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5 September 2024
KC Chiefs ‘Superfan’ Sentenced to 17 Years for Bank Robberies, Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
NOTE: A video statement from U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore is available at https://youtu.be/ejVWEofiHBI?si=KxKFsaadvxOaQBcB
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A man popularly known as Kansas City Chiefs superfan “ChiefsAholic” was sentenced in federal court today on charges related to a string of 11 robberies, or attempted robberies, in which he stole $847,725 from financial institutions in seven states.
“While parading as a social media celebrity, the defendant secretly engaged in a violent crime spree of armed robberies and attempted robberies across seven states,” said U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore. “Babudar’s robbery spree bankrolled the expensive tickets and travel across the country to attend Kansas City Chiefs games while he cultivated a large fan base online. However, the bank and credit union employees whom he terrorized at gunpoint suffered the brunt of his true nature. He tried to flee from justice, but law enforcement caught up with him and now he will spend a significant portion of his life in prison.”
Xaviar Michael Babudar, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 17 years and six months in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Babudar to pay $532,675 in restitution to the victim financial institutions. Some of the stolen money was recovered, but most of it was not.
The court ordered Babudar to forfeit to the government any property involved in his money laundering activity, including an autographed painting of Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick L. Mahomes II that has been recovered by the FBI.
“The actions of Babudar were brazen and traumatic for the bank employees robbed in Bixby, Oklahoma,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson of the Northern District of Oklahoma. “A big thank you to the Bixby Police Department for their hard work in collaboration with the FBI Tulsa field office, who helped detain Babudar in Oklahoma.”
“The bank was not the only victim of these crimes,” stated Special Agent in Charge Stephen Cyrus of the FBI Kansas City Field Office. “Babudar terrorized bank employees throughout his multi-state crime spree, while relishing his celebrity status. Today’s sentencing speaks to the severity of his actions and the significant law enforcement assistance and resources utilized across multiple states to hold him accountable for his violent and criminal behavior.”
On Feb. 28, 2024, Babudar pleaded guilty to one count of money laundering and one count of transporting stolen property across state lines. Babudar also pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery, which is contained in a separate case filed in the Northern District of Oklahoma. The court today sentenced Babudar to 17 years and six months in federal prison in the Western District of Missouri case and 17 years and six months in prison in the Northern District of Oklahoma case, to be served concurrently.
Babudar also admitted that he engaged in a string of nine bank and credit union robberies (or attempted robberies) in 2022 followed by two bank robberies committed while he was a fugitive from justice. Babudar laundered much of the stolen money through area casinos and online gambling.
Babudar, who lived a nomadic existence at various locations around the Kansas City metropolitan area, enjoyed a robust social media presence as Kansas City Chiefs superfan Twitter user @ChiefsAholic, attending most games dressed as a wolf in Chiefs clothing.
Babudar pleaded guilty to stealing $70,000 from the Clive, Iowa, branch of Great Western Bank on March 2, 2022. Babudar admitted that he entered the bank wearing a ski mask and handed the bank teller a note demanding money and indicating he had a firearm. As he fled on foot, Babudar left behind a black glove and approximately $1,420 in $20 bills in a wooded area near the bank. Investigators later recovered Babudar’s DNA from the black glove. Babudar then carried this money to Missouri, depositing it in two separate transactions into his personal savings account in an attempt to conceal the criminal nature of the proceeds.
Babudar also pleaded guilty to stealing $139,500 from Tulsa Teachers Federal Credit Union in Bixby, Okla., on Dec. 16, 2022. Babudar admitted that he entered the credit union armed with what appeared to be a black handgun, jumped the teller counter, and ordered a bank employee at gunpoint to go to the credit union’s vault. Once at the vault, Babudar demanded that bank employees open the vault and put the money from the vault into a plastic bag. During this robbery, Babudar told credit union employees that if they did not comply he would shoot them.
When Babudar was arrested shortly after the robbery, he had a large bag in his possession that contained $139,500 in $100 bills plus $10,750 in $50 bills, totaling $150,250 in cash. When investigators searched his 2019 Mazda 3, they found numerous pairs of goggles and gloves, which Babudar wore during a series of bank robberies. Investigators also found a Barstool Sportsbook Betslip for $20,000, dated Nov. 19, 2022; a FanDuel Betslip for $4,000, dated Dec. 1, 2022; and letters from Community America Credit Union related to his deposits of $20,000 and $50,000 on May 2, 2022.
Babudar also admitted that he committed, or attempted to commit, nine robberies of banks and credit unions in addition to the two to which he pleaded guilty. Those crimes, including two bank robberies committed while Babudar was a fugitive from justice, were considered as relevant conduct for sentencing.
Babudar admitted that he stole $170,860 from the Omaha, Nebraska, branch of First National Bank of Omaha on April 28, 2022. Babudar entered the bank armed with what appeared to be a firearm and ordered bank employees to open their vault. Omaha police officers recovered $163,560 following the theft.
Babudar admitted that he stole $303,845 from the West Des Moines, Iowa, branch of First Class Community Credit Union on July 13, 2022. Babudar brandished what appeared to be a silver and black firearm, jumped over the teller counter, and demanded that the bank employees open the bank vault. After carrying the stolen money back to Missouri, Babudar began laundering this money through area casinos, depositing the cash he received from these casinos into his personal bank account.
Babudar admitted that he stole $125,900 from the Nashville, Tennessee, branch of The Tennessee Credit Union on Nov. 17, 2022. Babudar, armed with what appeared to be a black and silver firearm, climbed over the bank teller counter. He pressed the firearm against the teller’s body and demanded that credit union employees take him to the vault. Employees complied with Babudar’s demands, provided him with cash from the teller drawers, and took him to the vault. Babudar told credit union employees that if he was given a dye pack he would “come back and put a bullet in your head.” After Babudar fled on foot, a hat was recovered; investigators extracted DNA from the hat that matched the DNA extracted from Babudar’s glove in the March 2, 2022, robbery. A few days later, Babudar used some of the stolen money to purchase $20,000 in casino chips in multiple transactions from a local casino.
Babudar admitted that he attempted to rob Wings Financial Credit Union in Savage, Minnesota, on Nov. 29, 2022. Babudar entered this credit union with what appeared to be a firearm and demanded that credit union employees open the vault. Babudar fled from the credit union, however, after seeing the vault only held small bills.
Babudar admitted that he attempted to rob Royal Credit Union in Apple Valley, Minn., on Nov. 29, 2022. Babudar entered the credit union with what appeared to be a firearm and demanded that credit union employees open the vault. When he saw the vault only contained small bills, Babudar demanded $100 bills. Credit union employees told him they didn’t keep $100 bills in the vault, and Babudar fled on foot.
Babudar admitted that he stole $25,000 from the Clive, Iowa, branch of First Interstate Bank on Nov. 30, 2022. Following the two unsuccessful robberies the previous day, Babudar returned to the same facility he had robbed on March 2, 2022, which had since then become a branch of First Interstate Bank. Babudar entered the bank carrying what appeared to be a firearm and jumped over the teller counter. He ordered the bank employees, at gunpoint, to open the vault. He fled on foot after the bank employees gave him the cash in the vault. Babudar then carried the stolen money back to Missouri, where he deposited a portion of it into his personal bank account.
Babudar admitted that he attempted to rob Pinnacle Bank in Papillon, Nebraska, on Dec. 15, 2022. At approximately 1:55 p.m., Babudar entered the vestibule area of Pinnacle Bank and pulled on the doors, but was unable to open them. He then left the area. The next day, he robbed the Tulsa Teachers Federal Credit Union and was arrested.
Babudar, after being arrested in Oklahoma in December 2022, was released on bond in the state case in February 2023.
Months earlier, Babudar had placed two winning bets at the Argosy Casino in Alton, Ill. On June 10, 2022, Babudar bet $5,000 that Kansas City Chiefs’ quarterback Patrick Mahomes II would win the Most Valuable Player at Super Bowl LVII, which would pay out $45,000 should that occur. Babudar also bet $5,000 that the Kansas City Chiefs would win Super Bowl LVII, which would pay out $55,000 should that occur. When the Kansas City Chiefs won the Super Bowl on Feb. 12, 2023, and Mahomes won the Most Valuable Player award, Babudar won $100,000. Argosy Casino mailed Babudar a $100,000 check in early March 2023.
Days later, Babudar cut his ankle monitor and fled from Oklahoma. According to court documents, Babudar used his gambling winnings to purchase a vehicle in Henderson, Nevada, and evade law enforcement until his arrest in Sacramento on July 7, 2023.
Babudar admitted that he robbed two additional banks while he was a fugitive from justice.
Babudar admitted that he stole $1,100 from Heritage Bank in Sparks, Nevada, on June 8, 2023. Babudar entered the bank wearing a beanie, a Covid-19 mask, a blue long-sleeved shirt, khaki pants, and a fanny pack. Babudar showed a note to the Heritage Bank teller that was composed on his cell phone, which demanded money from the teller.
Babudar admitted that he stole $950 from U.S. Bank in El Dorado Hills, California, on July 3, 2023. Babudar entered the bank wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt, a Covid-19 mask, and a yellow reflective vest. Babudar showed a note to the U.S. Bank teller that was composed on his cell phone, which demanded money from the teller.
Babudar has been detained in federal custody without bond since his arrest on July 7, 2023.
This case was prosecuted by Senior Litigation Counsel Patrick D. Daly and Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie C. Bradshaw in the Western District of Missouri, and U.S. Attorney Clinton J. Johnson and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric O. Johnston in the Northern District of Oklahoma. It was investigated by the FBI and the Bixby, Okla., Police Department. The Bixby, Okla., Police Department arrested Babudar in December 2022, and the Placer County, Calif., Sheriff’s Department and the Lincoln, Calif., Police Department assisted the FBI in the July 2023 arrest.
Jamestown woman sentenced for her role in drug conspiracyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Stacey Beardsley aka Stacey J. Peterson, 38, of Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of misprision of felony, was sentenced to serve two years’ probation and 50 hours community service by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who handled the case, stated that between late 2018, and March 2020, Beardsley’s husband, Rocco Beardsley, was involved in a drug trafficking conspiracy. Rocco Beardsley purchased and distributed large quantities of heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other controlled substances in the Jamestown area. Stacey Beardsley knew of these drug trafficking activities, financially benefited from his activities, and actively concealed and assisted in his drug trafficking activities. Following an arrest in May 2019, Rocco Beardsley called Stacey Beardsley from jail and asked her to go to Erie, PA, to get his “stuff.” She failed to notify any authority about the request, and instead drove to Erie, PA, as requested to pick up Rocco Beardsley’s stuff, including drugs. On her way back to Jamestown, Stacey Beardsley was stopped by law enforcement and a search of her vehicle recovered quantities of methamphetamine and heroin. In January 2020, two controlled purchases of drugs from Rocco Beardsley took place at the residence he shared with Stacey Beardsley, who failed to notify any authority of the federal felony conduct. Rocco Beardsley was previously convicted and is awaiting sentencing.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone, the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Jamestown Police Chief Timothy Jackson, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division.
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Jacksonville Man Pleads Guilty in Bank Fraud Conspiracy Involving Stolen MailRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jonathan Benavide Hidalgo (27, Jacksonville) has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud, eight counts of bank fraud, one count of conspiracy to commit theft of mail, and one count of theft of mail. Hidalgo faces up to 30 years in federal prison for each count of bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and up to 5 years’ imprisonment for theft of mail and conspiracy to commit theft of mail. In addition, he faces payment of restitution to the victims he and his co-defendant, Frank Anthony Acanda (27, Jacksonville), defrauded. Acanda entered a guilty plea on June 12, 2024. His sentencing hearing is set for September 30, 2024.
According to court documents, Hidalgo, Acanda, and others drove around areas of Fleming Island, Jacksonville, and St. Augustine and stole large volumes of mail from residential and business mailboxes over a period of several months. After opening the mail and stealing checks and money orders, Hidalgo, Acanda, and others acting on their behalf, deposited the items into bank accounts controlled by them. They then used ATMs to immediately withdraw cash. In some instances, Hidalgo and Acanda altered the stolen checks by increasing the amount to maximize the amount of money they could withdraw from ATMs.
This case was investigated by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service - Jacksonville Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein. The asset forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer M. Harrington.
Indianapolis, IN, Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
BISMARCK – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that on September 5, 2024, United States District Court Judge Daniel L. Hovland sentenced Anthony Lee Davis, age 32, of Indianapolis, IN, to serve 110 months in federal prison and serve three years supervised release for the offense of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon.
On April 16, 2024, Davis pleaded guilty to Count One of an Indictment charging him with the offense of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon. Evidence introduced during a July 23, 2024, evidentiary hearing established that, on October 23, 2021, Davis possessed a 9mm pistol and discharged this firearm at people and property while driving a vehicle erratically around Minot, ND. Additionally, unprovoked, Davis fired this pistol at an individual who was driving in a nearby vehicle, with two bullets from Davis’s firearm hitting the driver’s side door of the vehicle and one bullet striking the individual who was driving the vehicle in the left elbow. After Davis shot this individual, he crashed the vehicle that he was driving, fled the vehicle on foot, and continued possessing the firearm until he was arrested by members of the Minot Police Department. When law enforcement searched the crashed vehicle, they located multiple spent shell casings and at least one live round of ammunition.
