixed to the flagpoles; burned flags and objects; sprayed graffiti on multiple statutes and structures; and interfered with law enforcement’s ability to place individuals under arrest.
Footage obtained from a review of open-source videos posted to X (formerly Twitter) showed Giordano using red spray paint to write “Gaza” on the Columbus Fountain. She also spray-painted the base of two of the flagpoles in Columbus Circle. On July 30, 2024, the U.S. Park Police posted a bulletin with multiple photos and the FBI issued a bulletin seeking information on five individuals, including Giordano, who engaged in criminal activity on July 24, 2024. On August 1, 2024, USPP received two tips identifying Giordano.
The flags pulled down from the flag poles, and the statutes and structures in Columbus Circle, are all property of the federal government. The National Park Service estimated that the cost to clean and repair the site at about $11,282.23.
This case is being investigated by the USPP’s Intelligence and Counterterrorism Unit with assistance from the FBI Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Martin.
A criminal indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
24mj287Rancho Cucamonga Man and Woman Found Guilty of Federal Criminal Charges in Connection with ‘Birth Tourism’ SchemeRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Two San Bernardino County residents were found guilty by a jury today of operating a “birth tourism” scheme that charged Chinese clients tens of thousands of dollars to help them give birth in the United States to obtain birthright U.S. citizenship for their children.
Michael Wei Yueh Liu (刘维岳), 59, of Rancho Cucamonga, and Jing Dong, (董晶), 47, also of Rancho Cucamonga, were found guilty of one count of conspiracy and 10 counts of international money laundering.
According to evidence presented at a four-day trial, from at least January 2012 to March 2015, Liu and Dong ran a maternity house in Rancho Cucamonga. Liu and Dong rented apartment units in Southern California to provide short-term housing and provided other services to pregnant women from China who traveled to the United States to give birth so their children would acquire U.S. citizenship. Typically, within one or two months after giving birth, the women returned to China.
Among the services Liu and Dong provided was assistance on how to obtain visas to enter the United States, customs entry guidance, housing, and transportation in the United States, as well as assistance applying for U.S. legal documents for the children of their customers.
Liu and Dong advised their customers on how to hide their pregnancies from the immigration authorities. Liu and Dong also knew – or deliberately avoided learning – that their customers lied on their visa applications submitted to immigration authorities to enter the U.S.
Generally, their customers’ visa applications falsely stated that the purpose of the trip to the United States was for tourism, when it was to give birth, and the length of the stay was days or weeks, when it was in fact months. The visas also misstated the location where the customers intended to stay, which was defendants’ maternity hotel.
Liu and Dong or their agents also advised their customers to fly to ports of entry with perceived less customs scrutiny, such as Hawaii, before flying to Los Angeles, to wear loose fitting clothing, to favor certain lines at customs that they perceived to be less strict, and on how to answer the customs officials’ questions.
Liu and Dong received money from overseas and used that money to promote their scheme.
United States District Judge R. Gary Klausner scheduled a December 9 sentencing hearing, at which time Liu and Dong will face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for the conspiracy charge and up to 20 years in federal prison for each international money laundering charge.
Homeland Security Investigations, IRS Criminal Investigation, and the FBI investigated this matter. The Irvine Police Department and the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department provided substantial assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Gregory W. Staples and Kevin Y. Fu of the Santa Ana Branch Office are prosecuting this case.
Raleigh County Woman Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Ashley Nicole Luster, 29, of Sophia, was sentenced today to eight months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 13, 2022, Luster sold approximately 25 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant at a Beckley apartment complex while aided and abetted by co-defendant Angelo Johnson. Luster admitted that she handed the controlled substances over after Johnson took the money.
Johnson, 29, of Beckley, was sentenced on December 8, 2023 to three years and one month in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to aiding and abetting the distribution of methamphetamine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit. The Beckley/Raleigh County Drug and Violent Crime Unit consists of officers from the West Virginia State Police, the Raleigh County Sheriff’s Department, and the Beckley Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew D. Isabell 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. 5:23-cr-13.
Prisoner Who Escaped from Bloomfield Halfway House Receives Additional Time in PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that LUIS PADILLA, 39, formerly of Waterbury, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven to 12 months and one day of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for escaping from a halfway house in Bloomfield.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 27, 2018, Padilla was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 78 months of imprisonment for conspiring with others to traffic narcotics from Connecticut to Maine. On March 17, 2021, Padilla was transferred from a federal prison in West Virginia to the Drapelick Center, a Residential Reentry Center (halfway house) in Bloomfield, to complete his custodial sentence. On June 1, 2022, Padilla walked out of the Drapelick Center and never returned. He was located and arrested in Bangor, Maine, on April 5, 2024.
On June 10, 2024, Padilla pleaded guilty to escape from the custody of the Attorney General.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale.
Philadelphia Woman Charged with Stealing Social Security Disability Benefits of Homicide Victim Found Buried Under Rowhome BasementRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Holly Sadowski, 37, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was arrested and charged by indictment on charges of Social Security fraud, wire fraud, and aggravated identity theft, for concealing the death of a woman, referred to as E.W., to steal her Social Security Administration (“SSA”) disability benefits totaling approximately $99,447.90.
The indictment alleges that the deceased woman’s remains were found buried beneath approximately six to eight feet of concrete in the basement of a Philadelphia home in which she had resided. According to the indictment, the last time E.W. was seen alive was on or about December 12, 2012. During her lifetime, E.W. received Disability Insurance Benefits from the SSA, due to an intellectual disorder.
The indictment further alleges that a DNA analysis of the human remains recovered from the concrete basement concluded that the remains were those of E.W. The Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office and a forensic anthropologist examined E.W.’s remains and concluded that the cause of death was blunt trauma to the head and neck and the manner of death was homicide. The forensic anthropologist estimated that E.W. died at least four years and up to ten years prior to the recovery of her remains.
Defendant Sadowski was indicted for accessing the deceased woman’s bank account and stealing her Social Security benefits for her own personal use. In furtherance of the scheme to defraud, Sadowski is charged with utilizing the deceased’s name, date of birth, and Social Security number to continue to access her bank account containing the Social Security benefit funds. Sadowski is charged with fraudulently obtaining and converting to her own use approximately $99,447.90 in SSA benefits payments intended for E.W.
If convicted, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 107 years’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, a $1,750,000 fine, and a $700 special assessment.
The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorneys Megan Curran and Laura J. Bradbury.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Peridot Woman Sentenced to 15 Years for Killing Her HusbandRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Terri Lynn Victor, 43, of Peridot, was sentenced on August 26, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to 180 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Victor is a member of the San Carlos Apache Tribe.
In the late-night hours of July 6, 2022, and into the early morning hours of July 7, 2022, Victor stabbed her husband in the chest, ultimately killing him. Victor pleaded guilty to Voluntary Manslaughter on February 14, 2024.
The investigation in this case was conducted by the San Carlos Apache Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dimitra Sampson and Vinnie Lichvar, District of Arizona, Phoenix.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-01129-PHX-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-122_Victor# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Ohio County Man Sentenced for Federal Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Mustafa A. Baker, age 55, of Wheeling, West Virginia, was sentenced to 30 months in prison for the unlawful possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Wheeling Police officers pulled over Baker’s vehicle because of an outstanding warrant and found a loaded 9mm semiautomatic pistol and 10 rounds of ammunition. Baker is prohibited from having firearms because of eight prior felony convictions in Virginia, including drug possession, 3rd offense DUI, felony domestic assault, and felony assault and battery.
Baker will serve three years of supervised release after his prison sentence.
Investigative agencies include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Wheeling Police Department.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney John Kyle, also with the Brooke County Prosecuting Attorney's Office, prosecuted the cases on behalf of the government.
U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.
North Carolina Woman Sentenced to Prison for Role in Counterfeit Currency ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Crystal Wilks, 24, of Lenoir, North Carolina, was sentenced today to one year and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $800 in restitution for conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. Harris admitted to her role in a conspiracy to create and pass counterfeit United States currency in the Southern District of West Virginia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 12, 2022, Wilks and co-defendants Xavier Sanders and Jamarcus Harris traveled with another individual from North Carolina to West Virginia. Wilks admitted that they passed counterfeit $100 bills at businesses in Beckley, Fayetteville and Summersville.
Wilks and her co-conspirators rented a room that evening at a Summersville hotel, where they attempted to create new counterfeit United States currency. Wilks admitted that their counterfeiting process involved bleaching $1 bills, scanning a genuine $100 bill, and printing the scanned image on the bleached bills.
