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Monday 8 July 2024
Atlantic County Man Admits Possessing Destructive DevicesRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – An Atlantic County, New Jersey, man today admitted possessing four destructive devices, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Robert J. Moser, 32, of Mays Landing, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Edward S. Kiel to an information charging him with possessing destructive devices.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On March 17, 2023, law enforcement officers responded to Moser’s residence to assist him after he overdosed on drugs. Officers recovered at least four destructive devices in Moser’s bedroom. All four destructive devices contained explosive powder with a fuse sticking out of each device. One of the destructive devices contained metal pieces, the second destructive device contained a metal nail and a protruding metal screw hook, the third destructive device contained a protruding metal screw hook, and the fourth destructive device contained five metal dart tips. Moser admitted that the four destructive devices were operable weapons.
The charge to which Moser pleaded guilty is punishable by a maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for November 13, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Ross A. Marchetti; officers of the Township of Hamilton Police Department, under the direction of Chief Gregory K. Ciambrone; members of the Atlantic City Police Department Bomb Squad, under the direction of Chief James A. Sarkos; and personnel from the Atlantic City Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor William Reynolds, with the investigation leading to today’s plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.
moser.information.pdfAppleton Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on July 8, 2024, Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach sentenced Randy D. Mack (age: 36) to 15 years in federal prison after Mack was convicted of attempted possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to court records, in December 2022, agents intercepted a United Parcel Service (UPS) package intended for Mack that contained approximately 56,000 fake Percocet® pills containing fentanyl. The seized pills had a street value of approximately $537,660.
The investigation revealed that Mack distributed nearly 1 million fentanyl pills in Arizona, Michigan, and Wisconsin. In addition to sending them via UPS, he paid couriers to conceal fentanyl pills in carry-on luggage and transport them on commercial flights. During an interview, Mack took credit for most of the fentanyl pills in the Fox Valley, stating, “There’s not a single pill in the Valley that doesn’t have my name on it.”
According to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), counterfeit Percocet® pills are commonly made by Mexican drug cartels and smuggled into the United States. Laboratory testing indicates that 7 out of every 10 pills seized by the DEA contain a lethal dose of fentanyl. In 2023, the DEA seized more than 80 million fentanyl-laced fake pills and nearly 12,000 pounds of fentanyl powder, which is equivalent to more than 381 million lethal doses of fentanyl.
This case was investigated by the Lake Winnebago Area Metropolitan Enforcement Group – Drug Unit (LWAM) and the DEA. Assistant United States Attorney Alex Duros prosecuted the case.
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Activity in the U.S. Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
Public Land Offenses
Braden Kyle Winters, 34, of Grand Junction, Colorado, was sentenced to seven days in jail and fined $1,500 plus court costs for driving under the influence. In addition, he received two years of unsupervised probation and a ban from Yellowstone National Park, for the same period, for failure to comply with a traffic control device. According to the citation, Winters was observed by a U.S. Park Ranger getting into his vehicle with an open can of beer in his hand. He then drove the vehicle away from a parking lot, driving with the passenger side tires approximately 1.5 feet over the fog line. He had four passengers in the vehicle with him, three of which were minors. Standard Field Sobriety Tests performed by the Rangers yielded results suggestive of alcohol impairment. Winters provided a breath sample on the Intoxilizer 9000 with a result of .123. This crime was investigated by the National Park Service and the case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariel Calmes.
Drug Trafficking
Deangela Jordawn Stewart, 31, and Chad Nathan Stewart, 51, of Casper, Wyoming, were each sentenced to 92 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Jul. 3 and Jul. 5, respectively. According to court documents, in August 2023, the Central Enforcement Team of the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) identified several distributors of controlled substances in Natrona County, including the Stewarts. When agents attempted to make a controlled buy at the Stewart’s residence, they witnessed a minor present during the transaction and immediately obtained a search warrant. They seized 1.7 pounds of methamphetamine and 11 fentanyl pills. Deangela pleaded guilty on Apr. 11 and Chad pleaded guilty on Apr. 17. This crime was investigated by the DCI, and the case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ava Covert.