“This strong sentence is a fair one considering the defendant’s reckless violence and actions putting the public in harm’s way,” Schneider said. “We are grateful to our partners at the Minot Police Department and in federal law enforcement for bringing this defendant to justice. As this case shows, the United States Attorney’s Office will be absolutely unsparing when it comes to making federal defendants out of felons who illegally possess firearms.”
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, United States Marshals Service and the Minot Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan J. O’Konek.
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Honduran National Sentenced for Maintaining a Stash House for a District Cocaine TraffickerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Rodger Bonilla Vargas, 39, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 32 months in prison for maintaining a stash house for a cocaine trafficker, facilitating the distribution of large quantities of cocaine throughout the District of Columbia and Maryland.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Washington Division, Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) - Washington, D.C., and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Bonilla Vargas, aka “Paki,” pleaded guilty to involvement in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. As part of the plea agreement, Bonilla Vargas – who is a Honduran national and is in the U.S. unlawfully – admitted he was accountable for conspiring to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. In addition to the 32-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge ordered Bonilla Vargas to serve three years of supervised release. He is also facing deportation proceedings upon completion of his prison sentence.
According to court documents, beginning in March 2023 and continuing until August 2023, Bonilla Vargas’ co-conspirators -- Jorge Cruz Maldonado, Vladimir Roque Ceron, Francisco Rosales Diaz, Cila Melgar Rodriguez, and others -- conspired to sell approximately 771 grams of cocaine and 11.62 grams of fentanyl (111 pills) to a DEA confidential source. On multiple occasions between March 2023 and August 2023, in the District of Columbia, Bonilla Vargas agreed to store significant quantities of controlled substances, including cocaine, at his residence on behalf of one of his co-conspirators. Bonilla Vargas was aware that the substances he was storing were illegal controlled substances, and that Melgar Rodriguez intended to distribute these controlled substances.
Specifically, on August 18, 2023, Bonilla Vargas knowingly stored cocaine weighing approximately 3.6 kilograms at his residence in service of Melgar Rodriguez’s drug trafficking operation. When Melgar Rodriguez arrived at the Bonilla Vargas residence to retrieve the cocaine, Bonilla Vargas provided the package to Melgar Rodriguez so that Melgar Rodriguez could give the narcotics to Cruz Maldonado and others to sell to the confidential source.
Prior to his involvement in the narcotics conspiracy, Bonilla Vargas was arrested on November 30, 2023, by ICE in Chantilly, Va., on a charge of alien present without admission. He currently is under removal proceedings.
Two of Bonilla-Vargas’s co-conspirators have been sentenced as part of this case. Vladimir Roque Cerone pleaded guilty on March 5, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine and was sentenced on July 11, 2024, to 14 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Erik Rivera Garcia pleaded guilty on March 13, 2024, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Rivera Garcia was sentenced Wednesday to 62 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release.
This case was investigated and prosecuted under the auspices of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section (VRTO). The VRTO’s mission is to disrupt and dismantle the District's most serious drivers of violence and large-scale firearms and drug trafficking. VRTO places an emphasis on proactive, intelligence-driven, long- and medium-term criminal investigations, and its prosecutions focus on violent and armed crews and conspiracies, collective conduct, and repeat offenders.
This case was investigated by the DEA, FBI, HSI, and ICE. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ernesto J. Alvarado, Timothy J. Coley, and Adam Stempel.
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Home Health Care Company Operators Sentenced to Prison in $5.5 Million Kickback Scheme and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
DETROIT - A married Macomb County couple, Noli and Isabel Tcruz, both 68, were sentenced today to 6 years in prison and 38 months in prison, respectively, on health care fraud kickback conspiracy, tax evasion, and fraud charges, announced U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison. This follows the sentencings earlier this year of two doctors who had pled guilty to receiving kickbacks and bribes from the Tcruzes.
Joining Ison in the announcement were Special Agent in Charge Charles Miller, IRS Criminal Investigation, Detroit Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Mario Pinto of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Chicago Regional Office.
The Tcruzes were convicted and sentenced for schemes related to their operation of several Macomb County home health care companies that purported to provide legitimate medical care to homebound Medicare beneficiaries, but in fact engaged in fraud.
The Tcruzes engaged in an approximately $5 million conspiracy to illegally pay kickbacks and bribes to acquire referrals for home health care for Medicare beneficiaries and refused to pay their income tax obligations for both -personal and business taxes. After their last home health company was shut down in February 2020, Noli Tcruz began engaging in Covid-19 program fraud, and used a family member’s identity and company to steal from and defraud the Small Business Administration and Health and Human Services out of more than $250,000 from pandemic assistance funds.
Two physicians, Dr. Terry Baul and Dr. David Calderone pleaded guilty to accepting kickbacks and bribes for referring Medicare beneficiaries to the Tcruzes. Under their respective plea agreements, the two physicians were required to pay more than three million in restitution and forfeiture judgments and are excluded from Medicare and other federal health care programs.
“My office will diligently investigate and prosecute all types of fraud, which is driven by greed. Noli and Isabel Tcruz’s fraud harmed taxpayers and the government programs our tax dollars fund, including Medicare and Covid-19 programs,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. “Health care professionals and providers have both an opportunity and a duty to lawfully help people, but we will not hesitate to pursue individuals like these defendants who breach those duties to line their own pockets.”
"Today's sentencing of Noli and Isabel Tcruz broadcasts that IRS Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Attorney’s office will continue their aggressive pursuit of those who use fraudulent scams in an attempt to steal from the hard-working taxpayers of America,” said Charles Miller, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge, Detroit Field Office. "Not only was blatant stealing of funds, allotted for the healthcare of Americans, committed; but US Citizens were stolen from again when no tax was paid on any of the couple’s income.”
"Paying kickbacks to induce referrals for medical services in federal health care programs is illegal and can lead to the delivery of unnecessary services, wasting valuable taxpayer funds," said Special Agent in Charge Mario M. Pinto of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). "HHS-OIG will continue collaborating with our law enforcement partners to ensure that those who engage in unlawful kickback schemes in our federal health care programs are held accountable."
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew J. Lievense. The case was investigated by special agents of the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations Division and the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General.
Grand Island Woman Sentenced for Methamphetamine PossessionRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Hung Thuc Pham, age 38, of Grand Island, Nebraska, was sentenced on September 5, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of a meth mixture. United States District Judge Susan M. Bazis sentenced Pham to 135 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Pham’s release from prison, she will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. Pham also agreed to the forfeiture of $5,110 in cash to the United States of America.
On September 12, 2023, Pham was stopped on Interstate 80 for numerous traffic violations by a Lancaster County Sheriff’s Deputy. She was the sole occupant of the car. The deputy saw a duffel bag on the front passenger seat which was partially open, and heat-sealed bags containing meth were visible inside. As a result, Pham’s car was searched. During the search, at total of more than 1.7 kilograms (approximately 3 ¾ pounds) of a meth mixture was found in the duffel bag. Purity testing on one of the heat-sealed bags showed at least 340 grams of actual methamphetamine. An additional bag containing a small amount of meth, a pipe and $5110 in cash was also found in the car.
Pham told investigators that at the time she was stopped, she was on her way to Lincoln to deliver the meth to another person. Pham said the meth found in her car was what remained of 20 pounds she transported to Nebraska from California about three weeks earlier. Pham said she made six other trips to California between late 2021 and August of 2023, and obtained a total of over 40 pounds of meth which she sold to persons in Lincoln and Grand Island.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force with assistance from the Lancaster County Sheriff’s Department.
Goodell, Iowa Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing a Gun and Ammunition While Being an Illegal User of MarijuanaRead the Press Release
A man who possessed a firearm while being an illegal drug user was sentenced today to 6 months in federal prison.
Larry Wayne Robbins, age 67, from Goodell, Iowa, received the prison term after an April 11, 2024, guilty plea to one count of possession of a firearm by an unlawful drug user, marijuana, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(3), and 18 U.S.C. § 924(a)(8).
In a plea agreement, Robbins admitted he waived a gun at a neighbor in Hancock County while that individual was mowing a ditch approximately 300 yards east of Robbins’s house. A search warrant later executed at Robbins’ home located guns, ammunition, and marijuana.
Robbins was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Robbins was sentenced to 6 months’ imprisonment less 46 days credit for time served on his sentence in Hancock County. He must also serve a 2-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Robbins will remain on supervision by United States Probation until he can self- surrender to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Fletcher and was investigated by the Hancock County Sheriff’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Hancock County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-03031.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Georgia Man Arrested on Federal Dog Fighting, Firearms and Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury indicted Dun Terrius Bradford, 53, of Sale City, Georgia, on charges of illegally possessing 67 dogs for fighting purposes, manufacturing and possessing with intent to distribute cocaine base and possessing five firearms in furtherance of those offenses. The U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia unsealed the indictment in conjunction with Bradford’s arrest today.
According to court documents, the defendant maintained a stock of 67 fighting dogs at his Sale City home. Following the execution of a search warrant, the dogs were seized and will be cared for by a program administered by the U.S. Marshals Service. Agents also recovered tools and supplies used in the training and keeping of dogs used for fighting, including modified treadmills to hold dogs in place for dog fight conditioning, injectable veterinary steroids, a home-made “breeding stand” used to immobilize female dogs who are too dog-aggressive to mate naturally and a “break stick” device used to break the bite hold of a dog during specified intervals in a dog fight. Officers also recovered cocaine base and five firearms.
If convicted, Bradford faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison per count of animal fighting charges, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $1 million on the cocaine charge, a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the firearms charge to be served consecutively to other counts of conviction and a $250,000 fine for each dog fighting and firearms count. Under federal law, it is illegal not only to fight animals, but also to possess, train, transport, deliver, receive, buy or sell animals intended for use in fighting. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) and U.S. Attorney Peter Leary for the Middle District of Georgia made the announcement.
The Department of Agriculture’s Office of the Inspector General and detectives with the Mitchell County, Georgia, Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Ethan Eddy of ENRD’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elicia Hargrove for the Middle District of Georgia are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Four Plead Guilty in Two St. Louis Area CarjackingsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Three men have admitted participating in one carjacking and a second has admitted involvement in two St. Louis area carjackings.
Jaymond Johnson, 20, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis Thursday to one count of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Ramon D. Davis, 20, pleaded guilty in July to two counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence and two counts of carjacking. Tristan T. Davis, 20, and Montrell M. Jackson, 21, of Northwoods, each pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Tristan Davis pleaded guilty in June and Jackson pleaded guilty in December.
On Nov. 7, 2021, Ramon Davis, Montrell Jackson and a juvenile were walking past an alley near Grand Avenue and Bates Street in south St. Louis when they spotted an older man and decided to steal his car, the plea agreements say. Davis was armed with a Canik TP9 handgun that he had stolen the prior month and Jackson had a Ruger MAX-9 handgun. Davis brandished the Canik and the assailants demanded the victim’s 2006 Mazda3. The next day, the Saint Louis Metropolitan Police Department’s Real Time Crime Center license plate recognition system located the stolen car. When St. Louis police caught up, Hazelwood police were pursuing the car, which was being driven by Ramon Davis. After nearly hitting a police car, Davis lost control and spun out in the middle of an intersection, but regained control and continued fleeing for more than two miles. Eventually, the Mazda struck a metal storage container at North Florissant Avenue and Branch Street and was heavily damaged. Both Davis and Jackson fled from the crash but were later arrested. Officers found a black satchel inside the Mazda that held both guns used in the carjacking.
On Nov. 11, 2022, Ramon Davis, Tristan Davis and Jaymond Johnson were in a stolen BMW when Tristan Davis spotted a 2017 Mercedes GLS550 SUV parked in front of a CVS located on Watson Road in Webster Groves. Ramon Davis had a red/burgundy AR-style pistol and confronted an occupant of the Mercedes with it before pushing her to the ground, breaking her finger. Ramon and Tristan Davis drove away in the carjacked Mercedes, their plea agreements say.
Johnson is scheduled to be sentenced December 12. The carjacking charges carry a penalty of up to 15 years in prison and the brandishing charges carry a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of seven years consecutive to any other sentence.
The St. Louis County Police Department, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department, the FBI, the Webster Groves Police Department, the Hazelwood Police Department and the Normandy police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zachary Bluestone and Cassandra Wiemken prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Four Indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute CocaineRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Eber Alexander Lopez (49, Tampa), Eduardo Ponce Tondee (44, Tampa), Jaime Ayala Rivera (41, Tampa), and John Hernandez Martin (44, Tampa) with conspiracy and distribution of more than 5 kilograms of cocaine. If convicted on all counts, each faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.
According to the indictment, between December 2023 and August 2024, Alexander Lopez, Ponce Tondee, Ayala Rivera, and Hernandez Martin were part of a conspiracy that used the U.S. mail to ship kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico to the Middle District of Florida for distribution. In total, FBI agents seized more than 8 kilograms of cocaine that were destined for the Tampa Bay area, and approximately $87,000 in drug proceeds.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the Tampa Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.
Fort Myers Woman Indicted for Defrauding Department of Veterans Affairs of More Than $300,000Read the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Laurie Ann Roszelle (65, Fort Myers) with one count of wire fraud. If convicted, Roszelle faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Roszelle that the United States is seeking an order of forfeiture in the amount of $338,364.66, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct.
According to the indictment, for nearly 19 years after her mother’s death in 2005, Roszelle schemed to wrongfully receive United States Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits intended for her mother. To effectuate the scheme, Roszelle falsified her mother’s signature in responding to VA correspondence and represented, in telephone and in-person interviews with the VA, that her mother was still alive years after her mother’s death.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Department of Veterans Affairs - Office of Inspector General. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Benjamin S. Winter.