Harris, 33, of Lenoir, North Carolina, was sentenced on February 2, 2024, to two years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $800 in restitution after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States. Sanders, 25, of Charlotte, North Carolina, pleaded guilty on November 9, 2023, to conspiracy to commit an offense against the United States and sentenced on April 26, 2024, to three years of probation after serving five months in jail .
United States Attorney Will Thompson made today’s announcement and commended the investigative work of the United States Secret Service.
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander A. Redmon, Andrew D. Isabell and Ryan Blackwell 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. 5:23-cr-54.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Firearm and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA- HERBERT COOPER (“COOPER”), age 28, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on September 5, 2024, by U.S. District Judge, Eldon E. Fallon, to 120 months’ imprisonment after previously pleading guilty to Counts 1, 2, and 3 of a superseding bill of information. The Court also ordered that COOPER be placed on supervised release for 5 years following release from imprisonment and pay a $300 mandatory special assessment fee.
Count 1 charged COOPER with possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 841(b)(1)(D). Count 2 charged COOPER with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i). Count 3 charged COOPER with being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2).
According to court documents, COOPER was previously convicted of felony offenses in St. Tammany Parish and Orleans Parish. Due to his criminal history, he is prohibited from having a firearm. On March 13, 2022, while conducting video surveillance of the 300 block of North Gayoso Street in New Orleans, New Orleans Police Department (“NOPD”) officers observed COOPER conduct a suspected hand-to-hand narcotics distribution transaction. When a uniformed NOPD officer approached COOPER, he fled and discarded a loaded Glock Model 23, .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun, with an extended magazine containing twenty-five (25) live rounds of ammunition. Upon COOPER’s arrest, NOPD officers discovered approximately $2,300.00 in cash on his person. Officers also recovered 1460.5 grams of marijuana, 29.46 grams of methamphetamine, a bottle half-filled with Promethazine, a digital scale, plastic sandwich baggies, and a standard, as well as an extended magazine for a Glock Model 23, semi-automatic handgun, from COOPER’s vehicle.
On March 23, 2022 after obtaining a search warrant for a residence and a safe used by COOPER, officers recovered $12,000.00 in cash, two falsified Western Union money orders for $900.00 each, a Smith and Wesson, .38 Special revolver with an obliterated serial number, a Social Security card, and birth certificate, belonging to COOPER.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Troy Bell of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Hampshire Man Sentenced to Eight Years in Prison for His Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A member of a nationwide drug trafficking ring was sentenced today in federal court in Boston. During the investigation over 160 pounds of pure methamphetamine, as well as an AK-47, a Glock with no serial number, two loaded Smith & Wesson handguns and over 4,200 rounds of ammunition were seized. An illegal marijuana grow operation with hundreds of marijuana plants was also dismantled.
Eric Daneault, 48, of Manchester, N.H., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to eight years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. On Feb. 16, 2024, Daneault pleaded guilty to one count of a superseding indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. The superseding indictment also charged 10 other defendants with controlled substance offenses, firearm offenses and money laundering offenses.
In approximately October 2020, investigators received information about drug trafficking activities of a large-scale methamphetamine supplier in the Boston area. In late 2020, investigators identified Reshat Alkayisi as a large-scale methamphetamine trafficker who distributed multi-pound quantities to multiple co-conspirators throughout the New England area. Daneault was identified as one of Alkayisi’s methamphetamine distributors. In May 2021, Alkayisi distributed approximately over 5.3 kilograms of methamphetamine to Daneault.
Daneault is the fourth defendant to be sentenced. All other defendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts Department of Correction; Norfolk County Sherriff’s Office; and Concord, Hudson, Peabody, Reading, Watertown and Waltham Police Departments. Assistance was also provided by the Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alathea Porter and Katherine Ferguson of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
This case 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.
Michigan Man Sentenced to 60 Months in Federal Prison for Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Michigan man was sentenced yesterday to five years (60 months) in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon.
According to public court documents, Michael Anthony McBride, 30, was stopped for speeding by the Iowa State Patrol in Adair County on July 21, 2023. A search of McBride’s vehicle led to the discovery of user quantities of marijuana and cocaine, a digital scale, and two firearms: a loaded nine-millimeter pistol and a semi-automatic “ghost gun.” McBride admitted to purchasing the firearms for protection. The nine-millimeter pistol had been reported stolen from a residence in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan in June 2023. McBride had been convicted of a felony drug crime in Michigan and was therefore prohibited from possessing firearms.
After completing his term of imprisonment, McBride will be required to serve a three-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Iowa State Patrol, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF).
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Miami Jury Finds Convicted Child Molester Guilty of Naturalization FraudRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On Sept. 11. a federal jury found Orlando Chavez, 43, a convicted child molester, guilty of naturalization fraud and using a fraudulently obtained naturalization certificate.
According to testimony and evidence presented during the two-day trial, Chavez was born in Cuba. On July 14, 2017, he submitted an Application for Naturalization to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS). On his application, and under penalty of perjury, Chavez falsely responded “No” to two questions: “Were you EVER involved in any way with any of the following: Forcing or trying to force, someone to have any kind of sexual conduct or relations?”; and “Have you EVER committed, assisted in committing, or attempted to commit, a crime or offense of which you were not arrested?” On April 19, 2018, Chavez was interviewed by a USCIS officer and provided the same responses to the same questions while under oath and penalty of perjury. In a ceremony on April 30, 2018, Chavez took the Oath of Allegiance and was naturalized as a United States citizen. On May 19, 2018, Chavez used his fraudulently obtained naturalization certificate as proof of United States citizenship to apply for a passport from the U.S. Department of State.
In Oct. 2019, Chavez was convicted of two counts of child abuse for conduct against a minor victim under 12 years of age between Jan. 1 and Dec. 31, 2014. He was sentenced to 14 months in prison, five years of probation and was ordered to attend a sex offender treatment program. Chavez was not arrested for these offenses until after he was naturalized.
U.S. District Judge Roy Altman is scheduled to sentence Chavez on Jan. 8, after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. In addition to any sentence imposed, Chavez’s citizenship will be automatically revoked.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Field Office Director Garrett Ripa of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), and District Director Brett R. Rinehart of the USCIS Miami and Caribbean District made the announcement.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Shaw and Assistant U.S. Attorney Yisel Valdes for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case. The case was presented by ICE’s ERO division in Miami as part of Operation False Haven, an ongoing national initiative designed to identify and prosecute child molesters and other egregious felons who fraudulently obtained United States citizenship.
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-20035.
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Meriden Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MIGUEL ACEVEDO, 41 of Meriden, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to cocaine trafficking offenses.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on June 7, 2021, Meriden Police arrested Acevedo on state crack cocaine distribution and firearm possession charges. On that date investigators seized from Acevedo approximately 390 grams of cocaine and $281,000 in cash.
In December 2022, while he was released on bond in his state case, investigators made two controlled purchases of cocaine from Acevedo.
Acevedo was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on February 14, 2023. On that date, a search of his residence on South Avenue in Meriden and his business on West Main Street in Meriden revealed approximately 40 grams of cocaine and more than $3,000 in cash. At the time of his arrest, investigators also seized two vehicles owned by Acevedo, an SUV and a minivan. A search of the minivan revealed a hidden trap that contained six kilograms of cocaine, drug paraphernalia, and a loaded firearm.
After his arrest, Acevedo was released on a $60,000 appearance bond, cosigned by three sureties. Within 24 hours of his release, Acevedo was observed meeting with several visitors at his home and receiving a paper bag from one visitor who was a known drug associate. Acevedo has been detained since March 1, 2023, when his bond was revoked. On July 25, 2023, U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley granted the government’s motion to forfeit Acevedo’s appearance bond.
Acevedo pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, cocaine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. At sentencing, which is not scheduled, he faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
The state charges against Acevedo stemming from his June 2021 arrest are pending. The cash that was seized in June 2021 was previously forfeited.
Acevedo’s criminal history includes a 2008 federal narcotics trafficking conviction for which he was sentenced to 60 months of imprisonment.
This investigation has been conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Meriden Police Department. The DEA New Haven Task Force includes members from the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren C. Clark 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.