Escape from Custody
Wolfe Jon Taylor Willow, 39, of Crowheart, Wyoming, was sentenced to 19 months’ imprisonment for escape from custody. According to court documents, on Jan. 16, the defendant was scheduled to report to the Casper Re-Entry Center after serving a sentence in Victorville, California for failure to register as a sex offender. Willow did not show up in Casper and did not alert anyone to his whereabouts. He turned himself in to the Wind River Police Department 12 days later. Willow pleaded guilty on Apr. 10. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Jul. 3. This crime was investigated by the U.S. Marshal Service, and the case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kerry J. Jacobson.
About the United States Attorney’s Office
The United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The Office is involved in several programs designed to make our communities safer. They include:
Environmental Justice
The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies.
Project Safe Childhood
Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide commitment to reducing gun and gang crime in America by networking existing local programs that target gun crime and providing these programs with additional tools necessary to be successful.
Victim Witness Assistance
The Victim Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is dedicated to making sure that victims of federal crimes and their family members are treated with compassion, fairness, and respect.To report a federal crime, go to: https://www.justice.gov/actioncenter/report-crime#trafficking
Friday 5 July 2024
United States Attorney Celebrates 60 Years of Civil Rights Progress, Reminds Community of Their VoiceRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – In honor of the 60th anniversary of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, joined national leaders this week in celebrating this monumental step forward in our country’s journey towards equality.
“Our office stands firmly committed to upholding the principles enshrined in the Civil Rights Act,” stated U.S. Attorney Bennett. “We will continue our diligent efforts to protect and uphold civil rights throughout the Western District of Kentucky.”
The United States Attorney’s Office’s Civil Rights Program seeks to protect the rights of the most vulnerable and underserved members of our community through enforcement of both federal civil and criminal civil rights laws. In addition to other Assistant U.S. Attorneys who handle civil rights cases, the office has two designated civil attorneys, Assistant United States Attorneys Jessica R. C. Malloy and Calesia Henson, who specialize in enforcing laws prohibiting discrimination. This includes protecting against discrimination based on race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, national origin, citizenship, immigration status, sexual orientation, gender identity, familial status, or disability, as well as protecting the civil rights of servicemembers, incarcerated persons and individuals housed in public institutions, and individuals with limited English proficiency. The Office has also designated two Assistant United States Attorneys in its Criminal Division to coordinate efforts to prosecute violations of criminal civil rights statutes. Assistant United States Attorney Chris Tieke coordinates the prosecution of criminal civil rights violations, and Assistant United States Attorney Erin McKenzie coordinates the criminal prosecution of human trafficking, which involves the exploitation of a person for labor, services, or commercial sex.
If you believe your civil rights have been violated, please call the United States Attorney’s Office’s Civil Rights Program at (502) 582-6023, send an email to [email protected], or mail your complaint to:
Attn: Civil Rights Program
United States Attorney’s Office
Western District of Kentucky
Louisville, KY 40202
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Tangipahoa Parish Residents Indicted for Drug Distribution Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MARK FRIDGE, III (“FRIDGE”), age 22, SHYHEIM PINES (“PINES”), age 29, and KAWAIISHH BROWN (“BROWN”), age 50, all of Tangipahoa Parish, were indicted on June 28, 2024 for violations of the Federal Controlled Substances Act, including distribution of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury, and violations of the Federal Gun Control Act, announced United States Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court documents, FRIDGE, PINES and BROWN were indicted for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a substance containing forty grams or more of a detectable amount of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 846, and conspiracy to distribute a substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury to the victim, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 846. FRIDGE was indicted on two counts of distribution of a substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl resulting in serious bodily injury to the victim, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C). PINES and BROWN were indicted for possession with intent to distribute fifty (50) grams of more of methamphetamine and quantities of cocaine and fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 841(b)(1)(B), and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i). BROWN was also indicted for being a felon in possession of firearms, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
If convicted of the drug conspiracy count, FRIDGE, PINES, and BROWN face a mandatoryminimum term of imprisonment of five years and up to a maximum term of imprisonment of forty years, a fine of up to $5,000,000.00, and at least four years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. For the conspiracy and distribution resulting in serious bodily injury counts, FRIDGE, PINES, and BROWN face a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of twenty years and up to a maximum term of imprisonment of life, a fine of up to $1,000,000.00, and at least three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. For the possession with intent to distribute counts, PINES and BROWN face a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of ten years and up to a maximum term of imprisonment of life, a fine of up to $10,000,000.00, and at least five years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. For the possession of firearms in furtherance of the drug trafficking crime counts, PINES and BROWN face a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of five years and up to a maximum term of imprisonment of life to run consecutively to any other sentence imposed, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and up to five years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. For the felon in possession count, BROWN faces a maximum term of imprisonment of fifteen years, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and up to three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. FRIDGE, PINES and BROWN, individually, also face payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee for each count of conviction.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charging document and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration Fentanyl Overdose Response Team (FORT), which is comprised of the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Hammond Police Department, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, the St. Tammany Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the St. Tammany Parish District Attorney’s Office, 21st Judicial District Court, as well as the Southeastern Louisiana University Police Department.
