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22 August 2024
Man Who Distributed Fentanyl Powder Resulting in an Overdose Sentenced to over 9 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who sold fentanyl powder, pills containing fentanyl, and “ice” methamphetamine in Dubuque, Iowa, was sentenced today to 118 months in federal prison for his involvement in a conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.
Alexander John Chapman, age 31, from Dubuque, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 20, 2024 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
From March 2023 through December 2023, Chapman obtained controlled substances through the mail from three sources of supply in Arizona. While some of the packages with controlled substances were shipped directly to Chapman’s residence in Dubuque, Chapman also had packages mailed to other addresses.
In May 2023, Chapman received a package from one of his suppliers containing fentanyl pills and fentanyl powder and re-distributed the substances to others.
An individual who used the fentanyl powder distributed by Chapman and overdosed. From March 2023 through December 2023, Chapman received at least 28 packages containing controlled substances from his sources of supply in Arizona.
Chapman was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Chapman was sentenced to 118 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Chapman is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin, and it was investigated by the Dubuque Drug Task Force and the United States Postal Inspection Service, at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 24-CR-01003.
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Major Enforcement Operation in Guatemala Secures Arrest of Human Smuggler Indicted by Joint Task Force Alpha for Links to 2022 Mass Casualty Event in TexasRead the Press Release
Remote video URLOn Wednesday, extensive coordination and collaboration between the Justice Department and its domestic and international partners resulted in a major enforcement operation that dismantled a human smuggling network based in Guatemala. In June 2022, this network smuggled people into the United States on a journey that ended with the deaths of 53 migrants in a tractor-trailer in San Antonio, Texas. Twenty-one of the deceased migrants were Guatemalan.
This case is part of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA), created by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security to strengthen U.S. enforcement efforts against human smuggling emanating from Central America.
On Aug. 21, Guatemalan law enforcement executed multiple search and arrest warrants across Guatemala, working together with United States law enforcement agents. At the request of the United States, Guatemalan authorities arrested Guatemalan national Rigoberto Ramon Miranda-Orozco, who has been indicted in the Western District of Texas in connection with the investigation. Six individuals arrested as part of the operation will be charged locally in Guatemala.
Miranda-Orozco, 47, whose indictment was unsealed today, allegedly conspired with other smugglers to facilitate the travel of four migrants from Guatemala through Mexico, and ultimately, to the United States. He allegedly charged the migrants, or their families and friends, approximately $12,000 to $15,000 for the journey. The indictment alleges that three of these migrants perished in the tractor-trailer, and the fourth suffered serious bodily injury. Miranda-Orozco is charged with six counts related to migrant smuggling resulting in death or serious bodily injury. He faces maximum penalties of life in prison.
“Over the past two years, the Justice Department has worked methodically to hold accountable those responsible for the horrific tragedy in San Antonio that killed 53 people who had been preyed on by human smugglers,” said Attorney General Garland. “With these arrests, the Justice Department and our partners in Guatemala have now arrested a total of 14 people for their alleged involvement in this tragedy. We are committed to continuing to work with our partners both in the United States and abroad to target the most prolific and dangerous human smuggling groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Colombia, and Panama.”
“Smugglers prey on migrants and seek profits with complete disregard for human life, as we saw in this tragic incident that killed 53 people,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “The men and women at Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) work every day to disrupt these sophisticated smuggling networks, and we will continue to work alongside our federal and international partners to dismantle them at every level of operation.”
“In launching Joint Task Force Alpha three years ago, the Department of Justice directed every tool at our disposal to the dismantling of human smuggling networks across the continent. And after the tragic deaths of 53 migrants in June 2022, we pledged to hold accountable those responsible, no matter where they live or operate,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Today’s arrests in Guatemala are a continued fulfillment of that pledge. We will not rest in our efforts to disrupt the smuggling networks that capitalize on desperation and foster misery throughout the Western Hemisphere.”
“As alleged in the indictment, Miranda-Orozco recruited some of the migrants who died in the back of a tractor-trailer near San Antonio, Texas, in June 2022, and worked with a network of smugglers to transport them from Guatemala through Mexico into the United States,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “This tragedy is a dire warning of the dangers that human smugglers cause by exposing migrants to life-threatening conditions for the smugglers’ financial gain. Dismantling human smuggling networks is a critical priority for the Criminal Division, and we will continue to work with our domestic and international law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute these cases, no matter where the offenders may be found.”
“This was a complex operation and a major success for the progression of this case — apprehending a key orchestrator of the horrendous smuggling operations in which families were charged thousands of dollars for trusted transport across the U.S. border from Guatemala and other countries,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “This significant development in the case demonstrates the commitment of this office, the Department of Justice, and our partners at all necessary levels, to ensure all 53 migrants who died in the 2022 tractor-trailer tragedy get their justice.”
“HSI is deeply immersed in the global fight against human smuggling that includes our international operations within Central and South America. These arrests reflect the disruption of Central American human smuggling organizations that recruit, organize and transport people,” said HSI Executive Associate Director Katrina W. Berger. “Combating this prolific, transnational crime is one of our top priorities. Our special agents and criminal analysts are actively engaged with law enforcement partners and task forces around the globe working to dismantle criminal networks that treat human life like a commodity. HSI will keep exhausting every resource available to bring human smugglers to justice.”
“The men and women of CBP are unwavering in their commitment to combat and dismantle the human smuggling networks that ruthlessly exploit and endanger the lives of migrants — from the time of this tragic incident in San Antonio, to today’s important step in bringing those responsible to justice,” said Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Commissioner Troy A. Miller of the CBP. “Our collective work through Joint Task Force Alpha remains critical to our ongoing efforts at disrupting smuggling operations across the hemisphere and the world.”
The human smuggling organization allegedly loaded 65 migrants into a tractor-trailer, which court documents allege lacked functioning air conditioning as it drove north on a Texas interstate. As temperatures rose, some of the migrants inside the trailer allegedly lost consciousness, while others clawed at the walls, trying to escape. By the time the tractor-trailer reached San Antonio, the indictment alleges, 48 migrants had already died. Another five migrants died after being transported to local hospitals. Six children and a pregnant woman were among the deceased.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas has previously charged seven other defendants for their alleged involvement in this smuggling event, including through indictments filed in 2022 and 2023. Four of these seven defendants have pleaded guilty.
The indictment against Miranda-Orozco and the cooperation between U.S. and Guatemalan authorities were spearheaded by JTFA and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Texas. Given the rise in prolific and dangerous smuggling emanating from Central America with effects in the United States, JTFA’s goal is to disrupt and dismantle human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Colombia, and Panama with a focus on networks that endanger, abuse or exploit migrants, present national security risks, or engage in other types of transnational organized crime.
Since its creation, JTFA has successfully increased coordination and collaboration between the Justice Department, Department of Homeland Security, and other interagency law enforcement participants, and with foreign law enforcement partners, including El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Colombia, and Panama; targeted those organizations who have the most impact on the United States; and coordinated significant smuggling indictments and extradition efforts in U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country. JTFA is comprised of detailees from southwest border U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, including the Southern District of Texas, Western District of Texas, District of Arizona, and Southern District of California, and dedicated support for the program is also provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division that are part of JTFA — led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP), and supported by the Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training, Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section, Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, Office of Enforcement Operations, Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA), and Violent Crime and Racketeering Section. JTFA is made possible by substantial law enforcement investment from Department of Homeland Security, FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners.
HSI San Antonio investigated the case, with valuable assistance from HSI Guatemala and the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. CBP’s National Targeting Center/Operation Sentinel; U.S. Border Patrol; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; San Antonio Police Department; San Antonio Fire Department; Palestine Police Department, OIA, and OPDAT provided valuable assistance. The Justice Department thanks Guatemalan law enforcement, who were instrumental in furthering this investigation.
HRSP Trial Attorney Alexandra Skinnion and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jose Luis Acosta, Eric Fuchs, Sarah Spears, and Amanda Brown for the Western District of Texas are prosecuting the case, with assistance from HRSP Historian/Latin America Specialist Joanna Crandall.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Lowell Man Sentenced to More Than Six Years in Prison for Armed Bank RobberiesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lowell man was sentenced yesterday for the robberies of three Worcester banks in April 2023.
Joselito Santiago-Matias, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to 76 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Santiago-Matias was also ordered to pay $20,528 in restitution. In May 2024, Santiago-Matias pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery and two counts of armed bank robbery.
On April 3, 2023, Santiago-Matias entered a Santander Bank in Worcester wearing a mask, demanded money from the teller and carried away $7,560. On April 12, 2023, Santiago-Matais entered a Berkshire Bank in Worcester while wearing a mask and carrying a firearm, pointed the firearm gun at the teller and stole $2,150. On April 19, 2023, Santiago-Matias entered a Santander Bank in Worcester. While inside the bank, he pointed a firearm at the teller and threatened, “give me the bag or I will shoot you.” Santiago-Matias left the bank with $10,818.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Worcester Police Department Interim Chief Paul B. Saucier made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brendan D. O’Shea of the Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Louisville Man Sentenced to over 12 Years in Federal Prison for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – A Louisville man was sentenced today to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison for distributing, receiving, and possessing child pornography.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Nashville made the announcement.
John Christopher Cecil, 40, was sentenced to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release, for four counts of distribution, two counts of receipt, and one count of possession of child pornography. According to court documents, Cecil was an active participant in online child pornography chat groups focused on trading and chatting about child pornography.
Cecil was also ordered to pay $58,000 in restitution to multiple victims in the case.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by HSI Louisville.
Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Spencer McKiness prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
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Linneus Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Penobscot and Aroostook County Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Linneus man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for his role in a conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
According to court records, between January 2018 and December 2021, James Valiante, 42, and others trafficked methamphetamine and fentanyl in Penobscot and Aroostook counties and elsewhere. Valiante, a drug dealer in Aroostook County, participated in the conspiracy by regularly obtaining quantities of drugs from his source of supply in the Bangor area.
Valiante faces 10 years to life in prison and a maximum fine of $10 million to be followed by up to five years of supervised release. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Twenty-one defendants have been charged in this and related cases for their part in the northern Maine drug trafficking conspiracy. To date, 10 of the defendants have been sentenced and nine have pleaded guilty:
Sentenced:
- Andrew Adams (32, Aroostook County) – 10 years
- Wayne Smith (33, Bangor) – 85 months
- Danielle McBreairty (34, Glenburn) – 20 years
- Blaine Footman (38, Bangor) – 5 years
- Nicole Footman (41, Holden) – 3 years
- Dwight Gary, Jr. (54, Medway) – Time served
- Matthew Catalano (38, Penobscot County) – 165 months
- Thomas Hammond (26, Charleston) – 84 months
- Christopher Coty (44, Bangor) – 4 years
- James King (55, Caribou) – 165 months
Pleaded Guilty:
- Sarah McBreairty (36, Dixmont)
- John Miller (23, Caribou)
- Shelby Loring (29, Bangor)
- Joshua Young (48, Presque Isle)
- Joshua Jerrell (30, Orrington)
- Carol Gordon (53, Bangor)
- Jason Cunrod (42, Caribou)
- Aaron Rodgers (43, Bangor)
- James Valiante, 42 (Linneus)
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Maine Drug Enforcement Agency investigated the case. Assistance was provided by the police departments in Orono, Bangor, Brewer, Caribou, Presque Isle and Houlton. U.S. Attorney Darcie McElwee also recognized the cooperation and coordination provided by the Maine State Attorney General’s Office and the Aroostook County District Attorney’s Office.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces: 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.
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Lehigh Valley Man Charged with Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Fraud and for Defrauding Local Car DealershipsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Justin Heimbach, 33, of Bath, Pennsylvania, has been charged by indictment with six counts of mail fraud and four counts of wire fraud in connection with schemes to defraud the federal government and multiple local car dealerships.
In March of 2020, Congress passed the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act), which created the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance program (PUA). The PUA program provided unemployment benefits to individuals not eligible for regular unemployment compensation, or extended unemployment benefits.
The indictment alleges that Heimbach, who operated a construction company called TeamKJ Construction, engaged in a scheme that caused fraudulent PUA applications to be filed in the names of individuals allegedly no longer employed by TeamKJ as a result of COVID-19. In reality, the applications contained a number of materially false statements, including that the applicant had lost their job with TeamKJ as a result of COVID-19 and the date the applicant lost their job with TeamKJ due to the pandemic.
The indictment further alleges that Heimbach successfully defrauded multiple Lehigh Valley car dealerships by purchasing vehicles in the names of other construction companies registered to or associated with him, by writing checks for those vehicles on bank accounts that were either closed or had an insufficient balance to cover the transaction.
If convicted, Heimbach faces a maximum possible sentence of 200 years in prison.