Member of Makah Tribe convicted at trial of abusive sexual contactRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A 46-year-old member of the Makah Tribe was convicted of abusive sexual contact yesterday in U.S. District Court in Tacoma following a three-day trial, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. The jury deliberated for about an hour before finding Schyler Colfax, guilty. The Neah Bay, Washington, man faces up to two years in prison when sentenced by U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle on October 29, 2024. Colfax will be required to register as a sex offender.
According to records filed in the case, Colfax had regular access to the home of the victim on Makah Tribal lands. On October 23, 2023, Colfax was found in the bedroom of the 13-year-old victim who had stayed home from school due to illness. Adult relatives found Colfax in the victim’s bed and ordered him to leave. The victim immediately disclosed to her guardians that Colfax had touched her inappropriately. The family then reported the conduct to Neah Bay Police and Colfax was arrested that evening.
The FBI joined the Neah Bay police in the investigation and an experienced forensic interviewer took a statement from the child. Because the crime occurred on tribal land and involved tribal members the case was prosecuted in federal court.
Colfax was indicted in November 2023 and has been in custody at the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac, Washington since his arrest on November 16, 2023.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Harder and Celia Lee, who both serve as Tribal Liaisons for the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Massachusetts Business Owner Indicted for over $18 Million Paycheck Protection Program FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Carlisle man has been indicted by a federal grand jury for allegedly submitting fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan applications on behalf of multiple companies he owns and controls.
Durgaprasad Rao, 65, was charged with four counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering. In May 2024, Rao was arrested and charge by criminal complaint.
According to the charging documents, Rao is the owner and operator of Accelerated Engineering, LLC., a product engineering service provider, and Upstream Global Services, Inc., a software company that provides software consulting services and temporary staffing needs.
It is alleged that, between April 2020 and May 2021, Rao submitted numerous fraudulent applications seeking over $18 million in PPP funds for various companies in multiple states including companies in Massachusetts, Wisconsin and Georgia. Nine of the fraudulent PPP loan applications Rao allegedly submitted were for companies he owned and controlled. For Rao’s Massachusetts-based companies, he received nearly $7 million in PPP loans – of which, one PPP loan of over $1.5 million was approved for forgiveness.
Rao’s PPP loan applications allegedly contained false statements regarding payroll and the number of employees that worked for his companies and included fraudulent supporting documents, including false tax return documents and false payroll records. It is further alleged that Rao misused the funds he received by, among other things, transferring the funds to foreign businesses he owned and purchasing a luxury condominium in New York City.
The charges of wire fraud each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charges of money laundering each provide for a sentence of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the amount of the criminally derived property involved in the transaction. 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; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division, Boston Field Office; Ketty Larco Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Carlisle Police Chief Andrew Amendola made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Sullivan and David Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit are prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form.The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Maryland Man Sentenced for Possession of Ammunition and Possession of Substances with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – On Tuesday, September 10, 2024, the Honorable Lydia K. Griggsby sentenced Boie Barry, age 32, of Hyattsville, Maryland, to eight years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for possession of ammunition by a convicted felon and possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute.
The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland, Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (“ATF”), and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to the guilty plea, law enforcement officers were patrolling Hyattsville, Maryland in September of 2022, when they observed a vehicle parked in a handicap space without a handicap placard. Officers approached the vehicle, smelled and saw marijuana in the vehicle’s center console, and directed Barry, who had been sitting in the front passenger seat, to step out. As Barry stepped out, an officer saw a bulge in Barry’s front left pocket. The officer repeatedly directed Barry to keep his hands up, and when Barry eventually raised his hands, the officer saw a firearm in his waistband. Barry tried to flee but was stopped by other officers. Officers recovered a 9mm privately manufactured firearm bearing no apparent serial number, commonly known as a “ghost gun,” which was equipped with a laser sight and fully automatic switch and loaded with 32 rounds of ammunition. The switch allowed the firearm to fire in fully automatic mode, making it a machinegun. Officers also found bags in Barry’s front left pocket containing various controlled substances, including cocaine, cocaine base, methamphetamine, para-fluorofentanyl and fentanyl. They also found $1,565.75 on Barry’s person that were proceeds from his drug trafficking.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Barron commended ATF and the Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Rosenthal and Patrick Kibbe, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanay Mitchell, who prosecuted the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Man Sentenced to Prison for Making Bomb Threat to Scott Air Force BaseRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A district judge in southern Illinois sentenced a Florida man to 87 months’ imprisonment after he used social media to make a bomb threat to Scott Air Force Base and cyberstalked an active duty Air Force member.
DeAyre M. Jones, 32, of Land O’ Lakes, Florida, pleaded guilty to one count of interstate communication with threat to injure, one count of cyberstalking and one count of threatening and conveying false information concerning use of fire or an explosive.
“The defendant intentionally disrupted operations at Scott Air Force Base to make a bomb threat and send harassing messages to base officials,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “Luckily, this incident was a false alarm, but our national security and the Air Force community depend on uninterrupted service at the base. I’m grateful to the investigators for their efforts to hold this offender accountable.”
According to court documents, Jones used multiple fake Facebook profiles to accuse a woman, whom he previously had a personal relationship with, of having a bomb and tracker attached to her car at Scott Air Force Base in September 2022.
“This successful joint investigation between our office, the FBI, and assistance by the Untied States Marshall Service sends the message that we treat any disruption to the Air Force mission very seriously. The tireless efforts of all teams involved ensured the base remained safe and fully operational at all times,” said Special Agent Joseph Straus, AFOSI Detachment 301, Commander.
After detecting the threat, base officials dispatched an explosive detection canine and the Explosive Ordinance Disposal team to search the suspected vehicle and surrounding lot but did not find any items of concern. The victim identified Jones as the potential suspect, and investigation revealed that he had created multiple fake Facebook profiles to harass the victim and make several bomb threats to the base.
“DeAyre Jones embarked on a campaign of harassment that brought extreme distress to the victim and led to a hoax bomb threat which created chaos in the day-to-day operations of Scott Airforce Base,” said Special Agent in Charge Christopher Johnson. “Hoax threats cause a significant drain on resources and taxpayer dollars and put innocent people at risk. Because safety is paramount to the FBI and our law enforcement partners, we will use all available resources to investigate and determine the credibility of a bomb threat.”
In addition, Jones also admitted to sending threatening and harassing messages to the victim and other base officials from August through December 2022.
The U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations and the FBI Springfield Field Office contributed to the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel S. Carraway prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced for Transporting Three Teens to San Diego for ProstitutionRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – Sept 13, 2024
SAN DIEGO – Clifford Stokes Jr. of Tempe, Arizona, was sentenced in federal court today to 10 years in prison for transporting a 19-year-old woman and two 16-year-old girls from Arizona to San Diego in January 2023 to engage in prostitution. One of the minor victims was reported as a missing juvenile from Arizona at the time Stokes drove her and the other two victims to an area in San Diego known for street-based commercial sex trafficking.
On January 17, 2023, San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force officers were conducting an operation in a high-prostitution area to recover sex trafficking victims when they observed Stokes driving his vehicle with out-of-state plates into the area and letting two of the victims out of the car. Officers observed as the victims began walking the street and waving at vehicles. When Stokes returned to the area in his vehicle to pick up the two victims, task force officers initiated a traffic stop. Stokes, the driver of the vehicle, was found to be in possession of a loaded firearm, and the three victims were passengers.
The adult victim told investigators that Stokes used violence and threats of violence to require her to earn $1,000 a day in commercial sex acts for his financial benefit. Officers were able to quickly identify the juvenile victims and contact Child Welfare Services, helping to reunite the victims with their families back home to Arizona.
“Today’s sentence underscores the gravity of human trafficking crimes,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “The road to recovery for these young girls will be long and painful, but they will walk free from fear and brutality years before this defendant is released from prison.”
“This sentencing sends a clear message to potential offenders that they will be held accountable for their criminal behavior and the exploitation of the youth in California will not be tolerated,” said Attorney General Bonta. “I’m extremely grateful to our San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force, local law enforcement and our federal partners for their dedication and commitment to keeping our communities safe. My office always stands ready to work with our partners across California to fight for public safety.”
“Predatory behavior will not be tolerated by HSI,” said Christopher Davis, acting special agent in charge for HSI San Diego. “This investigation demonstrates HSI’s unwavering commitment to protecting the victims of these crimes and bringing these predators to justice.”