The Fentanyl Overdose Response Team (FORT) is a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) led initiative aimed at reducing the number of fentanyl-related poisonings. FORT investigates both fatal and non-fatal fentanyl poisonings to identify the drug trafficker(s) responsible and help bring them to justice. FORT is a multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional initiative led by DEA's New Orleans Division.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Sarver and André Jones of the Narcotics Unit.
Six People Indicted for Conspiracy to Commit Sex Trafficking in MassachusettsRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed last week in Boston charging Christy Parker, 26; Alexander Smalls, 25; Cory Primo, 42; Avvani Jeffers, 22; Tre’sean Reid, 21; and Tyreik Reid, 20, with conspiracy to commit sex trafficking and other sex trafficking charges.
According to the indictment, between January and August 2023, Parker, Smalls, Tre’sean Reid and Tyreik Reid used force, threats of force, fraud and coercion to compel an adult woman to engage in commercial sex. The indictment further alleges that, between July and August 2023, Parker, Smalls, Primo and Jeffers used force, threats of force, fraud and coercion to compel a minor to engage in commercial sex. The indictment further alleges that, in August 2023, Parker, Primo and Jeffers knowingly recruited, enticed, harbored, transported, provided, obtained and maintained another minor for commercial sex. Finally, the indictment alleges that all defendants conspired to commit sex trafficking between January and August 2023.
Jeffers was arrested on June 27 and made an initial appearance later that day. Jeffers is currently detained pending a detention hearing on July 8. Parker and Primo will appear in U.S. District Court in Boston on July 8. Smalls is awaiting trial in South Carolina and will be arraigned in Boston at a later date. Tyreik Reid will appear in US District Court in South Carolina for a detention hearing on July 10. Tre’sean Reid is currently a fugitive.
If convicted of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, the defendants each face a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. If convicted of sex trafficking of a minor, the defendants face a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. If convicted of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking, the defendants face a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy for the District of Massachusetts and Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol of the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New England Field Office made the announcement.
The Somerset Police Department and HSI New England Field Office are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley-Cunniffe for the District of Massachusetts and Trial Attorney Francisco Zornosa of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.
HSI asks anyone with information about the defendants to contact the HSI New England Field Office at (617) 565-7400. If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, please call the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1 (888) 373-7888.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Six Indicted in Sex Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An indictment was unsealed last week in federal court in Boston charging six individuals for their alleged involvement in a sex trafficking conspiracy that victimized two minors and one adult. It is further alleged that the adult victim was trafficked throughout Massachusetts, Rhode Island and South Carolina. The defendants allegedly kept all the profits for their own financial gain and used threats and violence to maintain control over the victims.
Christy Parker, 26, of Fall River; Alexander Smalls, 25, of Beaufort County, S.C.; Cory Primo, 42, of Fall River; Avvani Jeffers, 22, of Fall River; Tre’sean Reid, 21, of Beaufort County, S.C.; and Tyreik Reid, 20, of Allendale, S.C., were indicted on charges of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion; sex trafficking of a minor; and conspiracy to commit sex trafficking. Jeffers was arrested on June 27, 2024 and made an initial appearance later that day. Jeffers is currently detained pending a detention hearing on July 8, 2024. Parker and Primo will appear in U.S. District Court in Boston on July 8, 2024. Smalls is awaiting trial in South Carolina and will be arraigned in Boston at a later date. Tyreik Reid will appear in US District Court in South Carolina for a detention hearing on July 10, 2024. Tre’sean Reid is currently a fugitive.