The case was jointly investigated by the Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, the United States Department of Labor – Office of Inspector General, and the FBI – Allentown Resident Agency. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy M. Lanni and S. Chandler Harris.
An indictment, information, or criminal complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Lawsuit Filed Against Upland Company for Allegedly Starting Fire that Burned Hundreds of Acres in San Bernardino National ForestRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – The United States today filed a lawsuit alleging that the South Fire – which burned hundreds of acres in the San Bernardino National Forest in the summer of 2021 – was caused by an Upland-based grading, concrete, and pipeline contracting company’s negligent operation of an excavator in a rocky area.
The lawsuit filed in United States District Court alleges that Garrett J. Gentry General Engineering Inc. and its owner, Garrett J. Gentry, were negligent by starting the fire and failing to prevent it from spreading. As a result, they are liable for damages sustained by the United States during the fire, the lawsuit alleges.
The United States Forest Service sustained fire suppression costs more than $2.2 million, according to the complaint.
“Investigators determined that the fire started when the steel treads of the excavator, operated by Gentry Engineering and Gentry, contacted rocks, causing ignition of fuel, such as dry vegetation,” the lawsuit states. “Gentry Engineering and Gentry were aware of the danger of a rock strike by the excavator and failed to take action to prevent a fire.”
The wildfire started on August 25, 2021, and ultimately destroyed residences and structures and resulted in evacuation of residences. The fire burned more than 680 acres, including 450 acres in the San Bernardino National Forest.
This matter is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Quist of the Civil Division’s Complex and Defensive Litigation Section.
Knoxville Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Enticement of A ChildRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On August 22, 2024, Dominique J. Starr, 29, currently of Knoxville, Tennessee, was sentenced to 180 months imprisonment by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Following his incarceration, Starr will be on supervised release for twenty years and will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions during his supervised release.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Starr agreed to plead guilty to an information charging him with one count of enticement of a child in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2422(b).
According to documents filed with the court, in October 2022, Starr began communicating online with a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) undercover agent in Portland, Oregon, whom Starr believed to be a 13-year-old female. Starr solicited nude photos and sex from the purported minor on several occasions over a period of many months. Starr also threatened to stalk, kidnap, and rape the purported minor. During the investigation, undercover agents from two other FBI offices reported contact with Starr after he solicited nude photos and discussed meeting them for sex. The FBI obtained search warrants for social media accounts associated with Starr which showed Starr was in contact with approximately 47 other purported minors ranging in age from 9 years old to 17 years old.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee and FBI Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico made the announcement.
The criminal information was the result of an investigation by the FBI. This investigation was led by FBI Special Agent Jason Stewart.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Kolman represented the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources.”
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Jefferson City Man Sentenced to 16 Years for Armed Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
JEFFRSON CITY, Mo. – A Jefferson City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for the armed robbery of a Jefferson City credit union.
Tre Joseph Connor, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to 16 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Connor to pay $111,700 in victim restitution.
On Feb. 16, 2024, Connor was found guilty at trial of one count of bank robbery, one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the evidence at trial, Connor ran into the River Region Credit Union, 3608 W. Truman Blvd. in Jefferson City, on the morning of Jan. 19, 2023. Connor, wearing all black clothing, a black ski mask, and black gloves, brandished a Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic pistol. He leaped over the customer counter into the employee-only space, demanded to be taken to the vault, and ordered a credit union employee to open the vault. Connor stole approximately $111,700 from the vault, filled a backpack with the cash, and left through a side door.
The money Connor stole from the bank was never recovered.
Investigators used security cameras from various sources to identify Connor, including Walmart security camera footage that depicted Connor’s purchases of clothing and other items used in the robbery.
Evidence admitted at trial suggested that Connor began planning to rob a bank as early as Jan. 4, 2023, when he first conducted an internet search for “bank robbery.” He continued to plan for weeks leading up to the commission of the crime, inquiring “when do most bank[s] typically have the most money,” “how many bankers press the silent button during robbery” and “how long does it take police to respond to a bank robbery.”
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Connor, who has prior felony convictions for dissemination of private sexual images and harassment, was on probation at the time he committed the armed robbery.
This case was prosecuted by Supervisory Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Kummerer and Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa A. Pierce. It was investigated by the Jefferson City, Mo., Police Department, the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Investment Fraud Disrupted by Seizure of $5 Million in CryptocurrencyRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – The United States Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina announced the seizure of nearly $5 million worth of Tether, a cryptocurrency pegged to the U.S. dollar. These seized funds were traced to cryptocurrency addresses allegedly associated with the laundering of criminally derived proceeds stolen from victims of cryptocurrency investment scams, commonly known as “pig butchering.”
“Americans are losing their life’s savings to investment frauds as funds are being rapidly transferred to cryptocurrency accounts overseas,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “In this case one victim lost his entire individual retirement account to a scam. We are clawing back every dollar we can, even when criminals are located abroad. We are determined to seize their illegal proceeds and return money to the victims.
According to court filings, criminal actors approached and recruited victims through the guise of a romantic relationship to develop their trust. Once the relationship was established, the scammer would claim to have a technique to quickly make large profits trading cryptocurrency and introduce their victim to a fictitious cryptocurrency trading platform that bore a similar name and appearance to a legitimate cryptocurrency trading platform. These fake investment platforms display a fictitious investment portfolio with abnormally large investment returns, which is designed to induce the victim to invest more. When the victims do attempt to withdraw funds, they are unable to do so and are often met with various excuses, including being told that they must pay a “tax” or “penalties” to release their funds, which is just a technique for the scammers to elicit even more money out of their victims.
Once the victims’ funds have been transferred to a cryptocurrency wallet under the scammers’ control, the funds are quickly moved through many other wallets to obfuscate the nature, source, control, and ownership of those fraud proceeds. In this case, agents, and analysts from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were able to trace those victim funds into and through various cryptocurrency wallets allegedly used in furtherance of the fraud and money laundering scheme, some of which still contained large amounts of funds subject to seizure and forfeiture.
“As criminal actors continue to evolve in the world of cyber-enabled fraud, the FBI and its law enforcement partners must also evolve,” said FBI Charlotte Special Agent in Charge Robert M. DeWitt. “This cryptocurrency seizure serves as an example of the FBI adapting to the changing criminal landscape and fighting for victims of cyber-enabled fraud schemes.”
The Department would like to acknowledge Tether for its assistance in effectuating the transfer of these assets.
If you are a victim of a cryptocurrency scam, or other scam involving the use of the Internet, please file a report with the IC3 at ic3.gov and with the FTC at www.reportfraud.ftc.gov.
Related court documents and information from the seizure warrant are on PACER by searching for Case No.5:24-MJ-1976.
Illegal Alien Found Guilty of Federal Meth and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
Oscar Navarro-Zepeda, 42, from Spencer, Iowa, was convicted by a jury on August 22, 2024, after a 3 ½ day trial in federal court in Sioux City. Navarro-Zepeda was convicted of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine; possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine; possession of firearm by prohibited person; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Evidence at the trial showed that between April 2021 and April 2023, in the Northern District of Iowa and elsewhere Navarro-Zepeda was involved in a conspiracy that distributed more than 500 grams of methamphetamine, including more than 50 grams of actual (pure) methamphetamine. Evidence also showed that on April 18, 2023, during a search warrant at Navarro-Zepeda’s residence in Spencer, Iowa, law enforcement seized approximately 33 pounds of methamphetamine, which he intended to distribute to others in the Spencer, Iowa, area. Officers also seized $17,932; an AR-15 style .223 caliber rifle, with two loaded magazines in a rifle case and a partial box of .223 ammunition, as well as various items of drug distribution and use paraphernalia. Navarro-Zepeda was prohibited from possessing firearms and possessed either or both firearms in furtherance of his drug trafficking, to protect himself, his drugs and drug proceeds from others.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Navarro-Zepeda remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. On all of the convictions, Navarro-Zepeda faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-4029. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Hot Springs Woman Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
HOT SPRINGS – A Hot Springs woman was sentenced on August 20th to 120 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release on one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute More Than Fifty (50) Grams of Methamphetamine. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court in Hot Springs.
According to court documents, Crystal Megan Huckaby, age 39, was identified by law enforcement to be distributing methamphetamine in Hot Springs, Arkansas area.
In March of 2022, while conducting a narcotics investigation on Huckaby, detectives with the Hot Springs, Police Department (HSPD) and agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), were able to complete a controlled purchase of 54.68 grams of pure methamphetamine from Huckaby.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and Hot Springs Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Daniels prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov.
Gran operación de las fuerzas del orden en Guatemala asegura la detención de un traficante de personas acusado por la Fuerza de Tarea Operativa Conjunta Alpha por sus vínculos con el suceso de víctimas masivas en Texas en 2022Read the Press Release
Remote video URLEl miércoles, una extensa coordinación y colaboración entre el Departamento de Justicia y sus socios nacionales e internacionales resultó en una gran operación de las fuerzas del orden que desmanteló un red de tráfico de personas basada en Guatemala. En un viaje en junio de 2022, esta red introdujo ilegalmente a los Estados Unidos a 53 migrantes en un camión de remolque que terminó con su muerte en San Antonio, Texas. Veintiuno de los fallecidos eran guatemaltecos.
Este caso es parte de la Fuerza de Tarea Operativa Conjunta Alpha (JTFA, por sus siglas en inglés), creada por el fiscal general Merrick B. Garland en junio de 2021, en asociación con el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional, con el objetivo de fortalecer los esfuerzos de las fuerzas del orden de los EE. UU. contra el tráfico de personas que proviene de Centroamérica.
El 21 de agosto, las fuerzas del orden guatemaltecas ejecutaron múltiples órdenes de cateo y detención en toda Guatemala, trabajando conjuntamente con agentes de las fuerzas del orden de los Estados Unidos. A solicitud de los Estados Unidos, las autoridades guatemaltecas arrestaron al ciudadano guatemalteco Rigoberto Ramón Miranda-Orozco, imputado por el Distrito Oeste de Texas, en conexión con la investigación. Seis personas arrestadas como parte de la operación serán imputadas en Guatemala.
Miranda-Orozco, 47, cuya acusación formal se hizo pública hoy, presuntamente conspiró con otros traficantes para facilitar el viaje de cuatro migrantes de Guatemala a través de México con destino final a los Estados Unidos. Presuntamente cobró a los migrantes, o sus familias y amigos, aproximadamente entre $12,000 y $15,000 dólares estadounidenses por el viaje. La acusación formal alega que tres de estos migrantes fallecieron en el camión de remolque, y el cuarto sufrió graves lesiones corporales. Miranda-Orozco está imputado por seis cargos relacionados con el tráfico de personas migrantes que resultó en muertes o graves lesiones corporales. Enfrenta una pena máxima de cadena perpetua.
“En los últimos dos años, el Departamento de Justicia ha trabajado metódicamente para que los responsables paguen por la horrible tragedia en San Antonio que mató a 53 personas víctimas de los traficantes de personas”, dijo el fiscal general Garland. “Con estas detenciones, el Departamento de Justicia y nuestros socios en Guatemala hemos llegado a un total de 14 detenidos por su presunta participación en esta tragedia. Estamos comprometidos a continuar el trabajo con nuestros socios tanto aquí en los Estados Unidos como en el extranjero para identificar a los más prolíficos y peligrosos grupos de traficantes de personas que operan en México, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Colombia y Panamá”.
“Los traficantes abusan de los migrantes y buscan ganancias con total desprecio por la vida humana, como vimos en el trágico incidente que mató a 53 personas”, dijo el secretario de Seguridad Nacional Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “Los hombres y mujeres de Investigaciones de Seguridad Nacional (HSI, por sus siglas en inglés) y el Servicio de Control de Aduanas y Protección Fronteriza de los EE. UU. (CBP, por sus siglas en inglés) trabajan cada día para desmantelar esas redes sofisticadas de traficantes, y seguiremos trabajando junto con nuestros socios federales e internacionales para desmantelarlas a todo nivel de operación”.
“Al lanzar la Fuerza de Tarea Operativa Conjunta Alpha hace tres años, el Departamento de Justicia organizó todas las herramientas a nuestra disposición para desmantelar las redes de traficantes de personas en todo el continente. Después de la trágica muerte de 53 migrantes en junio de 22, prometimos llevar ante la justicia a los responsables, sin importar dónde viven o dónde operan”, dijo la fiscal general adjunta Lisa Mónaco. “Las detenciones de hoy en Guatemala son la culminación continua de esa promesa. No descansaremos en nuestros esfuerzos para desbaratar las redes que se aprovechan de la desesperación y fomentan la miseria en el Hemisferio Occidental”.
