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11 September 2024
Harper Woods Resident Arrested for Deadly Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
DETROIT – A Harper Woods resident was arrested today for distributing drugs laced with fentanyl that killed three Grosse Pointe Woods residents in June 2023, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and John G. Kosanke, Director of Public Safety, City of Grosse Pointe Woods.
Arrested was Aerian Porter-Craig, 32.
According to the complaint, Porter-Craig had regularly sold drugs to the three victims prior to the fatal incident. On the evening of June 9, 2023, Porter-Craig delivered drugs to Adult Victim 1 (AV-1) and AV-2 at AV-1’s house in Grosse Pointe Woods. Porter-Craig also made a separate delivery to AV-3 at her house in Grosse Pointe Woods. Outgoing communications from all three victims’ phones stopped shortly after Porter-Craig had been to each house. At AV-1’s house, police found a tray next to AV-2’s body with a rolled up twenty-dollar bill and white powder that tested positive for cocaine and fentanyl. At AV-3’s house, police found a tray next to AV-3’s body with a straw and a white powder that contained fentanyl, cocaine, and xylazine. Text messages indicate that the victims thought they were buying cocaine.
The Wayne County Medical Examiner determined that AV-1 and AV-2 died from fentanyl toxicity, and AV-3 had died from fentanyl and xylazine toxicity. Xylazine is an animal tranquilizer unsafe for human consumption but is sometimes mixed with fentanyl by drug traffickers.
“Three young people lost their lives as fentanyl continues to ravage our communities,” U.S. Attorney Ison said. “Fentanyl is everywhere, which means there is no such thing as safe use of illegal drugs. Along with our agency partners, we will continue to pursue these cases and hold drug dealers accountable for their crimes.”
“The arrest of Aerian Porter-Craig, an alleged drug dealer, marks the next step for law enforcement in combating the illegal distribution of drugs, such as Fentanyl,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “The families of the three victims who tragically lost their lives can find some solace in knowing the FBI in Michigan, in collaboration with the Grosse Pointe Woods Police Department, remains committed to investigating and delivering justice to those affected by such criminal activities.”
“I appreciate all of the hard work that went into this investigation. The collaborative effort between agencies demonstrates our strong commitment to hold accountable those who plague our communities with these deadly drugs,” said Director Kosanke.
It is important to note that a complaint is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
This case is being investigated by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the City of Grosse Pointe Woods Detective Bureau. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Franzinger.
Fort Wayne Man Sentenced to 180 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE –Brandon Dewaun Golden, 36 years old, of Fort Wayne, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady after pleading guilty to distributing a controlled substance, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Golden was sentenced to 180 months in prison followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, on two occasions in August 2023, Golden distributed hundreds of fentanyl pills and approximately 400 grams of methamphetamine while possessing a loaded firearm. A traffic stop resulted in the recovery of that firearm. Golden has two prior felony state court convictions, any one of which prohibited him from possessing the firearm in this case.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Fort Wayne Safe Streets Gang Task Force, which includes the FBI, the Fort Wayne Police Department, the Indiana State Police, and the Allen County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Justin C. Sheridan.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case is 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.
Fort Myers Sex Offender Arrested for Pizza Shop Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest and filing of a criminal complaint charging Shadarien Lamarr Ward (22, Fort Myers) with Hobbs Act robbery and brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. Ward appeared in federal court in Fort Myers earlier today and has been ordered to remain in federal detention pending trial in this case. If convicted, he faces up to life in prison.
According to court documents and other public records, on the evening of September 1, 2024, Ward robbed a pizza shop near downtown Fort Myers at gunpoint, pistol-whipping an employee in the process. After grabbing the cash register drawer and approximately $700 in cash, Ward fled the area on foot. Ward was later identified by law enforcement after an extensive review of surveillance cameras in the area tracked him to a nearby motel after the robbery.
Ward, a registered sex offender, was wearing a GPS monitor at the time of the robbery as part of his state sex offender probation, which helped law enforcement retrace his steps leading up to and immediately following the robbery. Although he cut off his GPS monitor and absconded from supervision after the robbery, Ward was located and arrested by law enforcement in North Fort Myers yesterday.
A complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fort Myers Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Simon Eth.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Former High School Teacher Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Sexual Abuse and Exploitation of MinorsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Jeremy Schobel, 33, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a former teacher at Harriton High School in Lower Merion Township, PA, and the High School of Creative and Performing Arts in Philadelphia, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge John F. Murphy to 30 years’ imprisonment and 20 years of supervised release for an elaborate child exploitation catfishing scheme that Schobel developed to entice young teenage girls, including one who was a student at his school.
For more than three years, and often from classrooms at Harriton High, the defendant posed as different minor girls online, creating extensive, fake profiles to deceive his underage victims into sending him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves.
Schobel was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with child exploitation offenses in June of 2023 and indicted in November 2023. In March, he pleaded guilty to receipt of child pornography and five counts of manufacture of child pornography. His conviction requires him to register as a sex offender pursuant to Megan’s Law in Pennsylvania.
“As a teacher, Jeremy Schobel was tasked with developing young minds,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “As a predator, though, he chose to deceive and sexually exploit underage girls online — often from his school classroom. Today’s sentence closes the book on Schobel’s years of catfishing and gives his victims a measure of justice. Protecting children from abuse will always be a top priority for my office and our partners at the FBI.”
“Mr. Schobel abused his position of public trust to prey on those we expected him to protect,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “The sexual exploitation of children is among the most devious crimes we investigate and today’s sentencing serves as a reminder that the FBI and our partners will work tirelessly to protect children from abuse and exploitation.”
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to 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 projectsafechildhood.gov.
The case was investigated by the FBI and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michelle Rotella.
Former Decatur Oncologist Pleads Guilty to Illegal Opioid PrescribingRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A former oncologist in Decatur has pleaded guilty to illegally prescribing drugs, including oxycodone and hydrocodone, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent in Charge Steven L. Hofer.
Sammy Fuad Becdach, 57, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline H. Haikala to two counts of unlawful distribution and dispensing of a controlled substance.
According to the plea agreement, Becdach worked as an oncologist in Decatur, Alabama, including during 2018 through 2021, when the illegal prescribing occurred. In August 2022, the Medical Licensure Commission of Alabama revoked Becdach’s medical license for unprofessional conduct related to his romantic relationship with a woman to whom he had written opioid prescriptions and who later died from a drug overdose. Becdach wrote illegal prescriptions for controlled substances to three individuals who were not his patients. The three filled the prescriptions at Becdach’s request and then gave him the pills they received. Becdach gave some pills to women with whom he was romantically involved. The prescriptions included opioids and benzodiazepines.
The sentencing hearing has been scheduled for November 13, 2024.
The maximum penalty for drug distribution is 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
The DEA investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney J.B. Ward is prosecuting the case.
Former CIA Officer Sentenced to Ten Years in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Commit EspionageRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – A former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer, who pleaded guilty in May to conspiring to gather and deliver national defense information to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), will serve ten years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Chief U.S. District Judge Derrick K. Watson imposed the sentence this morning in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Alexander Yuk Ching Ma, 71, of Honolulu, was arrested in August 2020,after admitting to an undercover FBI employee that he had facilitated the provision of classified information to intelligence officers employed by the PRC’s Shanghai State Security Bureau (SSSB).
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney for the District of Hawaii Clare E. Connors, Assistant Attorney General for National Security Matthew G. Olsen, FBI Assistant Director for Counterintelligence Kevin Vorndran, and Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill of the FBI’s Honolulu Field Office.
“Despite his sworn oath to protect U.S. classified secrets from illegal disclosure, Alexander Ma chose to betray his oath for money while aiding the People’s Republic of China,” said United States Attorney Clare E. Connors. “Bringing Alexander Ma to justice, even after the passage of many years, affirms our commitment to holding accountable those who violate our nation’s trust and security.”
“This sentence demonstrates the dedication of the United States to protect itself from this type of betrayal and violation of trust,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge Steven Merrill. “Let it be a message to anyone else thinking of doing the same. No matter how long it takes, or how much time passes, you will be brought to justice.”
Ma worked for the CIA from 1982 until 1989. His blood relative (identified as co-conspirator #1 or CC #1 in court documents), who is deceased, also worked for the CIA from 1967 until 1983. As CIA officers, both men held Top Secret security clearances that granted them access to sensitive and classified CIA information, and both signed non-disclosure agreements.
As Ma admitted in the plea agreement, in March 2001, over a decade after he resigned from the CIA, Ma was contacted by SSSB intelligence officers, who asked Ma to arrange a meeting between CC #1 and the SSSB. Ma convinced CC #1 to agree, and both Ma and CC #1 met with SSSB intelligence officers in a Hong Kong hotel room for three days. During the meetings, CC #1 provided the SSSB with a large volume of classified U.S. national defense information in return for $50,000 in cash. Ma and CC #1 also agreed to continue to assist the SSSB.
In March 2003, while living in Hawaii, Ma applied for a job as a contract linguist in the FBI’s Honolulu Field Office. The FBI, aware of Ma’s ties to PRC intelligence, hired Ma as part of a ruse to monitor and investigate his activities and contacts with the SSSB. Ma worked part time at an off-site location for the FBI from August 2004 until October 2012.
As detailed in the plea agreement, in February 2006, Ma was tasked by the SSSB with asking CC #1 to identify four individuals of interest to the SSSB from photographs. Ma convinced CC #1 to provide the identities of at least two of the individuals, whose identities were and remain classified U.S. national defense information.
Ma confessed that he knowingly and willfully conspired with CC #1 and SSSB intelligence officers to communicate and transmit information that he knew would be used to injure the United States or to advantage the PRC.
In court documents and at today’s sentencing hearing, the government noted that Ma was convicted of a years-long conspiracy to commit espionage, a serious breach of national security that caused the government to expend substantial investigative resources. The government also noted that Ma’s role in the conspiracy was to facilitate the exchange of information between CC #1 and the SSSB, which consisted of classified CIA information that CC #1 had obtained between 1967 and 1983.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Ma must cooperate with the United States for the rest of his life, including by submitting to debriefings by U.S. government agencies. At the sentencing hearing, government counsel told the Court that Ma has been cooperative and has taken part in multiple interview sessions with government agents.