According to court filings, between January and August 2023, Parker and Smalls worked together – with assistance from Primo, Jeffers and Smalls’ brothers, Tre’sean Reid and Tyreik Reid – in a scheme to coerce one adult victim and two minor victims to engage in commercial sex in Massachusetts and surrounding states for their exclusive financial gain.
It is alleged that, in early 2023, Parker reached out to the adult victim, indicating she was homeless and needed a place to live. After moving in with the victim, Parker and her boyfriend, Smalls, allegedly coerced the victim to quit her job and begin engaging in commercial sex. Parker and Smalls allegedly forced the victim to sign a “profit sharing contact,” which required the victim to “remain loyal and humble and stay focused.” Thereafter, Parker and Smalls allegedly forced the victim to engage in commercial sex – scheduling and coordinating commercial sex acts and setting prices – and took all of the profits. It is alleged that Parker used physical violence, threats of violence and other threats to maintain control. It is further alleged that, in the spring of 2023, Parker travelled with the victim to South Carolina where she continued sex trafficking the victim and collected all of the profits. Upon returning from South Carolina, Parker enlisted help from Primo and Jeffers to traffic the victim throughout Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
In July 2023, Parker was introduced to a 16-year-old minor victim and, shortly thereafter, allegedly compelled the minor victim to begin engaging in commercial sex. Specifically, it is alleged that Parker used various methods to maintain control over the minor victim – including physical violence, threats of violence, alcohol, marijuana, starvation and sleep deprivation. Further, Parker would allegedly beat the minor victim if she fell asleep because a customer could request her at any time. On one occasion, Parker allegedly withheld food from the minor victim for 4-5 days after failing to collect the entire fee from a buyer. It is alleged that Parker regularly beat and choked the minor victim and did not let her receive necessary medical treatment.
In August 2023, Parker allegedly began trafficking a 17-year-old minor victim who had run away from a group home. It is alleged that Parker scheduled sex buyers for the minor victim, from which Parker would collect all of the profits. It is further alleged that Parker threatened to physically assault the minor victim if she did not work.
“The allegations in this case are truly chilling. One minor victim in this case was forced to engage in sex for money with many men. That young girl is someone’s daughter, she is someone’s granddaughter. It is hard to conceive of more vile conduct than what is set forth in these charges. Sex trafficking is not a distant problem – it is happening right here, in our neighborhoods, and often goes unnoticed or unreported,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Our office is relentlessly pursuing individuals who inflict such exploitation and suffering simply to line their own pockets. We are using every resource at our disposal to hold perpetrators accountable and seek justice for every victim.”
“For months, these victims endured brutality and depravity allegedly at the hands of these individuals,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “While these arrests are a significant step toward securing justice, we recognize that this marks only the beginning of three survivors’ paths toward recovery. HSI New England, together with law enforcement partners, is committed to ensuring all trafficking victims are given access to the programs, services and resources necessary to their future healing and success.”
If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please contact [email protected].
The charge of sex trafficking by force, fraud or coercion, provides for a sentence of at least 15 years and up to life in prison, no less than five years of supervised release and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. The charge of sex trafficking of a minor provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, no less than five years of supervised release and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $ 250,000. The charge of conspiracy to commit sex trafficking provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, no less than five years of supervised release and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division; and HSI SAC Krol made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Somerset Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Riley-Cunniffe, Chief of the Civil Rights & Human Trafficking Unit and Trial Attorney Francisco Zornosa of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Rossi Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison and Ordered to Pay More than $3 Million for Scheme to Defraud Former EmployerRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Morton, Illinois, man, Aaron J. Rossi, 41, was sentenced on July 2, 2024, to five years in prison and ordered to pay more than $3 million in restitution and fines for his scheme to defraud his former employer and filing of false income taxes.