Former University City High School Teacher Sentenced to 120 Months for Trying to Buy Sex Acts from a 16-Year-OldRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – September 5, 2024
SAN DIEGO – Sean Stevenson, a former high school science teacher at University City High School, was sentenced in federal court today to 120 months in prison for attempting to purchase oral sex from a 16-year-old. Stephenson was still a high school teacher at the time of the offense.
The defendant pleaded guilty on June 13, 2024, to one count of Attempted Enticement of a Minor.
According to the publicly-filed documents in the case, between April 9, 2023, and April 16, 2023, Stevenson used a voice over internet protocol (VOIP) line to negotiate by text message for commercial sex with an individual that went by the name of Kash and who represented to Stevenson that she was 20 years old. From April 15, 2023, through April 16, 2023, Stevenson offered Kash a fee to find a female under the age of 18 for Stevenson. In pertinent part, Stevenson stated to Kash the following:
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- “And I don’t suppose you know in[sic] younger girls I could pay u a premium for?”
- “I pay u a finders fee and I pay her”
- “The younger the better.”
- “Just keep it in mind if you come across any high school age girls”
- “Not young enough” (in response to Kash suggesting an 18 year old).
Between October 2, 2023, and October 24, 2023, Stevenson continued to negotiate by text message for commercial sex with an individual he believed to be Kash, but who was actually an undercover officer (UC). When the UC referenced a 16-year-old cousin as being available for commercial sex with Stevenson, he responded “Oh … yes!” and negotiated for the following:
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- $150 for a “bbbj” (oral copulation without a condom)
- $100 for manual genital stimulation
- A “car date” (a commercial sex encounter that occurs inside a vehicle)
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On October 17, 2023, Stevenson messaged the UC “Do you still have a younger girl?” and again negotiated the exchange of $150 for “bbbj” with the 16-year-old cousin.
On October 23, 2023, Stevenson re-engaged with the UC to confirm he still wanted to meet with the 16-year-old cousin for a commercial sex date. In pertinent part, Stevenson stated the following to the UC:
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- “Ok, and $150 for a cardate bbbj. No condom.”
- “Also, can you send a pic of your cousin please?” (lips emoji)
- “Sexy pic”
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On October 24, 2023, Stevenson agreed to meet with the 16-year-old cousin for the commercial sex date. The UC provided an address in San Diego, to which Stevenson asked, “what is she wearing?” (in reference to the 16-year-old cousin). Stevenson also renegotiated a fee of $140 for oral sex.
On October 24, 2023, at approximately 7:00 a.m., Stevenson arrived at the provided location. Stevenson drove to a parking lot where he had a full, unobstructed view of the meeting location and then drove laps near the location where Stevenson was told the 16-year-old cousin would be arriving. Stevenson was stopped and placed under arrest. During the arrest, $140 cash was located in the driver’s side door storage area of Stevenson’s sports car.
“Mr. Stevenson’s determination to purchase sex acts from a minor is appalling,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Thankfully he was caught before harming an actual child. The sentence imposed today reflects the magnitude of our commitment to protecting the vulnerable from exploitation.”
“I have a simple message for all those who target children for sex online: If you go after children in California, we’ll go after you,” said Attorney General Bonta. “Today’s announcement makes it clear that child sexual exploitation will not be tolerated. I’m extremely grateful to our San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force and our federal partners for their dedication and commitment to keeping our communities safe. My office always stands ready to work with our partners across California to fight for our children and for public safety.”
“This case represents another successful collaborative effort by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and our law enforcement partners to swiftly identify, investigate and bring to justice individuals that seek to exploit vulnerable populations,” said Chris Davis, acting special agent in charge for HSI San Diego. “The defendant was in a position of public trust as a teacher at the time of arrest and law enforcement will not stand for this kind of abuse and misconduct; we are committed to protecting our children and our communities.”
“The San Diego Police Department is a proud member of the San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force,” said Chief Scott Wahl. “A teacher is meant to protect and nurture students, guiding them with care and respect, but instead, this individual sought to sexually exploit a school-age girl. Thankfully, due to the actions of law enforcement agencies, Stevenson was arrested before a child was victimized. The San Diego Police Department remains committed to protect our youth from the unthinkable.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Derek Ko and Andrew Sherwood.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 23CR2368-AJB
Sean Stevenson Age: 59 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Attempted Enticement of a Minor– Title 18, U.S.C., Section 2422(b)
Maximum penalty: Life in prison, 10-year mandatory minimum
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Homeland Security Investigations
San Diego Human Trafficking Task Force
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Former Perry County Commonwealth’s Attorney Sentenced for Federal Honest Services Wire FraudRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky.— The former Commonwealth’s Attorney, for the 33rd Judicial Circuit of Kentucky, Scott Blair, 52, of Hazard, Ky., was sentenced to 54 months in prison on Thursday, by U.S. District Judge Robert Wier, for committing honest services wire fraud.
According to his guilty plea agreement, between April 2020 and March 2024, Blair knowingly and intentionally devised a scheme to fraudulently deprive the citizens of Perry County of their right to his honest services, as the elected Commonwealth’s Attorney, through bribery. On multiple occasions, Blair agreed to take official actions, in his position as the Commonwealth’s Attorney – including making recommendations on probation, drug court, and probation violations or sanctions for defendants he was prosecuting – in exchange for methamphetamine and sexual favors.
Under federal law, Blair must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon his release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael E. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI Louisville Field Division; Russell Coleman, Kentucky Attorney General; and Col. Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, the Kentucky Attorney General’s Office, and the KSP. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Blankenship is prosecuting the matter on behalf of the United States.
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Former Mexican Police Officer and CJNG Cartel Member Sentenced in El Paso to 25 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
EL PASO, Texas – A Mexican national was sentenced in federal court to 300 months in prison for one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, 180 months for one count of straw purchasing firearms and trafficking in firearms, and 60 months for one count of conspiracy to smuggle bulk cash. All sentences will run concurrently.
According to court documents, Rene Hernandez-Cordero, 52, of Ciudad Juarez was involved in an organization that smuggled firearms into Mexico and methamphetamine into the United States.
In August 2023, Hernandez-Cordero and codefendant Jesus Gerardo Ramos, 53, of El Paso, met at a gas station in El Paso with the purpose of obtaining 20 AK-47 type firearms and two Barrett .50 caliber rifles which would have been smuggled to Mexico. Evidence produced at trial showed that this particular group smuggled hundreds of firearms from the United States into Mexico from August 2022 to August 2023.
Ramos pleaded guilty in April to one count of trafficking in firearms. He’s scheduled to be sentenced Sept. 26.
Codefendant, Brian Alexis Munoz Castro, 21, of El Paso, also pleaded guilty in April to one count of trafficking in firearms plus one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine. His sentence hearing is set for Oct. 23.
A third codefendant, Maria Del Rosario Navarro Sanchez aka “Chayo,” aka “Fernanda,” 38, of Mexico, remains a fugitive. She’s indicted for two counts of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of straw purchasing firearms, and one count of trafficking in firearms.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces El Paso/Las Cruces Strike Force Enforcement Group 3 investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Myers and Special Assistant U. S. Attorney Shannon Holderfield from Customs and Border Protection Office of Chief Counsel prosecuted the case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
The OCDETF El Paso / Las Cruces Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations (CBP), the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigations (IRS-CI), the United States Marshals Service (USMS), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office (EPSO), and the El Paso Police Department (EPPD) and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Western District of Texas in conjunction with an attorney from Customs and Border Protection Office of Chief Counsel.
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Former Cincinnati woman convicted of wire fraud related to pandemic relief fundsRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A federal jury has found a former Cincinnati woman guilty on all counts as charged of crimes related to pandemic relief fraud.
Lashawnda Alexander, 40, currently of Katy, Texas, was convicted of three counts of wire fraud.
The verdict was announced following a trial that took place Aug. 26 to Aug. 30 before U.S. District Judge Matthew W. McFarland.
According to court documents and trial testimony, in June 2020, Alexander submitted several fraudulent COVID-19 relief loan applications.
Specifically, on June 23, 2020, Alexander applied for an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) for business “Lashawnda Alexander.” Alexander stated in the application that the business employed 10 employees and had $125,000 in gross revenue in the year prior to January 31, 2020. Minutes later using the same device another application was submitted in the name of a family member claiming that the business employed 10 employees and had $120,000 in gross revenue.
The next day, on June 24, 2020, Alexander applied for an EIDL for business “TressD LLC,” a hair and nail salon that she said employed 15 employees and made gross revenue of $175,000 during the prior year.
In total, Alexander attempted to obtain at least $137,500 and ultimately received $91,000 in EIDL funds. Alexander’s applications contradicted her 2019 tax return.
In the following months, Alexander bought a Mercedes Benz SUV and moved to Texas all while continuing to collect pandemic unemployment assistance from the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services.
Alexander was indicted by a federal grand jury in July 2022.
Wire fraud is a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Congress sets the minimum and maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors at a future hearing.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Yvonne Dicristoforo, Special Agent in Charge, United States Secret Service, announced the verdict. Assistant United States Attorneys Ebunoluwa A. Taiwo and Anthony Springer are representing the United States in this case. The case was investigated by members of the Financial Crimes Working Group Pandemic Fraud Committee.
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Former CEO of Mariner’s Bank and Accomplice Admit Roles in Obtaining Nominee Loans from Mariner’s BankRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – The former chief executive officer of Mariner’s Bank and an accomplice both admitted their roles in improperly obtaining a nominee loan from the bank, Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna announced.
Fred Daibes, 67, of Edgewater, New Jersey, the former CEO and chairman of the board of directors at Mariner’s Bank, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court to Count 7 of an indictment charging him with making false entries in connection with a Mariner’s Bank loan memorandum dated June 11, 2008, relating to a $1.8 million loan which falsely stated that a nominee was the borrower. In fact, the line of credit was for the benefit of Daibes. The memorandum falsely stated that the source of repayment would be the personal cash flow of the nominee when, in fact, Daibes would and did fund the payments on the line of credit.
Michael McManus, 67, of Madison, New Jersey, pleaded guilty to an information charging him with misprision of a felony, that is, the misapplication of the proceeds of the $1.8 million loan issued by Mariner’s Bank.
The false entries count to which Daibes pleaded guilty carries a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. The misprision count to which McManus pleaded guilty carries a statutory maximum term of imprisonment of 3 years and a maximum fine of $250,000. Sentencing for both defendants is scheduled for Jan. 23, 2025.
Attorney for the United States Vikas Khanna credited investigators from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney; special agents of the FDIC Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey D. Pittano, Mid-Atlantic Region; and special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty pleas.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elaine K. Lou, Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ari B. Fontecchio of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Newark, under the supervision of the Special Prosecutions Division.
mcmanus.information.pdf daibes.indictment.pdfFive Russian GRU Officers and One Civilian Charged for Conspiring to Hack Ukrainian GovernmentRead the Press Release
Note: View the indictment here.
In an indictment unsealed today, a grand jury in Maryland charged six computer hackers, all of whom were residents and nationals of the Russian Federation (Russia), with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion and wire fraud conspiracy. Five of the defendants were officers in Unit 29155 of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), a military intelligence agency of the General Staff of the Armed Forces. The sixth individual was a civilian already under indictment for conspiracy to commit computer intrusion and is now also charged with wire fraud conspiracy.
Note: Concurrent with the return of the indictment, the U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice program is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information on any of the defendants’ locations or their malicious cyberactivity. Anyone possessing such information should contact Rewards for Justice here.
The indictment alleges that these GRU hackers and their co-conspirator engaged in a conspiracy to hack into, exfiltrate data from, leak information obtained from and destroy computer systems associated with the Ukrainian Government in advance of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The defendants did so in order to sow concern among Ukrainian citizens regarding the safety of their government systems and personal data. The defendants’ targets included Ukrainian Government systems and data with no military or defense-related roles. Later targets included computer systems in countries around the world that were providing support to Ukraine, including the United States and 25 other North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) countries.
“The GRU’s WhisperGate campaign, including targeting Ukrainian critical infrastructure and government systems of no military value, is emblematic of Russia’s abhorrent disregard for innocent civilians as it wages its unjust invasion,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the National Security Division. “Today’s indictment underscores that the Justice Department will use every available tool to disrupt this kind of malicious cyber activity and hold perpetrators accountable for indiscriminate and destructive targeting of the United States and our allies.”
“The FBI and its international partners are relentless in our commitment to thwarting GRU attacks across the globe and bringing to justice those responsible for these criminal acts,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “Our work protecting against cyber threats in a rapidly evolving landscape continues, including deployment of all tools in our arsenal to defend our infrastructure and impose costs on those who target it.”
“Since July 2021, the U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program, administered by the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), has offered a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification or location of any person who, while acting at the direction or under the control of a foreign government, participates in certain malicious cyber activities against U.S. critical infrastructure in violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act,” said DSS Deputy Assistant Secretary for Threat Investigations and Analysis Paul Houston. “Under this reward offer, the RFJ program is seeking information leading to the location of these individuals, GRU’s malicious cyber activity or associated individuals and entities.”
“Today’s superseding indictment underscores our commitment to using all the tools at our disposal to pursue those who would do us and our allies around the world harm,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. “Cyber intrusion schemes such as the one alleged threaten our national security, and we will use all the technologies and investigative measures at our disposal to disrupt and track down these cybercriminals.”