If you are living or working under threat of violence or extortion, or you suspect someone else may be, call the National Human Trafficking Resource Center toll free, 24/7 Hotline: CALL: (888) 373-7888 or TEXT BeFree or 233733.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Ko and Lyndzie M. Carter.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 23-cr-00258-TWR
Clifford Stokes Jr. Age: 23 Tempe, AZ
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Transportation for Purpose of Prostitution – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 2421(a)
Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison and $250,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force
San Diego Police Department
San Diego Sheriff’s Office
California Highway Patrol
Man Indicted for Weapons ViolationRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on August 29, 2024, CUONG QUOC TRAN (“TRAN”), age 38, of Slidell, La, was indicted for possession of a machine gun, in violation of Title 18 United States Code, Section 922(o).
If convicted, TRAN faces up to 10 years of imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, a period of up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and the United States Coast Guard Investigative Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit .
Licensed professional counselor indicted in $2 million health care fraud schemeRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 46-year-old resident of Mission has been taken into custody on charges of health care fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with a scheme to defraud the Texas Medicaid Program, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Juan Martin Flores, 46, is set to make his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Scott Hacker at 9 a.m.
The indictment, returned Aug. 7 and unsealed upon his arrest Sept. 12, alleges he submitted or caused the submission of over 15,000 fraudulent claims to Medicaid for services that were never provided. Between 2018 and 2022, the claims resulted in approximately $2 million in Medicaid payments, according to the charges. The indictment further alleges Flores used the personal information of Medicaid beneficiaries without their consent to facilitate the fraudulent billing scheme.
According to the charges, Flores submitted claims under his national provider identifier number, representing that he provided counseling services at his office in Brownsville. However, he allegedly never actually rendered those services. The indictment details multiple instances in which he unlawfully used Medicaid beneficiaries' identities in the fraudulent claims.
Flores is charged with 10 counts of health care fraud, each carrying a possible 10-year-maximum sentence and up to a $250,000 fine. He is also facing three counts of aggravated identity theft. If convicted, he faces a mandatory two years in federal prison which must be served consecutively to any other sentence imposed.
The FBI, Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General and Texas Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Swartz and Eric D. Flores are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is a formal accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless convicted through due process of law.
Lancaster Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Kevin Lamont Clinton, 50, of Lancaster, was sentenced to more than five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Evidence presented to the court showed that in 2019, the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, Department of Homeland Security, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were investigating unlawful drug activity in the Lancaster County area. In December 2019, agents served a search warrant at Clinton’s residence in Lancaster after making a controlled purchase of heroin from Clinton at the residence. Clinton was found sitting on a bed with a loaded .40 caliber pistol next to him. A further search of the bedroom uncovered plastic baggies containing over 18 grams of a drug mixture containing fentanyl. More ammunition was found scattered throughout the house. In July 2020 and August 2020, Clinton was also found with firearms and illegal drugs at different locations in Lancaster County.
Clinton is prohibited from possessing firearms due to previous felony convictions. Clinton had a 1997 federal conviction for possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine. In 2006, Clinton had convictions for resisting arrest and possession of crack cocaine.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Clinton to 71 months in prison, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Office, the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division, the Department of Homeland Security, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. U.S. Attorney Christopher D. Taylor is prosecuting the case.
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Justice Department Commemorates 30th Anniversary of the Violence Against Women ActRead the Press Release
Today, the Justice Department hosted hundreds of survivors, advocates, victim services professionals, community leaders, government officials, and partners from the criminal and civil justice systems in the Great Hall of the Robert F. Kennedy Building to commemorate the 30th anniversary of the passage of the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). The event, which featured remarks from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland, Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco, and Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Benjamin Mizer and was broadcast live on the Department’s website, included a series of panel discussions focused on the impact of VAWA in addressing domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking in the last 30 years.
During the event, Attorney General Garland announced the designation of an initial set of 78 communities across 47 states, territories, and the District of Columbia for designation under Section 1103 of the VAWA Reauthorization Act of 2022. The Justice Department – through its U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Field Divisions – will partner with each designated jurisdiction to develop a plan to reduce intimate partner firearm violence and to prioritize prosecutions of domestic violence offenders prohibited under 18 U.S. Code Section 922(g) from owning firearms. The Justice Department anticipates additional jurisdictions to be designated as U.S. Attorneys’ Offices continue coordination with their local stakeholders. This effort will build on the $690 million in grant funding under VAWA programs that the Department announced earlier this week.
“Three decades ago, VAWA transformed our national response to domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking,” said Attorney General Garland. “Its enactment sent a message: gender-based and intimate-partner violence is not just a private matter, not just a local matter, but a national crisis — one that our country was no longer willing to tolerate. As we take stock of the progress that VAWA has advanced, the Department of Justice remains committed to using every tool at our disposal to end these forms of violence and support survivors.”
First enacted in 1994, VAWA was the first comprehensive federal law focused on preventing and addressing domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. When it was first passed, VAWA initially focused on providing resources and training to improve the responses and policies of law enforcement, prosecutors, and courts, as well as support victim services to address crimes historically treated as private matters. As Congress subsequently reauthorized VAWA, it enhanced its policies and expanded grant funding streams in 2000, 2005, 2013, and 2022. OVW has issued more than $11 billion in funding authorized by VAWA in its lifetime
As part of its observance of VAWA’s anniversary, the Department released this week a series of resources designed to bolster the coordinated community response to effectively responding to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. The resources include updated guidance to support health care providers and other professionals, including criminal justice practitioners and victim advocates, when responding to the immediate needs of sexual assault patients.
The Department’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) published the third edition of the National Protocol for Sexual Assault Medical Forensic Examinations (SAFE Protocol) for adults and adolescents. The protocol provides detailed guidelines for responding to the immediate needs of sexual assault patients. The protocol was authorized by VAWA’s 2000 reauthorization and first published in 2004. The protocol has the same emphasis and values as the previous versions, but it is updated to reflect current technology, science, and standards of practice. For this revision, OVW solicited input from experts in relevant disciplines, including physicians, forensic nurses, prosecutors, law enforcement, victim advocates, civil attorneys, forensic scientists, and experts in culturally specific and underserved populations.
“As a young staffer on the Senate Judiciary Committee thirty years ago, I was privileged to play a small part in the passage of the original Violence Against Women Act, which profoundly changed how our country protects survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Today, with the largest funding level ever, VAWA’s programs are providing more access to services for survivors, more resources to help law enforcement respond, and more capacity to keep guns out of the hands of domestic abusers. On this milestone anniversary, the legacy of the Violence Against Women Act lives in the courage, stories, and voices of victims and survivors who made the original law possible. And it’s in the future work by all of us to shape a safer world for women everywhere.”
OVW also published a new report, Answering the Call: Thirty Years of the Violence Against Women Act, that chronicles the impact of VAWA grant funding. It uses research findings, numbers, archival material, and grantees’ and survivors’ own words to present snapshots of the ways VAWA transforms communities’ efforts to support survivors, hold offenders accountable, and work collaboratively to end domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking.
“Thanks to VAWA and its expansion over the last 30 years, we’ve pursued additional pathways to justice, acknowledging that access to justice looks different for each survivor,” said Principal Deputy Associate Attorney General Mizer. “I’m proud to say that this year OVW launched three new grant solicitations to implement the new restorative practices pilot program included in the 2022 VAWA reauthorization, including funding for pilot sites, national training and technical assistance, and a robust evaluation program. OVW will be awarding more than $29 million to support restorative practice programs that will expand access to justice for survivors.”
In addition to the OVW resources released today, the Department joined the Departments of Agriculture, Treasury, Veterans Affairs, and Housing and Urban Development to issue an interagency statement that affirms VAWA’s housing protections for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, dating violence, and stalking as well as other individuals, such as those who assist survivors.
“A coordinated community response is just as important at the federal level as it is within a community,” said OVW Director Rosie Hidalgo. “Too often, an individual facing violence feels forced to remain at home with their abuser because they don’t have anywhere else to go. By providing housing security, we can help support survivors and give them a pathway to safety. We’re grateful to our federal partners as we work together toward our common goal of ending gender-based violence and providing safety, security, and justice.”
OVW provides leadership in developing the nation’s capacity to reduce violence through the implementation of the Violence Against Women Act and subsequent legislation. Created in 1995, OVW administers financial and technical assistance to communities across the country that are developing programs, policies, and practices aimed at ending domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, and stalking. In addition to overseeing federal grant programs, OVW undertakes initiatives in response to special needs identified by communities facing acute challenges. Learn more at www.justice.gov/ovw.