U.S. Attorney Connors and Assistant Attorney General Olsen commended the FBI for its work in the investigation and thanked the CIA for its assistance.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s Honolulu and Los Angeles Field Offices.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ken Sorenson and Craig Nolan, and Trial Attorneys Scott Claffee and Leslie Esbrook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.
Former CIA Officer Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Commit EspionageRead the Press Release
Alexander Yuk Ching Ma, 71, of Honolulu, a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) officer, was sentenced today to conspiring to gather and deliver national defense information to the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
Ma was arrested in August 2020, after admitting to an undercover FBI employee that he had facilitated the provision of classified information to intelligence officers employed by the PRC’s Shanghai State Security Bureau (SSSB).
According to court documents, Ma worked for the CIA from 1982 until 1989. His blood relative (identified as co-conspirator #1 or CC #1 in court documents), who is deceased, also worked for the CIA from 1967 until 1983. As CIA officers, both men held Top Secret security clearances that granted them access to sensitive and classified CIA information, and both signed nondisclosure agreements.
As Ma admitted in the plea agreement, in March 2001, over a decade after he resigned from the CIA, Ma was contacted by SSSB intelligence officers, who asked Ma to arrange a meeting between CC #1 and the SSSB. Ma convinced CC #1 to agree, and both Ma and CC #1 met with SSSB intelligence officers in a Hong Kong hotel room for three days. During the meetings, CC #1 provided the SSSB with a large volume of classified U.S. national defense information in return for $50,000 in cash. Ma and CC #1 also agreed to continue to assist the SSSB.
In March 2003, while living in Hawaii, Ma applied for a job as a contract linguist in the FBI’s Honolulu Field Office. The FBI, aware of Ma’s ties to PRC intelligence, hired Ma as part of a ruse to monitor and investigate his activities and contacts with the SSSB. Ma worked part time at an offsite location for the FBI from August 2004 until October 2012.
As detailed in the plea agreement, in February 2006, Ma was tasked by the SSSB with asking CC #1 to identify four individuals of interest to the SSSB from photographs. Ma convinced CC #1 to provide the identities of at least two of the individuals, whose identities were and remain classified U.S. national defense information.
Ma confessed that he knowingly and willfully conspired with CC #1 and SSSB intelligence officers to communicate and transmit information that he knew would be used to injure the United States or to advantage the PRC.
In court documents and at today’s sentencing hearing, the government noted that Ma was convicted of a years-long conspiracy to commit espionage, a serious breach of national security that caused the government to expend substantial investigative resources. The government also noted that Ma’s role in the conspiracy was to facilitate the exchange of information between CC #1 and the SSSB, which consisted of classified CIA information that CC #1 had obtained between 1967 and 1983.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Ma must cooperate with the United States for the rest of his life, including by submitting to debriefings by U.S. government agencies. At the sentencing hearing, government counsel told the court that Ma has been cooperative and has taken part in multiple interview sessions with government agents.
Ma has been sentenced to 10 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Clare E. Connors for the District of Hawaii and Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI's National Security Branch made the announcement.
The FBI’s Honolulu and Los Angeles Field Offices investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ken Sorenson and Craig Nolan for the District of Hawaii, and Trial Attorneys Scott Claffee and Leslie Esbrook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section prosecuted the case.
Former Birmingham Art Dealer Sentenced to over Five Years in Prison for Defrauding Elderly ClientsRead the Press Release
DETROIT - Wendy Halstead Beard, 59, of Birmingham, Michigan, was sentenced today to 5 years and 3 months in prison for wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Joining in the announcement was Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the Detroit Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Beard was sentenced before United States District Judge Judith E. Levy in Ann Arbor. Beard’s sentence follows her guilty plea to one count of wire fraud arising from a multi-year scheme in which she received millions of dollars’ worth of fine art photography prints on consignment, sold the artwork without the knowledge of the owners, kept the profits for her own personal gain, and continually deceived the owners about the status of their photographs. Judge Levy also ordered Beard to pay restitution in the amount of more than two million dollars.
According to court records, between March 2019 and October 2022, Beard engaged in an ongoing scheme to defraud dozens of her customers, many of whom were elderly. The primary purpose of the scheme was for Beard to convert to her own use multiple fine art photographs that had been provided to her on a consignment basis, in order to sell those photographs and keep the proceeds for herself (rather than turning over the proceeds to the consignors). She also took thousands of dollars in payments from other victims, for photographs which she then failed to deliver. On at least one occasion Beard victimized two individuals with one photograph—never providing the photograph to the purchaser while also failing to pay the original consigner following the sale.
When questioned by her victims about the whereabouts of their artwork (or their share of the proceeds), Beard repeatedly lied to them, inventing more and more ridiculous justifications for her delay in repayment or return of consigned property. These excuses consisted of, among other things, exaggerating the severity of her own health problems, including claiming (1) to have recently been in a coma and (2) to have received a double-lung transplant. Beard also created fake “employee” identities which she used to correspond with her victims in a further effort to delay detection and conceal her theft.
“My office stands ready to investigate and prosecute elder financial abuse in all its forms and will continue to hold perpetrators like Beard accountable for their actions,” said United States Attorney Ison. “Beard’s ongoing deception was of a level that we rarely see, even in fraud cases, lying to her customers repeatedly in an attempt to conceal her scheme. Today’s sentence will hopefully bring a measure of closure for the more than three-dozen victims who trusted Wendy Beard with their valuable artwork.”
"Preying on vulnerable individuals in any form is utterly deplorable and will not be tolerated," said Cheyvoryea Gibson, the Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. "Ms. Beard's calculated criminal acts displayed a complete disregard for the victims who placed their trust in who they believed to be a legitimate business owner. This collaborative investigation, involving the Birmingham Police Department, members of the FBI in Michigan, and the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Michigan, sends an unmistakable message that those who scheme to defraud innocent victims of their fine art will face the most severe penalties under the law. This sentencing represents a crucial step towards ensuring justice for those who fell victim to her criminal behavior."
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Birmingham Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ryan A. Particka and Adriana Dydell.
Florida Woman Pleads Guilty to Laundering Millions of Dollars as Part of Romance ScamsRead the Press Release
A Florida woman pleaded guilty today to conspiring to launder millions of dollars from American fraud victims to a co-conspirator abroad.
According to court documents, Cristine Petitfrere, 30, of Miramar, used bank accounts to receive proceeds from romance scams. After receiving money from victims of the scams, Petitfrere kept a portion as a fee and funneled the remainder to her co-conspirator overseas. Petitfrere laundered over $2.7 million and earned hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees.
Romance scams involve fraudsters creating fake online personas to gain the trust and affection of victims, ultimately leading to financial exploitation. These schemes not only cause significant financial losses, but also deeply impact the lives of victims, many of whom are elderly. Americans lost $1.14 billion to romance scams in 2023, according to Federal Trade Commission data.
“Romance scams cause not only significant losses but also profound emotional harm to countless individuals,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “This prosecution underscores the department’s efforts to dismantle the criminal networks that engage in these sophisticated financial schemes to exploit vulnerable Americans.”
Petitfrere is scheduled to be sentenced in the Southern District of Florida on Dec. 11. She 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 FBI Miami Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Matthew Robinson and Lauren M. Elfner of the Civil Division's Consumer Protection Branch are prosecuting the case.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish and other languages are available.
More information about the department’s efforts to help American seniors is available at www.justice.gov/elderjustice. For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints can be filed with the FTC at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov/ or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Justice Department provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, at www.ovc.gov.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its fraud enforcement efforts, visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
Five Members of Salinas-Based “Murder Squad” Sentenced to A Combined 161 Years in Prison for 2015-2018 Killing SpreeRead the Press Release
SAN JOSE – Five members of the self-proclaimed “Murder Squad,” a crew of Salinas-based Norteño criminal street gang members falling under the Monterey County Regiment Enterprise affiliated with the Nuestra Familia prison gang, were sentenced to a combined 161 years in prison for racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent in Charge Tatum King. The sentences were handed down by the Hon. Beth Labson Freeman, U.S. District Judge.
The “Murder Squad” conducted more than a dozen “hunts,” tracking and shooting dozens of Salinas residents whom they perceived to be members of a rival gang for reasons as vague as they were Hispanic, bald, or wearing blue. The squad would often use military-style tactics, traveling in a convoy of vehicles with a designated shooter vehicle and a designated security/spotter vehicle, all of which were in constant communication via conference call. The security/spotter vehicles would patrol the streets, searching for potential targets. Once a target or targets were spotted, the security/spotter vehicle would transmit the location so that the shooters in the shooter vehicle could drive up, exit, fire at the victims until their magazines were empty, and speed away. The security/spotter vehicle would follow behind, ready to distract or intercept law enforcement and allow the shooters to escape.
Between 2015 and 2018, 11 people were killed during these hunts. Another 17 people were shot at but survived. Most of the victims were not actually members of a rival gang. Some of the victims were not the intended target at all but were nevertheless hit in the crossfire. Several of the murders began when the members of the “Murder Squad” were gathered at a house to remember a recently deceased friend or loved one, then decided to go hunting as a way to commemorate the decedent’s memory and/or lift their spirits. Each additional “body” increased a defendant’s status and prestige within the enterprise.
“The ‘Murder Squad’ killed for sport, terrorizing the city of Salinas and forever altering the lives of so many innocent members of our community,” said U.S. Attorney Ramsey. “As described in the court filings, their conduct is reprehensible. Thanks to the strong collaboration between federal and state law enforcement over the course of many years, these men will rightfully spend the next few decades of their lives in prison.”
“This sentencing is a significant blow to members of the Norteño and CRIP criminal street gangs responsible for the ruthless murder of at least 11 individuals, and attempted murder of 17 individuals, in the City of Salinas,” said HSI San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Tatum King. “The indiscriminate killing demonstrates why HSI’s mission to protect public safety is so critical and illustrates our agents’ commitment to ensuring those that engage in senseless murder will be held accountable. We appreciate the work of HSI agents together with Salinas Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office Northern District of California, FBI, and the Monterey County District Attorney’s Office in bringing these murderers to justice.”