“Through strokes on a keyboard, the accused criminals used computers to cross into countries, hunting for weaknesses and seeking to harm. The FBI and our law enforcement partners, both national and international, will collectively defend against Russia’s aggressive and illegal actions,” said Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “We are united in identifying, prosecuting and protecting against future crimes and vow to relentlessly hunt down and counter these threats.”
The defendants charged in the indictment are: Yuriy Denisov [Юрий Денисов], a colonel in the Russian military and a commanding officer of Cyber Operations for Unit 29155; four lieutenants in the Russian military assigned to Unit 29155 who worked on cyber operations: Vladislav Borovkov [Владислав Боровков], Denis Denisenko [Денис Денисенко], Dmitriy Goloshubov [Дима Голошубов] and Nikolay Korchagin [Николай Корчагин]; and a civilian co-conspirator, Amin Sitgal [Амин Стигал].
According to court documents, on Jan. 13, 2022, the defendants conspired to use a U.S.-based company’s services to distribute malware known in the cybersecurity community as “WhisperGate,” which was designed to look like ransomware, to dozens of Ukrainian government entities’ computer systems. However, as the indictment alleges, WhisperGate was actually a cyberweapon designed to completely destroy the target computer and related data in advance of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Ukrainian government networks subjected to this attack included the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, State Treasury, Judiciary Administration, State Portal for Digital Services, Ministry of Education and Science, Ministry of Agriculture, State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection, Ministry of Energy, Accounting Chamber for Ukraine, State Emergency Service, State Forestry Agency and Motor Insurance Bureau.
In conjunction with these attacks, the defendants compromised several of the targeted Ukrainian computer systems, exfiltrated sensitive data, including patient health records and defaced the websites to read: “Ukrainians! All information about you has become public, be afraid and expect the worst. This is for your past, present and future.” That same day, the defendants offered the hacked data for sale on the internet.
The U.S. government previously joined with allies and partners in May 2022 to attribute this cyber-attack to the Russian military and to condemn the attack and similar destructive cyber activities against Ukraine.
In October 2022, the defendants also hacked the transportation infrastructure of a Central European country that was supporting Ukraine. Beginning in August 2021, the defendants also probed a variety of protected computer systems including those associated with 26 NATO member countries, searching for potential vulnerabilities. The indictment further alleges that from Aug. 5, 2021, to Feb. 3, 2022, the defendants leveraged the same computer infrastructure they used in the Ukraine-related attacks to probe computers belonging to a federal government agency in Maryland in the same manner as they had initially probed the Ukrainian Government networks.
This indictment is part of an international effort, Operation Toy Soldier, to combat the malicious cyber activity by Unit 29155 of the GRU. Accompanying today’s announcement, the FBI and 12 other partners, representing governments of nine countries, released a Joint Cybersecurity Advisory to enhance network defense efforts against Unit 29155’s malicious cyber activities.
The FBI Baltimore Field Office is investigating the case with assistance from FBI Milwaukee and Boston Field Offices.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron S.J. Zelinsky and Robert I. Goldaris for the District of Maryland are prosecuting the case with valuable assistance from the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section.
Five Russian GRU Officers and One Civilian Charged for Conspiring to Hack Ukrainian GovernmentRead the Press Release
Note: Concurrent with the return of the indictment, the U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice program is offering a reward of up to $10 million for information on any of the defendants’ locations or their malicious cyberactivity. Anyone possessing such information should contact Rewards for Justice here.
Greenbelt, Maryland – In an indictment unsealed today, a grand jury in Maryland charged six computer hackers, all of whom were residents and nationals of the Russian Federation (Russia), with conspiracy to commit computer intrusion and wire fraud conspiracy. Five of the defendants were officers in Unit 29155 of the Russian Main Intelligence Directorate (GRU), a military intelligence agency of the General Staff of the Armed Forces. The sixth individual was a civilian already under indictment for conspiracy to commit computer intrusion who is now also charged with wire fraud conspiracy.
The indictment alleges that these GRU hackers and their co-conspirators engaged in a conspiracy to hack into, exfiltrate data from, leak information obtained from, and destroy computer systems associated with, the Ukrainian Government in advance of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Defendants did so in order to sow concern among Ukrainian citizens regarding the safety of their government systems and personal data in advance of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The Defendants’ targets included Ukrainian Government systems and data with no military or defense-related roles. Later targets included computer systems in countries around the world that were providing support to Ukraine, including twenty-six NATO countries.
“Today’s superseding indictment underscores our commitment to using all the tools at our disposal to pursue those who would do us and our allies around the world harm,” said United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron. “Cyber intrusion schemes such as the one alleged threaten our national security, and we will use all the technologies and investigative measures at our disposal to disrupt and track down these cybercriminals.”
“The GRU’s WhisperGate campaign, including targeting Ukrainian critical infrastructure and government systems of no military value, is emblematic of Russia’s abhorrent disregard for innocent civilians as it wages its unjust invasion,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the National Security Division. “Today’s indictment underscores that the Justice Department will use every available tool to disrupt this kind of malicious cyber activity and hold perpetrators accountable for indiscriminate and destructive targeting of the United States and our allies.”
“Through strokes on a keyboard, the accused criminals used computers to cross into countries, hunting for weaknesses and seeking to harm. The FBI and our law enforcement partners, both national and international, will collectively defend against Russia’s aggressive and illegal actions,” said Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the FBI Baltimore Field Office. “We are united in identifying, prosecuting, and protecting against future crimes and vow to relentlessly hunt down and counter these threats.”
“The FBI and its international partners are relentless in our commitment to thwarting GRU attacks across the globe and bringing to justice those responsible for these criminal acts,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “Our work protecting against cyber threats in a rapidly evolving landscape continues, including deployment of all tools in our arsenal to defend our infrastructure and impose costs on those who target it.”
“Since July 2021, the U.S. Department of State’s Rewards for Justice (RFJ) program, administered by the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), has offered a reward of up to $10 million for information leading to the identification or location of any person who, while acting at the direction or under the control of a foreign government, participates in certain malicious cyber activities against U.S. critical infrastructure in violation of the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act,” said DSS Deputy Assistant Secretary for Threat Investigations and Analysis Paul Houston. “Under this reward offer, the RFJ program is seeking information leading to the location of these individuals, GRU’s malicious cyber activity, or associated individuals and entities.”
The defendants charged in the indictment are: Yuriy Denisov [Юрий Денисов], a colonel in the Russian military and a commanding officer of Cyber Operations for Unit 29155; four lieutenants in the Russian military assigned to Unit 29155 who worked on cyber operations: Vladislav Borovkov [Владислав Боровков], Denis Denisenko [Денис Денисенко], Dmitriy Goloshubov [Дима Голошубов], and Nikolay Korchagin [Николай Корчагин]; and a civilian co-conspirator, Amin Sitgal [Амин Стигал].
According to court documents, in January 2022, the Defendants conspired to use a U.S.-based company’s services to distribute malware known in the cybersecurity community as “WhisperGate” to dozens of Ukrainian government entities’ computer systems and destroy those systems and related data in advance of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. The United States government previously joined with allies and partners in May 2022 to attribute this cyber-attack to the Russian military and to condemn the attack and similar destructive cyber activities against Ukraine.
On January 13, 2022, the Defendants attacked multiple Ukrainian government networks, including the Ukrainian Ministry of Internal Affairs, the State Treasury, the Judiciary Administration, the State Portal for Digital Services, the Ministry of Education and Science, the Ministry of Agriculture, the State Service for Food Safety and Consumer Protection, the Ministry of Energy, the Accounting Chamber for Ukraine, the State Emergency Service, the State Forestry Agency, and the Motor Insurance Bureau. The Defendants infected computers on these and other networks with the WhisperGate malware, which was designed to look like ransomware. However, as the indictment alleges, WhisperGate was actually a cyberweapon designed to completely destroy the target computer and related data.
In conjunction with these attacks, the Defendants compromised several of the targeted Ukrainian computer systems, exfiltrated sensitive data, including patient health records, and defaced the websites to read: “Ukrainians! All information about you has become public, be afraid and expect the worst. This is for your past, present and future.” That same day, the Defendants offered the hacked data for sale on the internet.
In August 2022, the Defendants also hacked the transportation infrastructure of a Central European country that was supporting Ukraine. Beginning in August 2021, the Defendants also probed a variety of protected computer systems including those associated with twenty-six NATO member countries, searching for potential vulnerabilities. The indictment further alleges that from August 5, 2021 to February 3, 2022, the Defendants leveraged the same computer infrastructure they used in the Ukraine-related attacks to probe computers belonging to a federal government agency in Maryland in the same manner as they had initially probed the Ukrainian Government networks.
This indictment is part of an international effort, OPERATION TOY SOLDIER, to combat the malicious cyber activity by Unit 29155 of the GRU.
The indictment was announced by U.S. Attorney Barron, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, and Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
U.S. Attorney Barron and Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen commended the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office for its outstanding work and thanked the FBI’s Milwaukee and Boston Field Offices for their support in the case. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron S.J. Zelinsky and Robert I. Goldaris, who are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance from the National Security Division’s National Security Cyber Section.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Federal grants awarded totaling more than $6 million benefit communities in the Southern District of GeorgiaRead the Press Release
SAVANNAH, GA: The U.S. Department of Justice has announced more than $6 million in Fiscal Year 2024 grants awarded to agencies and entities to support law enforcement and public safety initiatives benefiting the Southern District of Georgia.
These federal grants are awarded by congressional designation from the Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance through Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending Provisions, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia.
“Whether assisting local agencies in providing mental health or legal services or in purchasing essential equipment for first responders, these grants will help local communities across the Southern District to protect their citizens and improve outcomes for the vulnerable,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg.
Agencies receiving the 2024 Community Project Funding include:
- Augusta-Richmond County Government: $1,007,000.
- An award for $690,000 will enable the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office to implement the Law Enforcement Body-Warn Camera Technology Upgrades Program, providing more advanced body-worn cameras for personnel to replace cameras in use since the office first implemented the program in 2015.
- A second award for $317,000 will assist the sheriff’s office in implementing a Mental Health Response Team, creating a “co-responder effort” to provide services to individuals in active mental health crises or needing follow-up care.
- Glynn County: $3.7 million.
This award will provide multi-jurisdictional funding in Glynn County to replace radio communications systems used by agencies including the Glynn County Police Department, the Glynn County Sheriff’s Office, GB911, Brunswick Police Department, and Glynn County Emergency Management Agency, serving the mainland and barrier island communities of Glynn County.
- Community Service Board of Middle Georgia in Dublin, Ga.: $1.356 million.
This award will provide funding for implementation of a Behavioral Health and Overdose Reduction Initiative for 16 underserved and largely rural Georgia counties, including Bleckley, Burke, Dodge, Emanuel, Glascock, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Laurens, Montgomery, Pulaski, Screven, Telfair, Treutlen, Wheeler, and Wilcox counties.
- The Georgia Justice Project in Atlanta: $475,000.
This grant includes funding for a Second Chance Desk for residents in Richmond and Burke counties. The Second Chance Desk will provide a projected 120-150 individuals with consultation and services to clear criminal histories that are no longer relevant, allowing low- to moderate-income residents to take advantage of Georgia’s expungement laws. The funding also will provide similar assistance in Cobb, Athens-Clarke, and Oconee counties.
Funding from the Community Project Funding/Congressionally Directed Spending Provisions, designated by Congress with funding through the Office of Justice Programs Bureau of Justice Assistance, seeks to support projects designated for funding in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2024, to improve the functioning of the criminal justice system, to prevent or combat juvenile delinquency, and to assist victims of crime (other than compensation).
More information on the implementation of these grants is available from the individual recipient agencies, and from the U.S. Department of Justice grants information page at justice.gov/grants.
doj_2024_grant_glynn_county.pdf doj_2024_grant_richmond_county_-_mental_healths.pdf doj_2024_grant_richmond_county_-_body_cams.pdf doj_2024_grant_ga_justice.pdf doj_2024_grant_dublin.pdf- Augusta-Richmond County Government: $1,007,000.
Federal Jury Convicts Oklahoma City Man of Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – A federal jury has convicted AKIN ZHON WOFFORD, 29, of Oklahoma City, of armed bank robbery and possessing and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On February 7, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a two-count Indictment against Wofford, charging him with armed bank robbery and possessing and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. On August 21, 2024, a federal jury convicted Wofford on both counts.
According to evidence presented at trial, on November 7, 2022, Wofford entered a branch of City National Bank and Trust in Oklahoma City. After he waited several minutes in the lobby, Wofford jumped over the teller counter, pulled out a firearm, pointed it at a bank employee, and demanded money. Wofford then opened the teller drawer and grabbed handfuls of cash before he exited the bank. An investigation into the vehicle used during the bank robbery ultimately led authorities to Wofford. Law enforcement later searched Wofford’s residence and found clothes similar to those worn by Wofford during the bank robbery. He was arrested on November 18, 2022.
At sentencing, Wofford faces up to 25 years in federal prison for the armed bank robbery charge, and no less than seven years and up to life in federal prison for the firearm charge, which is to be served consecutively with the armed bank robbery sentence.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Wilson D. McGarry, Daniel Gridley, and Stanley J. West prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Federal Inmate and Maryland Woman Indicted on Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Olona Roba, a federal inmate at United States Penitentiary Hazelton, and Sakile G. Fiddermon, of Fort Washington, Maryland, were indicted on heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine charges.