“Como se alega en la acusación formal, Miranda-Orozco reclutó algunos migrantes que murieron en la parte trasera del camión con remolque cerca de San Antonio, Texas, en junio de 2022. Él trabajo con una red de traficantes para transportar a los migrantes desde Guatemala a través de México con destino final a los Estados Unidos”, dijo la fiscal general adjunta principal Nicole Argentieri, jefa la División Penal del Departamento de Justicia. “Esta tragedia es una funesta advertencia de los peligros que causan los traficantes de personan al exponer a los migrantes a condiciones que ponen en peligro sus vidas a cambio de ganancias para los traficantes. Desmantelar las redes de tráfico de personas es una prioridad principal de la División Penal y seguiremos trabajando con nuestros socios de las fuerzas del orden nacionales e internacionales para investigar y enjuiciar estos casos, independientemente de dónde se encuentren los delincuentes”.
“Esta fue una operación compleja y un gran éxito para el progreso de este caso. Detuvimos a un organizador clave de esta horrible operación de tráfico de personas en la que se cobraba miles de dólares a las familias por un transporte seguro a través de la frontera de los EE. UU., desde Guatemala y otros países”, dijo el fiscal de los EE. UU., Jaime Esparza, del Distrito Oeste de Texas. “Este significativo desarrollo del caso demuestra el compromiso de este oficina, el Departamento de Justicia y nuestros socios a todos los niveles necesarios, para garantizar que los 53 migrantes fallecidos en la tragedia del camión con remolque en el 2022 reciban justicia”.
“HSI se ha comprometido profundamente en la lucha global contra el tráfico de personas que incluye nuestras operaciones internacionales en Centroamérica y Sudamérica. Estas detenciones reflejan el desmantelamiento de organizaciones centroamericanas de tráfico de personas que reclutan, organizan y transportan personas”, dijo la subdirectora ejecutiva de HSI Katrina W. Berger. “Combatir este prolífico crimen transnacional es una de nuestras principales prioridades. Nuestros agentes especiales y analistas penales están activamente en comunicación con nuestros socios de las fuerzas del orden y las fuerzas de tarea operativa en todo el mundo que trabajan para desmantelar las redes criminales que tratan la vida humana como una mercancía. HSI seguirá utilizando todos nuestros recursos disponibles para llevar a los traficantes de personas ante la justicia”.
“Los hombres y mujeres del CBP son firmes en su compromiso de combatir y desbaratar las redes de traficantes de personas que inescrupulosamente explotan y ponen en peligro la vida de los migrantes, desde el momento de este trágico incidente en San Antonio hasta el importante paso dado hoy de llevar a los responsables ante la justicia”, dijo el oficial sénior ejerciendo los deberes del comisionado Troy A. Miller del CBP. “Nuestro trabajo colectivo a través de la Fuerza de Tarea Operativa Conjunta Alpha sigue siendo crítico a nuestros esfuerzos continuos para desbaratar las operaciones de tráfico de personas en todo el hemisferio y en el mundo”.
La organización de tráfico de personas presuntamente cargó a 65 migrantes en un camión con remolque que, se alega en los documentos del tribunal, no tenía un sistema funcional de aire acondicionado mientras conducía hacia el norte por una carretera interestatal de Texas. Al aumentar la temperatura, algunos de los migrantes dentro del remolque presuntamente se desmayaron, mientras que otros arañaban las paredes intentando escapar. Al momento que el camión con remolque llegó a San Antonio, alega la acusación formal, 48 de los migrantes ya habían fallecido. Otros cinco migrantes murieron después de ser transportados a hospitales locales. Seis niños y una mujer embarazada estaban entre los fallecidos.
La fiscalía de los EE. UU. para el Distrito Oeste de Texas, ya imputó a otros siete acusados por su presunta participación en esta operación de tráfico de personas, lo cual incluye acusaciones formales presentadas en el 2022 y 2023. Cuatro de estos acusados se han declarado culpables.
La acusación formal contra Miranda-Orozco y la cooperación entre las autoridades de los EE. UU. y Guatemala fueron lideradas por la JTFA y la Fiscalía de los EE. UU. para el Distrito Oeste de Texas. Dado el aumento en las prolíficas y peligrosas operaciones de tráfico de personas desde Centroamérica con efectos en los Estados Unidos, el objetivo de la JTFA es interrumpir y desmantelar las redes de tráfico de personas que operan en El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, México, Colombia y Panamá, centrándose en redes que ponen en peligro, abusan y explotan a los migrantes, presentan riesgos a la seguridad nacional o participan en otros tipos de delincuencia organizada transnacional.
Desde su creación, la JTFA ha aumentado la coordinación y colaboración entre el Departamento de Justicia, el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional y otros organismos encargados del orden público, además de los socios de las fuerzas del orden extranjeras de El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, México, Colombia y Panamá; se ha enfocado en aquellas organizaciones con mayor impacto en los Estados Unidos; y ha coordinado esfuerzos significativos para presentar acusaciones formales y lograr la extradiciones de traficantes de personas en las fiscalías de los EE. UU. La JTFA está compuesta por agentes de las fiscalías de los EE. UU. de la frontera suroeste, incluidos el Distrito Sur de Texas, el Distrito Oeste de Texas, el Distrito de Arizona y el Distrito Sur de California. También prestan apoyo específico al programa numerosos componentes de la División Penal del Departamento de Justicia que forman parte de la JTFA, dirigidos por la Sección de Derechos Humanos y Procesamientos Especiales (HRSP, por sus siglas en inglés), y con el apoyo de la Oficina para el Desarrollo, Asistencia y Capacitación, la Sección de Estupefacientes y Drogas Peligrosas, la Sección de Lavado de Dinero y Recuperación de Activos, la Oficina de Operaciones de Aplicación de la Ley, la Oficina de Asuntos Internacionales (OIA, por sus siglas en inglés) del Departamento de Justicia y la Sección de Delitos Violentos y Delincuencia Organizada. La JTFA es posible por la gran inversión en las fuerzas del orden que realizan el Departamento de Seguridad Nacional, el FBI, la Administración para el Control de Drogas y otros socios,
HSI de San Antonio investigó el caso, con la valiosa ayuda de HSI de Guatemala y la Unidad de Tráfico de Personas de HSI en Washington, D.C. El Centro Nacional de Objetivos/Operación Centinela de CBP; la Patrulla Fronteriza de los EE. UU.; la Oficina de Alcohol, Tabaco, Armas de Fuego y Explosivos; el Departamento de Policía de San Antonio; el Departamento de Bomberos de San Antonio; el Departamento de Policía de Palestine, la OIA y la OPDAT proporcionaron una valiosa ayuda. El Departamento de Justicia agradece a las fuerzas del orden guatemaltecas que fueron instrumentales en el avance de esta investigación.
La abogada litigante de HRSP, Alexandra Skinnion, y los fiscales auxiliares de los EE. UU., José Luis Acosta, Eric Fuchs, Sarah Spears y Amanda Brown del Distrito Oeste de Texas están procesando el caso, con la ayuda de la historiadora y especialista en Latinoamérica de HRSP, Joanna Crandall.
Una acusación formal es solamente una alegación. A los acusados se les presume inocentes hasta que se demuestre que son culpables más allá de toda duda razonable en un tribunal de justicia
Geneva County Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison Following Federal Drug ConvictionRead the Press Release
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA – Today, United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross announced the sentencing of a Geneva County, Alabama man for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute the illegal drug. On August 22, 2024, a federal judge sentenced 35-year-old Nicholas Leon Hobbs to 144 months in prison. In addition, the judge ordered that Hobbs serve four years of supervised release following his prison term. Federal inmates are not eligible for parole.
According to the plea agreement and other court records, on December 2, 2021, law enforcement officers in Geneva County stopped Hobbs for a traffic violation. In the vehicle, Hobbs had two bags. One bag contained syringes and methamphetamine. The other had multi-colored pills containing methamphetamine. Agents also found a handgun and digital scales. During his May 20, 2024, plea hearing, Hobbs admitted that he possessed the illegal drugs with the intent to distribute them.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorney Justin L. Jones prosecuted.
Frederick County Man Pleads Guilty to Coercion and Enticement of A MinorRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Michael Vance Culpepper, age 56, of Walkersville, Maryland, pleaded guilty on August 21 to federal charges of coercion and enticement of a minor.
The guilty plea was announced by Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland; Inspector General Teri L. Donaldson of United States Department of Energy’s Office of the Inspector General (DOE-OIG); Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Baltimore Field Office; Colonel Roland L. Butler, Jr., Superintendent of the Maryland State Police (MSP); Paul Joey Kifer, Chief of the Hagerstown Police Department (HPD), and State’s Attorney Anne Colt Leitess of the Office of the State’s Attorney for Anne Arundel County, Maryland.
According to his guilty plea, in April and May 2023, Culpepper used mobile phones and online applications to persuade, induce, entice and coerce two victims whom he believed to be 13- and 14-year-old females to engage in sexual activity.
As to the first victim -- an undercover law enforcement officer posing as a 13-year-old girl -- Culpepper used the internet and his phones to exchange sexually explicit messages and request sexually explicit images. Culpepper encouraged the victim to hide her conversations from her parents, writing, “you DEFINITELY need to delete these texts when we are done.” On May 8, 2023, Culpepper drove approximately 50 miles to meet the victim at a restaurant in Hanover, Maryland. When he arrived, he was arrested.
After Culpepper was released on May 9, 2023 with the condition that he have no further contact with minors, Culpepper initiated online contact with Jane Doe 1, a 14-year-old female. Culpepper used the internet to entice Jane Doe 1 to engage in sexually explicit conversations. Culpepper also sent Jane Doe 1 sexually explicit photos of himself and requested that Jane Doe 1 produce nude images of herself and send them to him. Culpepper arranged a meeting with Jane Doe 1 for the purpose of engaging in unlawful sexual activity. On May 28, 2023, Culpepper picked up Jane Doe 1 near her home, and then drove her around for approximately one hour before stopping at a park. Culpepper used ice cream, money, a hotel room and vaping devices to entice Jane Doe 1 to engage in sexual contact. Jane Doe refused, but following the meeting, Culpepper continued to use the internet to entice Jane Doe 4 to meet with him and engage in sex acts.
Culpepper faces a maximum of life in federal prison and lifetime supervised release for coercion and enticement of a minor. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
U.S. Attorney Barron commended the DOE-OIG, HSI, ARMY CID, MSP, HPD and the Anne Arundel County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron also thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Paul E. Budlow and Reema Sood, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-childhood and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Fraudster Sentenced to 50 Months’ Imprisonment After Defrauding Farmers Out of $1.2MRead the Press Release
Saint George, Utah – Ryan Palmer, 56, of Sanpete County, was sentenced today to over four years’ imprisonment, a term of five years’ supervised release, and ordered by the court to pay $1,216,884.49 in restitution after he admitted to bank fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering. Palmer took over $1.2 million from trusting farmers who were deceived into thinking he would help them buy and sell farm equipment.
According to court documents and statements made at Palmer’s change of plea hearing, beginning in 2017 and continuing until December 2021, Palmer devised a scheme to defraud 25 victims by telling them he could sell or obtain farm equipment on their behalf. Palmer operated a farm equipment company called Palmer Equipment, LLC. Palmer falsely represented to clients that he would sell their agriculture equipment on consignment at specific minimum prices, with the understanding that the clients would receive the sale proceeds and Palmer would receive a portion of those proceeds for his services. Instead, Palmer kept all proceeds and lied to the victims about the sale of their equipment. Other times, he promised to purchase seller victims’ equipment, took possession of the equipment, and made partial payments or failed to make any payments.
On another occasion, Palmer, pledged a victim’s Allis-Chalmers tractor as collateral to obtain a loan without the victim’s authorization. Palmer lied to Utah Independent Bank about who owned the equipment and used a $51,000 loan for his own personal benefit. He then sold and kept the money for himself without delivering the sale proceeds to the tractor’s rightful owner.
United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins made the announcement.
The case was investigated jointly by the FBI Salt Lake City Field Office, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the Sevier County Sheriff’s Office, and the Salina City Police Department.
Assistant United States Attorney Stephen P. Dent from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
Former executive of injured child benefit program charged with stealing over $4.8 millionRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Providence Forge man was arrested today related to his alleged embezzlement of funds from his former employer, the Virginia Birth-Related Neurological Injury Compensation Program (Birth-Injury Program).
John Hunter Raines, 38, the Chief Financial Officer and Deputy Director of the Birth-Injury Program, is charged in a criminal complaint with felony fraud.
The Birth-Injury program pays monetary compensation to families of infants who suffer from brain or spinal cord injuries resulting from the birth process that render the infant developmentally and/or cognitively disabled. According to Court documents, Raines’ role required that he oversee the finances of the Birth-Injury Program, including approximately $650 million in investments in 2023.