All five defendants pleaded guilty on May 7, 2024, to one count of racketeering conspiracy in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1962(d) and one count of conspiracy to murder in aid of racketeering in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(5).
Siaki Tavale, 27, also known as “Shocky” or “Gunner,” was sentenced to 41 years in prison; John Magat, 37, also known as “Romeo,” was sentenced to 37 years in prison; Anthony Valdez, 27, also known as “Hitter” or “Tony Boronda,” was sentenced to 31 years in prison; Anelu Tavale, 28, also known as “Angel,” was sentenced to 27 years in prison; and Mark Anthony Garcia, 33, also known as “Tony from Santa Rita,” was sentenced to 25 years in prison. Each of the defendants also was ordered to serve a five-year term of supervised release that will begin upon completion of the defendant’s prison term.
The defendants were immediately remanded into custody to begin serving their sentences.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mari Overbeck and George Hageman are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Nina Burney. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by HSI and the Salinas Police Department.
Federal judge finds Billings man guilty of multiple sexual assault and child molestation crimes, attempted sex trafficking, child pornography and other offenses spanning approximately 30 years on Fort Belknap Indian Reservation and in BillingsRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A federal district judge today found a Billings man, formerly of Hays, guilty of multiple crimes involving the sexual assault and molestation of children, attempted sex trafficking, child pornography and other crimes dating back approximately 30 years on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation and in Billings, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
After a three-day bench trial that began on Sept. 9, Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris found the defendant, James Kirby King, 58, guilty on 17 counts in a 25-count superseding indictment that alleged various sexual assault child molestation crimes against six separate victims. The court found King not guilty on eight counts.
“The years-long horror of sexual abuse and trauma King inflicted on his victims, most of whom were children when he started his assaults, is unimaginable. King unconscionably sought out vulnerable children for exploitation to satisfy his own desires and caused a lifetime of pain for them. May these verdicts serve as a measure of justice for them. Protecting children from predators like King is our office’s highest priority, and I am deeply grateful to our prosecution team, the FBI, Fort Belknap Law Enforcement, and Great Falls Police Department for their extraordinary work on this awful case,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
The government alleged in court documents and at trial that King was a prolific sex offender who preyed on the most vulnerable and marginalized Native Americans in Montana for decades by molesting, sexually assaulting, drugging, trafficking and exploiting any defenseless person without regard to their sex, age or biological relationship. During trial, the government presented evidence that led to convictions for offenses against victims identified as Jane Doe 1, Jane Doe 2, Jane Doe 3, Jane Doe 4, Jane Doe 10 and other multiple victims. Some of the victims were under the age of 12 at the time, some were under the age of 16 and some were adults. Most of the conduct occurred on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation, where King lived, and in Billings, where King lived more recently. The charged conduct began as early as approximately 1992 and continued until his arrest in 2023.
As alleged in court documents, for more than a decade, King repeatedly molested, drugged, assaulted and sexually exploited Jane Doe 1, whose first memory of the molestation was when she was five years old in 1996. In approximately 1994 or 1995, when Jane Doe 2 was 14 years old, King gave her a small amount of alcohol at his residence and she “went blank.” Jane Doe 2 later awoke and became aware of King kneeling between her legs and taking pictures of her naked vaginal area. In addition, King attempted to sexually exploit Jane Doe 3 on numerous occasions and forced numerous sex acts on her both as a child and later as an adult on the Fort Belknap Reservation and in Billings. King drugged and raped Jane Doe 4 on the Fort Belknap Reservation when she was in her 20s and he was in his 40s. And King attempted to sex traffic by coercion Jane Doe 10 in October 2023.
The court found King guilty of:
- Aggravated sexual abuse of a child, one count
- Incest, two counts
- Sexual exploitation of children, three counts
- Aggravated sexual abuse by rendering unconscious or drugging the victim, two counts
- Sexual abuse, two counts
- Attempted aggravated sexual abuse by rendering unconscious or drugging the victim, one count
- Attempted sexual abuse, one count
- Sexual abuse of a minor, one count
- Aggravated sexual abuse by force, one count
- Attempted possession with the intent to sell child pornography in Indian Country, one count
- Possession of child pornography in Indian Country, one count
- Attempted sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, one count
King faces a maximum of life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to a lifetime of supervised release, along with a mandatory minimum of 15 years to life in prison for the crimes of sexual exploitation of children and attempted sex trafficking by coercion.
The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Jan. 15, 2025. King remained detained pending further proceedings.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI, Fort Belknap Law Enforcement and Great Falls Police Department conducted the investigation.
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Federal Judge Sentences Rockford Man to More Than Five Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing FirearmsRead the Press Release
ROCKFORD — A federal judge has sentenced a Rockford man to more than five years in federal prison for illegally possessing firearms in Rockford.
U.S. District Judge Iain D. Johnston on Tuesday sentenced RENARD MACKLIN, 36, to 70 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Macklin pleaded guilty earlier this year to a charge of illegal firearm possession. As a previously convicted felon, Macklin was prohibited by federal law from possessing firearms.
Macklin admitted in a plea agreement that, on two occasions, he possessed a firearm when he was a convicted felon. Macklin admitted that on Oct. 10, 2020, he was driving a vehicle in which he possessed a Ruger AR-15 style rifle loaded with a large capacity magazine and one round in the chamber. When Rockford Police attempted to pull him over, Macklin fled at a high rate of speed. On March 16, 2021, Macklin possessed a stolen semi-automatic handgun loaded with a 15-round magazine, which was seized by the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office during the execution of a search warrant in Rockford.
The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Christopher Amon, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Carla Redd, Chief of the Rockford Police Department, and Gary Caruana, Sheriff of Winnebago County. The government was represented by Deputy Criminal Chief Jessica Maveus.
Holding illegal firearm possessors accountable through federal prosecution is a centerpiece of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) – the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction strategy. In the Northern District of Illinois, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and law enforcement partners have deployed the PSN program to attack a broad range of violent crime issues facing the district, particularly firearm offenses.
Federal Inmate Charged with Possessing A WeaponRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Anthony Evans, age 28, a federal inmate, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury with possessing contraband in prison.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on or about July 15, 2024, while an inmate at the Federal Correction Institution Allenwood (FCI Allenwood), in Union County, Pennsylvania, Evans possessed a six-inch piece of metal sharpened to a point with a cloth handle commonly referred to as a “shank.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Federal Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Tatum Wilson is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Federal Authorities Seize over 350 Website Domains Used to Import Illegal Switches and Silencers from ChinaRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Federal authorities in Boston seized more than 350 internet domains that were allegedly used for the illegal importation of switches and silencers from China. Switches are parts designed to convert semiautomatic pistols into fully automatic machineguns and silencers are devices used to suppress the sound of a firearm when discharged. Possession of these items and their importation from certain countries, including China, are prohibited under the National Firearms Act (NFA).
According to the court documents, in August 2023, federal authorities began targeting multiple websites, businesses and individuals selling, offering for sale, importing and exporting machinegun conversion devices in violation of federal law. It is alleged that law enforcement engaged in undercover purchases from the website domains promoting the sale of NFA-prohibited items – confirming that the domains were being used to sell illegal switches and silencers. The contraband items were then allegedly shipped from China to government-controlled mailboxes in the United States with false descriptions of their contents – such as “necklace” and “toys” – in an effort to conceal the alleged illegal importation.
“Our office remains committed to protecting our communities from the dangers posed by illegal firearms and firearm accessories, wherever the evidence takes us,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “The seizure of these domains is a critical step in disrupting the flow of dangerous contraband that threatens public safety. Those who attempt to exploit online platforms to traffic in highly lethal firearm parts will be held accountable. We will continue to pursue and dismantle these illicit networks wherever they operate to uphold the integrity of our laws and safeguard our communities.”
“These websites represent a large-scale, organized effort to import illegal switches and silencers that turn ordinary firearms into deadly automatic weapons. HSI has worked diligently with our partners to systematically dismantle this network of websites to uphold our nation’s import laws and to preserve public safety,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol for Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “HSI cyber investigations work to keep illegal switches and silencers out of the hands of criminals who use them to commit violence and facilitate crime in our communities.”
“The results of this investigation have, to date, resulted in the seizure of over 700 devices which would covert a firearm into a machine gun, 87 illegal suppressors, 59 handguns, 36 long guns, as well as the seizure of 355 websites which were used to facilitate the trafficking of these items. The proliferation of readily available devices which allow the illegal manufacturing of machine guns is a plague on our communities. The Postal Inspection Service is committed to working with our state and federal partners to identify those who use the Postal Service to traffic these weapons, remove these illicit items from the mail, and increase the safety of our communities and the Postal Service employees who serve them,” said Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division
It is further alleged that many of the website domains trafficked counterfeit goods and unlawfully used the Glock, Inc. trademark by offering purported “Glock” switches for sale. In reality, however, Glock, Inc. has never manufactured switches.
Federal authorities ultimately established probable cause to seize for forfeiture more than 350 domains used in connection with the scheme to import switches and silencers in violation of the NFA and laws prohibiting trafficking in counterfeit goods. Visitors to the websites will now be directed to a landing page indicating that the domain has been seized:
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy, HSI SAC Krol and USPIS INC Larco-Ward made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives; and the Massachusetts State Police. Glock, Inc. fully cooperated with the government’s investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexandra W. Amrhein of the Asset Recovery Unit and Luke A. Goldworm of the Major Crimes Unit obtained the seizure warrants.
Falconer man pleads guilty to aiding and abetting a kidnapping in cold case murder investigationRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. — U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Anthony Neubauer, 38, of Falconer, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford to aiding and abetting kidnapping. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael J. Adler and Timothy C. Lynch, who are handling the case, stated that on May 27, 2014, Neubauer and Matthew Rudy kidnapped Joseph Anthony and then traveled from Jamestown, NY, to Rudy’s property in Pennsylvania. Anthony was tricked into traveling to Pennsylvania by an offer of cocaine. Neubauer and Rudy took Anthony to Pennsylvania because they believed he was a cooperator. After arriving in Pennsylvania, Neubauer and Rudy told Anthony they did not have any cocaine, before shooting and killing him, and then burying him on Rudy’s property.