Roba, 26, and Fiddermon, 23, were each charged with conspiring to smuggle heroin, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and suboxone into the penitentiary. According to the indictment, Fiddermon attempted to smuggle narcotics into the prison for Roba.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Flower is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Ex-Convict Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Smuggle Hundreds of Kilograms of Cocaine Across the Mexican Border for Distribution in Central FloridaRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jose Ramirez (39, Bradenton) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute more than 5 kilograms of cocaine. Ramirez faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled.
According to the plea agreement, after being released from prison for drug trafficking, Ramirez became part of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that imported cocaine from Mexico through the Texas border. The cocaine was transported to Manatee County for distribution via hidden compartments inside passenger vehicles. Between 2021 and 2023, Ramirez received at least 20 kilograms of cocaine per month, which he later distributed. Members of this conspiracy transported the drug proceeds back to Texas on commercial flights, hiding the cash inside carry-on luggage. They then smuggled it back across the Mexican border.
During the course of this investigation, DEA agents seized large amounts of drug proceeds from the DTO, including nearly $300,000 from a co-conspirator outside of a bank in Bradenton. They also seized approximately $500,000 from a tractor trailer in Gulfport, Mississippi.
This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with substantial assistance provided by the Florida Highway Patrol, the Tampa Police Department, and the Gulfport Police Department (Mississippi). It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.
Essex County Man Sentenced to 143 Months in Prison for Fentanyl, Cocaine, and Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 143 months in prison for possessing with intent to distribute over five kilograms of fentanyl and four kilograms of cocaine, and possessing six firearms as a convicted felon, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Carlos Santiago, 50, of East Orange, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael Farbiarz to possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, and possession of firearms by a convicted felon. Judge Farbiarz imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Oct. 24, 2022, federal agents encountered Santiago as he was moving controlled substances from a storage unit to his vehicle in Newark. Santiago was arrested after law enforcement located several kilograms of fentanyl and cocaine, as well as one firearm, in Santiago’s storage unit. Law enforcement searched Santiago’s residence in East Orange and located several additional kilograms of fentanyl and cocaine, and five other firearms. Santiago had previously been convicted, in New Jersey Superior Court, Essex County, of a drug offense and resisting arrest.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Farbiarz sentenced Santiago to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Cheryl Ortiz in Newark, and special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Thomas Greco, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sam Thypin-Bermeo of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.
Essex County Man Sentenced to 131 Months in Prison for Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 131 months in prison for an armed robbery of a store in Essex County, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Quayon Moore, 25, of Newark, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz to an indictment charging him with Hobbs Act robbery and using and discharging a firearm in relation to crime of violence. Judge Farbiarz imposed the sentenced today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Dec. 8, 2021, Moore entered a store and pointed a gun at a store employee and demanded that the employee give Moore everything he had. Moore shot the firearm toward the employee’s direction, and the bullet hit the wall behind the employee. While continuing to point the firearm at the employee, Moore took money from the cash register, and an iPhone.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Farbiarz sentenced Moore to five years of supervised release, and ordered restitution of $1,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited FBI Newark’s Violent Crimes Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy; the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé; and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Farhana C. Melo and Chelsea D. Coleman of the Criminal Division in Newark.
Eight Arrested in Lubbock PSN TakedownRead the Press Release
Eight targets were arrested during a Project Safe Neighborhoods takedown in Lubbock on Wednesday, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Those arrested include:
- Corey Rashad Gilmore, indicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and one count of convicted felon in possession of a firearm
- Justin Tyrece Crawford, indicted on one count of convicted felon in possession of a firearm
- Joe Lewis Ybarra, Jr., indicted on one count of felon in possession of a firearm
- Wesley Glenn York, Jr., indicted on one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana, one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and one count of convicted felon in possession of a firearm
- Landon Henderson Jackson, indicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
- Matthew Nelson, indicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
- Kelli Lenay Hargrave, indicted on one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
- Philip Murphy, indicted on one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
One additional target, Matthew De La Cruz, charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, remains a fugitive. Members of the public with information regarding his whereabouts are urged to contact the DEA’s Dallas Field Division at 214-366-6900.
“This Project Safe Neighborhoods takedown relied on the cooperation of more than three dozen agents and officers from local, state, and federal law enforcement, along with federal prosecutors from my office,” U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton said at a press conference announcing the bust on Thursday. “PSN relies on the collective wisdom of law enforcement agencies – big and small – to identify, investigate, and prosecute our communities’ most significant drivers of violence. Instead of agencies working in silos, overlapping and competing, PSN brings federal and state law enforcement together to take action that will have outsized impact…. Following the tenets of the PSN program, we targeted repeat offenders known to be inciting crime here in Lubbock. These defendants all have rap sheets, including assault, robbery, controlled substances, and deadly conduct.”
“The apprehension of the suspects related to this case is a testament to the strong working relationships we experience between agencies here in West Texas,” said Lubbock Police Chief Seth Herman.
From the eight arrested defendants, law enforcement seized 12 firearms along with 946 grams of methamphetamine, 2 ounces of cocaine, and more than 10 pounds of marijuana.
If convicted, the defendants face a combined total of up to 330 months in federal prison.
More than three dozen officers and agents participated in the takedown, including men and women from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives Dallas Field Division – Lubbock Resident Agency; the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division – Lubbock Resident Agency; the Lubbock Police Department; the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office; the Texas Anti-Gang Center; the Texas Department of Public Safety; the Texas Tech Police Department; the Plainview Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations’ Dallas Field Office; and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office – Lubbock Resident Agency. The Lubbock County District Attorney’s Office also provided substantial assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Redd, Sean Long, Matthew McLeod, and Stephen Rancourt are prosecuting the cases with the assistance of Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeff Haag.
These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department 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.
Edmond Doctor Pays $64,000 to Settle Civil Penalty Claims Stemming from Allegations of Recordkeeping ViolationsRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – John Ross, MD (“Dr. Ross”), has paid $65,000 to settle civil penalty claims stemming from allegations that he violated the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 (“Act”) and its regulations, announced United States Attorney Robert J. Troester.
Dr. Ross was employed as a urologist at OU Health Physicians Fountain Lake Urology Clinic (“Clinic”) in Edmond, Oklahoma. The United States alleges that from September 2021, through July 2022, Dr. Ross failed to maintain records for certain purchases of testosterone, a Schedule III controlled substance, that contained all the information required by the regulations promulgated by the Act. Dr. Ross also failed to report the Clinic as a practice location and failed to properly document one instance of the destruction of testosterone pellets. To resolve these allegations, Dr. Ross agreed to pay $65,000 to the United States.
In reaching this settlement, Dr. Ross did not admit liability, and the government did not make any concessions about the legitimacy of the claims. The agreement allows the parties to avoid the delay, expense, inconvenience, and uncertainty involved in litigating the case.
Recordkeeping is a vital part of managing controlled substances. Complete and accurate records help avoid diversions and losses of controlled drugs. A registrant who purchases controlled substances must comply with the inventory and purchase record requirements contained in the regulations implementing the Act. Failure to do so subjects the registrant to civil monetary penalties.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Office of Diversion Control. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ronald R. Gallegos and Amanda R. Johnson prosecuted the case.
Denver Man Sentenced for Fentanyl, Meth Trafficking, Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
A Denver, Colorado, man was sentenced in federal court today for transporting thousands of fentanyl pills and methamphetamine through Kansas City, Mo., aboard a bus and for illegally possessing a firearm.
Ahmad Rashad Rhodes, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Bough to 15 years in federal prison without parole. Rhodes was sentenced as a career offender due to his prior felony convictions.
On December 7, 2023, Rhodes was found guilty at trial of one count of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Officers with the Missouri Western Interdiction and Narcotics Task Force (MoWIN) were conducting interdiction activities at a Kansas City, Mo., bus station on March 20, 2023, when Rhodes arrived on a bus that originated in Los Angeles, California. As passengers disembarked, a police drug-sniffing dog alerted to the scent of illegal drugs in a suitcase in the undercarriage of the bus as well as a backpack in the passenger compartment of the bus. Officers determined both items belonged to Rhodes and contacted him.
After a brief struggle, Rhodes was taken into custody when he admitted to officers he had a gun in the crossbody bag he was wearing. Officers searched Rhodes and found a key chain in his coat with two metal pill holders attached; one pill holder contained 61 blue counterfeit oxycodone hydrochloride pills that contained fentanyl and the other contained 33 blue counterfeit oxycodone hydrochloride pills that contained fentanyl.
In the crossbody bag Rhodes was wearing, officers discovered 3,200 blue counterfeit oxycodone hydrochloride pills that contained fentanyl, a clear plastic baggie that contained 60 grams of pure methamphetamine, and a loaded Smith & Wesson .38-caliber pistol. Officers searched the rest of Rhodes’s luggage and found a digital scale, over 100 unused small, plastic baggies and marijuana.
Rhodes told officers he was enroute to Louisville, Kentucky, and was fleeing from Colorado due to a pending drug-trafficking case in which he was set to be sentenced.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Rhodes has eight prior felony convictions related to the use or trafficking of illegal drugs, including two convictions in Colorado to which he pled guilty and then failed to appear for sentencing, and a prior felony conviction for illegally possessing a firearm.
According to court documents, Rhodes has spent most of his adult life under some sort of criminal justice sentence or supervision, meaning that nearly all of his violations of the law were committed while he was being supervised for a previous crime.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan A. Baker and Gregg Coonrod. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Cusick Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing more than $155,000 Designated for Small Businesses During the COVID-19 PandemicRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Nathan Michael Triano, age 41, of Cusick, Washington, was sentenced on one count of Wire Fraud. United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice imposed a sentence of 18 months in federal prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release and restitution in the amount of $157,154.50.
On March 27, 2020, the President signed into law the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The CARES Act provided a number of programs through which eligible small businesses could request and obtain relief funding intended to mitigate the economic impacts of the pandemic for small and local businesses. One such program, the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), provided forgivable loans to eligible small businesses to retain jobs and maintain payroll during the pandemic.
According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, Triano obtained six PPP loans totaling $140,865.00 by submitting materially false and fraudulent information concerning various purported businesses. In addition to the PPP funds dispersed to Triano, the United States also incurred a loss of $15,000.00 in lender fees for the PPPs, resulting in a total actual and intended loss of at least $155,865.00.
“Many small and local businesses had financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP loans were designed to help businesses navigate that uncertain time and keep people employed. Mr. Tirano’s actions caused limited funds to be diverted away from companies that needed the money, and instead went to line his own pockets, stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “I am grateful for the good work of all our partners on the COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force who continue to hold pandemic fraudsters accountable.”
“Pandemic relief funds were a critical lifeline for countless small businesses struggling to stay afloat during the COVID-19 crisis,” said Weston King, SBA OIG Special Agent in Charge for the Western Region. “This sentencing underscores the serious consequences of diverting resources away from businesses that genuinely needed them. We are grateful for the collaboration with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and our law enforcement partners in bringing justice to those who abuse these essential programs.”
“The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration will continue to aggressively pursue anyone who creates fraudulent schemes or who fraudulently gets money from the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act and its Paycheck Protection Program,” said Special Agent in Charge Rod Ammari. “We’re grateful to our law enforcement partners and the United States Attorney’s Office in making sure these crimes are prosecuted.”
The case was investigated by the Eastern District of Washington COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force and by SBA-OIG, TIGTA, DOL-OIG, DHS-HSI and DHS-OIG. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Frieda K. Zimmerman and Jeremy J. Kelley.
Convicted Felon Sentenced for Threatening to Kill A Member of the U.S. House of Representatives and Lying in an Attempt to Purchase A FirearmRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber has sentenced Michael Guy Dambrosia (61, Ocala) to 33 months in federal prison for interstate transmission of a threat to injure and making a false statement in connection with the attempted purchase of a firearm. Dambrosia entered a guilty plea on February 29, 2024.
According to court documents, on January 30, 2023, Dambrosia made a call to the Washington D.C. office of a United States Congresswoman and left an obscenity-laden, threatening voicemail stating that he would kill her.
On August 30, 2021, Dambrosia attempted to purchase a firearm from a local federally licensed firearms dealer. In completing the necessary paperwork to purchase the firearm, Dambrosia indicated that he was not a convicted felon even though he knew this to be false.
This case was investigated by the United States Capitol Police – Threat Assessment Section and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Joe Wheeler III and Assistant United States Attorney Tyrie Boyer.
Connecticut Dentist Pleads Guilty to Violating Federal Anti-Kickback LawRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Roberto Coviello, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General, today announced that LAKSHMI BETHI, 48, of South Windsor, waived her right to be indicted and pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to conspiracy to violate the federal anti-kickback statute.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Bethi has been a licensed dentist in Connecticut since 2013 and has owned dental practices in New Haven and North Haven. In pleading guilty, Bethi admitted that she conspired with multiple individuals, including Jeffrey Malave, who agreed to recruit Medicaid beneficiaries to attend dental appointments with Bethi for dental services that she then billed to Connecticut Medicaid. In exchange, Bethi agreed to pay kickbacks to the recruiters, who then passed on a portion of the kickbacks to the patients as an incentive to attend the dental appointments. Between 2016 and 2023, Bethi paid the patient recruiters more than $360,000 in kickbacks, and Connecticut Medicaid reimbursed Bethi approximately $2.2 million for services rendered to patients recruited via kickbacks.
Conspiracy to violate the federal anti-kickbacks statute carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years. As part of her plea, Bethi has agreed to forfeit $500,000.