From at least January 2022 through at least October 2023, Raines allegedly stole over $4.8 million from the Birth-Injury Program, including by using his access to the Birth-Injury Program bank account to initiate at least 59 separate wire transactions, sending funds to bank accounts in Raines’ own name. Raines also allegedly used the Birth-Injury Program debit card for personal gain. According to the criminal complaint, Raines spent embezzled Birth-Injury Program money on various personal expenses. For example:
- Raines allegedly purchased numerous vehicles, including eight luxury golf carts for over $160,000 and a 2023 Chevrolet Suburban;
- Raines allegedly spent over $100,000 on gambling, including at Rivers Casino in Portsmouth, Virginia, Colonial Downs Racetrack in New Kent, Virginia, and the Virginia Lottery;
- Raines allegedly spent over $9,000 to hire private limousines, including to chauffer Raines and his guests to Virginia-area vineyards;
- Raines allegedly made numerous purchases of cryptocurrency, including Bitcoin and Dogecoin, and transferred funds to his brokerage accounts;
- Raines allegedly paid over $30,000 for private jet travel to take his wife and friends to Nashville, Tennessee, for three days;
- Raines allegedly paid over $60,000 to pay down his student loan debt, his mortgage, and other loans; and
- Raines allegedly spent over $19,000 to purchase eight separate 2022 1-oz American Gold Eagle Bullion coins and a 100-oz silver bar.
If convicted, Raines faces up to 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service; Kareem A. Carter, Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge of the Washington D.C. Field Office; and Michael C. Westfall, State Inspector General for the Commonwealth of Virginia, made the announcement.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Avi Panth and Kashan K. Pathan are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-mj-75.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Former energy trader for Vitol Inc. guilty in international bribery and money laundering schemeRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 50-year-old former energy trader from Houston has pleaded guilty for his role in a scheme to bribe Mexican government officials to secure contracts for his then-employer Vitol Inc., the U.S. affiliate of the largest independent energy trading firm in the world.
According to court documents, Javier Aguilar and his co-conspirators paid approximately $600,000 in bribes to two senior officials at PEMEX Procurement International Inc. (PPI), a wholly owned affiliate of the Mexican state-owned oil company Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX), in exchange for assistance in winning business for Vitol.
“The Southern District of Texas (SDTX) is ground zero in the fight against foreign bribery and corruption in Latin America,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. “My office’s prosecutors - experts on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) - will continue to bring justice against those who damage the integrity of Texas’s vital energy sector with illegal advantages fueled by greed. This guilty plea begins the process of repairing the damage caused by Aguilar as well as put on notice those who might seek to emulate him and his cohorts.”
Aguilar was a trader in Vitol’s Houston office. Between 2017 and 2020, he and his co-conspirators paid approximately $600,000 in bribes to two senior officials at PPI to obtain numerous contracts for Vitol to supply hundreds of millions of dollars of ethane to PEMEX. To conceal the scheme, Aguilar and his co-conspirators used a series of fake contracts, sham invoices and shell entities incorporated in Curaçao and Mexico. Aguilar and others also used alias email accounts to communicate about the scheme and code words including “shoes,” “medicine,” “invitations” and “coffee,” to describe the bribes.“Javier Aguilar has now admitted that he bribed foreign officials to win business when he worked as an oil and gas trader at Vitol Inc., using shell companies, fake contracts, sham invoices and alias email accounts,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Aguilar’s guilty plea yesterday follows his conviction at trial on related charges earlier this year. His illegal conduct netted Vitol hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts, and now he will pay the price.”
“With this guilty plea, the defendant admits his role in the widespread corruption of the international commodities market and to casting aside laws and rules that apply to all to unfairly line the pockets of the few,” stated U.S. Attorney Breon Peace of the Eastern District of New York (EDNY). “The actions of the defendant and his co-conspirators and of those who act similarly, destroys people’s faith in their governments, disadvantages those who play by the rules, undermines confidence in American businesses worldwide and will not be tolerated by this office or our law enforcement partners.”
“The FCPA has been the law of the land, and enforceable worldwide, for decades. Yet unscrupulous businessmen still try to bribe their way to profit,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri for the FBI’s Miami Field Office. “My message to them is that the charges and penalties you will face are not worth the gain. I want to commend the U.S Attorney’s Offices for EDNY and SDTX and the Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs for their diligence pursuing this case, but especially the agents and analysts who leave no stone unturned in pursuit of FCPA violators.”
Aguilar pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the FCPA and to a violation of the Travel Act. The FCPA conspiracy charge, which an SDTX grand jury brought, related to conduct that was initially charged in the EDNY. As part of his guilty plea, Aguilar consented to transfer the Texas case to New York, to consolidate the cases and to forfeit $7,129,938. The plea follows Aguilar’s related conviction at trial in February for conspiracy to violate the FCPA, violating the FCPA and conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with schemes to bribe Ecuadorian and Mexican officials. At sentencing, he faces a maximum of 20 years in federal prison on the money laundering conviction and five years on each of the other offenses.
In December 2020, Vitol admitted to bribing officials in Ecuador, Mexico and Brazil in violation of the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA. Vitol entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the EDNY. As a part of the resolution, Vitol agreed to pay a combined $135 million in penalties as part of a coordinated resolution with the Department of Justice, Commodity Futures Trading Commission and authorities in Brazil.
Seven of Aguilar’s co-conspirators have pleaded guilty for their role in the scheme and are awaiting sentencing. These individuals have agreed to forfeit more than $63 million in connection with this and related schemes.
FBI Miami’s International Corruption Squad conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherin Daniel and Deputy Chief Suzanne Elmilady for the SDTX are prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorney Clayton P. Solomon and Assistant Chiefs Derek J. Ettinger and Jonathan P. Robell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, Trial Attorney D. Hunter Smith and Deputy Chief Adam J. Schwartz of the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) and EDNY Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew R. Galeotti, Nick M. Axelrod and Jonathan P. Lax. MLARS Special Financial Investigations Unit and Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided substantial assistance.
The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA and Foreign Extortion Prevention Act matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
The Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative is led by a team of dedicated prosecutors in MLARS, in partnership with federal law enforcement agencies, and often with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, to forfeit the proceeds of foreign official corruption. Individuals with information about possible proceeds of foreign corruption located in or laundered through the United States should contact federal law enforcement or send an email to [email protected] or https://tips.fbi.gov/.
Former State Employee Sentenced to 20 Months for Pandemic Unemployment Insurance Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Carl J. DiVeglia III, age 36, of Albany, was sentenced today to 20 months in prison for engaging in a fraudulent scheme to obtain more than $1.6 million in unemployment insurance benefits by abusing his position with the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL).
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge, Northeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG).
As part of his previously entered guilty plea to conspiracy to commit mail fraud, DiVeglia admitted that he and another former NYSDOL employee, Wendell Giles, abused their state computer access to create and approve false unemployment insurance applications in 2020 and 2021, including applications for the federal Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program. DiVeglia admitted responsibility for over $1.6 million in losses to NYSDOL and to personally receiving approximately $225,000 in fraud proceeds.
United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also imposed a 2-year term of supervised release, to begin after DiVeglia is released from prison. Judge Suddaby also ordered DiVeglia to pay $1,662,819 in restitution to the State of New York and to forfeit a $225,000 money judgment to the United States.
Giles was previously sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment for his role in the scheme. Four related defendants—Todd Ward, a/k/a “Fats,” age 45, of Troy, New York; Christopher Ward, a/k/a “Reek,” age 46, of Troy; Rocco Resciniti a/k/a “Rock,” age 50, of Albany; and Jamaine Myers, age 46, of Troy—have also pled guilty to fraud charges for their involvement in DiVeglia’s scheme. Resciniti was sentenced to three years of probation on July 31, 2024, and the remaining defendants are scheduled to be sentenced in the fall.
The FBI and USDOL-OIG investigated these cases, with assistance from the NYSDOL Office of Special Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua R. Rosenthal and Joseph S. Hartunian are prosecuting the cases.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Former Hospital Employee Sentenced to 12 Months in Federal Prison for Embezzling over $100,000 in Intended Donations for the Jasper CommunityRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE—Michele M. Rose, 62, of Jasper, Indiana, has been sentenced to a year and one day in federal prison, followed by one year of supervised release, after pleading guilty to five counts of wire fraud. Rose was also ordered to pay $153,769 in restitution.
According to court documents, since 1991, Michele Rose was employed as Medical Staff Coordinator at a nonprofit health care organization headquartered in Jasper, Indiana. In this role, Rose had various responsibilities, including overseeing the medical staff checking account and preparing a monthly financial report of that checking account.
The medical staff checking account was funded through dues paid by physicians. The money contributed by the doctors was then donated to fund community initiatives including scholarships, food banks, and humane societies, as well as sponsoring events for local students such as after-prom celebrations, with a small portion used for operating expenses.
Between March 2011 and December 2020, Rose abused her position by writing fraudulent checks to herself out of the medical staff checking account, falsely representing that the money was intended to reimburse her for legitimate business expenditures. Rose then cashed the checks and used the money for personal living expenses.
Rose got signatures on the fraudulent checks lying to people with signature authority, telling them they were for legitimate business expenses. Once the blank checks were signed, Rose completed the checks by writing them to herself. Rose did not account for the fraudulent checks in the monthly financial reports that she prepared for her management. Over nearly a decade, Rose $153,769 from the medical staff fund. If Rose had not stolen the money, some or all of it would have been donated to the local community as intended.
“For nearly a decade, this woman stole from community-minded professionals who trusted her, lining her pockets at the expense of the Jasper community groups the doctors intended to support,” said Zachary A. Myers, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Embezzlement and fraud by trusted insiders can have devastating effects on businesses and ordinary people. That’s why our office will continue to prioritize federal prosecution of economic crimes. I commend the work of the U.S. Secret Service and the Jasper Police Department, alongside our federal prosecutor, to untangle this web of deceit and hold the defendant accountable for her crimes.”
“The U.S. Secret Service values our partnership with the Jasper Police Department and the United States Attorney’s Office - Southern District of Indiana,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Scott McGuckin, of the U.S. Secret Service’s Indianapolis Field Office. “The Secret Service will continue to prioritize these types of investigations to ensure that there are consequences for anyone who violates the public’s trust and takes advantage of charitable organizations.”
“I am proud of our Detectives’ work on this case, and our close collaboration with the United States Secret Service has been instrumental in successfully investigating cases of this caliber,” said Lieutenant Dave Burger of the Jasper Police Department.
The United States Secret Service and Jasper Police Department investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Richard L. Young.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew B. Miller, who prosecuted this case.
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Former Energy Trader for Vitol Inc. Pleads Guilty to International Bribery SchemeRead the Press Release
A former energy trader pleaded guilty yesterday for his role in a scheme to bribe Mexican government officials to secure contracts for his then-employer, Vitol Inc. (Vitol), the U.S. affiliate of the largest independent energy trading firm in the world.
According to court documents, Javier Aguilar, 50, of Houston, and his co-conspirators paid approximately $600,000 in bribes to two senior officials at PEMEX Procurement International, Inc. (PPI), a wholly owned affiliate of the Mexican state-owned oil company, Petróleos Mexicanos (PEMEX), in exchange for assistance in winning business for Vitol.
“Javier Aguilar has now admitted that he bribed foreign officials to win business when he worked as an oil and gas trader at Vitol Inc., using shell companies, fake contracts, sham invoices, and alias email accounts,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Aguilar’s guilty plea yesterday follows his conviction at trial on related charges earlier this year. His illegal conduct netted Vitol hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts, and now he will pay the price.”
“With yesterday's guilty plea, the defendant admits his role in the widespread corruption of the international commodities market and to casting aside laws and rules that apply to all to unfairly line the pockets of the few,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “The actions of the defendant and his co-conspirators, and of those who act similarly, destroy people’s faith in their governments, disadvantage those who play by the rules, undermine confidence in American businesses worldwide, and will not be tolerated by this Office or our law enforcement partners.”
“The Southern District of Texas is ground zero in the fight against foreign bribery and corruption in Latin America,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas. “My office’s prosecutors — experts on the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act — will continue to bring to justice those who damage the integrity of Texas’s vital energy sector with illegal advantages fueled by greed. This guilty plea begins the process of repairing the damage caused by Aguilar as well as putting on notice those who might seek to emulate him and his cohorts.”
“The Foreign Corrupt Practices Act has been the law of the land, and enforceable worldwide, for decades. Yet unscrupulous businessmen still try to bribe their way to profit,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office. “My message to them is that the charges and penalties you will face are not worth the gain. I want to commend the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section, and Office of International Affairs; the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York; and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas for their diligence pursuing this case, but especially the agents and analysts who leave no stone unturned in pursuit of FCPA violators.”