Matthew Rudy was previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia. Additional assistance was provided by the Warren County, PA, District Attorney’s Office.
Sentencing is scheduled for January 15, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. before Judge Wolford.
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Enterprise Man Sentenced to Four Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Stolen FirearmsRead the Press Release
Montgomery, ALABAMA – On September 9, 2024, a federal judge ordered 29-year-old Aubrey Keith Bryant, from Enterprise, Alabama, to serve 48 months in prison for possessing stolen firearms, announced Acting United States Attorney Kevin P. Davidson. The judge also ordered that Bryant remain on supervised release for three years following his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to Bryant’s plea agreement and other court records, on March 12, 2022, law enforcement in Troy, Alabama observed Bryant driving a truck recklessly and initiated a traffic stop. During the stop, officers discovered that Bryant’s driver’s license had been revoked. When Bryant exited the vehicle officers saw a bag of suspected methamphetamine and a handgun in plain view. Investigators searched the vehicle and found a total of 10 guns, a suppressor for a firearm, and a checkbook containing checks in another individual’s name. Further investigation revealed that these items had been stolen from a storage unit in Enterprise. On May 2, 2024, Bryant pleaded guilty to possession of the stolen firearms in federal court.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Troy Police Department investigated this case, with assistance from the Enterprise Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Eric M. Counts prosecuted the case.
Des Moines Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Fentanyl Conspiracy and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – A Des Moines man was sentenced today to 15 years (180 months) in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and possession of firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking.
According to public court documents, Brian Eugene Harvey, III, also known as “Bino,” 22, was identified by law enforcement as a large-scale fentanyl pill distributor in the Des Moines area. In the fall of 2023, law enforcement conducted several controlled buys of fentanyl pills from Harvey. During one controlled buy, Harvey sold a gun. Law enforcement located over 4,000 fentanyl pills, three firearms, ammunition, and cash in Harvey’s vehicles during search warrants in November 2023.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Harvey will be required to serve a five-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 Des Moines Police Department.
Fentanyl has become the leading cause of drug overdose deaths in the United States. Counterfeit, fentanyl-laced pills often resemble pharmaceutical pills, but contain potentially lethal doses of fentanyl. Visit the Drug Enforcement Administration’s website to learn more about One Pill Can Kill.
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.
Des Moines Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Possession and Sexual Exploitation ChargesRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – A Des Moines businessman pleaded guilty to sexual exploitation and attempted sexual exploitation of a child and possession of child pornography.
According to public court documents, Jeffrey Walter Gray, 61, created and possessed child sexual abuse material. Gray, from as early as approximately 2005 to at least approximately 2016, used minors to produce child sexual abuse material. Some of the material was created at the photography business Gray owned and operated in the Des Moines area—Wicked Imagery. The material included images from hidden cameras placed in the changing rooms at Wicked Imagery to capture videos and/or images of minor children undressing. In November 2023, investigators recovered a hard drive which was later determined to contain child sexual abuse material, including at least fifteen minor victims, from Gray’s residence.
Gray is scheduled to be sentenced on January 8, 2025, and faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years in prison and maximum sentence of 30 years for the sexual exploitation charge. Gray also faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for the possession of child pornography charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the United States sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation investigated the case with the assistance of the Des Moines Police Department.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc. For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the resources tab.
Dartmouth Woman Pleads Guilty to Embezzling from Multiple EmployersRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Dartmouth woman pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from two different employers.
Jasmyne Botelho, 41, pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Dec. 18, 2024. Botelho was indicted by a federal grand jury in May 2024.
Between September 2017 and April 2020, Botelho stole at least $280,000 from her employer. Specifically, Botelho directed payments purportedly intended for the company’s vendors to bank accounts she controlled and used company funds to make payments on personal credit cards and an auto loan. To hide her scheme, Botelho falsified her employer’s books and records to make it appear as though the payments had in fact been sent to legitimate vendors rather than to Botelho.
Between May 2022 and December 2023, Botelho improperly inflated her payroll from another employer by more than $160,000. She concealed her scheme by manipulating her employer’s payroll and accounting software to hide her inflated payroll as well as phony “reimbursements” she paid herself.
The charge of wire fraud provides a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen A. Kearney of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
Crown Point Man Sentenced to 120 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Jeremy Dumas, 56 years old, of Crown Point, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Gretchen S. Lund after pleading guilty to Receipt of Child Pornography, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Dumas was sentenced to 120 months in prison and 5 years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $21,000 in restitution to the victims of the offense, an assessment of $5,000 that will be paid into a fund dedicated to supporting victims, and an assessment of $10,000 that will be paid into the Child Pornography Victims Reserve.
According to documents in the case, from November 1, 2016 through March 16, 2023, Dumas knowingly received and possessed 977 images and 614 video files of child sexual abuse material, including images depicting sadistic or masochistic conduct and the sexual abuse of infants and toddlers.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Crown Point Police Department, the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Indiana State Police, and the Indiana State Police Digital Forensics Unit. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nadia D. Wardrip and Steven J. Lupa.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Council Bluffs Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Cocaine and a FirearmRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Council Bluffs man was sentenced today to seven years (84 months) in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of his drug trafficking.
According to public court documents, Reginald Juan Harris, Jr., 32, came to the attention of law enforcement in November 2023 for distributing cocaine and marijuana from his Council Bluffs residence. During a subsequent search warrant at his residence, law enforcement located approximately 12 grams of cocaine, approximately 950 grams of marijuana, and a loaded .45 caliber pistol.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Harris will be required to serve a five-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 Council Bluffs Police Department and the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement (SWINE) Task Force.
Council Bluffs Man Sentenced to 40 Months in Federal Prison for Possessing a Firearm as a FelonRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Council Bluffs man was sentenced today to 40 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon.
According to public court documents, T.J. LeBaugh, 37, dropped a bag with a loaded nine-millimeter firearm and an extended firearm magazine while fleeing from law enforcement. Prior to fleeing on foot, LeBaugh was speeding and caused a car accident. In 2015, LeBaugh was convicted of possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Iowa.
After completing his term of imprisonment, LeBaugh 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Council Bluffs Police Department.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A convicted felon pleaded guilty to drug and gun charges, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton Peeples.
Waymon Lanar Robinson, Jr., 31, of Birmingham, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Annemarie Axon to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl; carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime; and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on March 1, 2023, Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office deputies conducted surveillance on a house in Tarrant, Alabama, associated with the gang “Hard2Kill.” Officers conducted a traffic stop in an alleyway behind the house. Officers saw Robinson place something inside his pants and walk away from the house. They approached Robinson and asked if he had any weapons on him. Robinson said he did and showed the officer a Glock .40 caliber pistol in his waistband. Robinson also had fentanyl, methamphetamine, hydrocodone pills, heroin, and marijuana inside of a Crown Royal Bag in his pants.
The FBI investigated the case, along with the Jefferson County Sherriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brittany Byrd is prosecuting the case.
Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty to Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Randy Rashawn Moorehead, 34, of Charlotte, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge David C. Keesler today and pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a felon, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents and court proceedings, on January 12, 2022, a CMPD officer attempted to conduct a traffic stop of Moorehead’s vehicle for a traffic violation. Moorehead did not comply and instead drove off. The officer continued to follow Moorehead, who eventually turned into a dead-end street and the officer was able to block Moorehead’s vehicle. During the traffic stop, law enforcement detected a strong odor of marijuana emanating from the vehicle. Law enforcement proceeded to conduct a search of the vehicle. Over the course of the search, law enforcement recovered a bag that contained a firearm, a quantity of cocaine base, marijuana, and digital scales. Moorehead has a prior felony conviction of Intentional Child Abuse Causing Serious Physical Injury, and he is prohibited from possessing firearms.
Moorehead is currently in federal custody. The statutory maximum for the charged offense is 15 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been sent.
The ATF and CMPD conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shavonn Bennette of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Colorado Man Pleads Guilty to a Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Louisville, Colorado man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Concord to a firearm offense, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Shelby Theriault, 30, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of an unregistered firearm. U.S. District Court Steven McAuliffe scheduled sentencing for December 18, 2024.
On January 20, 2024, Theriault was arrested for unrelated theft offenses and found to be in possession of a sawed-off shotgun. Theriault subsequently admitted to stealing the shotgun from a residence in New Hampshire and sawing down the barrel thereafter. Theriault then did not register the sawed-off shotgun as required by the National Firearm Act.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 10 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of $10,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Conway Police Department led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Scanlon is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Clay County Felon Pleads Guilty to Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Anthony Rodriguez, Jr. (32, Orange Park) has pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Rodriguez faces up to 15 years in federal prison and forfeiture of a Glock pistol and ammunition traceable to the offense. Rodriguez made his initial appearance in federal court on July 9, 2024, and was ordered detained.
According to court records, on May 11, 2024, Rodriguez shoplifted merchandise from a retail store in Clay County. Store personnel stopped Rodriguez and deputies from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office subsequently responded. As deputies searched Rodriguez incident to his arrest, a loaded Glock 43 9mm pistol fell on to the ground from Rodriguez’s clothing. At the time of the incident, Rodriguez had seven prior felony convictions, including two involving a firearm and ammunition. As a previously convicted felon, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives – Jacksonville Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Civil settlement resolves allegations of record-keeping violations against Savannah-area weight loss physicianRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: A physician who operates weight-loss clinics in the Savannah area has agreed to pay civil penalties and to accept increased oversight to resolve allegations that he violated the Controlled Substances Act.
Dr. Donald Lyle Gates, who operates three Savannah-area Scale Solutions clinics, reached a settlement with the Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney’s Office, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia, that requires Gates to pay a civil penalty of $100,000. An agreement with the Drug Enforcement Administration also allows Dr. Gates to maintain DEA registrations to dispense controlled substances while abiding by specific conditions that include a two-year term of increased oversight by DEA.