A federal grand jury returned an indictment in March 2022, charging Rossi with three counts of filing false tax returns. A superseding indictment adding six counts of mail fraud for a fraud committed against his former employer, was returned in July 2022. Rossi entered into a plea agreement in February 2024, in which he pleaded guilty to one count of filing a false tax return and one count of mail fraud. The remaining seven counts were dismissed.
At the sentencing hearing before Chief U.S. District Judge Sara Darrow, the government presented evidence that Rossi had engaged in a practice of lying and deceiving others for his own benefit from the outset of his former employment at Central Illinois Orthopedic Surgery (“CIOS”) through the entirety of the court proceedings on these charges. The government demonstrated how Rossi had spent years lying to his employer while stealing money and then, simultaneously, providing false information on his tax returns. Rossi admitted that he had taken funds from CIOS without its knowledge or permission and had purchased personal items and services with the funds. Among other expenditures, he used the funds to purchase a home theater system, lease a luxury vehicle, and rent a private jet for his bachelor party. Further, the government demonstrated that Rossi’s scheme included falsely representing himself to others, including patients, as a doctor even though he was not a licensed physician and not authorized to practice medicine. He also wrote 29 counterfeit prescriptions, one of which was falsely written in the name of a third party who, as a result, was denied entry into a cancer trial.
In imposing sentence, Judge Darrow noted that Rossi’s theft served no purpose other than his own greed and desire. She stated that he was already legally receiving a handsome salary from his former employer but stole from them to further his lifestyle. She explained that he did not use the money for necessities, or even things that were “nice to have” but rather for items that were luxuries. She further discussed Rossi’s betrayal of his former employer and his theft from innocent people who had done nothing wrong at all but instead trusted Rossi, befriended him, and offered to mentor him. Judge Darrow described that betrayal and Rossi’s squandering of opportunity and his talents as a shame.
Judge Darrow ultimately found that the Federal Sentencing Guidelines did not fully capture the scope of Rossi’s fraud. As a result, she sentenced him to 60 months in the Bureau of Prisons, to be followed by a two-year term of supervised release; imposed a fine of $1,000,000, and ordered him to pay full restitution in an amount of more than $2.2 million dollars to his former employer as well as taxes to the Internal Revenue Service and the State of Illinois’ Department of Revenue.
Rossi was originally released on bond following indictment, but his bond was revoked, and he was placed in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service in September 2023 after multiple bond violations. He had remained in custody pending sentencing.
Rossi faced statutory penalties of up to 20 years’ imprisonment and up to a three-year term of supervised release for the mail fraud, and up to 3 years’ imprisonment and up to a one-year term of supervised release for the false tax return count. Each of the counts also carried a potential fine.
“This sentence highlights the tireless effort and commitment of the investigative agencies and prosecutors who seek justice against those who commit this type of fraud.” said U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris. “Crimes such as these continue to cost employers and taxpayers billions of dollars each year. My office will maintain its fight to protect the citizens in Central Illinois from this fraudulent conduct.”
“The sentencing of Aaron Rossi sends a clear message that the U.S. Postal Inspection Service will aggressively investigate and bring to justice those who use the U.S. Mail to line their pockets. We are dedicated to defending the nation’s mail system from criminal activity and preserving the integrity of the U.S. Mail. We value our law enforcement partners and their support of our mission,” said Ruth Mendonça, Inspector in Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which includes Peoria, Illinois.
“This sentencing sends a clear message that deceit, and theft—especially in times of crisis—will not go unpunished,” said Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Chicago Field Office. “Aaron Rossi shamelessly stole from his employer, the State of Illinois, and the American public for his own personal gain during a time when many people were struggling. IRS Criminal Investigation and our law enforcement partners remain steadfast in our commitment to holding individuals like Rossi accountable while ensuring that justice is served.”
The case investigation was conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Internal Revenue Service. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office also provided assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Douglas F. McMeyer and Tanner K. Jacobs represented the government in the prosecution.