Between 2017 and 2020, Aguilar, who was a trader in Vitol’s Houston office, and his co-conspirators paid approximately $600,000 in bribes to two senior officials at PPI to obtain numerous contracts for Vitol to supply hundreds of millions of dollars of ethane to PEMEX. To conceal the scheme, Aguilar and his co-conspirators used a series of fake contracts, sham invoices and shell entities incorporated in Curaçao and Mexico. The defendant and his co-conspirators also used alias email accounts to communicate about the scheme and code words, including “shoes,” “medicine,” “invitations,” and “coffee,” to describe the bribes.
Aguilar pleaded guilty to conspiracy to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and to a violation of the Travel Act. The FCPA conspiracy charge, which was brought by a grand jury in the Southern District of Texas, related to conduct that was initially charged in the Eastern District of New York. As part of his guilty plea, Aguilar consented to transfer the Texas case to New York, to consolidate the cases, and to forfeit $7,129,938. The plea follows Aguilar’s related conviction at trial in February 2024 for conspiracy to violate the FCPA, violating the FCPA, and conspiracy to commit money laundering in connection with schemes to bribe Ecuadorian and Mexican officials. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment on the money laundering offense and five years’ imprisonment on each of the other offenses. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
In December 2020, Vitol admitted to bribing officials in Ecuador, Mexico, and Brazil in violation of the anti-bribery provisions of the FCPA. Vitol entered into a deferred prosecution agreement with the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of New York. As a part of the resolution, Vitol agreed to pay a combined $135 million in penalties as part of a coordinated resolution with the Department of Justice, the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, and authorities in Brazil.
Seven of the defendant’s co-conspirators have pleaded guilty for their role in the scheme and are awaiting sentencing. These individuals have agreed to forfeit more than $63 million in connection with this and related schemes.
FBI Miami’s International Corruption Squad investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Clayton P. Solomon and Assistant Chiefs Derek J. Ettinger and Jonathan P. Robell of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section, Trial Attorney D. Hunter Smith and Deputy Chief Adam J. Schwartz of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan P. Lax, Matthew R. Galeotti, and Nick M. Axelrod for the Eastern District of New York, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sherin Daniel and Deputy Chief Suzanne Elmilady for the Southern District of Texas are prosecuting the case. The MLARS Special Financial Investigations Unit and Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided substantial assistance.
The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA and Foreign Extortion Prevention Act matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
The Kleptocracy Asset Recovery Initiative is led by a team of dedicated prosecutors in MLARS, in partnership with federal law enforcement agencies, and often with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, to forfeit the proceeds of foreign official corruption. Individuals with information about possible proceeds of foreign corruption located in or laundered through the United States should contact federal law enforcement or send an email to [email protected] or https://tips.fbi.gov/.
Former Corrections Officer Admits Providing Firearm to FelonRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Brian Mills, age 39, a resident of Dannemora, New York, pled guilty yesterday to knowingly providing a firearm to a felon.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo Field Office; and Plattsburgh Police Chief Peter Mitchell made the announcement.
Mills admitted that at various times during summer 2022, he traded a New England Firearms Company Model Pardner-SP1 .410-gauge shotgun, an Armalite rifle, ammunition, an ammunition magazine and two body armor vests to Dustin J. Manor at Manor’s apartment in Plattsburgh, New York, knowing that Manor was a felon. On October 20, 2022, the Plattsburgh Police Department seized the shotgun, one (1) .44 magnum round of ammunition, shotgun rounds, and a set of RTS Tactical Level IV ceramic body armor from Manor’s Plattsburgh apartment after responding to a domestic incident there.
Manor was federally prohibited from possessing the firearms and ammunition due to 2014 drug felony convictions for which he was sentenced to five years in state prison.
Mills had been employed as a corrections officer with the New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision at Clinton Correctional Facility, but resigned his position following his arrest.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 19, 2024. Mills faces up to 15 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
Yesterday, Senior United States District Judge Lawrence E. Kahn sentenced Manor to 57 months in prison and 3 years supervised release for possessing the .410-gauge shotgun and ammunition as a felon.
HSI and the Plattsburgh Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas G. Collyer is prosecuting the case.
Former Congressional Candidate Charged with Violating Campaign Finance LawsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Christie M. Curtis, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced the unsealing of an Indictment today charging MICHELLE BOND with conspiring to cause and causing unlawful campaign contributions in connection with her unsuccessful run for Congress in 2022. BOND will be presented today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ona T. Wang.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Michelle Bond and her co-conspirator romantic partner attempted to fund her campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives by illegally using hundreds of thousands of dollars from corporate coffers, among other sources, and then lying to Congress and others to cover it all up. Misconduct by those campaigning for public office undermines public trust in American elections and in representative government more broadly. This Office is committed to holding elected officials and candidates accountable if they break the law.”
FBI Acting Assistant Director Christie M. Curtis said: “Michelle Bond, a former congressional candidate, allegedly financed her campaign with illicitly obtained funds then made calculated efforts to conceal her misconduct, including lying to Congress about the deposits’ origin. Attempting to start a hopeful career in our government using unlawful transactions and lies erodes the integrity and credibility of our legislative system. Investigating all forms of corruption remains a top priority of the FBI, as those seeking to hold governing positions are expected to comport themselves honestly and transparently to preserve public confidence.”
As alleged in the Indictment:[1]
In 2022, BOND—then a high-level executive at a digital assets trade group (the “Trade Group”)—ran for a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. BOND sought to represent New York’s first congressional district, which comprises the eastern portion of Long Island.
Shortly after launching her congressional campaign in May 2022, BOND’s romantic partner (“CC-1”)—then a high-level executive at a Bahamas-based subsidiary of a now-defunct cryptocurrency exchange (the “Exchange”)—orchestrated a sham consulting agreement between BOND and the Exchange, pursuant to which BOND was paid $400,000. BOND then used that money to illegally finance her campaign. Further, between June and August 2022, CC-1 wired hundreds of thousands of dollars to BOND’s personal bank account, which BOND then used to illegally fund her campaign. CC-1 and BOND discussed how CC-1 would pay the expenses for BOND’s campaign, and CC-1 was aware that BOND was using CC-1’s money to make large loans and contributions to her campaign.
BOND and CC-1’s conduct violated federal campaign finance laws prohibiting corporate contributions, excessive contributions by an individual, and conduit (or straw) contributions. BOND attempted to conceal her and CC-1’s conduct by, among other things, making false statements to a congressional committee and the Federal Election Commission, and lying to her employer at that time. For example, in a financial disclosure form filed with the House Ethics Committee, BOND described the $400,000 Exchange Payment as consulting income. However, in talking points BOND prepared for a meeting with the board of her Trade Group, BOND acknowledged that she did not work for the Exchange and that the Exchange gave the money for her campaign.
* * *
BOND, 45, of Potomac, Maryland, is charged with one count of conspiracy to cause unlawful campaign contributions; one count of causing and accepting excessive campaign contributions; one count of causing and receiving an unlawful corporate contribution; and one count of causing and receiving a conduit contribution. Each of the crimes charged carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The statutory maximum sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Public Corruption Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Simon and Sheb Swett are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment constitutes only allegations, and every fact described herein should be treated as an allegation.
Former Anderson County Band Director Sentenced for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
LEXINGTON, Ky. – A former Anderson County High School Band Director and teacher, Patrick Howard Brady, 38, was sentenced on Thursday, by U.S. District Judge Karen Caldwell, to 25 years in prison, for production of child pornography.
Brady was a teacher at Anderson County High School and served as the band director until May 15, 2023. According to his plea agreement, Brady used text messaging, FaceTime, and a social media app (VSCO), to engage a minor into a romantic and sexual relationship. Specifically, beginning in the summer of 2022, Brady and the victim engaged in a sexually explicit relationship, starting via text, calls, and FaceTime, eventually occurring in person, multiple times, including at the high school.
Law enforcement began investigating the relationship between Brady and the victim in May 2023. When law enforcement arrested Brady and seized his cell phone, he had removed the VSCO application from his phone. Brady admitted that, on two or more occasions, he knowingly used a minor victim to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of transmitting live visual depictions of that conduct.
Under federal law, Brady 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 life.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael E. Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; Russell Coleman, Kentucky Attorney General; Col. Phillip J. Burnett, Jr., Commissioner of the Kentucky State Police; and Sheriff Joe Milam, Anderson County Sheriff's Office, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI, Kentucky Attorney General’s Office, Kentucky State Police, and the Anderson County Sheriff's Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary Melton is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted this case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
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Final Defendant Sentenced in $1M COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ALBANY, Ga. – The final codefendant convicted of a fraud scheme that illegally sought more than $1 million from pandemic relief funds was sentenced to federal prison.
Sharmaine Simpson, 37, of Pelham, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 30 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on Aug. 15, after he previously pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. On March 13, co-defendants Jeremy Russell, 38, of Pelham, was sentenced to serve 30 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after he previously pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud; Travon Duhart, 40, of Montgomery, Alabama, was sentenced to serve 24 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after he previously pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud; Mario Meadows, 46, of Albany, was sentenced to serve 24 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after he previously pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud; and Johnderrious Lovett, 31, of Dacula, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 12 months and one day in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after he previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Chief U.S. District Judge Leslie Gardner presided over the case. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Pandemic relief funds were intended to provide critical help to small businesses, not enrich fraudsters,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “We will pursue justice against those who criminally abused this taxpayer funded program.”
“So many businesses needed federal emergency assistance to stay afloat during the pandemic, and Simpson and his co-defendants misdirected that assistance money to line their own pockets,” said Rich Bilson, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Albany office. “Their greed affects every American taxpayer, and the FBI will continue to hold accountable those who abused taxpayer dollars and diverted them from citizens who desperately needed them.”
According to court documents and statements referenced in court, from March 2020 to at least April 2021, the defendants joined a conspiracy to collectively submit at least 25 different fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDLs) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans on behalf of companies they controlled individually or together, seeking a total of $1,079,233.02 plus unemployment benefits. In all, the defendants received and deposited $411,657.02 from the Small Business Administration (SBA) as a result of these falsified claims. The various loan applications were for corporations the defendants established, and included all manner of concocted information, including fabricated revenues, employees, payroll costs, rent, operational expenditures and fraudulent tax returns. The defendants continued to make false statements after several loans were denied due to fraud alerts and continued their attempts to gain funds through the SBA and other government entities.
One example of the pandemic fraud scheme was a $100,000 loan received for J.T.L.S. Music Group. Russell, Duhart, Lovett and Simpson were listed as 25% owners of the business on their EIDL application and claimed to have ten employees. However, the Georgia Department of Labor reported that J.T.L.S. Music Group did not pay any wages or unemployment insurance to any employees from 2017 to 2022. J.T.L.S. Music Group also reported gross revenues of $250,000 for the 12-months prior to the “date of disaster” on its EIDL application but did not report any income or paid taxes to the State of Georgia from 2017 to 2022, nor did they file taxes with the IRS. After the $100,000 loan was deposited, Russell recalled someone texting “y’all betta get y’all money out because I got mine,” in a group text with him, Duhart, Lovett and Simpson.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act was enacted by Congress in March 2020, to provide emergency financial support to the millions of Americans suffering economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. As part of this effort, the SBA was able to provide EIDLs to individuals, households and businesses in federally declared disaster areas. The PPP was established as a forgivable loan to small businesses for eligible expenses, like payroll.
The case was investigated by FBI and the Department of Justice, Office of Inspector General (DOJ-OIG).
Criminal Chief Leah McEwen prosecuted the case for the Government.
Felon Convicted of Illegal Firearm Possession after Altercation with PoliceRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – A federal jury has convicted RONNIE GERALD WIGGINS, 60, of Norman, of illegal possession of a firearm after a previous felony conviction, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On September 19, 2023, a federal grand jury charged Wiggins with being a felon in possession of a firearm. On August 14, 2024, a federal jury found Wiggins guilty on the charge.
According to evidence presented at trial, on October 30, 2022, an officer with the Norman Police Department made contact with Wiggins after multiple concerned citizens called 911 to report his erratic driving. During the interaction, officers learned that Wiggins had a warrant for parole violation on a 2001 Texas murder conviction. When they began to arrest him, Wiggins became argumentative and attempted to run. Once he was in custody, officers found a pistol and two loaded ammunition magazines in his vehicle.