“Those with the authority to dispense potentially addictive drugs are expected to balance that power with the responsibility to provide adequate and trustworthy recordkeeping,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Recordkeeping requirements serve a critical role to ensure that controlled substances are not diverted for illegal purposes.”
Dr. Gates operates Georgia weight-loss clinics called Scale Solutions in Savannah, Pooler, and Hinesville, and previously operated a clinic in Bluffton, S.C. The United States, through the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration, alleged that Gates failed to keep and maintain records for the prescription weight-loss drugs phentermine and phendimetrazine, and dispensed those drugs in violation of the Controlled Substances Act.
DEA Diversion Investigators conducted on-site inspections of Dr. Gates’ offices and determined, among other findings, that the offices did not have complete and accurate records of controlled substances for which Dr. Gates was responsible, including inventories, documents memorializing his receipt of controlled substances, their distribution, and their dispensation. Investigators alleged that on more than one occasion, Dr. Gates failed to keep controlled substances at the locations registered with DEA and instead transferred those controlled substances to his home.
The Controlled Substances Act creates a closed system that tracks controlled substances from manufacture through distributor, to the ultimate end-user, allowing the DEA to monitor the flow of controlled substances in the United States at every juncture. When a dispensing practitioner fails to maintain complete and accurate records, the system is at risk for illegal diversion into the community.
The civil settlement and the Memorandum of Agreement are neither an admission of liability by Dr. Gates, nor a concession by the United States that its claims are not well-founded.
“Diverted and misused prescription medications pose a grave threat to public health,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “Therefore, it’s expected and required that physicians and other trusted medical providers maintain meticulous records of these controlled substances to prevent prescription drug abuse.”
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the civil settlement was negotiated by Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradford C. Patrick.
Cincinnati man admits to serving as ‘straw purchaser’ for at least 21 firearmsRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A Cincinnati man pleaded guilty in federal court here today to a crime related to the illegal straw purchases of at least 21 firearms.
Timothy Moorman, Jr., 32, pleaded guilty to making a false statement on a federal firearm form.
Moorman admitted he bought firearms at Cincinnati-area federal firearms licensees and then provided those firearms to co-conspirators the same day or within a few days.
According to court documents, the individuals to whom Moorman provided the firearms immediately trafficked them outside of Ohio. For example, at least nine firearms were recovered in connection with a crime in Canada less than two weeks after Moorman bought them. Two others were traced to crimes in Canada and Detroit within two months of purchase.
Court documents detail that in September and October 2023, Moorman purchased firearms at Bass Pro Shops, Range USA – Cincy West, Range USA – Blue Ash, Target World and North College Hill Gun Store.
Moorman falsely indicated on the required firearms forms that the firearms were for himself and no one else, when in fact he was acting as a straw purchaser.
The defendant was indicted by a federal grand jury in March 2024.
Making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm is a federal crime punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF), announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Jeffery P. Hopkins. Assistant United States Attorney Julie D. Garcia is representing the United States in this case.
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Canadian Man Pleads Guilty to Destruction of an Energy FacilityRead the Press Release
Cameron Monte Smith, a citizen of Canada, pleaded guilty to one count of destruction of an energy facility charged in the District of North Dakota and one count of destruction of an energy facility charged in the District of South Dakota.
Smith admitted to damaging the Wheelock substation, located near Ray, North Dakota, in an amount exceeding $100,000, in May 2023. The Wheelock substation is operated by Mountrail-Williams Electric Cooperative and Basin Electric Power Cooperative.
Smith also admitted to damaging a transformer and pumpstation of the Keystone Pipeline located near Carpenter, South Dakota, in an amount exceeding $100,000, in July 2022.
Smith damaged the Wheelock substation and the Keystone Pipeline equipment by firing multiple rounds from a high-power rifle into the equipment resulting in disruption of electric services to the North Dakota customers and resulting in disruption of the Keystone Pipeline in South Dakota.
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. Smith faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch, U.S. Attorney Mac Schneider for the District of North Dakota, U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell for the District of South Dakota and Special Agent in Charge Travis S. Riddle of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) St. Paul Field Division made the announcement.
The FBI and ATF are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys David D. Hagler, Jonathan J. O’Konek and Jeremy Jehangiri are prosecuting the case with the assistance from Trial Attorneys Jacob Warren and Justin Sher of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Buffalo man sentenced on drug and gun chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Felix Calderon-Valcarel, 34, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and distribution of, five kilograms or more of cocaine, and possession of firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, was sentenced to serve 87 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Assistant U.S. Attorney P. Richard Antoine, who handled the case, stated that between May 2018 and September 2018, law enforcement officers conducted a series of controlled buys and payments from Calderon-Valcarcel. In addition, between July 2018 and February 2019, officers seized approximately 8.5 kilograms of cocaine and $52,000 in U.S. currency from postal parcels shipped from Puerto Rico to various locations in the Western District of New York, Florida, Alaska, Georgia, and Pennsylvania using the United States Postal Service. The shipments were made to Calderon-Valcarcel or to a co-conspirator. Additionally, the investigation identified $55,700 in U.S. currency and/or money orders shipped in parcels from Calderon-Valcarcel or co-conspirators to Puerto Rico as payment to the source of supply for the cocaine. In March 2019, the Lackawanna Police Department executed a search warrant at Calderon-Valcarcel’s residence and vehicle. Officers seized $10,000 in cash, five kilograms of cocaine, and a 9mm firearm.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia; the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Boston Division Inspector-in-Charge Ketty Larco-Ward; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan Miller, New York Field Division; The Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino, New York Field Division; the Orchard Park Police Department, under the direction of Chief Patrick Fitzgerald; the Lackawanna Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark Packard; and the Hamburg Police Department, under the direction of Chief Peter Dienes.
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Bookkeeper Agrees to Plead Guilty to Tax Evasion and Disability Benefits FraudRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former bookkeeper for an electrical and contracting business has been charged with, and has agreed to plead guilty to, concealing income from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and stealing disability benefits.
David Tetreault, 54, of Attleboro, has agreed to plead guilty to one count of tax evasion, one count of theft of government money and one count of wire fraud. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court.
According to the charging documents, Tetreault worked as a bookkeeper for a Massachusetts-based electrical contractor between 2015 and 2021. It is alleged that, during those years, Tetreault received wages in cash and used company funds to pay his personal credit card bills. Tetreault allegedly manipulated the company’s accounting records and bank statements to disguise these payments as business expenses. As a result of this alleged conduct, Tetreault underreported his personal income by at least $2.1 million, causing a loss to the IRS of over $600,000.
It is also alleged that Tetreault did not report his work for the electrical contractor or his income to the Social Security Administration and submitted false information about his employment and income to the Employees’ Retirement System of Rhode Island (ERSRI). As a result of this alleged conduct, Tetreault collected over $320,000 in Social Security Disability Insurance benefits and ERSRI disability pension benefits to which he was not entitled between 2016 and 2024.
The charge of tax evasion provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of theft of government money provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of wire fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; and Corwin Rattler, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, Office of Investigations, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Agawam Tax Preparer Sentenced to Prison for Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Agawam tax preparer was sentenced on Sept. 5, 2024 in federal court in Boston for filing false tax returns.
Colleen Gruska, 66, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Julia E. Kobick to two months in prison followed by 12 months of supervised release with the first six months to be served in home confinement and to ordered pay $261,102 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. In January 2024, Gruska pleaded guilty to four counts of filing false tax returns.
Over the course of a decade, Gruska used her tax preparation service to defraud the United States by filing dozens of false tax returns for herself, her relatives, and others. In each of the tax returns, she reported business losses that were either dramatically overstated or were for businesses that did not even exist, resulting in little or no federal income tax owed by the taxpayer. For example, in her own filings, she reported $189,000 in expenses over four years for a house and yard cleaning business despite there being no actual expenses, enabling her to avoid paying $36,079 in taxes. Similarly, for a relative, she filed false tax returns that claimed a non-existent soccer coaching business with expenses totaling $233,561, thus enabling this person to avoid paying $39,599 in taxes. In total, Gruska caused a loss to the IRS of $261,102.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.
10 September 2024
United States Attorney to Co-Chair Justice Department’s New “ANTI-MCD” Committee, Targeting Machinegun Conversion DevicesRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester will Co-Chair a new Justice Department standing committee called Action Network to Terminate Illegal Machinegun Conversion Devices (“ANTI-MCD”). Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco announced the creation of the ANTI-MCD Committee last Friday, which will include representatives of each of the Department’s law enforcement components (ATF, FBI, DEA, and U.S. Marshal’s Service), the Civil and Criminal Divisions, the Executive Office for United States Attorneys, and the Office of the Deputy Attorney General. U.S. Attorney Troester will Co-Chair with Tim Jones, Deputy Assistant Director of ATF. Deputy Attorney General Monaco’s full announcement can be found here.
Machinegun conversion devices (MCDs), often referred to as “switches” or “auto sears,” convert semi-automatic weapons into fully automatic machineguns that fire multiple rounds by a single pull of the trigger. Making, selling, or possessing MCDs is illegal under federal law. The significant danger MCDs pose to our community and the proliferation of these illegal devices on our streets requires immediate and sustained attention.
The ANTI-MCD Committee will provide leadership and guidance for how to best deploy Department resources to reduce the proliferation of MCDs, work with interagency and external partners on initiatives and joint MCD prosecution and enforcement efforts, and ensure coordination among Department components and other stakeholders. The Committee will also propose additional initiatives and make recommendations to ODAG on all aspects of the Department’s efforts to address the proliferation of MCDs including research and data collection, policy updates, resource allocation, and coordination with our federal, state, local, Tribal, and territorial prosecution and law enforcement partners.
“MCDs present a clear and immediate danger in our communities to both the public and law enforcement. We must combat this threat with an all-hands approach,” said U.S. Attorney Troester. “I am honored to Co-Chair the ANTI-MCD Committee that will bring together the expertise of our internal and external partners to address this nationwide threat.”