Bethi is released on bond pending sentencing, which is not scheduled.
Malave, 48, of Shelton, pleaded guilty to related charges on February 28, 2024, and awaits sentencing.
The investigation revealed that Malave also recruited Medicaid patients for other dentists and dental practices. On March 7, 2024, a federal grand jury in Bridgeport returned an indictment charging Hamed Ghorbani-Moghaddam, a dentist who practiced in Bridgeport, with one count of conspiracy to violate the anti-kickback statute, and five counts of offering and paying health care kickbacks. Ghorbani-Moghaddam, 46, who resided in Southington, is currently being sought by law enforcement.
As to Ghorbani-Moghaddam, U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG), the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit of the Connecticut Chief State’s Attorney’s Office, the Connecticut Attorney General’s Office, and the Connecticut Department of Social Services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elena L. Coronado.
People who suspect health care fraud are encouraged to report it by calling 1-800-HHS-TIPS.
Columbia Man Sentenced for Role in Fatal Fentanyl Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. – James Brewer, 36, of Columbia was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to distribution of fentanyl.
Evidence presented to the court showed that on April 22, 2022, Brewer and the victim, R.B., discussed the exchange of drugs and that Brewer sent R.B. a picture with a syringe loaded with the drugs, which Brewer subsequently gave to R.B. When Brewer had not heard back from the victim, he drove down the road where he knew R.B. had planned to use the drugs and found R.B. unresponsive in his vehicle. Paramedics responded, but R.B. later died. The pathology report determined the victim’s cause of death was mixed drug toxicity including toxic levels of fentanyl. The pathologist stated but for the fentanyl in the R.B.’s body, he most likely would not have died.
United States District Judge Mary G. Lewis sentenced Brewer to 120 months in prison to be followed by three years of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Major prosecuted the case.
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Colombian Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Colombian man pleaded guilty yesterday to illegally reentering the United States after deportation.
Fabian Lopez Mejia, 31, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien. U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper scheduled sentencing for Oct. 22, 2024. In June 2024, Lopez Mejia was indicted by a federal grand jury.
Lopez Mejia was previously removed from the United States in November 2019. Sometime after his removal, Lopez Mejia returned to the United States. In October 2023, Lopez Mejia pled guilty in Suffolk Superior Court to one count of possession with intent to distribute a Class B substance and one count of forgery/misuse of an RMV document.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year 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 Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Reynolds III of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Channel One Russia TV Contributor Charged with Violating U.S. Sanctions, Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Dimitri Simes, 76, and Anastasia Simes, 55, both of Huntly, Virginia, and Russia, are charged by indictments with two separate schemes to violate U.S. sanctions. The indictments were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen, and FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office.
The first indictment alleges that Dimitri and Anastasia Simes participated in a scheme to violate U.S. sanctions for the benefit of sanctioned Russian broadcaster Channel One Russia and to launder funds obtained from that scheme. Channel One Russia, a state-owned Russian television station, was sanctioned by OFAC on May 8, 2022, for being owned or controlled by, or for having acted or purported to act for or on behalf of, the Government of the Russian Federation.
From at least in or around June 2022 through the present, Dimitri Simes, Anastasia Simes, and others allegedly participated in a scheme to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), by providing services to Channel One Russia, including by serving as a presenter and producer of programming, and by receiving over $1 million, a personal car and driver, a stipend for an apartment in Moscow, Russia, and a team of ten employees from Channel One Russia following its designation by OFAC. The indictment alleges that Dimitri Simes and Anastasia Simes also engaged in a scheme to commit money laundering, knowing the transactions were intended to conceal the proceeds of IEEPA violations.
“These defendants allegedly violated sanctions that were put in place in response to Russia’s illegal aggression in Ukraine,” said US Attorney Graves. “Such violations harm our national security interests—a fact that Dimitri Simes, with the deep experience he gained in national affairs after fleeing the Soviet Union and becoming a U.S. citizen, should have uniquely appreciated.”
Dimitri and Anastasia Simes maintain a home in Huntly, Virginia. They remain at large and are believed to be in Russia. They are each charged with one count of conspiracy to violate IEEPA, one count of violating IEEPA, and one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering, each of which each carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
A second indictment alleges that Anastasia Simes further participated in a scheme to violate U.S. sanctions for the benefit of, and to receive funds from, sanctioned oligarch Aleksandr Yevgenyevich Udodov. Udodov was sanctioned by OFAC on February 23, 2023, for operating or having operated in the management consulting sector of the Russian Federation economy. Between at least February 2023 and the present, Anastasia Simes and others allegedly participated in a scheme to violate IEEPA by purchasing art and antiques for the benefit of Udovov from galleries and auction houses in the United States and Europe, and having the items shipped to her residence in Huntly, Virginia, where they were stored for onward shipment to Russia. In return, Anastasia Simes was reimbursed and received a service fee. The indictment alleges that Anastasia Simes also engaged in a scheme to commit money laundering, knowing the transactions were intended to conceal the proceeds of IEEPA violations.
(Below are photographs of some of the art and antiques intended for Udodov and stored in Anastasia and Dimtiri Simes’s residence.)
In connection with this scheme, Anastasia Simes is charged with one count of conspiracy to violate IEEPA, one count of violating IEEPA, and one count of conspiracy to commit international money laundering, each of which each carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The FBI’s Washington Field Office is investigating both cases. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexandra Hughes of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and Trial Attorneys Menno Goedman and Sean O’Dowd of the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
The case is part of the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions, and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. The task force leverages all the Department’s tools and authorities against efforts to evade or undermine the economic actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression.
simesa_indictment_signed.pdf simes_d_a_indictment_24-cr-404_signed.pdfCanadian man extradited from Spain on international money laundering chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Houssam El-Atat, 44, of Montreal, Canada, was extradited from Spain and made an initial appearance today on a criminal complaint charging him with conspiracy to engage in international money laundering, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in February 2021, an individual in Buffalo, NY, (Victim 1) and a marine sales company (Vendor 1) engaged in email communication regarding the purchase of a boat. These communications included specifications, pricing, and payment. In March 2021, Victim 1 received an email from the person he believed to be Vendor 1 with wiring instructions for payment. Victim 1 arranged for the full amount ($295,373.75) to be wired to Vendor 1’s company through a Bank of America account. Victim 1 subsequently learned that Vendor 1 had not received the $295,373.75 and that the wiring instructions provided to him for payment were fraudulent. After reviewing the email correspondence between himself and Vendor 1, Victim 1 realized his email account had been compromised.
Subsequent investigation by the FBI determined that the Bank of America account where $295,373.75 was deposited was owned by an individual named A.Z., who was unaware that the funds he received from Victim 1 were the result of fraudulent activity. A.Z. stated to the FBI that he received the funds from an individual who claimed that he owed A.Z.’s recently deceased father $100,000 and was resolving the debt. Then, at the request of the individual, A.Z. sent $180,200.00 of the funds to an account at La Caisse Centrale Desjardins Bank in Canada. Bank records indicate that the funds were then rapidly disbursed to a number of apparent shell companies before being distributed to El-Atat.
El-Atat made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and was held pending a detention hearing on September 13, 2024. Today’s initial appearance follows the successful extradition of El-Atat from Spain. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Spanish authorities to secure his arrest and extradition.
The complaint is the result of of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the supervision of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia. Additional assistance was provided by the Sûreté du Québec Provincial Police.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Camden Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Martrell Johnson-Cooke, 28, and Krishawn Shykeice Allen, 23, both of Camden, were sentenced to 10 years and seven years in federal prison, respectively, after pleading guilty to attempted possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
In 2021, law enforcement received information that Johnson-Cooke was a drug distributor attempting to purchase kilogram quantities of narcotics. An undercover agent, posing as a dealer, contacted Johnson-Cooke, who expressed interest in fentanyl and methamphetamine. Johnson-Cooke inquired about the cost of a kilogram of fentanyl, and the agent told him $30,000. Two months later, Johnson-Cooke contacted the agent to arrange the purchase of one kilogram of fentanyl, five ounces of cocaine, and two pounds of methamphetamine. They agreed to meet on May 20, 2021, in Columbia.
On May 20, Johnson-Cooke arrived at the agreed upon location with $35,000 in cash, two armed associates, and three people to test the drugs he intended to buy. Allen accompanied Johnson-Cooke inside the establishment to meet with the agent, acting as security for Johnson-Cooke and the cash. As Johnson-Cooke gave the money to the agent, Richland County deputies intervened and arrested the two men. Allen tried to run, and a loaded gun fell out of his back pocket. Allen is a convicted felon prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition.
United States District Judge Mary Geiger-Lewis sentenced Johnson-Cooke to 120 months imprisonment, followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision. Judge Lewis sentenced Allen to 84 months imprisonment, followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Richland County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariyana Gore is prosecuting the case.
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California Man Sentenced for Possessing Cocaine at Omaha Bus StationRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Fernando Aguirre-Quintero, age 25, of Laguna, California, was sentenced September 5, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for possession with intent to deliver 500 grams or more of cocaine. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr., sentenced Aguirre-Quintero to 90 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Aguirre-Quintero’s release from prison, he will begin a 4-year term of supervised release.
On March 1, 2023, Aguirre-Quintero got off a bus at the Trailways Bus Station in downtown Omaha. A DEA task force officer began a conversation with Aguirre-Quintero. When the task force officer asked to see Aguirre-Quintero’s bus ticket, Aguirre-Quintero told the officer he snuck onto the bus without a ticket. Dispatch advised that Aguirre-Quintero had a prior drug-related arrest.
The task force officer conducted a canine sniff of Aguirre-Quintero’s backpack, and the canine positively alerted to the scent of narcotics. The backpack was searched pursuant to a warrant. Five sealed packages containing approximately one kilogram of cocaine each were seized.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Nebraska State Patrol. The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office chemistry division assisted with forensic testing of the drugs seized.
Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Escape from Residential Re-Entry CenterRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to leaving a residential re-entry center where he was serving the remainder of his federal sentence for drug possession.
Derek Rego, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of escape before U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton who scheduled sentencing for Dec. 12, 2024. In September 2020, Rego was indicted by a federal grand jury.
In September 2012, Rego was sentenced in federal court in Boston to 120 months in prison for distribution of cocaine. On Jan. 8, 2020, Rego was transferred from a correctional institution to a residential re-entry center (“RRC”) in Boston to serve the remainder of his sentence until his release date in June 5, 2020.
Prior to that date, in October 2019, Rego signed the furlough application which notified him, in part, that while on furlough status, he remains in the custody of the Attorney General. While residing at the RRC, Rego was permitted to work and was employed. On March 25, 2020, after informing the RRC that two co-workers tested positive for COVID-19, Rego was instructed to quarantine for 14 days at an approved “pass site” location and told that he would receive random phone calls and pass site visits to ensure his compliance. Rego was informed that after his 14-day quarantine ended on April 9, 2020, he was required to return to the RRC. Initially, Rego was compliant. However, on April 3, 2020, RRC staff attempted an in-person spot check at Rego’s temporary pass site and placed several calls to Rego’s landline and personal cell phone with negative results. Rego never returned to the RRC and his whereabouts were unknown for almost one month. On May 4, 2020, Rego was arrested in Boston on unrelated state domestic violence charges.
The charging statute provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian Kyes, United States Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Boone County Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Kevin Wayne Britton, 54, of Danville, was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 1, 2023, Britton sold a Savage model 67F 12-gauge shotgun and a Hoban Manufacturing model 45 .22-caliber rifle for $250 to a confidential informant in the South Charleston area. Britton also sold 1,000 rounds of .22-caliber ammunition to the confidential informant the previous day.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Britton knew he was prohibited from possessing firearms because of his prior felony conviction for obstruction of justice in United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia on November 15, 2012.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr., imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Troy D. Adams prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-30.
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Beckley Woman Sentenced for Federal Theft CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Jennifer Douglas, 48, of Beckley, was sentenced today to five years of federal probation and ordered to pay $168,729.13 in restitution for theft from federal programs.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2018, Douglas was the Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the Citizens Conservation Corp (CCC), a non-profit organization, when it obtained $111,221.09 from the United States Department of Interior National Park Service (NPS). As part of a cooperative agreement with NPS, CCC was supposed to use the funds it obtained to recruit, hire, place, and pay two interns who would perform work at the Olmsted Center for Landscape Preservation for 13 months.
Douglas admitted that CCC did not hire or place an intern under the task agreement for which it received the federal funds, most of which was to be used for intern wages. Douglas instead directed an accountant to draw down $108,752.60 of the obligated federal funds and intentionally misapplied those funds, by fraudulently converting them to CCC’s use. Douglas admitted that she directed that the federal funds be used for unallowable operating expenses for CCC. Douglas further admitted that she did so with the approval of and at the direction of CCC Chief Executive Officer Robert Martin.
Douglas ran CCC’s day-to-day operations as COO and was responsible for managing its various departments. All department heads reported to Douglas, and she reported only to Martin. CCC’s primary source of income from in or around 1998 until in or around the summer of 2018 had been a multimillion-dollar contract with the State of West Virginia to operate the Courtesy Patrol roadside assistance service. CCC lost the Courtesy Patrol contract in the summer of 2018.
Douglas admitted that she was aware that CCC was extremely financially unstable after CCC lost the Courtesy Patrol contract. Douglas further admitted that her position as COO gave her, in conjunction with and at the direction of Martin, the ability to fraudulently convert and intentionally misapply the federal funds for CCC’s use. Douglas also admitted that, at Martin’s direction, she drew down approximately $59,978.13 from other incomplete task agreements under the cooperative agreement with NPS and intentionally misapplied and/or fraudulently converted those funds as well.