Jury convicts Galena man of assault with a deadly weaponRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal jury convicted a Kansas man of assault with a deadly weapon following an incident on a United States Army installation.
In November 2023, Jordan Thompson, 24, assaulted an adult male victim while at Fort Riley in Junction City, Kansas.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Thompson was involved in a domestic dispute with his estranged wife. He used a 9 mm caliber pistol to threaten the victim, who was at the home of the child’s mother, and then Thompson left with the minor.
Thompson is scheduled to be sentenced on December 12, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Department of Army Criminal Investigation Division, Fort Riley Department of the Army Civilian Police, Kansas Bureau of Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Kansas Highway Patrol, and the Butler County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Robin Graham and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sara Walton are prosecuting the case.
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Juneau man charged with sexually exploiting a childRead the Press Release
JUNEAU, Alaska – A Juneau man made his initial appearance yesterday on a criminal charge related to his alleged production of child pornography.
According to court documents, William Steadman, 34, was arrested on Sept. 6 after he allegedly produced child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) depicting a minor known to him. Additionally, court documents indicate that he allegedly spent time with other children in his community.
Steadman is charged with sexual exploitation of a child, also known as production of child pornography. The defendant made his initial court appearance on Sept. 12 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Matthew M. Scoble of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum of 25 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska made the announcement.
The U.S. Secret Service is investigating the case. If anyone has information concerning Steadman’s alleged actions or may have encountered someone in person or online using the name William Steadman, please contact [email protected].
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mac Caille Petursson, Jack Schmidt, William Reed and Trial Attorney McKenzie Hightower of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) are 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.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
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Johnstown Man Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering Charge in Connection with Series of International Fraud ScamsRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of conspiracy to commit money laundering, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.John M. Trabert Jr., 54, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Stephanie L. Haines on September 12, 2024.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, from in and around January 2020 through in and around March 2022 in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Trabert knowingly and unlawfully conspired with other individuals to commit money laundering by acting as a “money mule”— a person who, at someone else’s direction, receives and moves money obtained from victims of fraud—in a variety of romance, real estate, and gold scams. The scheme consisted of a co-conspirator outside of the United States directing victims, who believed they were investing in real estate, gold, or financial support of a fictional love interest, to send funds to one of Trabert’s bank accounts. Trabert then conducted financial transactions using proceeds of the fraud scams at the direction of and in concert with his co-conspirator, with Trabert retaining a portion of each transaction as personal profit.
Judge Haines scheduled sentencing for January 14, 2025. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $500,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard Jr. is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The United States Secret Service conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Trabert.
Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia, Co-Founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, Arraigned in Brooklyn on International Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Defendant Allegedly Led the Sinaloa Cartel with Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman Loera for Decades and Continued for Years Since El Chapo’s Arrest
MIAMI – Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia, 76, a citizen of Mexico, was arraigned this morning in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, on 17 counts related to drug trafficking, firearms offenses, and money laundering. This fifth superseding indictment relates to El Mayo’s decades-long leadership of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world and conspiracy to manufacture and distribute fentanyl. El Mayo was previously charged with running a continuing criminal enterprise, as well as murder conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana manufacture and distribution conspiracy, as well as other drug-related crimes.
El Mayo was ordered detained pending trial and was transferred yesterday to the Eastern District of New York from the Western District of Texas, following his arrest in New Mexico on July 25.
“El Mayo, the co-founder and leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, has been charged with overseeing a multi-billion-dollar conspiracy to flood American communities with narcotics, including deadly fentanyl,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We allege that El Mayo built, and for decades led, the Sinaloa Cartel’s network of manufacturers, assassins, traffickers, and money launderers responsible for kidnapping and murdering people in both the United States and Mexico, and importing lethal quantities of fentanyl, heroin, meth, and cocaine into the United States. Now, El Mayo joins the many other Sinaloa Cartel leaders who have faced charges in an American courtroom for the immeasurable harm they have inflicted on families and communities across our country.”
“For years, Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada Garcia and the Sinaloa Cartel he led manufactured illicit fentanyl and peddled it across our country, profiting off of the pain of countless American communities,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “Thanks to the dedicated work of brave Homeland Security Investigations Agents and their federal partners, the United States is disrupting and dismantling drug trafficking operations across the world, ensuring Cartel kingpins like Mr. Zambada Garcia are brought to justice, and keeping Americans safe from the scourge of fentanyl.”
“For decades, the Sinaloa Cartel has profited from poisoning and killing Americans, and fueling violence on both sides of our southern border,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Today’s arraignment of Zambada Garcia is the latest step in a whole-of-government effort to strike back against one of the world’s most dangerous criminal organizations and protect our communities from the fentanyl epidemic.”
“Today’s arraignment is another forceful reminder of the FBI’s commitment to pursuing justice for the American lives lost to the violence and trafficking of deadly drugs, like fentanyl, associated with Zambada Garcia and those he directed as a leader of the Sinaloa Cartel,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI will not stop in our pursuit of those who engage and facilitate the cartel’s sophisticated operations that cause immense harm to Americans and poison communities across our country.”
“Defeating the Sinaloa Cartel is DEA’s top operational priority and today, with the capture and additional charges filed against Ismael Zambada Garcia we are that much closer,” said Administrator Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “Better known as ‘El Mayo’, Zambada Garcia is the co-founder and leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most ruthless and dangerous cartels in Mexico and responsible for the unprecedented drug crisis facing the United States. With Zambada Garcia no longer in power we have struck at the heart of the Sinaloa Cartel’s operations. He may have eluded capture for three decades, but today he is seeing what it means to face justice in America. Let this be a reminder to his associates and others, American lives depend on DEA remaining laser focused on destroying the cartels, their networks, and their global supply chain and that is what we will continue to do.”
“Zambada Garcia will now face the American justice system,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “His arrest means that he will now have to face charges for leading the Sinaloa Cartel’s multi-billion-dollar criminal enterprise that funneled drugs onto our streets and violence and despair into our communities. But our work is not done. We will go after the leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel and the drug trafficking organizations around the world.”
“Zambada Garcia’s day of reckoning in a U.S. courtroom has arrived and justice will follow,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “If convicted, never again will he deliver fentanyl, cocaine, and other deadly drugs and associated violence into our country or make millions as hundreds of thousands of innocent lives are lost. It is my hope that the countless family members and friends of victims who succumbed to his cartel’s poisons, and the countless members of law enforcement who fearlessly risked their lives fighting this scourge, should take comfort in knowing that Zambada Garcia will be held accountable for his multitude of crimes.”
“Today’s arraignment sends a clear message to drug traffickers around the world — we will find you and bring you to justice,” said Executive Associate Director Katrina W. Berger of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “The men and women of HSI are working diligently with our partners around the globe to investigate, intercept and halt the flow of illegal drugs into the United States and keep illegal drugs off our streets.”
“The arraignment of this individual is a result of the relentless work of law enforcement partners at all levels to stem the tide of illegal drugs and drug related violence in our country,” said Superintendent Steven G. James of the New York State Police (NYSP). “Strong partnerships are key, and as a result, a dangerous international drug trafficking operation, and the organized crime perpetuated by it, has been shut down. The State Police will continue to tenaciously work in conjunction with our partners to seek out those who deliberately put others in danger.”
El Mayo was first indicted in the Eastern District of New York in 2009 and most recently in a fifth superseding indictment in February. As alleged, El Mayo was a co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel together with his co-defendant Joaquin Guzman Loera, also known as El Chapo, and together they ran the Sinaloa Cartel together from Mexico until El Chapo’s arrest in 2016. Following a trial, El Chapo was convicted in the Eastern District of New York in 2019 and sentenced to life plus 30 years in prison.
According to allegations in the superseding indictment, from 1989 to 2024, El Mayo led a continuing criminal enterprise responsible for the importation and distribution of massive quantities of narcotics and which generated billions of dollars in profits. To ensure the success of the Sinaloa Cartel, El Mayo employed thousands of people in South and Central America, throughout Mexico and in the United States. Through a complex, layered structure, El Mayo was able to assure transportation routes for the narcotics he sold from source of supply to distribution on the streets of the United States. El Mayo also employed groups of “sicarios” or hit-men, who at his orders carried out kidnappings and murders in Mexico and elsewhere — including murders in the United States — to eliminate anyone who threatened this valuable narcotics pipeline and to retaliate against rivals and those suspected of cooperating with the U.S. government. The billions of dollars generated from the drug sales were then transported and laundered back to Mexico.