“MCDs are a significant public safety threat that continues to grow more pervasive each day,” said Timothy Jones, Deputy Assistant Director of Field Operations at ATF. “The creation of the ANTI-MCD Committee is a coordinated effort to enhance law enforcement efforts to hold offenders accountable and ultimately save lives. I am honored to bring ATF’s investigative and technical expertise to this initiative as Co-Chair of the Committee with U.S. Attorney Troester.”
In November 2023, the Western District of Oklahoma announced the creation of Project Switch Off, a local Project Safe Neighborhood initiative, to address the significant danger MCDs present and remove them from our streets. Federal prosecutors and ATF have trained nearly 750 law enforcement officers on MCDs. Between 2020 and 2022, the Western District charged eight individuals with MCD-related offenses, compared to 39 individuals prosecuted over the last year through Project Switch Off.
Two Nashville Men Convicted of Federal Ammunition Charges Following Shooting at Car WashRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Elbert Bryant Gleaves, 29, and Corey Monte Pickett, 35, both of Nashville, Tennessee, were found guilty by a federal jury of possession of ammunition after having previously been convicted of a felony, announced Henry C. Leventis, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
The evidence presented at trial showed that on March 18, 2021, defendant Corey Pickett was at the Camel Carwash on Doverside Drive near Dickerson Pike with two other men. Defendant Gleaves drove to the carwash, exited his car wearing a mask, and began shooting at Pickett and the others. After firing nine rounds, Gleaves backed his car out of an entry area, breaking the carwash’s mechanical arm, then fled the scene. Pickett and another man chased Gleaves, running into the adjacent parking lot, while shooting at Gleaves’ car. A passenger in a car sitting at a traffic light on Dickerson Pike was struck in the left upper arm by a bullet from the shootout and critically injured.
“These defendants’ reckless disregard for human life resulted in the serious injury of an innocent bystander and placed many others at risk,” said United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis. “As a result of the excellent work of our law enforcement partners and our trial team, they can now be held accountable.”
At sentencing, Gleaves and Corey Pickett face up to 10 years in federal prison.
A co-defendant in this case, Dezzion Pickett, previously pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition as well as drug charges and is scheduled to be sentenced on September 19, 2024. Dezzion Pickett faces 70-87 months in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rachel M. Stephens and Kathryn D. Risinger are prosecuting the case.
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Two Guatemalan Men Arrested Near the Pittsburg Port of Entry for Illegal Immigration OffensesRead the Press Release
CONCORD – Two Guatemalan men were arrested in connection with illegal immigration offenses, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Esdras Aaron Calel-Cumes, 29, and Luis Felipe Xiloj-Ambrocio, 31, were charged by complaint, stemming from an arrest yesterday - September 9, 2024. Calel-Cumes was charged with one count of transporting an illegal alien, and Xiloj-Ambrocio was charged with one count of illegal entry. Both men will appear in federal court later today.
According to the charging documents, on September 9, 2024, remote surveillance equipment detected and captured images of a male walking in a remote and undeveloped area, just south of the Pittsburg Port of Entry in the northern most part of New Hampshire near the United States/Canadian International Border, in close proximity to US Route 3. Shortly thereafter, a responding Border Patrol Agent stopped a southbound vehicle after observing a male in the passenger seat who was wearing dark clothing like that of the individual who was captured on the surveillance images. The passenger was identified as Xiloj-Ambrocio. Both men were identified as Guatemalan nationals, and a record check revealed that neither Calel-Cumes nor Xiloj-Ambrocio had legal status in the United States.
The charge of transportation of an illegal alien carries a sentence of up to 5 years incarceration, up to 3 years of supervised released, and a fine up to $250,000. The charge of illegal entry carries a sentence of up to 6 months incarceration, up to 1 year of supervised release. 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.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tiffany Scanlon is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Tuscaloosa Woman Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison Following Federal Drug ConvictionRead the Press Release
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA – On September 9, 2024, a federal judge ordered that 30-year-old Teaira Nishara Robbins, from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, receive a sentence of 87 months in prison for possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced Acting United States Attorney Kevin P. Davidson. Following her prison sentence, Robbins will be on supervised release for three years. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court records and statements made in open court, on December 18, 2022, at 3:30 a.m., deputies observed a vehicle pull into the parking lot of a closed business in Elmore County. The location is within a mile of three state correctional facilities and the area was known for activity relating to the introduction of illegal narcotics into the nearby prisons. Two individuals exited the vehicle and placed what appeared to be bags into the car’s trunk. Deputies then made contact with the vehicle’s occupants and identified Robbins as the driver. Upon searching the vehicle, deputies found packages of marijuana and methamphetamine in the trunk, along with various other contraband. State charges are pending for the other individuals involved in this investigation.
During her plea hearing on January 19, 2024, Robbins admitted that she possessed methamphetamine with the intent to distribute the illegal drug.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Elmore County Sheriff’s Office investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorney J. Patrick Lamb prosecuted.
Third member of smuggling scheme found guiltyRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A federal jury has convicted a 49-year-old Cuban national for conspiring to unlawfully transport non-U.S. citizens, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
The jury deliberated for less than one hour before finding Deivis Reinaldo Rodriguez-Ramirez guilty following a two-day trial.
The jury heard evidence that Rodriguez-Ramirez was part of a group of three men conspiring to conceal undocumented individuals inside a tractor-trailer.
On Aug. 21, 2023, Daikiel Perdomo-Castro drove the tractor-trailer into the Border Patrol checkpoint near Falfurrias with no visible occupants. There, authorities asked Perdomo-Castro to drive the vehicle through an X-ray inspection.
Law enforcement discovered Rodriguez-Ramirez, who had moved into the passenger seat, and eight individuals illegally present and attempting to hide in the sleeper compartment of the tractor. A third co-conspirator, Macdiel Labrada-Martin, was also found in the sleeper compartment.
During the trial, the defense attempted to convince the jury that even though Rodriguez-Ramirez was in the tractor with the other two-conspirators and the eight undocumented aliens, he had no part in the offense. They did not believe those claims and found Rodriguez-Ramirez guilty as charged.
Perdomo-Castro, 40, and Labrada-Martin, 32, both of Louisville, Kentucky, previously pleaded guilty and received sentences of nine and 15 months in federal prison, respectively.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales-Ramos presided over the trial and set sentencing for Dec. 4. At that time, Rodriguez-Ramirez faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine.
He was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Young Burkett and Ashley Martin are prosecuting the case.
Texas Woman Sentenced for Defrauding Elderly West Virginia ManRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – Tosha Lantz, 31, of Aransas Pass, Texas, was sentenced today to 6 months in federal prison for mail fraud.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Lantz, when residing in Randolph County, West Virginia, transferred funds from an elderly man’s bank accounts for her own benefit. Lantz also used the man’s identifying information to open credit cards for her personal use. The total amount of the fraud was $32,400.
Lantz will also serve three years of supervised release following her prison sentence.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and West Virginia State Police investigated.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod Douglas prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
If you know of an elderly person who has been the victim of financial fraud, please contact the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311) or send an email to [email protected].
Springfield Man Sentenced to 20 Years for Drug Trafficking, Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute valeryl fentanyl, which is an analogue of fentanyl, and illegally possessing eight firearms.
Darrell L. Smith, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 20 years in federal prison without parole.
On Jan. 11, 2024, Smith was found guilty at trial of one count of conspiracy to distribute a fentanyl analogue known as valeryl fentanyl, one count of possessing a fentanyl analogue with the intent to distribute, and one count of possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
Co-defendant Eugene C. Saunders, 51, of Springfield, pleaded guilty to his role in the drug-trafficking conspiracy and was sentenced on Aug. 1, 2023, to three years in federal prison without parole.
In August 2019, law enforcement learned that Smith and Saunders were selling “heroin” (later determined to be valeryl fentanyl) together in Springfield and that Saunders stored his “heroin” at Smith’s residence. Smith and Saunders often packaged the drug together at Smith’s residence.
On Aug. 15, 2019, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the residences of both Smith and Saunders.
At Smith’s residence, officers seized a large plastic bag that contained valeryl fentanyl and 30 individually packaged sandwich bags of valeryl fentanyl.
In plain view on a table in the living room near the bags of valeryl fentanyl, officers found a loaded magazine for a 9mm pistol. Officers found body armor (leaning against his infant daughter’s crib) and seven loaded firearms – including a Smith & Wesson .22-caliber semi-automatic pistol, a Glock 9mm semi-automatic pistol, a Taurus 9mm semi-automatic pistol, a North American Arms .22-caliber revolver, a Mossberg 20-gauge pump shotgun, a Smith & Wesson .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol, and a Winchester 12-gauge shotgun – in an upstairs bedroom. Three of these firearms were located in plain view on a dresser and two shotguns were leaned up against a wall (one directly behind his daughter’s crib). An eighth firearm was found in a child’s bedroom, where Smith had been located when the warrant was executed. This firearm, a Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic pistol, was located underneath a couch cushion on a child’s bed among some toys.
At Saunders’ residence, law enforcement recovered 69 individually packaged bags of fentanyl.
Evidence introduced at trial revealed that Smith recruited the mother of his infant daughter to the conspiracy and filmed a video of her bagging up fentanyl for distribution in his living room. Smith testified he had filmed the video to use it as leverage in an ongoing custody dispute.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Eatmon. It was investigated by the Springfield, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Springfield Gang Leader, Rapper Sentenced for Illegal FirearmsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man who was a leader in a violent gang and part of a rap group was sentenced in federal court today for illegally possessing firearms.
Ezekiel Josiah King, 21, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to six years and six months in federal prison without parole.
On Jan. 16, 2024, King pleaded guilty to one count of being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of firearms. King admitted he was in possession of a loaded Glock .45-caliber semi-automatic pistol, with an extended magazine that contained 29 rounds, and an Anderson AM-15 multi-caliber rifle, loaded with 31 rounds of .223-caliber ammunition.