Martin, 67, of Beckley, pleaded guilty on January 12, 2024, to fraudulent receipt of property from a debtor. Martin admitted to paying himself without authorization while CEO of CCC after it filed for bankruptcy on April 3, 2019. Martin further admitted that CCC knowingly misspent the $108,752.60 had received from NPS under the cooperative agreement. Martin was sentenced on June 28, 2024, to five years of federal probation and ordered to pay $205,802.49 in restitution.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the U.S. Department of Interior-Office of Inspector General (DOI-OIG).
Chief United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Holly Wilson and Andrew D. Isabell prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-141.
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Arrest Made in Connection with Discarded Gun that Killed Washington D.C. Police OfficerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Tyrell Lamont Bailey, 27, of Hillcrest Heights, Maryland, was arrested last night and charged by criminal complaint with multiple counts in connection with a handgun he discarded along I-295 in Northeast Washington D.C. The firearm later discharged and killed Investigator Wayne David, 52, an officer with the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). The charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Acting Special Agent in Charge James VanVliet of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Bailey had an initial appearance this afternoon in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia. He is charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, and unlawfully discarding a firearm and ammunition.
According to court documents, members of the MPD Robbery Suppression Unit (RSU) were patrolling in the area of the 1600 block of Kenilworth Ave. NE, about 5:30 p.m. on August 28, 2024, when they spotted a man with long black dreadlocks sprint away from them. As he fled, the man held the waistband of his shorts in a manner consistent with carrying a concealed firearm. The officers gave chase as the man ran through the DC Public Housing Complex on the 4400 block of Quarles Street and then jumped a retaining wall that borders Interstate 295. Officers saw the man drop something into a storm drain on the shoulder of southbound lane of the highway. The man then ran further, crossed to the northbound side of the interstate, flagged down a passing motorcyclist, and fled the area going northbound riding on the back of the motorcycle.
Investigator Wayne David attempted to recover the firearm from the storm drain. While doing so, the firearm discharged and killed him. Technicians from the Department of Forensic Sciences responded to scene about 7 p.m., removed the metal grate covering the storm drain, and recovered a Smith & Wesson M+P Shield 40, .40 caliber handgun with an obliterated serial number. DFS also recovered a white shoe from the southbound side of I-295 near Quarles Street NE where the man was captured by video jumping over the wall.
Detectives were later able to identify the defendant through a review of related video surveillance.
This case is being investigated by the ATF's NIBIN Investigations Unit which includes members of the ATF and MPD. Valuable assistance is being provided by the FBI Washington Field Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle McWaters.
A criminal indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
24mj282Arizona Man Sentenced to 8.5 Years in Prison for Role in Fentanyl Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Peoria, Arizona, was sentenced in federal court to 102 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, on his conviction of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Colby Barrow, 30.
According to information presented to the Court, from in and around August 2021 to in and around June 2023, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Barrow conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl. Barrow was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of fentanyl that he distributed to others.
Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard Jr. prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Barrow. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, and other local law enforcement agencies.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Angola Man Sentenced to 194 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
FORT WAYNE – Brian Ray, 46 years old, of Angola, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Holly A. Brady, after pleading guilty to distribution of child sexual abuse material, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Ray was sentenced to 194 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, between March and April 2023, Ray distributed images of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security with assistance from the Indiana State Police, the Steuben County Indiana Sheriff’s Office, the Angola, Indiana Police Department, and the Ashley, Indiana Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lesley J. Miller Lowery.
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.
Albany Man Sentenced to 188 Months for Armed Robbery of a Drug Dealer in GuilderlandRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jorge L. Rosario, age 54, of Albany, was sentenced today to 188 months in prison for robbing a marijuana dealer and brandishing a pistol in furtherance of the robbery at the dealer’s Guilderland residence.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and Guilderland Police Chief Daniel P. McNally made the announcement.
As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Rosario admitted that on January 23, 2022, at about 5 a.m., he and Alexander G. Madera, armed with a pistol and a rifle, respectively, entered a single-family residence in Guilderland with the goal of robbing a marijuana dealer. After entering the residence, Rosario remained on guard in the living room while Madera robbed the dealer of $172 in drug money, at gunpoint, in the dealer’s bedroom. Before they could leave the residence, however, another resident awoke and encountered Rosario, who pointed his pistol at the resident, warning the resident not to move or say anything. A struggle over the pistol ensued, with other residents joining in. In the course of the struggle, Rosario and Madera were disarmed. They were then restrained until the police arrived and arrested them. Bost have remained in custody since that time.
Chief United States District Judge Branda K. Sannes also ordered that Rosario serve a 5-year term of supervised release following his release from prison. Rosario’s sentence was within a recommended sentencing range and supervised release term that the parties agreed upon in Rosario’s plea agreement.
On June 14, 2024, Chief Judge Sannes sentenced Madera to 85 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release.
This case was investigated by ATF and the Town of Guilderland Police Department, with assistance from the Albany County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua R. Rosenthal and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
78 Month Sentence for Maryland Man Convicted of Gunpoint Robberies in Georgetown and Glover ParkRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Roberto McBean, 31, of Hyattsville, MD., was sentenced today to 78 months in prison for committing 10 robberies – six of which while armed with a firearm – in Georgetown and Glover Park during a five-month period between August 2023 and January 2024. Moreover, he robbed two of the victims repeatedly with one of the stores being robbed by him three separate times, including at gunpoint on Thanksgiving.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
McBean, who formerly worked for the Architect of the Capitol, admitted to committing all 10 robberies. He pleaded guilty on April 26, 2024, to four counts of interference with interstate commerce by robbery (aka Hobbs Act robbery) before U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly. In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Kollar-Kotelly ordered McBean to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on August 22, 2023, McBean first used a small hammer to rob a Sunoco gas station on the 2400 block of Wisconsin Ave., NW. McBean told the store clerk: “don't touch anything, don't say anything, this is hard for me.” He then ordered the store clerk to open register, which McBean then emptied entirely.
On August 31, 2023, McBean used a small vegetable knife to rob the Georgetown Wine and Spirits on the 2700 block of P street, NW. After checking for customers, McBean pointed the blade at the employee working the counter and demanded both the money from the register as well as the employee’s wallet. On the way out of the store, he grabbed a bottle of red wine. On September 18, 2023, McBean was stymied when he brandished a knife at the Universal Wine and Spirits on the 2000 block of Florida Ave. A customer saw what was happening and barked, “Not today, Get out!” McBean fled without taking any cash.
On November 23, 2023, on Thanksgiving Thursday, McBean wore a mask and gloves and entered the Glover Park Market on the 2400 block of 37th Street, NW. Armed with a black firearm, he robbed the register of cash. McBean would later rob this store three more times. On December 8, 2023, McBean entered an Exxon gas station in Georgetown, on the 1600 block of Wisconsin Ave., NW, produced a gun, and left with a small amount of money. On December 8, 2023, McBean returned to the Sunoco gas station on Wisconsin Ave., produced his firearm, and ordered the employee to empty the register in a bag. On December 16, 2023, McBean returned to the Glover Park Market, where the same individual he had robbed at gunpoint on Thanksgiving was on duty. McBean went behind the counter, opened the register, and took the cash, multiple lottery tickets, and a plastic bag.
On December 20, 2023, McBean returned to the Georgetown Wine and Spirits shop and ordered an employee to empty the register. The employee told McBean that he didn’t have a key to the register. McBean pulled out a gun and again demanded money. The employee picked up the entire register and handed it to McBean. McBean fumbled with the machine before handing it back. Unsuccessful, McBean left the store.
On January 4, 2024, McBean entered Sara’s Market and Dry Cleaners on the 3000 block of Q Street NW. McBean picked up a bottle of wine, set it on the counter, brandished a firearm, and demanded cash. The employee said the market did not accept cash. Flustered, McBean went back over to the shelf of wine and asked where the red wine was located. When the clerk pointed out that he had already grabbed red wine, he took the bottle and left the store without paying for it.
On January 5, 2024, McBean once again returned to the Glover Park Market armed with a handgun and ordered an employee to fill a bag with cash. In addition to the money, McBean took lottery tickets and two packs of cigarettes. On January 8, 2024, at 6:06 p.m., McBean, once again wearing gloves and a mask, returned to the Glover Park Market for the fourth time. The store employee on duty recognized him as the same person who had robbed her on Thanksgiving and December 16, 2023.
Then a police officer spotted McBean as he left the store and noticed he matched the description of a perpetrator from previous robberies from the market. The officer was able to identify the license plate from the vehicle McBean used to leave the scene, which led to his eventual arrest and indictment later that month.
Agents with the FBI’s Washington Field Office arrested McBean on January 26, 2024.
Because each of the six stores that McBean robbed bought and sold goods in interstate commerce, McBean’s actions in each of the robberies delayed, obstructed, or affected interstate commerce.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office Violent Crimes Task Force and the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Ryan Lipes and Omeed A. Assefi.
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Washington man sentenced to more than six years in prison for trafficking meth, fentanyl; illegal possession of firearm in Havre areaRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Washington man who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl pills in the Havre area and to illegally possessing a gun was sentenced on Tuesday to six years and six months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
The defendant, Travis Lee Brown, 42, of Yakima, Washington, pleaded guilty in April to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and to prohibited person in possession of a firearm.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
In court documents, the government alleged that in 2022, Brown worked as a meth and fentanyl distributor who was selling drugs from a hotel in Havre and sending proceeds back to Mexico. In October 2022, law enforcement saw Brown load a bag into the trunk of a car in which he was a passenger. After a traffic stop, law enforcement executed a search warrant on the vehicle and found a bag that contained 1,275 fentanyl pills, a small amount of meth and a 9mm pistol that Brown was seen holding in photographs. At the time of sentencing, Brown had been convicted of illegally possessing a firearm or being a felon in possession of a firearm five times since 2006.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Tri-Agency Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation.
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.
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Utah Man Accused of Shooting a Friend Because He Wanted to Drive is Facing Federal ChargesRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – A federal grand jury in Salt Lake City returned an indictment today charging a Salt Lake County man with multiple violent crimes after he allegedly shot another man inside a vehicle after an argument.
According to court documents, Maxwell Archibald, 21, of Taylorsville, Utah, fired a handgun at a passenger he was in a vehicle with on August 14, 2024. As alleged in the affidavit, officers with the Unified Police Department responded to an incident in progress at a Maverik gas station in Midvale, Utah. Upon police officers’ arrival, the shooting victim stated he was with two friends, the owner of the vehicle and Archibald. According to the shooting victim, an argument ensued between Archibald and the owner of the vehicle over who was going to drive the vehicle. The shooting victim intervened, and a physical altercation took place inside the vehicle between the shooting victim and Archibald. Archibald then brandished a handgun and fired at the victim but missed. Archibald fired at him again, shooting him in the arm. The shooting victim and the owner of the vehicle then fled from the vehicle and Archibald drove off in the vehicle.
According to court documents, the owner of the vehicle called police and reported the vehicle as stolen. When law enforcement attempted to stop Archibald, he fled. Subsequently, Archibald crashed the car and was taken into custody after a foot chase and short struggle. Police recovered a firearm that matched the one used against the victims.
Archibald is charged with carjacking, and using, carrying, brandishing, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. His initial court appearance on the indictment is scheduled September 5, 2024, at 1:30 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
U.S. Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
Assistant United States Attorney Carlos A. Esqueda for the Office the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Kicks Off Gun Safety Initiative at Sept. 19 ProgramRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – To help keep children, teens, and communities safe, the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the Northern District of Ohio has launched an awareness and education initiative to inform the public about the importance of securing firearms and storing them safely. As part of this initiative, the USAO is partnering with the Richmond Heights Police Department to present an information session, “Safe Gun Storage Saves Lives,” Thursday, Sept.19, from 6-7:30 p.m., at the Richmond Heights Community Center, 27285 Highland Rd., Richmond Heights, OH 44120.
The City of Richmond Heights will host the program, but residents of all communities are invited to attend. Topics include data and trends regarding firearms-related accidents and self-imposed harm, focusing on children and teens in particular; the connection between these tragedies and unsafe firearms-storage practices; the effects that such tragedies have on both individual families and the broader public; a gun lock demonstration and distribution; and steps to help prevent firearms-related tragedies by following and encouraging safe firearms-storage practices.
The program features several speakers: U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio; firearms safety advocate Michelle Bell, the founder of M-Pac Cleveland, a local organization that aims to connect and support families affected by gun accidents and violence; MetroHealth Injury Prevention and Outreach Coordinator Anthony Zalewski, RN; Richmond Heights Police Chief Calvin Williams; and Richmond Heights Mayor Kim Thomas.
As part of the program, local police officers will distribute free gun locks; attendees will not need to provide any personal information to receive one. Officers will also exhibit other types of safe storage devices, demonstrate how to use them, and individually discuss safe storage options with attendees.