PRC Citizens Sentenced for Conspiring to Transport Illegal Aliens to GuamRead the Press Release
Saipan, MP – Shawn N. Anderson, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announces that on July 2, 2024, ChangCai Dong, age 61, and YongBing Tang, age 54, both citizens of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) were sentenced in the District of the Northern Mariana Islands for Conspiring to Transport Illegal Aliens, in violation of 8 U.S.C. § 1324 (a)(1)(A). The Court ordered each defendant to serve 30 days in prison, one year of supervised release, 50 hours community service, and pay a $100 mandatory assessment fee. Both defendants were also ordered to promptly return to the PRC after serving their sentence.
The defendants were among 12 PRC nationals and two U.S. citizen crew members rescued by U.S. Navy helicopters during an attempted illegal transit from Saipan to Guam in July of 2023. Their boat, overloaded and poorly equipped for rough seas, ran out of fuel near the island of Rota and drifted for more than 14 hours before the crew radioed a distress call. During the sentencing hearing, both defendants expressed deep regret for getting on the boat, and one recalled fearing that the boat would capsize “under dark skies and big waves.” He thought they would all die and thanked the U.S. government for rescuing them even though they broke the law.
“Our federal and local partners will continue to target unlawful travel between the CNMI and Guam,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “This activity is an abuse of the CNMI parole program. It also creates substantial risk to those involved in these voyages, in addition to the rescuers.”
“Those who seek to undermine the rule of law, and in the process endanger the lives of their victims for the sake of profit, will be held accountable,” said Lucia Cabral-DeArmas, Acting Special Agent in Charge for HSI Honolulu. “It’s fortunate no lives were lost, and HSI will continue to exercise our investigative expertise to protect human rights.”
The rescue was a coordinated effort by the U.S. Coast Guard and U.S. Navy, with assistance from allied military personnel and resources.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Department of Public Safety-Rota.
Assistant United States Attorney Eric S. O’Malley from the District of the Northern Mariana Islands prosecuted the case.
Las Vegas Man Sentenced to over Eight Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and HeroinRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas man was sentenced Tuesday to 97 months in prison for selling large amounts of methamphetamine and heroin in Las Vegas.
According to court documents, from January 2022 to September 14, 2022, Jacobo Aguilar Humberto (43) conspired with co-defendant Eduardo Flores-Martinez to sell methamphetamine and heroin for cash. At times, as part of the conspiracy, Humberto would call Flores-Martinez, his courier, to sell narcotics on his behalf. During the conspiracy, Humberto directly sold or dispatched Flores-Martinez to sell methamphetamine and heroin on multiple dates.
On September 14, 2022, law enforcement agents recovered one pound of heroin and one ounce of methamphetamine, as well as $2,060 in cash and two loaded firearms from Humberto’s vehicle. Agents also conducted a traffic stop on Flores-Martinez’s vehicle where they recovered one pound of methamphetamine, one ounce of heroin, and a loaded firearm. During a search of Humberto’s residence, agents recovered $16,156 and three firearms.
Humberto pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. In addition to 97 months in prison, United States District Judge Gloria M. Navarro sentenced Humberto to five years of supervised release.
Flores-Martinez pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. On July 25, 2023, United States District Judge Gloria M. Navarro sentenced Flores-Martinez to 84 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kevin Adams for the DEA Las Vegas District Office made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the DEA and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Brister prosecuted the case.
If you are aware of controlled substance violations in your community — which may include the growing, manufacture, distribution or trafficking of controlled substances — please submit your anonymous tip through the DEA Tip Line at https://www.dea.gov/submit-tip.
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Glendale Man Arrested for Trafficking over 450 Kilograms of FentanylRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – David Quintero-Mascareno, 20, of Glendale, was arrested on Monday, and charged by complaint with Knowingly and Intentionally Possessing with Intent to Distribute 400 Grams or More of a Mixture or Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance.
The complaint alleges that, on July 1, 2024, Quintero-Mascareno presented himself for inspection at the Port of Entry in Lukeville, driving a gray Dodge Ram towing a trailer loaded with a utility terrain vehicle. Quintero-Mascareno claimed he was returning to the United States from Puerto Penasco, Sonora, Mexico, and gave a negative customs declaration for contraband. A Customs and Border Protection (CBP) canine, trained to detect narcotics, alerted to the utility trailer.
CBP officers found approximately 234 packages, containing blue pills imprinted with “M30,” concealed in the trailer’s floorboards and rails. A representative sample of the pills field-tested positive for the properties of fentanyl. The packages weighed a total of almost 460 kilograms.