King was driving a gold Nissan Altima that was stopped by Springfield police detectives on Feb. 15, 2022, for multiple traffic violations. King told officers he was driving erratically because he believed a rival gang was chasing him. In addition to the firearms, detectives found marijuana in the vehicle, as well as another extended magazine and two factory Glock magazines under the driver’s seat.
According to court documents, King – a leader of the FTO gang – engaged in a series of violent firearm offenses, many of which were part of a feud with a rival gang. In another traffic stop of a vehicle in which King was a passenger, on Oct. 23, 2022, law enforcement officers seized a loaded Anderson Manufacturing AM-15, AR-style pistol with an extended magazine loaded with 36 rounds that was at King’s feet. The ATF National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (“NIBIN”) conducted an analysis that indicated the pistol had been used in a recent drive-by shooting in Springfield.
In addition, according to court documents, King is a suspect or a person of interest in a shooting that occurred in downtown Springfield that resulted in the deaths of two individuals and injuries to a third, a robbery, a theft of a firearm, a shooting that left the victim paralyzed, and multiple drive-by shootings.
Co-defendant Jardell Carlin Williams, 20, also a leader of the FTO gang, was sentenced on Feb. 5, 2024, to six years and six months in federal prison without parole. Williams pleaded guilty to two counts of being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of firearms.
Williams, a passenger in King’s vehicle during the Feb. 15, 2022, traffic stop, admitted he was in possession of a Glock .40-caliber semi-automatic pistol. Detectives also located two more boxes of ammunition in the front floorboard.
Williams also admitted that he was in possession of a C3 Defense 5.56-caliber semi-automatic pistol when a vehicle, in which he was a passenger, was stopped by law enforcement on Oct. 22, 2022. The C3 Defense AR-style pistol was tentatively identified as being used in three shooting incidents in the Kansas City, Mo., and Kansas City, Kansas, areas.
Both King and Williams admitted they regularly smoked marijuana.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Sexual predator sentenced to 30 years in federal prisonRead the Press Release
OXFORD, Miss. – U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Joshua Chasestefan Anderson, a 29-year-old Desoto County man, to 30 years in prison for videoing his sexual assault of at least two minors. According to court documents, while investigating the sexual assault of an adult acquaintance, Southaven Police Detective William Boliek uncovered videos Anderson had made and kept of the sexual assaults of at least two minors on his cell phone. Anderson was identified by a distinctive physical trait on his left hand. Anderson was charged with the sexual exploitation of minors and pled guilty on an earlier occasion.
In addition to 30 years in prison, Anderson was also sentenced to a life term of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender wherever he resides, is employed, attends school, or is a temporary resident.
“After choosing to victimize innocent children for his own warped sexual gratification, this defendant has earned every day of the 30-year sentence imposed in this case,” remarked U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “I truly appreciate the efforts of AUSA Parker King and Detective Boliek, and the removal of this individual from free society is an important step towards making our District a safer place.”
“Thanks to the excellent work done in this investigation and as a part of this prosecution, today’s sentencing has resulted in the removal of a sexual predator from the streets of our community,” said Southaven Police Chief Brent Vickers. “Although we cannot undo the harm caused to these victims, the Southaven Police Department will leave no stone unturned when it comes to investigating and holding accountable sexual offenders who choose to victimize minors and innocent citizens.”
The Southaven Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Parker S. King prosecuted the case as part of the Project Safe Childhood initiative. Project Safe Childhood is a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. 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. The goal of Project Safe Childhood is to reduce the incidence of sexual exploitation of children.
Seven Members and Associates of the Folk Nation Gangster Disciples Charged in Connection with Drive-By Shooting Committed on Father's Day 2022 and Related Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
A four-count indictment was unsealed today in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of New York charging Kwyme Waddell, Paolo Alfarobarber, Rahim Frank, Mikey Jemison, Sebastian Jocelyn, Joel Myrie and Jahi Nimmons with violent crimes in-aid-of racketeering — including murder conspiracy and attempted murder — and related firearms offenses. As alleged, the defendants are members and associates of the Folk Nation Gangster Disciples (GD), and specifically of GD subset No Love City (NLC).
Defendants Alfarobarber, Frank, Jemison, Jocelyn, and Nimmons were arrested this morning in Brooklyn and Bridgeport, Connecticut and are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Marutollo at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn. Defendant Waddell was already in federal custody on a prior charge of being a felon-in-possession of ammunition after a March 2022 shooting and will be arraigned at a later date. Myrie is still at large.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Christie M. Curtis, Acting Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), and Edward A. Caban, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD) announced the charges and arrests.
“We allege that, rather than celebrating families on Father’s Day, the defendants terrorized Brooklyn residents by spraying bullets onto a residential street with total disregard for human life,” stated U.S. Attorney Peace. “My Office will continue to use all tools available to dismantle violent gangs, like the Folk National Gangster Disciples, and hold their members accountable for the havoc they cause to our communities.”
Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation to FBI/NYPD Metro Safe Streets Task Force and the NYPD’s Gun Violence Suppression Division for their work and assistance in this investigation and prosecution.
“Seven members and associates of Folk Nation Gangster Disciples allegedly conspired to orchestrate the attempted murder of a rival member by firing two firearms into a crowded neighborhood street. Their alleged actions fueled a decade-long rivalry and posed an extreme threat to the innocent bystanders celebrating Father’s Day. With our law enforcement partners, the FBI remains dedicated to investigating and apprehending all gangs who utilize gun violence to satisfy territorial disputes and threaten the safety of our communities,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Curtis.
“Targeting and tearing down gangs, as well as preventing the violence associated with their illegal activities, remains a top priority for the NYPD,” stated NYPD Commissioner Caban. “I commend the tireless efforts of our Gun Violence Suppression Division and express gratitude to all of our law enforcement partners for their unwavering dedication to our shared mission of public safety.”
As alleged in the indictment and other court documents, on June 19, 2022 – which was Father’s Day – the defendants engaged in a drive-by shooting during which a 28-year-old victim was shot and injured. NLC leaders Waddell and Alfarobarber jumped into a stolen Dodge Charger with younger gang members Jocelyn and Myrie. The foursome drove to Canarsie in a three-car convoy with Frank, Jemison and Nimmons to continue a decade’s long feud with rivals in the area. After identifying a group of people on residential East 94th Street between Avenues L and K, the defendants shot multiple times into the group on the sidewalk using two firearms, striking the victim, who survived his injuries after being hospitalized.
The charges in the indictment are merely allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This indictment is part of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York’s focus on dismantling the Folk Nation Gangster Disciples (GD), under which the Office has brought numerous prosecutions against members and associates of GD in coordination with federal and state law enforcement partners, including United States v. Britton, No. 23-CR-406 (LDH) (GD leader charged with false statements and obstruction); United States v. Zeigler, No. 23-CR-114 (MKB) (GD member charged with firearm possession in connection with a shooting); United States v. Oluwagbenga Agoro, No. 21-CR-166 (WFK) (relating to a March 14, 2021 use of threatened use of force in furtherance of a plan to commit extortion); United States v. Powell, No. 21-CR-205 (LDH) (GD member charged with firearm possession in connection with a shooting); United States v. Cummings, No. 21-CR-406 (CBA) (GD associate charged with possessing multiple firearms on multiple separate occasions); United States v. Apollon, No. 21-CR-636 (DG) (GD member charged with robbery of vehicles from parking garage where parking attendant was permanently injured); and United States v. Brown, No. 20-CR-293 (WFK) (eleven GD defendants charged with racketeering offenses for seven gang-related shootings in 2020).
This case is also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Attorney General Merrick Garland has enhanced PSN as part of the Department’s focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Dana Rehnquist, Sophia Suarez and Daniel Marcus are in charge of the prosecution, with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Theodore Rader.
The Defendants:
KWYME WADDELL
Brooklyn, New YorkPAOLO ALFAROBARBER
Bridgeport, ConnecticutRAHIM FRANK
Brooklyn, New YorkMIKEY JEMISON
Brooklyn, New YorkSEBASTIEN JOCELYN
Bridgeport, ConnecticutJOEL MYRIE
Brooklyn, New YorkJAHI NIMMONS
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-351 (FB)
Second Beaumont man sentenced to federal prison in cat kicking caseRead the Press Release
BEAUMONT, Texas – A Beaumont man has been sentenced to federal prison for animal cruelty violations in the Eastern District of Texas, announced U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs today.
Donaldvan Williams, 30, pleaded guilty to animal crushing and aiding and abetting and was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Marcia A. Crone on September 10, 2024.
Animal crushing is defined under federal criminal law as, “actual conduct in which one or more living non-human mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians, is purposely crushed, burned, drowned, suffocated, impaled, or otherwise subjected to serious bodily injury.”
According to information presented in court, on October 15, 2021, Williams and Decorius Mire encountered a live domestic cat in the parking lot of a Beaumont apartment complex. Williams, encouraged by Mire, kicked the cat as if kicking a football field goal, propelling the cat approximately 15 to 20 feet through the air. Williams was aware that Mire filmed the event with his cellular telephone and posted the video on his social media accounts where it was commented on and shared with others.
Williams and Mire were prosecuted under the Preventing Animal Cruelty and Torture (PACT) Act. Signed into law in November 2019, the PACT Act bans the intentional crushing, burning, drowning, suffocating, impalement or other serious harm to “living non-human mammals, birds, reptiles, or amphibians.” The law also bans “animal crush videos,” meaning any photograph, motion picture film, video or digital recording or electronic image that depicts animal cruelty.
Mire was sentenced to 18 months in federal prison in July 2023.
This case was investigated by the Beaumont Police Department and the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph R. Batte and Department of Justice and Environmental and Natural Resource Division Trial Attorney Ethan Eddy.
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San Antonio Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison Following Jury Conviction for Attempting to Meet Minor for SexRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A San Antonio man was sentenced in federal court to 120 months in prison for one count of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor followed by 60 months in prison for one count of attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor.
According to court documents, James Martin Shearer, 48, initiated contact with a social media user claiming to be a 15-year-old girl. Shearer asked the minor for her address and a photo of herself, saying he wanted to pick her up and take her for a ride in his car. Shearer continued to text her on a cell phone the next day, asking when they could meet. They agreed the minor would skip school the following day. Shearer then quickly turned the conversation to a sexual nature, telling the girl that her age excited him.