As set forth in the superseding indictment and other court filings, the Sinaloa Cartel, under El Mayo’s leadership, expanded its drug business into fentanyl manufacturing and distribution no later than 2012 and is responsible for the distribution of many thousands of kilograms of fentanyl into the United States. El Mayo also allegedly expanded the power and influence of the Sinaloa Cartel by making millions of dollars each year in corruption payments and conducting regular campaigns of brutal violence, including retaliatory murders that were allegedly committed on his orders as recently as just weeks prior to his arrest.
If convicted, El Mayo faces a mandatory minimum 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.
FBI, DEA, and HSI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Goldbarg for the Southern District of Florida; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Francisco J. Navarro, Robert M. Pollack, Adam Amir, and Lauren A. Bowman for the Eastern District of New York; and Trial Attorneys Melanie Alsworth and Kirk Handrich of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of Illinois, Central District of California, Southern District of California, and Western District of Texas provided substantial assistance.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia, Co-Founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, Arraigned in Brooklyn on International Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia, 76, a citizen of Mexico, was arraigned this morning in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, on 17 counts related to drug trafficking, firearms offenses, and money laundering. This fifth superseding indictment relates to El Mayo’s decades-long leadership of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world and conspiracy to manufacture and distribute fentanyl. El Mayo was previously charged with running a continuing criminal enterprise, as well as murder conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and marijuana manufacture and distribution conspiracy, as well as other drug-related crimes.
El Mayo was ordered detained pending trial and was transferred yesterday to the Eastern District of New York from the Western District of Texas, following his arrest in New Mexico on July 25.
“El Mayo, the co-founder and leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, has been charged with overseeing a multi-billion-dollar conspiracy to flood American communities with narcotics, including deadly fentanyl,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We allege that El Mayo built, and for decades led, the Sinaloa Cartel’s network of manufacturers, assassins, traffickers, and money launderers responsible for kidnapping and murdering people in both the United States and Mexico, and importing lethal quantities of fentanyl, heroin, meth, and cocaine into the United States. Now, El Mayo joins the many other Sinaloa Cartel leaders who have faced charges in an American courtroom for the immeasurable harm they have inflicted on families and communities across our country.”
“For years, Ismael ‘El Mayo’ Zambada Garcia and the Sinaloa Cartel he led manufactured illicit fentanyl and peddled it across our country, profiting off of the pain of countless American communities,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “Thanks to the dedicated work of brave Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Agents and their federal partners, the United States is disrupting and dismantling drug trafficking operations across the world, ensuring Cartel kingpins like Mr. Zambada Garcia are brought to justice, and keeping Americans safe from the scourge of fentanyl.”
“For decades, the Sinaloa Cartel has profited from poisoning and killing Americans, and fueling violence on both sides of our southern border,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Today’s arraignment of Zambada Garcia is the latest step in a whole-of-government effort to strike back against one of the world’s most dangerous criminal organizations and protect our communities from the fentanyl epidemic.”
“Today’s arraignment is another forceful reminder of the FBI’s commitment to pursuing justice for the American lives lost to the violence and trafficking of deadly drugs, like fentanyl, associated with Zambada Garcia and those he directed as a leader of the Sinaloa Cartel,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “The FBI will not stop in our pursuit of those who engage and facilitate the cartel’s sophisticated operations that cause immense harm to Americans and poison communities across our country.”
“Defeating the Sinaloa Cartel is DEA’s top operational priority and today, with the capture and additional charges filed against Ismael Zambada Garcia we are that much closer,” said Administrator Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “Better known as ‘El Mayo’, Zambada Garcia is the co-founder and leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most ruthless and dangerous cartels in Mexico and responsible for the unprecedented drug crisis facing the United States. With Zambada Garcia no longer in power we have struck at the heart of the Sinaloa Cartel’s operations. He may have eluded capture for three decades, but today he is seeing what it means to face justice in America. Let this be a reminder to his associates and others, American lives depend on DEA remaining laser focused on destroying the cartels, their networks, and their global supply chain and that is what we will continue to do.”
“Zambada Garcia’s day of reckoning in a U.S. courtroom has arrived and justice will follow,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “If convicted, never again will he deliver fentanyl, cocaine, and other deadly drugs and associated violence into our country or make millions as hundreds of thousands of innocent lives are lost. It is my hope that the countless family members and friends of victims who succumbed to his cartel’s poisons, and the countless members of law enforcement who fearlessly risked their lives fighting this scourge, should take comfort in knowing that Zambada Garcia will be held accountable for his multitude of crimes.”
“Zambada Garcia will now face the American justice system,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “His arrest means that he will now have to face charges for leading the Sinaloa Cartel’s multi-billion-dollar criminal enterprise that funneled drugs onto our streets and violence and despair into our communities. But our work is not done. We will go after the leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel and the drug trafficking organizations around the world.”
“Today’s arraignment sends a clear message to drug traffickers around the world — we will find you and bring you to justice,” said HSI Executive Associate Director Katrina W. Berger. “The men and women of HSI are working diligently with our partners around the globe to investigate, intercept and halt the flow of illegal drugs into the United States and keep illegal drugs off our streets.”
“The arraignment of this individual is a result of the relentless work of law enforcement partners at all levels to stem the tide of illegal drugs and drug related violence in our country,” said Superintendent Steven G. James of the New York State Police (NYSP). “Strong partnerships are key, and as a result, a dangerous international drug trafficking operation, and the organized crime perpetuated by it, has been shut down. The State Police will continue to tenaciously work in conjunction with our partners to seek out those who deliberately put others in danger.”
El Mayo was first indicted in the Eastern District of New York in 2009 and most recently in a fifth superseding indictment in February. As alleged, El Mayo was a co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel together with his co-defendant Joaquin Guzman Loera, also known as El Chapo, and together they ran the Sinaloa Cartel together from Mexico until El Chapo’s arrest in 2016. Following a trial, El Chapo was convicted in the Eastern District of New York in 2019 and sentenced to life plus 30 years in prison.
According to allegations in the superseding indictment, from 1989 to 2024, El Mayo led a continuing criminal enterprise responsible for the importation and distribution of massive quantities of narcotics and which generated billions of dollars in profits. To ensure the success of the Sinaloa Cartel, El Mayo employed thousands of people in South and Central America, throughout Mexico and in the United States. Through a complex, layered structure, El Mayo was able to assure transportation routes for the narcotics he sold from source of supply to distribution on the streets of the United States. El Mayo also employed groups of “sicarios” or hit-men, who at his orders carried out kidnappings and murders in Mexico and elsewhere — including murders in the United States — to eliminate anyone who threatened this valuable narcotics pipeline and to retaliate against rivals and those suspected of cooperating with the U.S. government. The billions of dollars generated from the drug sales were then transported and laundered back to Mexico.
As set forth in the superseding indictment and other court filings, the Sinaloa Cartel, under El Mayo’s leadership, expanded its drug business into fentanyl manufacturing and distribution no later than 2012 and is responsible for the distribution of many thousands of kilograms of fentanyl into the United States. El Mayo also allegedly expanded the power and influence of the Sinaloa Cartel by making millions of dollars each year in corruption payments and conducting regular campaigns of brutal violence, including retaliatory murders that were allegedly committed on his orders as recently as just weeks prior to his arrest.
If convicted, El Mayo faces a mandatory minimum 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.
FBI, DEA, and HSI investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Melanie Alsworth and Kirk Handrich of the Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section; Assistant U.S. Attorneys Francisco J. Navarro, Robert M. Pollack, Adam Amir, and Lauren A. Bowman for the Eastern District of New York; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrea Goldbarg for the Southern District of Florida are prosecuting the case. The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of Illinois, Central District of California, Southern District of California, and Western District of Texas provided substantial assistance.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Ismael "El Mayo" Zambada Garcia, Co-Founder of the Sinaloa Cartel, Arraigned in Brooklyn on International Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
Ismael “El Mayo” Zambada Garcia, a citizen of Mexico, was arraigned this morning in federal court in Brooklyn on a fifth superseding indictment charging him with conspiring to manufacture and distribute fentanyl. The superseding indictment relates to Zambada Garcia’s decades-long leadership of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most violent and powerful drug trafficking organizations in the world. Zambada Garcia was previously charged with running a continuing criminal enterprise, as well as murder conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl manufacture and distribution conspiracy, as well as other drug-related crimes. Today’s proceeding was held before United States Magistrate Judge James R. Cho. Zambada Garcia was ordered detained pending trial. If convicted of the continuing criminal enterprise count, Zambada Garcia faces a mandatory life sentence.