“When you make the choice to own a firearm, you owe it to your neighbors to do so responsibly. As a whole, our community must do a better job to ensure that we store firearms in a safe manner, where a curious child or a despondent adolescent cannot readily access them. In April, a three-year-old child in Brunswick died from a gunshot wound after he found a gun in his own home, and accidentally discharged it while playing with it. Just a month later, in May, a two-year-old toddler in Euclid similarly died when he accidentally shot himself after he found a firearm in his home. And just last week, a five-year-old boy in Utah died after—once again—finding his parent’s gun and accidentally shooting himself. Every one of these tragedies could have been prevented,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “Instead, these children—and the thousands of people of all ages who use firearms to take their own lives each year—are gone, and their families’ lives are irrevocably changed. In launching this initiative, our goal is to protect children, at-risk teens, and young adults from grave danger in homes where firearms are present. Our kids’ safety is everyone’s joint responsibility.”
The Safe Storage campaign’s message coincides with National Suicide Prevention Month, recognized annually each September by the National Institute of Mental Health. The number of firearm-related suicides rose nationally by 20% across the population from 2012 to 2022. The highest increases were found among younger people, according to fatal injury data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
The risk of accidents also increases when firearms are easy to find and access. From 2003 to 2021, 85% of children fatally injured were located at a house or apartment, and 56% of incidents occurred in their own homes, according to the CDC report “Unintentional Firearm Injury Deaths Among Children and Adolescents Aged 0-17 Years.” More than 70% of firearms used were stored loaded, and nearly 80% of firearms were stored unlocked and easily found on a bed, under a pillow, under a mattress, or inside or on top of a nightstand, according to the report.
“We’re calling on our community partners and the public to help us spread awareness of these largely preventable accidents and instances of self-harm,” said U.S. Attorney Lutzko. “Much like seatbelt education helps to save lives of those involved in car accidents, spreading the word about safe storage will help save lives of children, teens, and young adults, who we have a special duty to protect. Our goal is to amplify the message of responsible firearm ownership through this community-centered, public-safety strategy.”
The USAO has posted on its website a host of free community resources discussing safe storage practices and providing tools for community members to spread the word about safe storage practices and help encourage them. Among the items included are bulletin board flyers, adult and child’s safety pledge certificates, and owners’ firearms safety manuals. Visit justice.gov/usao-ndoh/safe-gun-storage to view them. The public is also encouraged to follow the USAO on Facebook (@usaondoh) and X (@NDOHnews) to reshare safe gun storage tips and information throughout the coming weeks.
Additional safe storage community programs are slated to be announced.
Two RT Employees Indicted for Covertly Funding and Directing U.S. Company that Published Thousands of Videos in Furtherance of Russian InterestsRead the Press Release
Note: View the indictment here.
An indictment charging Russian nationals Kostiantyn Kalashnikov, 31, also known as Kostya, and Elena Afanasyeva, 27, also known as Lena, with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) and conspiracy to commit money laundering was unsealed today in the Southern District of New York. Kalashnikov and Afanasyeva are at large.
“The Justice Department has charged two employees of RT, a Russian state-controlled media outlet, in a $10 million scheme to create and distribute content to U.S. audiences with hidden Russian government messaging,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will not tolerate attempts by an authoritarian regime to exploit our country’s free exchange of ideas in order to covertly further its own propaganda efforts, and our investigation into this matter remains ongoing.”
“Our approach to combating foreign malign influence is actor-driven, exposing the hidden hand of adversaries pulling strings of influence from behind the curtain," said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “As alleged in today’s indictment, Russian state broadcaster RT and its employees, including the charged defendants, co-opted online commentators by funneling them nearly $10 million to pump pro-Russia propaganda and disinformation across social media to U.S. audiences. The Department will not tolerate foreign efforts to illegally manipulate American public opinion by sowing discord and division.”
“Covert attempts to sow division and trick Americans into unwittingly consuming foreign propaganda represents attacks on our democracy,” said FBI Director Christopher A. Wray. “Today’s actions show that as long as foreign adversaries like Russia keep engaging in hostile influence campaigns, they are going to keep running into the FBI. We will continue to do everything we can to expose the hidden hand of foreign adversaries like Russia and disrupt their efforts to meddle in our free and open society.”
“The Russian government has long sought to sow discord and chaos in the United States through propaganda and foreign malign influence campaigns,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “As alleged, the covert operations by RT employees exploited our free and open press and targeted millions of Americans as unwitting victims of Russia’s psychological warfare.”
“As alleged, the Russian state broadcaster RT orchestrated a massive scheme to influence the American public by secretly planting and financing a content creation company on U.S. soil,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. “The instruments of the scheme were RT employees Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva, who managed the operation from Moscow using fake personas and shell companies, and the victims of the scheme were the American people, who received Russian messaging without knowing it. As the charges unsealed today demonstrate, this Office will work with our law enforcement partners to unmask and hold accountable all those who conduct malign influence campaigns in the United States, no matter how hard they try to hide their tracks.”
According to the court documents, RT, formerly known as Russia Today, is a state-controlled media outlet funded and directed by the Government of Russia. Over at least the past year, RT and its employees, including Kalashnikov and Afanasyeva, deployed nearly $10 million to covertly finance and direct a Tennessee-based online content creation company (U.S. Company-1). In turn, U.S. Company-1 published English-language videos on multiple social media channels, including TikTok, Instagram, X, and YouTube. Since publicly launching in or about November 2023, U.S. Company-1 has posted nearly 2,000 videos that have garnered more than 16 million views on YouTube alone. Many of the videos posted by U.S. Company-1 contain commentary on events and issues in the U.S., such as immigration, inflation, and other topics related to domestic and foreign policy. While the views expressed in the videos are not uniform, most are directed to the publicly stated goals of the Government of Russia and RT — to amplify domestic divisions in the United States.
In order to carry out RT’s secret influence campaign in the United States, Kalashnikov and Afanasyeva operated under covert identities at U.S. Company-1. Posing as an outside editor, Kalashnikov edited U.S. Company-1 content, monitored U.S. Company-1’s funding and hiring, and introduced Afanasyeva as a member of his purported editing team. Using the fake personas Helena Shudra and Victoria Pesti, Afanasyeva posted and directed the posting by U.S. Company-1 of hundreds of videos. Afanasyeva also collected information from and gave instructions to U.S. Company-1 staff. For example, after the March 22, 2024, terrorist attack on a music venue in Moscow, Afanasyeva asked one of U.S. Company-1’s founders to blame Ukraine and the United States for the attack, writing: “I think we can focus on the Ukraine/U.S. angle. . . . [T]he mainstream media spread fake news that ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack yet ISIS itself never made such statements. All terrorists are now detained while they were heading to the border with Ukraine which makes it even more suspicious why they would want to go to Ukraine to hide.”
Between in or about October 2023 and in or about August 2024, RT sent wire transfers to U.S. Company-1 totaling approximately $9.7 million, which represented nearly 90% of U.S. Company-1’s bank deposits from all sources combined. The wires were sent from shell companies in Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Mauritius, and were often accompanied by wire notes ascribing the payments to the purchase of electronics. For example, the wire note for a $318,800 wire payment from a shell entity in Turkey to U.S. Company-1 on March 1, read: “BUYING GOODS-INV.013-IPHONE 15 PRO MAX 512GB.”
U.S. Company-1 never disclosed to its viewers that it was funded and directed by RT. Nor did U.S. Company-1 or its two founders register with the Attorney General as an agent of a foreign principal.
Kalashnikov and Afanasyeva both of Russia, are charged with conspiracy to violate FARA, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. If convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander Li and Juliana Murray for the Southern District of New York and Trial Attorney Brett Reynolds of the Justice Department’s National Security Division Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two RT Employees Indicted for Covertly Funding and Directing U.S. Company That Published Thousands of Videos in Furtherance of Russian InterestsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Merrick B. Garland, the Attorney General of the United States; Lisa Monaco, the Deputy Attorney General of the United States; Matthew G. Olsen, the Assistant Attorney General for National Security; Christopher A. Wray, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”); and Christie M. Curtis, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s New York Field Office, announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging Russian nationals KOSTIANTYN KALASHNIKOV, a/k/a “Kostya,” and ELENA AFANASYEVA, a/k/a “Lena,” with conspiracy to violate the Foreign Agents Registration Act (“FARA”) and conspiracy to commit money laundering. KALASHNIKOV and AFANASYEVA are at large.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, the Russian state broadcaster RT orchestrated a massive scheme to influence the American public by secretly planting and financing a content creation company on U.S. soil. The instruments of the scheme were RT employees Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva, who managed the operation from Moscow using fake personas and shell companies, and the victims of the scheme were the American people, who received Russian messaging without knowing it. As the charges unsealed today demonstrate, this Office will work with our law enforcement partners to unmask and hold accountable all those who conduct malign influence campaigns in the United States, no matter how hard they try to hide their tracks.”
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said: “The Justice Department has charged two employees of RT, a Russian state-controlled media outlet, in a $10 million scheme to create and distribute content to U.S. audiences with hidden Russian government messaging. The Justice Department will not tolerate attempts by an authoritarian regime to exploit our country’s free exchange of ideas in order to covertly further its own propaganda efforts, and our investigation into this matter remains ongoing.”
Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco said: “Our approach to combating foreign malign influence is actor-driven, exposing the hidden hand of adversaries pulling strings of influence from behind the curtain. As alleged in today’s indictment, Russian state broadcaster RT and its employees, including the charged defendants, co-opted online commentators by funneling them nearly $10 million to pump pro-Russia propaganda and disinformation across social media to U.S. audiences. The Department will not tolerate foreign efforts to illegally manipulate American public opinion by sowing discord and division.”
FBI Director Christopher A. Wray said: “Covert attempts to sow division and trick Americans into unwittingly consuming foreign propaganda represent attacks on our democracy. Today’s actions show that as long as foreign adversaries like Russia keep engaging in hostile influence campaigns, they are going to keep running into the FBI. We will continue to do everything we can to expose the hidden hand of foreign adversaries like Russia and disrupt their efforts to meddle in our free and open society.”
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen said: “The Russian government has long sought to sow discord and chaos in the United States through propaganda and foreign malign influence campaigns. As alleged, the covert operations by RT employees exploited our free and open press and targeted millions of Americans as unwitting victims of Russia’s psychological warfare.”
FBI Acting Assistant Director Christie M. Curtis said: “As alleged in the indictment, Kostiantyn Kalashnikov and Elena Afanasyeva conspired with others to build a U.S.-based content creation company, which was secretly funded, directed, and controlled by RT – a Russian state-owned media enterprise. They concealed the true nature of the company in order to covertly influence millions of American viewers. The American public deserves to know when the online content it sees is generated and paid for by a hostile foreign government. Investigating and dismantling foreign malign influence operations attempting to manipulate public opinion is central to the FBI's work to protect the American people.”
As alleged in the Indictment:[1]
RT, formerly known as “Russia Today,” is a state-controlled media outlet funded and directed by the Government of Russia. Over at least the past year, RT and its employees, including KALASHNIKOV and AFANASYEVA, deployed nearly $10 million to covertly finance and direct a Tennessee-based online content creation company (“U.S. Company-1”). In turn, U.S. Company-1 published English-language videos on multiple social media channels, including TikTok, Instagram, X, and YouTube. Since publicly launching in or about November 2023, U.S. Company-1 has posted nearly 2,000 videos that have garnered more than 16 million views on YouTube alone. Many of the videos posted by U.S. Company-1 contain commentary on events and issues in the U.S., such as immigration, inflation, and other topics related to domestic and foreign policy. While the views expressed in the videos are not uniform, most are directed to the publicly stated goals of the Government of Russia and RT — to amplify domestic divisions in the U.S.
In order to carry out RT’s secret influence campaign in the U.S., KALASHNIKOV and AFANASYEVA operated under covert identities at U.S. Company-1. Posing as an outside editor, KALASHNIKOV edited U.S. Company-1’s content, monitored U.S. Company-1’s funding and hiring, and introduced AFANASYEVA as a member of his purported editing team. Using the fake personas “Helena Shudra” and “Victoria Pesti,” AFANASYEVA posted and directed the posting by U.S. Company-1 of hundreds of videos. AFANASYEVA also collected information from and gave instructions to U.S. Company-1 staff. For example, after the March 22, 2024, terrorist attack on a music venue in Moscow, AFANASYEVA asked one of U.S. Company-1’s founders to blame Ukraine and the U.S. for the attack, writing: “I think we can focus on the Ukraine/U.S. angle. . . . [T]he mainstream media spread fake news that ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack yet ISIS itself never made such statements. All terrorists are now detained while they were heading to the border with Ukraine which makes it even more suspicious why they would want to go to Ukraine to hide.”
Between in or about October 2023 and in or about August 2024, RT sent wire transfers to U.S. Company-1 totaling approximately $9.7 million, which represented nearly 90% of U.S. Company-1’s bank deposits from all sources combined. The wires were sent from shell companies in Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, and Mauritius, and were often accompanied by wire notes ascribing the payments to the purchase of electronics. For example, the wire note for a $318,800 wire payment from a shell entity in Turkey to U.S. Company-1 on March 1, 2024, read: “BUYING GOODS-INV.013-IPHONE 15 PRO MAX 512GB.”
Neither U.S. Company-1, nor Founder-1, nor Founder-2 has ever registered with the Attorney General as an agent of a foreign principal.
* * *
KALASHNIKOV, 31, and AFANASYEVA, 27, both of Russia, are charged with conspiracy to violate FARA, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and conspiracy to commit money laundering, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Counterintelligence Division of the FBI’s New York Field Office. Mr. Williams also thanked the FBI’s Memphis Field Office, the FBI’s Miami Field Office, the financial investigators of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the Department of Justice’s National Security Division for their assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander Li and Juliana Murray are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Brett Reynolds of the Justice Department’s National Security Division Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.