Public record shows Wiggins has sustained multiple previous felony convictions including:
- First degree murder in Oldham County (Texas) District Court case number CR-01C-001;
- Felon in possession of a firearm in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma case number CR-00-74-C;
- Attempting to possess a prohibited object (heroin), in U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas case number 93-30006-02;
- Armed robbery and conspiracy to commit armed robbery in Bernalillo County (New Mexico) District Court case number CR-90-00165;
- Bank robbery in the U.S. District Court for the District of New Mexico case number CR-89-517-02;
- Theft of a vehicle in Grants County (New Mexico) District Court case number CB 89-93-CR; and
- Robbery with a firearm in Cleveland County (Oklahoma) District Court case number CF-83-535.
As a result of these prior convictions, Wiggins qualified as an Armed Career Criminal. At sentencing, Wiggins faces up to life in federal prison on this conviction.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Norman Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel Gridley and Danielle M. Connolly are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. For more information about PSN, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
Federal Jury Convicts Prior Felon for Distributing Meth and Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – After a three-day trial, a federal jury convicted Lee Holt, 60, of Collinsville. The jury found Holt guilty of being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute after previously being convicted of a serious drug felony; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises; and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Crimes.
Prior to trial, Holt’s co-defendant, Jennifer Charisa Harrington, 49, of Collinsville, pled guilty to Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute and Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises.
“Guns, drugs, and felons are a volatile combination that hurt communities within the Northern District of Oklahoma,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “This verdict is the direct result of the collaborative efforts of law enforcement and prosecutors’ prioritizing violent crime prosecutions to help reduce crime and build safer communities.”
In August 2023, law enforcement served a search warrant on Holt and Harrington’s home in Collinsville. Upon search of the home, agents found a firearm and ammunition, 110 grams of methamphetamine, marijuana, scales, and cash. Laboratory testing determined the methamphetamine was 94% pure. During the trial, experts testified that 110 grams of methamphetamine could be more than 500 doses of meth with a street value of approximately $1,500.
Court records show that Holt was previously convicted of several felonies, including conspiracy to manufacture and distribute methamphetamine, possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and unlawfully possessing a firearm after being convicted of a felony.
In Harrington’s plea agreement, she admitted to living with Holt and that they would distribute and use methamphetamine in their home. Harrington further admitted that they had a firearm, ammunition, scales, and cash from the proceeds of distributing methamphetamine.
Homeland Security Investigations, the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, the Collinsville Police Department, and the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mike Flesher and Dennis Fries 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. For more information about PSN, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Fayetteville Armed Drug Trafficker and Blood Gang Leader Sentenced to 30 YearsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – A Fayetteville Blood gang member who led a drug trafficking organization that distributed thousands of pounds of high-grade marijuana was sentenced to 360 months in prison for drug trafficking and firearm charges. On May 24, 2023, Terrence Michael Pittman, age 29, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute more than one thousand kilograms of marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
“The FPD continues to work collaboratively with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners, we continue to aggressively combat Fayetteville's gun violence and narcotic trafficking,” said Fayetteville Police Chief Kemberle Braden.
According to court documents and other information presented in court, in 2019, the Fayetteville Police Department began investigating Pittman after receiving information that he was trafficking significant amounts of marijuana out of a Fayetteville residence. One witness told police that Pittman was receiving as much as a hundred pounds of marijuana at a time. In surveilling Pittman’s residence, law enforcement observed individuals delivering large duffel bags believed to contain bulk marijuana to the house. Traffic stops of individuals associated with this drug trafficking organization yielded the seizure of over $165,000 from an individual seen leaving Pittman’s house in October 2019, and the seizure of 141 pounds of marijuana out of a vehicle on the way to Pittman’s house in November 2019. Witnesses who had been at the house when the duffel bags were delivered told law enforcement that the duffel bags contained bulk marijuana. Multiple witnesses also identified Pittman as the leader of a United Nation Blood gang subset.
Investigators received a warrant to conduct a wiretap on Pittman’s phones for three months in 2020 and learned that he was operating three stash houses used to store and distribute drugs in Fayetteville. In intercepted phone calls, Pittman was heard arranging to purchase hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of marijuana at a time from suppliers with connections to Charlotte, Washington, D.C., New York, and California. Pittman was also overheard bragging that he made “a band” ($1000) on every “bag” (pound) of marijuana that he sold, further stating that he sold five hundred pounds per week. On November 12, 2020, investigators conducted searches at all three stash houses in Fayetteville and Pittman’s primary residence in Clayton and seized nearly $100,000 in cash, approximately $300,000 worth of gold and diamond jewelry, more than 90 pounds of marijuana and six firearms, including four 9mm handguns, a 7.62 caliber rifle with a large capacity magazine, and a 7.62 caliber pistol.
Several other members of Pittman’s drug trafficking organization have been convicted, including Rahein Saekwan Little (5:22-CR-00138-D-RJ-2); Candace Cherelle Spencer (5:22-CR-00138-D-RJ-3); Maurice Manuel Charity (5:22-CR-00138-D-RJ-4); Jennifer Talbert (5:22-CR-00169-D), Donovan McCrimmon (5:22-CR-00151-D), and Shiiquan Anderson (5:21-CR-171-D).
This investigation was an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, 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.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. The Fayetteville Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Webb prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:22-cr-00138-D-1.
Falmouth Woman Charged and Agrees to Plead Guilty to Embezzling More Than $1.3 MillionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The former bookkeeper of a Falmouth flooring company has been charged and has agreed to plead guilty in connection with embezzling more than $1.3 million from her employer.
Susan Figuerido, 73, of Falmouth, was charged with wire fraud and filing a false tax return. A plea hearing has not yet been scheduled by the Court.
According to the charging documents, between June 2015 and February 2023, Figuerido embezzled more than $1.3 million from her employer by writing checks to herself drawn on her employer’s bank account. To conceal her scheme, Figuerido allegedly did not record the checks that she wrote to herself in her employer’s accounting system. It is further alleged that Figuerido did not report or include the funds that she embezzled on her federal income tax filings, resulting in a tax loss of approximately $353,000.
The charge of wire fraud provides a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. The charge of filing a false tax return provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Harry T. Chavis Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. The Falmouth Police Department provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen A. Kearney of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Dominican Republic Man Sentenced in Cocaine Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Rafael Martinez, 31, of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced by Chief District Judge Robert A. Molloy to 70 months incarceration following his conviction on conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine on a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States charges.
According to court documents, on August 30, 2021, a United States Coast Guard Cutter intercepted two go-fast vessels traveling in international waters off the coast of the Dominican Republic. Onboard the vessels were Martinez, Carlos De La Rosa, Elvis Manuel Rodriguez, and Alexis Sanchez-Garcia. As the Coast Guard Cutter approached the vessels, the occupants were observed throwing bales of cocaine into the ocean. From one vessel, the Coast Guard seized 444 kilograms of cocaine wrapped in white burlap sacks but attempts to recover the bales that were thrown overboard from the second vessel were unsuccessful. On July 2, 2024, Chief Judge Molloy sentenced De La Rosa, Rodriguez, and Sanchez-Garcia to 70 months incarceration on their cocaine conspiracy convictions.
The case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard and Drug Enforcement Administration and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Everard E. Potter. 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.
Conspiracy Hatched over Instagram Leads to Massachusetts Man’s Guilty Plea for Firearms TheftRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A West Springfield, Massachusetts man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to conspiring to steal firearms from a federally licensed firearms dealer and stealing firearms from that dealer.
According to court records, in April 2022, Ryan Ansart, 22, and coconspirator Damiean Marcial-Alexander, 21, of Waterville broke into a Waterville firearms dealer and stole multiple firearms, including a Glock, Model 17 Gen5 9mm pistol and a Smith & Wesson .38 special revolver. According to an ATF Theft/Loss Report submitted by the store owner, 15 firearms in all were reported stolen, six revolvers and nine semi-automatic pistols. Evidence collected included Instagram and text messages planning the theft, including a map to the location from Marcial-Alexander’s apartment, as well as photos of the two men holding some of the stolen firearms.
Ansart faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine followed by up to three years of supervised release. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Marcial-Alexander pleaded guilty on May 30, 2024, and also faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine followed by up to three years of supervised release.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case with assistance from the Waterville Police Department.
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Clean Harbors Inc. Agrees to Clean up Devil’s Swamp Lake Superfund Site Near Baton Rouge, LouisianaRead the Press Release
Clean Harbors Inc. and two of its subsidiaries, Clean Harbors Baton Rouge LLC and Baton Rouge Disposal LLC, have reached an over $5 million agreement with the Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to clean up decades-old contamination at the Devil’s Swamp Lake Superfund Site just north of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.
A complaint filed today along with a proposed consent decree seeks an order requiring the Clean Harbors companies to perform a cleanup of pollution at Devil’s Swamp Lake, pursuant to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), also known as Superfund. The cleanup is estimated to cost over $3 million. Additionally, the consent decree requires reimbursement of over $2 million in costs incurred by the United States in responding to the contamination at Devil’s Swamp Lake. The companies will also pay the United States for all costs it spends in the future for that purpose.
“The Devil’s Swamp Lake Superfund Site is located in an area that is unfortunately already overburdened by a variety of environmental problems,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This settlement will protect the public from the dangerous chemicals that have been contaminating Devil’s Swamp Lake for decades and bring the community one step closer to reclaiming this and other important natural resources.”
“The people of Louisiana deserve safe, clean natural resources,” said U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Gathe Jr. for the Middle District of Louisiana. “This proposed consent decree will ensure that the Devil’s Swamp Lake Superfund Site is appropriately remediated and that the American taxpayers are reimbursed for costs incurred in responding to contamination at that site. I appreciate the hard work of our partners at EPA and at the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division toward achieving this settlement.”
“The East Baton Rouge community expects and deserves the full protection of EPA’s cleanup laws and standards. This settlement is a huge step in resolving a decades-long issue for families that experience a higher burden of environmental problems than other areas of the parish,” said Regional Administrator Dr. Earthea Nance of EPA Region 6. “Holding companies accountable and financially responsible for the harms they commit is one of our strongest tools for getting overburdened communities the relief they deserve. I would like to thank our federal partners for their support in ensuring the site is cleaned up and given back to the communities.”
Devil’s Swamp Lake is contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), which are extremely harmful chemicals that build up in the environment over time and have been linked to cancer. Due in part to the levels of PCBs, Louisiana state agencies have repeatedly issued advisories warning the public not to swim in or eat fish caught in Devil’s Swamp Lake.
The Devil’s Swamp Lake Superfund Site is located in East Baton Rouge Parish, an area with a population that disproportionately suffers from pollution in the water and the air. Ensuring cleanup of hazardous waste at sites such as Devil’s Swamp Lake is an important aspect of a broader fight to achieve environmental justice.
The Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section is handling the case, in conjunction with EPA.
The complaint and the proposed consent decree were filed with the U.S. District Court for Middle District of Louisiana. The settlement is subject to a public comment period and final court approval. The consent decree is available for viewing on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
Chicago Man Sentenced to 18 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Shawn Edwards, 34 years old, of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to wire fraud announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Edwards was sentenced to 18 months in prison, 2 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $189,850 in restitution to the victims of the offense.
According to documents in the case, between July 2020 and September 2021, Edwards was the leader and organizer of a fraud ring which stole checks that had been placed in the care of the United States Postal Service intended to be sent to local Indiana businesses. The payee on each stolen check was then altered so that the check could be cashed by Edwards or one of his associates. In total, Edwards and his associates were able to cash or deposit $189,850 in stolen funds over the time period of the scheme. Edwards’ co-defendant is scheduled to be sentenced later this year.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Office of Inspector General for the United States Postal Service. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas M. McGrath.
Chautauqua County pleads guilty to meth chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Darin L. Butts, Jr., 31, of Celeron, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years, a maximum of life and a 10,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Louis A. Testani, who is handling the case, stated that in July and August 2023, investigators conducted seven controlled purchases of methamphetamine and fentanyl from Butts. On August 23, 2023, search warrants were executed at Butts’ residence and his two vehicles. Law enforcement seized approximately 610 grams of methamphetamine, some of it packaged in smaller, individual-sized quantities, drug paraphernalia, and approximately $14,829.00 in cash, which represented proceeds of his methamphetamine trafficking. On May 3, 2024, law enforcement executed another search warrant at Butts’ residence, seizing multiple quantities of suspected methamphetamine and fentanyl, and drug paraphernalia.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, New York Field Division, the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone, the Ellicott Police Department, under the direction of Chief William Ohnmeiss Jr., and the Dunkirk Police Department, under the direction of Chief David C. Ortolano.
Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
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Career Offender Who Distributed Purported Heroin Containing Fentanyl Resulting in an Overdose Sentenced to over 13 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who sold purported heroin that contained fentanyl in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was sentenced today to 163 months in federal prison.