Zambada Garcia was transferred yesterday to the Eastern District of New York from the Western District of Texas, following his arrest in New Mexico on July 25, 2024.
Merrick B. Garland, United States Attorney General; Lisa O. Monaco, United States Deputy Attorney General; Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York; Markenzy Lapointe, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida; Nicole M. Argentieri, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General and head of the Criminal Division; David Sundberg, Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Washington Field Office (FBI); Anne Milgram, Administrator, Drug Enforcement Administration; Katrina W. Berger, Executive Associate Director, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Steven G. James, Superintendent, New York State Police (NYSP), announced the arraignment.
“El Mayo, the co-founder and leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, has been charged with overseeing a multi-billion-dollar conspiracy to flood American communities with narcotics, including deadly fentanyl,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We allege that El Mayo built, and for decades led, the Sinaloa Cartel’s network of manufacturers, assassins, traffickers, and money launderers responsible for kidnapping and murdering people in both the United States and Mexico, and importing lethal quantities of fentanyl, heroin, meth, and cocaine into the United States. Now, El Mayo joins the many other Sinaloa Cartel leaders who have faced charges in an American courtroom for the immeasurable harm they have inflicted on families and communities across our country.”
“For decades, the Sinaloa Cartel has profited from poisoning and killing Americans, and fueling violence on both sides of our southern border,” stated Deputy Attorney General Monaco. “Today’s arraignment of Zambada Garcia is the latest step in a whole-of-government effort to strike back against one of the world’s most dangerous criminal organizations and protect our communities from the fentanyl epidemic.”
“Zambada Garcia’s day of reckoning in a U.S. courtroom has arrived and justice will follow,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “If convicted, never again will he deliver fentanyl, cocaine, and other deadly drugs and associated violence into our country or make millions as hundreds of thousands of innocent lives are lost. It is my hope that the countless family members and friends of victims who succumbed to his cartel’s poisons, and the countless members of law enforcement who fearlessly risked their lives fighting this scourge, should take comfort in knowing that Zambada Garcia will be held accountable for his multitude of crimes.”
Mr. Peace also expressed his thanks to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas, and the United States Marshals Service for their assistance on the case.
“Zambada Garcia can no longer hide from the American justice system,” stated United States Attorney Lapointe. “His arrest means that he will now have to face charges for leading the Sinaloa Cartel’s multi-billion dollar criminal enterprise that funneled drugs onto our streets and violence and despair into our communities. But our work is not done. We will continue to go after the leaders of the Sinaloa Cartel and the drug trafficking organizations around the world.”
“Defeating the Sinaloa cartel is DEA’s top operational priority and today, with the capture and additional charges filed against Ismael Zambada Garcia we are that much closer. Better known as ‘El Mayo,’ Zambada Garcia is the co-founder and leader of the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the most ruthless and dangerous cartels in Mexico and responsible for the unprecedented drug crisis facing the United States,” stated DEA Administrator Milgram. “With Zambada Garcia no longer in power we have struck at the heart of the Sinaloa cartels’ operations. He may have eluded capture for three decades, but today he is seeing what it means to face justice in America. Let this be a reminder to his associates and others, American lives depend on DEA remaining laser focused on destroying the cartel, their networks, and their global supply chain and that is what we will continue to do.”
“Today’s arraignment sends a clear message to drug traffickers around the world — you will be brought to justice,” said Homeland Security Investigations Executive Associate Director Katrina W. Berger. “The men and women of HSI are active partners in investigating, intercepting and halting the flow of illegal drugs into the United States and keeping them off our streets.”
“The arraignment of this individual is a result of the relentless work of law enforcement partners at all levels to stem the tide of illegal drugs and drug related violence in our country,” stated NYSP Superintendent James. “Strong partnerships are key, and as a result, a dangerous international drug trafficking operation, and the organized crime perpetuated by it, has been shut down. The State Police will continue to tenaciously work in conjunction with our partners to seek out those who deliberately put others in danger.”
Zambada Garcia was first indicted in the Eastern District of New York in 2009 and most recently in the fifth superseding indictment in February 2024. As alleged, Zambada Garcia was a co-founder of the Sinaloa Cartel together with his co-defendant Joaquin Guzman Loera (El Chapo), and the two of them ran the Sinaloa Cartel together from Mexico until El Chapo’s arrest in 2016. Following a trial, El Chapo was convicted in the Eastern District of New York in 2019 and sentenced to life imprisonment plus 30 years. Zambada Garcia, however, continued his brutal reign until his arrest just weeks ago.
According to the superseding indictment, from 1989 to 2024, Zambada Garcia led a continuing criminal enterprise responsible for the importation and distribution of massive quantities of narcotics and which generated billions of dollars in profits. To ensure the success of the Sinaloa Cartel, Zambada Garcia employed thousands of people in South and Central America, throughout Mexico and in the United States. Through a complex, layered structure, Zambada Garcia was able to assure transportation routes for the narcotics he sold from source of supply to distribution on the streets of the United States; this included securing corrupt officers, transportation routes, and storage facilities to ensure that narcotics safely transited through various countries for ultimate distribution in the United States. Zambada Garcia also employed groups of “sicarios” or hit men, who at his orders carried out kidnappings and murders in Mexico and elsewhere—including murders in the United States—to eliminate anyone who threatened this valuable narcotics pipeline and to retaliate against rivals and those suspected of cooperating with the United States government. The billions of dollars generated from the drug sales were then transported and laundered back to Mexico.
As set forth in the superseding indictment and other court filings, the Sinaloa Cartel under Zambada Garcia’s leadership expanded its drug business into fentanyl manufacturing and distribution no later than 2012 and is responsible for the distribution of many thousands of kilograms of fentanyl into the United States. Zambada Garcia also expanded the power and influence of the Sinaloa Cartel by making millions of dollars each year in corruption payments and conducting regular campaigns of brutal violence, including retaliatory murders that were allegedly committed on his orders as recently as just weeks prior to his arrest.
The charges in the superseding indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This superseding indictment is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s International Narcotics and Money Laundering Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Francisco J. Navarro, Robert M. Pollack, Adam Amir, and Lauren A. Bowman are leading the prosecution for the Eastern District of New York with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Melissa Bennett. Assistant United States Attorney Andrea Goldbarg of the Southern District of Florida and Trial Attorneys Melanie Alsworth and Kirk Handrich of the U.S. Department of Justice Criminal Division’s Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section are leading the prosecution for their respective offices.
The case was investigated by the FBI, HSI and DEA. Substantial assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Northern District of Illinois, Central District of California, Southern District of California, and Western District of Texas.The Defendant:
Ismael Zambada Garcia (also known as “El Mayo”)
Age: 76
MexicoE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 9-CR-466 (BMC) (S-5)
Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared recently before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt:
Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on Sept. 11 was:
Airian Mariah Russette, 30, of Havre and Box Elder, on charges of false statement during a firearms transaction and use of a firearm in commission of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted of the most serious crime, Russette faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the false statement charge and a mandatory minimum of five years to life, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the charge of use of firearm in a drug trafficking crime. Russette was released pending further proceedings. The FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Chippewa Cree Law Enforcement, Havre Police Department, and Hill County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-46.
Appearing on Sept. 10 was:
Tommy Michael VanHoose, 66, of Great Falls, on charges of submitting a false tax return. If convicted of the most serious crime, VanHoose faces a maximum of three years in prison, a $250,000 fine and one year of supervised release. VanHoose was released pending further proceedings. The IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-60.
Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto and pleading not guilty on Sept. 12 was:
Bradley James Turcotte, 35, of Ronan, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. If convicted of the most serious crime, Turcotte faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $10 million fine and five years of supervised release. Turcotte was detained pending further proceedings. The Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services, Drug Enforcement Administration and Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case. PACER case reference. 24-11.
Appearing on Sept. 11 was:
Damien Michael Duffey, 31, of Butte, on charges of felon in possession of a firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Duffey faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Duffey was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Butte-Silver Bow Police Department and Montana Probation and Parole investigated the case. PACER case reference. 24-26.
Cheryl Ester Eslami, 44, of Kalispell, on charges of conspiracy to posses with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. If convicted of the most serious crime, Eslami faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Eslami was detained pending further proceedings. PACER case reference. 24-47.