The next day, April 27, 2023, Shearer sent an image of himself via text message and arrived at their predetermined meeting spot. Rather than meeting the 15-year-old he believed he had been texting, Shearer was arrested by San Antonio Police officers. A search of his vehicle revealed methamphetamine, condoms, and other sexual paraphernalia.
Shearer was found guilty of both counts in trial by a federal jury March 5, 2024. In addition to the 15 years in prison, he was ordered 10 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations and SAPD investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bettina Richardson and Sade Bogart prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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Sacramento Woman Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Role in Conspiracy to Sell Methamphetamine and Heroin in Sacramento and Solano CountiesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Nancy Dalila Escobar Garcia, 35, of Sacramento County, was sentenced today to five years in prison for conspiring to possess and distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Nancy Garcia conspired with her husband Michael Garcia (a co‑defendant in this case) to sell methamphetamine and heroin in Sacramento and Solano Counties. Nancy Garcia began this conspiracy with her husband while he was serving a state sentence for narcotics offenses at the Tulare County Jail.
In furtherance of this conspiracy, Nancy Garcia met with an FBI confidential informant on three separate occasions and personally sold the informant a total of 4 pounds of methamphetamine. During these meetings, Nancy Garcia began to negotiate a firearms sale with the informant and was present at the illegal firearms sale described below. Nancy Garcia also admitted that she and her husband bought a home in Arizona with drug proceeds. Nancy Garcia pleaded guilty on May 21, 2024, and as part of her plea agreement, she is assisting the United States in the forfeiture of this home.
Once out of state custody, Michael Garcia continued the conspiracy to sell methamphetamine and heroin. He also set up a deal with co-defendant Tylor Combs to sell firearms to the informant. Nancy Garcia, Michael Garcia, and Tylor Combs were present at this illegal firearms deal, which involved 10 firearms, including an unserialized machine gun sometimes called a “ghost gun” that is untraceable.
This case is the product of an investigation by the FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adrian T. Kinsella is prosecuting the case.
Tylor Combs pleaded guilty to to counts of being a felon in possession of firearms. On Nov. 12, 2021, he was sentenced to six years and six months in prison.
Michael Garcia has pleaded not guilty and remains in federal custody. The charges are only allegations; Michael Garcia is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
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 U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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 www.justice.gov/projectguardian.
Rock Rapids Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Re-entry of a Removed Alien After Aggravated Felony and Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
A man who re-entered the country as an aggravated felon, failed to register as a sex offender, and violated his supervised release was sentenced September 6, 2024, to 21 months in federal prison.
Melvin Geovani Aguilar-Lopez, age 31, from Rock Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a May 3, 2024, guilty plea to one count of illegal re-entry as an aggravated felon; a May 17, 2024, guilty plea to one count of failure to update his registration as required by the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2250(a); and a May 17, 2024, admission to violations of his supervised release.
At a plea hearing, Aguilar-Lopez admitted to re-entering the country after being deported in April of 2023, after a conviction for re-entry of a removed alien convicted of an aggravated felony in the Southern District of Texas. On December 9, 2016, the defendant was convicted in the Iowa District Court for Lyon County for Sex Abuse in the Third Degree, a Class C felony in Case No. FECR005748.
In a plea agreement, Aguilar-Lopez admitted that he was required to register and update his registration under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act by reason of a conviction of Sexual Abuse in the Third Degree in the Iowa District Court for Lyon County Criminal No. FECR005748 on December 9, 2016. Aguilar-Lopez admitted he knew he needed to update his sex offender registration to reflect the fact he had been living in Rock Rapids for approximately 5 months and working in Lyon County for approximately 2 months. Aguilar-Lopez also admitted to violations of his supervised release.
Aguilar-Lopez was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Aguilar-Lopez was sentenced to 21 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Fletcher and was investigated by the Lyon County Sheriff’s Department, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations (Sex Offender Unit) and the United States Marshal’s Service.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-04004 and 23-Cr-4077.
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Rhode Island Department of Human Services Supervisor, Daughter Charged in Schemes to Defraud Supplemental Nutrition Assistance ProgramRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha announced today that a Rhode Island Department of Human Services (RI DHS) supervisor now faces federal charges for allegedly using her position to improperly access the personal information of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Benefits (SNAP) recipients, as well as SNAP EBT benefit card balance information, and, that she and her daughter allegedly used fraudulently accessed SNAP benefits for their own personal purchases.
It is alleged that Nadine Jean Baptiste, 57, of Warwick, repeatedly conducted telephonic balance inquiries on EBT benefit cards, frequently changing the PIN numbers associated with those cards. It is alleged that some of the individuals whose information was repeatedly accessed were either juveniles or individuals who were, at the time, homeless or incarcerated. It is further alleged that SNAP EBT benefit cards with a value of approximately $191,000 were improperly accessed.
The investigation into this matter was launched in September 2023, when the Rhode Island Office of Internal Audit received complaints from SNAP recipients via the Internal Audit Fraud Hotline alleging that they did not receive EBT benefit cards issued to them, which are commonly mailed to the address of the recipient or obtained in-person from a DHS office in the case of a homeless recipient.
Nadine Jean Baptiste and Octavia Jean Baptiste are each charged by way of a federal criminal complaint with aggravated identity theft, wire fraud, illegal acquisition or use of SNAP benefits, and conspiracy. Nadine Baptiste was arrested earlier today at her place of employment. She is scheduled to appear before a U.S. Magistrate at 2pm. An arrest warrant has been issued for Octavia Baptiste.
A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Peter I. Roklan
The matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Agriculture - Office of Inspector General, Social Security Administration - Office of Inspector General, and Rhode Island Office of Internal Audit - Fraud Detection & Prevention Unit. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Marshals Service, Warwick Police Department, Providence Police Department, Woonsocket Police Department, and the Rhode Island Department of Human Services.
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criminal_complaint_and_affidavit.pdfRamsey County Felon Charged with Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Illegal Possession of Multiple FirearmsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Ramsey County man has been charged in a superseding indictment with illegal possession of multiple firearms and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on May 14, 2023, and on January 29, 2024, Timothy Michael Decker, 39, illegally possessed firearms, including a CZ Model CZ40B .40 caliber pistol, a Taurus Model 38 Special .38 caliber revolver, a Beretta Model 92FSR .22 caliber pistol, and a Girsan Regard Model MC 9-millimeter pistol. Decker also possessed more than 50 grams of methamphetamine. Because Decker has prior felony convictions in Ramsey and Washington Counties, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
The superseding indictment charges Decker with two counts of possessing a firearm as a felon, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Decker was arraigned today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge Tony N. Leung. He has been ordered to remain in custody pending further proceedings.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Ramsey County Sheriff’s Office, and the Saint Paul Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David Green is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Portland Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for $2 Million Fraudulent Investment SchemeRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland man, who for more than a decade claimed to be a successful foreign exchange currency trader to solicit millions of dollars in investments, was sentenced to federal prison yesterday for wire fraud.
William Bennington, 53, was sentenced to 51 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, from March 2012 until October 2022, Bennington knowingly and intentionally carried out a scheme to defraud victims out of more than $2 million. In order to solicit investments, Bennington claimed to be a wealthy foreign exchange currency trader that had written a proprietary trading algorithm, which he alleged was the source of his wealth.
Over the course of the scheme, Bennington promised annual returns of up to 80 percent and repayment terms as short as six months. He also created a fake website and fabricated monthly statements falsely showing victims were earning significant returns. Instead of investing his victims’ money as promised, Bennington spent it on extravagant trips, a golf simulator, and personal expenses such as rent, vehicle leases and credit card payments.
On October 17, 2023, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a five-count indictment charging Bennington with wire fraud. Later, on April 4, 2024, Bennington pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
This case was investigated by the FBI, and was prosecuted by Robert Trisotto, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Pittsburgh Couple Pleads Guilty to Obstruction of Law Enforcement During 2023 Protest on University of Pittsburgh CampusRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A husband and wife from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to obstructing law enforcement during a public gathering and protest in 2023, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Krystal DiPippa, 42, pleaded guilty before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan to one count of obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder, and her husband Brian DiPippa, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of obstruction of law enforcement during civil disorder.
In connection with the guilty pleas, the Court was advised that the DiPippas participated in an April 2023 protest that occurred on the University of Pittsburgh campus, during which Brian DiPippa ignited and dropped two homemade smoke bomb containers in and around a line of people waiting to enter a building for a scheduled event featuring guest speakers. When university police officers gathered and formed a barrier to prevent protesters from entering the rear of the building, Brian DiPippa, concealed by his wife (Krystal), ignited and threw a large explosive firework into the group of officers, causing a loud explosion and injuries to several officers.
“The United States Attorney’s Office is dedicated to prosecuting individuals who physically attack our law enforcement partners,” said U.S. Attorney Olshan. “The DiPippas went to this event not for the purpose of having their voices heard in a protest, but instead for the purpose of using this protest as a means of cover so that they could disrupt the protest and conceal themselves in a crowd while carrying out a cowardly attack on police officers.”
“The FBI and our Joint Terrorism Task Force partners want to make it clear: we will not allow the rights protected by the First Amendment to be exploited as cover for individuals to carry out violent attacks on law enforcement,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek. “Peaceful protest is a right afforded to everyone under the Constitution, but not when used as a guise for injuring, maiming, and leaving lasting impacts to victims by launching explosives. These attacks had very real consequences, not only for these individuals, but also for the law enforcement officers who were violently targeted while trying to ensure public safety.”
Judge Ranjan scheduled sentencing for January 6, 2025. The law provides for a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both, as to each charge. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentences imposed are based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Pending sentencing, the Court continued the detention of Brian DiPippa, who has been in custody since his June 30, 2023, arrest.
Assistant United States Attorney Shaun E. Sweeney is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation; Federal Bureau of Investigation Joint Terrorism Task Force, of which the University of Pittsburgh Police is a member; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Pittsburgh Bureau of Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution in this case.