Rodney Eugene Lewis, age 49, from Chicago Heights, Illinois, received the prison term after a February 6, 2024 guilty plea to one count of distribution of a controlled substance.
Between February 2020 and June 2020, Lewis distributed purported heroin in Cedar Rapids. When Lewis was unavailable provide drugs to his customers, he provided his drug-trafficking cellphone to his sister and co-defendant, Marsha Celes Dismukes, so that Dismukes could supply his customers with controlled substances. During this time, Lewis provided an individual with purported heroin that also contained fentanyl. After using the controlled substance provided by Lewis, the individual overdosed. Lewis was previously convicted of two different drug trafficking offenses in Illinois.
Lewis was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Lewis was sentenced to 163 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Lewis is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin, and it was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration and the Cedar Rapids Police Department, at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 21-CR- 00068.
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Bowie County woman sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for fentanyl overdose deathRead the Press Release
TEXARKANA, Texas – A Texarkana woman who sold multiple fake oxycontin pills containing fentanyl has been sentenced to 17 years in federal prison, announced Eastern District of Texas U.S. Attorney Damien M. Diggs.
Nickie Jo Mattison, also known as Nickie Hall, 34, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and was sentenced to 204 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Robert W. Schroeder III, on August 21, 2024.
According to information presented in court, between September 2021 and August 2022, Mattison conspired with at least three others, to distribute fentanyl. Mattison and her co-conspirators distributed thousands of blue pills stamped to mimic 30mg oxycontin pills, known on the streets as “M-30s.” however, the pills were counterfeits that contained fentanyl. As a result, three people died and one person was seriously injured after using the drugs. Mattison sold the pills that killed one of the overdose victims.
Courtney Lewis was sentenced to 120 months and Darrell “Monty” Trotter was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison for their roles in the conspiracy. Christopher “Candyman” Candelaria and Kolton Saulsbury have pleaded guilty and are 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.
This case was investigated by the Texarkana Texas Police Department, the Texarkana Arkansas Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Locker and Jonathan Hornok.
Border Patrol Agent Charged with Civil Rights ViolationsRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Shane Millan, age 53, of Jefferson County, New York, was arrested today on four counts of deprivation of rights under color of law. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Vance Kuhner, Special Agent in Charge for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Office of Professional Responsibility, New York, NY, made the announcement.
The misdemeanor information alleges that Millan, while acting under color of law as a Border Patrol Agent, willfully deprived four different victims of their constitutional right to be free from unreasonable searches when, during virtual processing concerning their admission to the United States, he commanded three women to expose their bare chests to him over webcam and a fourth woman to expose her breasts to him while her bra remained on. The information further alleges that Millan told the women that these were legitimate searches incident to admission into the United States, though Millan’s demands to see the victims’ breasts were for his own gratification.
Millan was arraigned today in Syracuse, before United States Magistrate Judge Thérèse Wiley Dancks and released pending a trial.
The charges in the information are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Professional Responsibility Investigative Operations Directorate is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael F. Perry and Michael D. Gadarian are prosecuting the case.
Billings man admits trafficking fentanyl, assaulting federal law enforcement officerRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Billings man accused of trafficking fentanyl pills in the community and ramming an occupied U.S. Marshals Service vehicle during his arrest admitted to charges today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Luke Michael Dovel, 29, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and to assault on a federal officer. Dovel faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release on the drug charge and a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release on the assault charge.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Dovel was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that in August and September of 2023, law enforcement learned that Dovel was selling large quantities of fentanyl and that there was a warrant for his arrest because he had absconded while on state probation. On Sept. 18, 2023, multiple law enforcement agencies surveilled Dovel’s suspected location, and when Dovel arrived, law enforcement used their vehicles to block Dovel’s vehicle. Dovel then rammed the law enforcement vehicles several times, attempting to flee. Dovel hit a U.S. Marshals Service’s vehicle that was occupied by a deputy multiple times. The deputy and other officers were not injured but their vehicles were damaged. Dovel was instructed to exit his vehicle and did so without incident. In a search of Dovel, officers found him to be in possession of fentanyl pills, more than $8,000 in U.S. currency, a knife and metal knuckles. In a search of his vehicle, law enforcement found approximately 1,500 fentanyl pills, methamphetamine, fentanyl powder, cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin and a loaded handgun magazine and ammunition.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The 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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Billings business owner admits tampering with pollution-monitoring devices for diesel trucks in violation of Clean Air ActRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Billings business owner accused of developing and selling software devices and kits to circumvent emissions monitoring systems for at least 845 diesel trucks admitted today to violating the Clean Air Act, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Thomas James Nash, 37, appeared for arraignment on an information and pleaded guilty to tampering with Clean Air Act monitoring device. Nash faces a maximum of two years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Nash was released pending further proceedings.
In a plea agreement filed in the case, the parties agree that a term of probation and a $250,000 fine is appropriate.
The government alleged in court documents that from 2019 until April 2021, Nash, through his businesses, DRK and Flash Performance, tampered with Clean Air Act monitoring devices by developing, marketing and selling software known as “tunes” that, when downloaded onto a vehicle’s computer, would override and disable the on-board diagnostic system so that it would no longer detect malfunctions in the emissions control system. Nash loaded his tunes onto a device known as a “tuner” that would plug into a vehicle’s on-board diagnostic port, establishing a connection so that the tune could be downloaded.
Nash also packaged the tuners with devices, such as “straight pipes,” which are used to disable the emissions control hardware. Nash sold these packages as DRK “delete kits” over the internet on eBay. Nash specifically marketed these “delete kits” as a way to circumvent the emissions control system in diesel trucks and customers purchased them with that intention. When the hardware devices and “tunes” were installed, a truck’s on-board diagnostic system was rendered ineffective, causing the truck to greatly exceed emission standards established under the Clean Air Act and release significantly more pollution. The pollutants include nitrogen oxide, carbon monoxide, non-methane hydrocarbons and particulate matter, which degrade air quality and pose a significant risk to public health. Further, Nash provided ongoing technical assistance to customers who purchased the kits to ensure they were able to effectively circumvent the emissions monitoring system. Nash successfully tampered with at least 845 trucks.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The Environmental Protection Agency conducted the investigation.
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Bergen County Man Charged in COVID-19 Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, man was indicted on charges that he fraudulently obtained hundreds of thousands of dollars of Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) funds, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Malak Faltawws, aka “Mark Andrews,” 47, of Rutherford, New Jersey, is charged with three counts of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering. He made his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge André M. Espinosa in Newark federal court and was released on $100,000 unsecured bond.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From March 2020 through November 2021, Faltawws fraudulently obtained hundreds of thousands of dollars in COVID-19 emergency relief funds, which included loans and cash advances meant for distressed small businesses under the EIDL program and PPP, by submitting false and fraudulent applications, inflating his businesses’ revenue, payroll expenses, and number of employees. After receiving the fraudulent funds, he diverted the proceeds for his personal gain.
Each wire fraud charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and each money laundering charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Each charge also carries a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain to the defendant or gross loss to the victim, whichever is greatest.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of IRS - Criminal Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan, and investigators of Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Inspector General John Gay, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Aja Espinosa of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
The District of New Jersey COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force is one of the five strike forces established throughout the United States by the U.S. Department of Justice to investigate and prosecute COVID-19 fraud. The strike forces focus on large-scale, multi-state pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces are interagency law enforcement efforts, using prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams designed to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
faltawws.indictment.pdfBvi Man Sentenced in Alien Smuggling CaseRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI - United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Lorenzo Ortis Charles, 36, a resident of the British Virgin Islands, was sentenced by Chief Judge Robert Molloy to over 5 months incarceration on his conviction on bringing aliens to the United States at a place other than a designated port of entry.
According to court documents, on February 23, 2024, Customs and Border Protection agents intercepted a vessel traveling from Tortola, BVI, and entering United States waters. The vessel was operating without navigational lights when it entered Leinster Bay, St, John. On board the vessel were six occupants, including Charles who was determined to be the captain. Neither Charles nor his five occupants received legal authorization to enter the United States. Charles now awaits deportations proceedings as he remained in custody from his February 26, 2024, arrest.
This was investigated by Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly M. Riley.
August Federal Grand Jury 2023-B Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the August Federal Grand Jury 2023-B Indictments.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Scott James Berkshire. Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor; Possession of Child Pornography in Indian Country. Berkshire, 63, of Tulsa, is charged with attempting to induce and entice an individual he believed was under 18 years old to engage in sexual activity. Additionally, Berkshire is charpged with possessing visual images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children under 12 years old. Homeland Security Investigations and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alicia Hockenbury and Scott Dunn are prosecuting the case. 24-CR-275
Preston James Campbell. Assault of a Federal Officer. Campbell, 41, of Bristow and a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, is charged with resisting, impeding, and assaulting a federal officer with a deadly weapon while the officer was performing his official duty. The U.S. Marshal Service is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney George Jiang is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-264
Jose Erlyn Carbajal-Soliz. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Carbajal-Soliz, 30, a Honduran national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed in Sep. 2021 at or near Alexandria, Louisiana. U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mandy M. Mackenzie is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-266
Dominique Rashaad Delonia. Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. Delonia, 30, transient, is charged with knowingly failing to register as a sex offender from Jul. 2024 through the date of the Indictment. The U.S. Marshal Service is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles Greenough is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-267
Markell Juanye Grass. Assault of an Intimate/Dating Partner by Strangling and Attempting to Strangle in Indian Country. Grass, 31, of Jay and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with assaulting an intimate and dating partner by strangulation. The FBI and the Jay Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen J. Flynn and Melissa Weems are prosecuting the case. 24-CR-269
Jose Ramon Guerra-Andrade. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Guerra-Andrade, 35, a Guatemalan national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed in Oct. 2013 at or near Harlingen, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mandy M. Mackenzie is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-268
Drayle Montey Nelson. Felon in Possession of a Firearm. Nelson, 36, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a firearm, knowing he was previously convicted of felonies. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron M. Jolly is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-276
Danny Lawrence Newton. Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. Newton, 42, of Broken Arrow, is charged with attempting to induce and entice an individual he believed was under 18 years old to engage in sexual activity. Homeland Security Investigations, the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Skiatook Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua M. Carmel is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-274
Sergio Ramirez. Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Carrying a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime; Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Ramirez, 40, a Mexican national, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition knowing he was unlawfully in the United States. He is further charged with knowingly possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute and carrying a firearm in relation to drug trafficking. Additionally, Ramirez is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed in Aug. 2022 at or near Laredo, Texas. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Attila Bogdan is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-270
Roger Lee Woolman. Arson in Indian Country. Woolman, 67, of Vinita and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with maliciously setting fire to Burroughs Manor and endangering the lives of several occupants. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Vinita Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan E. Michel is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-265
Asheville Methamphetamine Distributor Is Sentenced to 28 Years in Prison on Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Jason Dean Keever, 42, of Asheville, was sentenced to 336 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release today for trafficking methamphetamine, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Charlotte District Office, Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Sheriff William Wilke of the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and court proceedings, Keever and his co-defendant, Joel Wesley Creech, engaged in a conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in Haywood, Buncombe, McDowell, and Transylvania Counties. The investigation began in 2021, after the DEA and the HCSO learned that Keever and Creech were acquiring large quantities of methamphetamine and redistributing it to others within the Western District of North Carolina. On June 21, 2021, law enforcement conducting surveillance of Keever and Creech observed Keever’s vehicle leaving Creech’s residence in Haywood County. Law enforcement initiated a traffic stop of the vehicle. During a subsequent search of the vehicle, detectives located a void area under the steering wheel that contained a semi-automatic pistol with one round of ammunition in the chamber and four rounds in the magazine. Investigators also seized more than $10,000 in cash and two large plastic bags that contained nearly two kilograms of methamphetamine. According to filed court documents, the next day, detectives executed a search warrant at Creech’s residence, where they seized more than 1.5 kilograms of methamphetamine buried in the backyard.
On August 25, 2023, Keever pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a felon. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons.
On November 2, 2023, Creech was sentenced to 11 years in prison, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine,
The investigation was conducted by the DEA, the ATF, and the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended the DEA and the Haywood County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of the case, and thanked the McDowell, Buncombe, and Transylvania County Sheriffs’ Offices for their invaluable assistance.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Hess of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.
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Wasilla man charged with child pornography, firearm offensesRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A Wasilla man was charged by criminal complaint last week for allegedly possessing child pornography and possessing a firearm as a felon.
According to court documents, in June 2022, law enforcement obtained and executed a search warrant for a cell phone belonging to Paul Allen Greeno, 44. Upon review of the phone’s contents, agents found images of child sexual abuse, including sexual abuse of toddlers aged one to four years old.