Appearing for an initial appearance on a criminal complaint on Sept. 11 was:
Joey Lee Forward, 34, of Missoula, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. If convicted of the most serious crime, Forward faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Forward was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI’s Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force investigated the case. PACER case reference. 24-55.
Appearing on Sept. 5 was:
Taylor Gale Penny, 35, of Missoula, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. If convicted of the most serious crime, Penny faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and five years of supervised release. Penny was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI’s Montana Regional Violent Crime Task Force investigated the case. PACER case reference. 24-51.
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on Sept. 3 was:
Dalton David Murray, 26, of Billings, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth, possession with intent to distribute meth and possession of an unregistered firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Murray faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and five years of supervised release. Murray was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and Montana Highway Patrol investigated the case. PACER case reference. 24-123.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Indictment Charges Stamford Man with PCP Distribution, Firearm Possession OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in Bridgeport has returned a three-count indictment charging JAMAINE JONES, 34, of Stamford, with PCP distribution and firearm possession offenses.
The indictment was returned on August 21, 2024. Jones, who had been detained since state custody since his arrest by Stamford Police on February 9, 2024, appeared yesterday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
The indictment alleges that on February 9, 2024, Jones possessed with intent to distribute phencyclidine (PCP), and possessed a loaded Beretta 9mm semi-automatic handgun. The indictment further alleges that Jones’ criminal history includes state felony convictions for drug, robbery, and assault offenses.
It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
The indictment charges Jones with possession with intent to distribute phencyclidine, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years; possession of firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, an offense that carries a mandatory consecutive sentence of at least five years; and unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, an offense that carries a maximum term of 15 years.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. A charge is only an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Stamford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia Stolfi Collins through the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.
PSN is 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. In May 2021, the Justice 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 www.justice.gov/psn.
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.
Hueytown Man Found Guilty of Plotting to Murder a Federal ProsecutorRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – On September 12, 2024, a federal jury in Birmingham, Alabama convicted 32-year-old Michael Roman Black, a resident of Hueytown, Alabama, on charges of threatening to murder and soliciting the murder of a federal prosecutor, and for making false statements to a federal agent, announced Acting United States Attorney Kevin P. Davidson for the Middle District of Alabama.
According to court records and evidence presented during his trial, in February 2023, Black was incarcerated in Hoover, Alabama after federal charges were brought against him by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama. While in custody, Black told another inmate about his plan to have one of the federal prosecutors working on his case murdered by two associates “on the outside.” Black shared specific details of who he planned to contact and that he would have them shoot the prosecutor while in her car.
Law enforcement learned of this threat, and after confirming its legitimacy and seriousness, developed an operation to successfully thwart the murder plot. When questioned by federal agents, Black made false statements in an attempt to cover up his plan.
On March 28, 2023, a federal grand jury in Birmingham indicted Black for making a threat to murder a federal official, solicitation to commit murder, and making false statements to a federal agent.
“A threat against a prosecutor or law enforcement professional is a serious offense and a direct attack against our system of justice,” stated Acting United States Attorney Davidson. “I am grateful for the diligent work of law enforcement in identifying and thwarting this plot to take the life of a public servant simply seeking justice for the people of the United States.”
Following his conviction, Black faces a sentence in federal prison of up to 10 years for threatening to murder a federal official, up to 20 years for soliciting a murder, and up to 5 years for making a false statement to a federal agent. A sentencing hearing for Black is scheduled for December 12, 2024. At that hearing, a federal district court judge will determine Black’s sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Hoover Police Department, and Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office investigated and assisted on this case, with Assistant United States Attorney John J. Geer, III from the Middle District of Alabama prosecuting.
Houma Man Sentenced for Making False Statements to Federal AgentsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DONDRE MORGAN, (“MORGAN”), age 32, of Houma, LA, was sentenced on September 10, 2024 for Making False Statements to Federal Agents, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001(a)(2).
According to court documents, on April 7, 2022, MORGAN made materially false statements to special agents with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Inspector General, Criminal Investigations Division. Specifically, MORGAN lied about his involvement and participation in a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan fraud scheme.
United States District Judge Darrel James Papillion sentenced MORGAN to ten months of imprisonment, followed by three (3) years of supervised release, payment of restitution in the amount of $55,945.33, and a $100.00 mandatory special assessment fee.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. The Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General, is an active member of the PRAC Fraud Task Force.
The PRAC was established to promote transparency and facilitate coordinated oversight of the federal government’s COVID-19 pandemic response. The PRAC’s 20 member Inspectors General identify major risks that cross program and agency boundaries to detect fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement in the more than $5 trillion in COVID-19 spending, including spending via the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program. This case was also supported by the PRAC’s Pandemic Analytics Center of Excellence, which applies the latest advances in analytic and forensic technologies to help OIGs and law enforcement pursue data-driven pandemic relief fraud investigations.”
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The United States Attorney’s Office would also like to acknowledge the assistance of the Department of Veteran Affairs, Office of the Inspector General; United States Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General; United States Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; and the United States Secret Service’s Cyber Fraud Task Force, consisting of the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, Thibodeaux Police Department, and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation, with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit; Assistant United States Attorney Edward Rivera, COVID-19 Fraud Coordinator of the Financial Crimes Unit; and Assistant United States Attorney Mary Katherine Kaufman, of the General Crimes Unit.
Hollywood Hills Man Who Operated Orange County Drug Treatment Facilities Found Guilty of Paying Nearly $2.9 Million in KickbacksRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A federal jury has found a Hollywood Hills man guilty of nearly a dozen felonies for paying illegal kickbacks for patient referrals to his addiction treatment facilities located in Orange County, the Justice Department announced today.
Casey Mahoney, 48, was found guilty on Wednesday of one count of conspiracy to solicit, receive, pay, or offer illegal remunerations for patient referrals, seven counts of illegal remunerations for patient referrals, and three counts of money laundering.
According to evidence presented at a nine-day trial, from at least October 2018 to December 2020, Mahoney paid nearly $2.9 million in illegal kickbacks to so-called “body brokers” who referred patients to Mahoney’s addiction treatment facilities, the Huntington Beach-based Healing Path Detox LLC, and the San Juan Capistrano-based Get Real Recovery Inc.
Those body brokers in turn paid thousands of dollars in cash to patients, which some patients used to purchase drugs, to induce those patients to attend treatment at Mahoney’s facilities. Mahoney concealed the illegal kickbacks by entering into sham contracts with the body brokers which purportedly required fixed payments and prohibited payments based off of the volume or value of the patient referrals.
In reality, Mahoney and the brokers negotiated payments based on the patients’ insurance reimbursements and the number of days Mahoney was able to bill for treatment. Mahoney also laundered the proceeds of the conspiracy through payments to the mother of one of the body brokers, which Mahoney falsely characterized as consulting fees.
The jury also found Mahoney not guilty of one count of aiding and assisting the preparation of a false tax document.
United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton scheduled a January 17, 2025, sentencing hearing, at which time Mahoney will face a maximum penalty of five years in prison on the conspiracy charge, up to 10 years in prison on each illegal remuneration count, and up to 20 years in prison on each money laundering count.
The FBI and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated this matter. The California Department of Insurance provided valuable assistance.
Assistant United States Attorney Nandor Kiss of the Santa Ana Branch Office and Justice Department Trial Attorney Siobhan M. Namazi of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting this case.
Mahoney’s conviction arose out of violations of the Eliminating Kickbacks in Recovery Act (EKRA). EKRA was enacted in October 2018 as part of comprehensive legislation designed to address the opioid crisis in order to target the rise in body brokering and substance abuse facility profiteering.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,000 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $24.7 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Haines City Drug Trafficker Sentenced to More Than 12 YearsRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – Senior U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell has sentenced Robert Lubin (36, Haines City) to 12 years and 6 months in federal prison for attempted possession with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and possession with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Lubin entered a guilty plea on June 18, 2024.
According to court documents, in July 2023, Lubin sold fentanyl to an individual. That same month, Lubin arranged for a parcel of narcotics to be shipped to himself. The parcel was intercepted and contained 991.8 grams of fentanyl. In September 2023, Lubin was arrested with more than 3 kilograms of cocaine in his vehicle. Lubin had acquired the narcotics in Georgia and was transporting them back to the Middle District of Florida.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Lakeland Police Department, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha E. Beckman.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.