On Aug. 5, 2024, the FBI executed a search warrant on Greeno’s person and residence. During the search, agents found four long gun rifles from a vehicle on his property. Several boxes of ammunition were also found in Greeno’s closet in his bedroom. Greeno was convicted of felony misconduct involving a weapon in December 2023.
The criminal complaint filed against Greeno alleges that he befriended vulnerable youth in Anchorage with promises to supply them with drugs and then sexually exploited them.
Greeno is charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession of child pornography depicting minors who have not attained 12 years of age. If convicted, Greeno faces up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska and Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Anchorage Field Office is investigating the case. If anyone has information concerning Greeno’s alleged actions or may have encountered someone in person or online using the name Paul Allen Greeno, please contact the FBI Anchorage Field Office at (907) 276-4441 or anonymously at tips.fbi.gov.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alana Weber is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Washington Man Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking 100,000 Fentanyl PillsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Washington man has been sentenced to 72 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release for possession with intent to distribute tens of thousands of fentanyl pills, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, during the early morning hours of August 31, 2022, Bloomington police officers were investigating a report of suspected fraud at an area hotel. The officers encountered Marcus Trice, 38, of Lakewood, Washington, and placed him under arrest for his suspected involvement in the financial fraud scheme. Officers learned that Trice had flown to the Twin Cities that night from Seattle, Washington. During a subsequent search of Trice’s belongings, officers found eleven large vitamin bottles wrapped in clothing inside his suitcase. The vitamin bottles were filled with over 100,000 round blue “M-Box” or “M-30” fentanyl pills.
On January 25, 2024, Trice pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Michael J. Davis.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bloomington Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Allen A. Slaughter prosecuted the case.
Washington D.C. Man Sentenced to Eight Months in Prison for Stealing $32,000 in High-End GoodsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Washington D.C. man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for stealing thousands of items from a high-end outlet store in Wrentham, Mass.
Linworth Hayes Crawford, III, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to eight months in federal prison, to be followed by two years of supervised release. Crawford must also pay $32,000 in restitution to the Gucci store at the Wrentham Outlets. In February 2024, Crawford pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to transport stolen goods in interstate commerce and one count of interstate transportation of stolen goods.
On the evening of Sept. 16, 2021, Crawford, along with his co-defendants Nathaniel Owens, and others traveled from the Washington D.C. area to the Wrentham Village Premium Outlets in Massachusetts. In the early morning hours of Sept. 17, 2021, Crawford and his co-defendants entered the Gucci store by smashing the store’s glass front door and stole $32,000 in high-end merchandise including handbags, duffle bags, backpacks and sunglasses.
The day after the theft, a co-defendant allegedly posted on his Instagram account that he had Gucci bags available for sale. Images of the bags appeared to be identical to the Gucci bags stolen during the burglary earlier that day.
Crawford also took responsibility for a second similar burglary at a Prada store in Dawsonville, Georgia, where $37,000 in merchandise was stolen.
Owens pleaded guilty in April 2024 and is awaiting sentencing.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Wrentham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Assistant U.S. Attorney David G. Tobin of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
Violent Offender Arrested for Selling Counterfeit Pills to Undercover OfficerRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Taunton man who allegedly sold over a kilogram of counterfeit pills to an undercover officer was arrested yesterday in connection with an ongoing investigation of the manufacturing of counterfeit pills containing methamphetamine.
Shavon Gurley, a/k/a “Soo Soo,” 29, of Taunton, was charged with distribution and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. The defendant was arrested yesterday morning and, following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston, was detained pending a hearing scheduled for Aug. 27, 2024.
According to the charging documents, Gurley was identified as being involved in trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine in conjunction with a Brockton-based drug trafficking organization.
As part of the investigation, between Aug. 2-5, 2024, undercover law enforcement allegedly communicated with Gurley about purchasing methamphetamine pills. On Aug. 5, 2024, Gurley allegedly sold 6,000 counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine, weighing over a kilogram, to an undercover officer. During the interaction, Gurley allegedly stated that he would drop the price per pill if the undercover officer were to buy 10,000 or 20,000 pills. It is further alleged that Gurley continued to discuss his drug operation with the undercover officer and boasted about selling kilograms of fentanyl that his customers then go on to sell in Maine.
During the controlled purchase with the undercover officer, Gurley allegedly stated that he sells kilograms of fentanyl for $30,000, and that the fentanyl is such high quality that it can be adulterated with cutting agents into 10 kilograms. It is further alleged that Gurley then stated he also sells a higher quality and purity fentanyl for $50,000, which can be adulterated into 50 kilograms. Gurley also allegedly boasted about property he has already acquired through selling narcotics and that he intends to reach $600,000 in profits. As alleged in the charging documents, Gurley complimented the undercover officer’s “aura” and promised to do business with the officer in the future. At the time of the sale, Gurley was allegedly on pretrial release for a domestic violence offense.
Lastly, during the execution of search warrants at Gurley’s residence and vehicle yesterday, law enforcement allegedly recovered a loaded black firearm, two posters depicting cherubim – with captions that read, “I Only Fear the Feds,” and “Rats Don’t Make it To Heaven,” – a bag containing an amount of controlled substances believed to be fentanyl, as well as a number of plastic bags containing approximately 10,000 counterfeit Adderall pills believed to contain methamphetamine.
According to the charging documents, Gurley has a lengthy juvenile record and criminal history that includes a number of prior firearm and violent offenses – including a 2012 conviction for assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon for attacking a man with a pistol and pointing the firearm at the victim’s head, for which he served a six to 10 year term in state prison.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of methamphetamine provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, five years and up to lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by Taunton Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Vienna man pleads guilty to illegally possessing ricinRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Vienna man pled guilty today to possession of ricin by an unregistered person.
According to court documents, in December 2022, Russell Richardson Vane IV, 42, conducted a number of searches on his federal government workplace computer for instructions on how to isolate ricin toxin from castor beans. At some time in December 2022 or January 2023, Vane obtained castor beans and successfully separated ricin toxin from them in his residence in Vienna. Vane disposed of the byproducts of the production and stored a sample of the ricin in a test tube for further testing but was unable to readily obtain testing equipment. He kept the test tube in a storage box in his home.
On April 10, 2024, laboratory equipment that Vane used to isolate the ricin was recovered during a search of his residence. Vane does not have a registration as required by regulations under the Public Health Services Act to lawfully possess ricin, which is a deadly poison.
Vane is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 7. He faces up to five years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Sanjay Virmani, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Counterterrorism Division, made the announcement after Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga accepted the plea.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda St. Cyr and Danya E. Atiyeh are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance provided by Trial Attorneys Justin Sher and James Donnelly of the National Security Division, Counterterrorism Section.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-101.
U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Sentence for Convicted Child PredatorRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Dulce man has been sentenced to 30 years in prison following a trial where evidence revealed that between January 2016 and January 2020, Joel Ruiz, 65, used candy to lure two children under the age of 12 into his trailer on the Jicarilla Apache Reservation, where he sexually assaulted them.
There is no parole in the federal system.
During the trial, Jane Doe 1 testified that Ruiz abused her when she was six or seven years old. The jury also heard from Jane Doe 2, who testified that Ruiz abused her once when she was three or four years old. Both victims described similar methods used by Ruiz to lure them and the abuse they suffered.
Upon his release from prison, Ruiz will be subject to l0 years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Jicarilla Apache Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Caitlin L. Dillon and Matthew J. McGinley prosecuted the case.
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U.S. Army Financial Counselor Sentenced to 151 Months in Prison for Defrauding Gold Star FamiliesRead the Press Release
Video statement by U.S. Attorney Sellinger
TRENTON, N.J. – A former Monmouth County, New Jersey, financial counselor with the United States Army who is a major in the U.S. Army Reserve was sentenced today to 151 months in prison for admitted defrauding Gold Star families and related crimes, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Caz Craffy, aka “Carz Craffey,” 42, of Colts Neck, New Jersey, pleaded guilty on April 16, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Georgette Castner to the indictment filed against him, which charged six counts of wire fraud and one count each of securities fraud, making false statements in a loan application, committing acts affecting a personal financial interest, and making false statements to a federal agency. Judge Castner imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
U.S.. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger“Caz Craffy was sentenced to prison today for brazenly taking advantage of his role as an Army financial counselor to prey upon families of our fallen service members, at their most vulnerable moment, when they were dealing with a tragedy born out of their loved one’s patriotism. These Gold Star families have laid the dearest sacrifice on the altar of freedom. And they deserve our utmost respect and compassion, as well as some small measure of financial security from a grateful nation. No amount of money can undo their enormous loss. Instead of offering guidance, Caz Craffy chose to defraud these heroic families. The lengthy term of imprisonment imposed today is just punishment for this heinous and shameless crime.”
“Those who prey on the family members of fallen soldiers, will be sought out and held accountable,” Special Agent in Charge Joel Kirch, Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, Northeast Field Office, said. “The hard work, long hours, and dedication of our partners within the Task Force, from the United States Attorney’s Office, Defense Criminal Investigative Service, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and our own investigative analyst, resulted in this investigation’s swift resolution.”
“Families of service members who have sacrificed their lives for our country should receive care, respect, and dignity from those assigned to help them secure survivor benefits,” Principal Deputy Director James R. Ives of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), the criminal investigative arm of the DoD Office of Inspector General, said. “This outcome underscores DCIS and our law enforcement allies’ unwavering dedication to ensuring that those who exploit their official roles to prey on mourning military families are held accountable.”
“Craffy made a conscious decision to defraud Gold Star families suffering from losing their loved one who paid the ultimate sacrifice serving this country,” FBI – Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “The money these survivors are given does nothing to ease their suffering. It does, however, help with the burdens they face, such as paying off a mortgage or putting their children through college. They believed Craffy was acting in their best interest, but instead, he was using their money as a method to make his own. Heartless and despicable don’t even begin to sum up his crimes.”
“The sentencing of Craffy represents the culmination of a thorough, long-term investigation that enabled us to obtain justice for the military families robbed in this case,” Homeland Security Investigations Newark acting Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker said. “Craffy dishonored the Gold Star families he swore to serve and disgraced his position as an advisor to these families by seeking his own gain in illicit financial transactions. I am proud of our multiagency team of detectives, agents and prosecutors who prevailed in holding this fraudster accountable.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
When a member of the Armed Services dies during active duty, his or her surviving beneficiary, now a member of a Gold Star family, is entitled to a $100,000 payment and the servicemember’s life insurance of up to $400,000. These payments are disbursed to the beneficiary in a matter of weeks or months following the servicemember’s death. To assist the beneficiaries in this time of need, the military provides a number of services to the servicemember’s family, including the assistance of a financial counselor.
From November 2017 to January 2023, Craffy was a civilian employee of the U.S. Army, working as a financial counselor with the Casualty Assistance Office. He is also a major in the U.S. Army Reserve, where he has been enlisted since 2003. Craffy was responsible for providing general financial education to the surviving beneficiaries. He was prohibited from offering any personal opinions regarding the surviving beneficiary’s benefits decisions. Craffy acknowledged that he was not permitted to participate personally in any government matter in which he had an outside financial interest. However, without telling the Army, Craffy simultaneously maintained outside employment with two separate financial investment firms.
Craffy used his position as an Army financial counselor to identify and target Gold Star families and other military families. He admitted to encouraging the Gold Star families to invest their survivor benefits in investment accounts that he managed in his outside, private employment. Based upon Craffy’s false representations and omissions, the vast majority of the Gold Star families mistakenly believed that Craffy’s management of their money was done on behalf of and with the Army’s authorization.
From May 2018 to November 2022, Craffy obtained more than $9.9 million from Gold Star families to invest in accounts managed by Craffy in his private capacity. Once in control of this money, Craffy repeatedly executed trades, often without the family’s authorization. These unauthorized trades earned Craffy high commissions. During the timeframe of the scheme, the Gold Star family accounts lost more than $3.7 million, while Craffy personally earned more than $1.4 million in commissions, drawn from the family accounts.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Castner sentenced Craffy to three years of supervised release and ordered forfeiture of $1.4 million. Restitution will be determined at a later date.
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has a pending civil complaint against Craffy based on the same and additional conduct. Craffy has been permanently prohibited from association with any member of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc. (FINRA).
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Kirch; special agents of DCIS, under the direction of Principal Deputy Director Ives; special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Dennehy; and special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Walker, with the investigation leading to the indictment. He also expressed appreciation for the Securities and Exchange Commission, under the direction of Gurbir S. Grewal, Director, Division of Enforcement, and FINRA, under the direction of Head of Enforcement Bill St. Louis.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carolyn Silane of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark and Martha K. Nye of the Criminal Division in Trenton.