A conviction for Possession with Intent to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, a fine of $10,000,000, or both, and a maximum term of five years supervised release.
A complaint is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations are conducting the investigation. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 24-07915MJ
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-089_Quintero-Mascareno# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Glendale Man Arrested for Trafficking over 450 Kilograms of FentanylRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – David Quintero-Mascareno, 20, of Glendale, was arrested on Monday, and charged by complaint with Knowingly and Intentionally Possessing with Intent to Distribute 400 Grams or More of a Mixture or Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Fentanyl, a Schedule II controlled substance.
The complaint alleges that, on July 1, 2024, Quintero-Mascareno presented himself for inspection at the Port of Entry in Lukeville, driving a gray Dodge Ram towing a trailer loaded with a utility terrain vehicle. Quintero-Mascareno claimed he was returning to the United States from Puerto Penasco, Sonora, Mexico, and gave a negative customs declaration for contraband. A Customs and Border Protection (CBP) canine, trained to detect narcotics, alerted to the utility trailer.
CBP officers found approximately 234 packages, containing blue pills imprinted with “M30,” concealed in the trailer’s floorboards and rails. A representative sample of the pills field-tested positive for the properties of fentanyl. The packages weighed a total of almost 460 kilograms.
A conviction for Possession with Intent to Distribute 400 Grams or More of Fentanyl carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, a fine of $10,000,000, or both, and a maximum term of five years supervised release.
A complaint is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Homeland Security Investigations are conducting the investigation. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, is handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: 24-07915MJ
2024-089_quintero-mascareno_.pdf
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-089_Quintero-Mascareno# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Douglas Man Sentenced to 130 Months for Alien Smuggling Resulting in DeathRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Manuel Victor Gastelum, 27, of Douglas, was sentenced last week by United States District Court Judge Rosemary Márquez to 130 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Gastelum pleaded guilty to Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit Resulting in Death on January 31, 2024. Gastelum also was sentenced to 12 months in prison for violating conditions of his federal probation from a prior alien smuggling conviction.
On December 4, 2020, Gastelum picked up eight undocumented noncitizens near the border to transport them further into the United States. While driving westbound on Interstate 10 near Vail, Gastelum began driving recklessly and lost control of the vehicle, rolling it multiple times. A 42-year-old male passenger was ejected from the vehicle and subsequently pronounced dead at the scene. Several other passengers were transported to the hospital with serious injuries. Gastelum fled from the crash on foot but was apprehended later that morning several miles away.
Gastelum had previously been convicted of Transportation of Aliens for Profit Placing Life in Jeopardy in 2019 after he fled from law enforcement and crashed at a gas station while transporting undocumented noncitizens. For that conviction, Gastelum was sentenced to 18 months in prison and three years of supervised release. He violated his conditions of supervised release by committing this new offense three months after his release from federal prison.
When imposing the 130-month sentence, Judge Márquez emphasized that a long sentence was necessary to protect the public.
Homeland Security Investigations, Tucson, conducted the investigation in this case, with the assistance of the Arizona Department of Public Safety. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-21-00516-TUC-RM-MAA
CR-19-01602-TUC-RM-MAA
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-088_Gastelum# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Convicted Felon Guilty of Shooting at Police Sentenced to 25 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A man with a violent criminal past was sentenced to serve 25 years in prison for shooting at federal and local law enforcement officers attempting to take him into custody on felony warrants during an hours-long stand-off at a residence located in a Warner Robins, Georgia, neighborhood.
Renaldo Smith, 33, of Warner Robins, was sentenced to serve a total of 300 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on July 3. Smith previously pleaded guilty to one count of aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer and one count of use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Renaldo Smith put the lives of many people at risk when he opened fire on law enforcement officers attempting to take him safely into custody,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “These highly trained officers are to be commended for their display of bravery in the line of duty and for safely bringing the defendant into custody.”
“The U.S. Marshals Service Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force is composed of Deputy U.S. Marshals and specially deputized and highly trained state and local officers whose primary mission is to arrest violent state and local fugitives. This is dangerous work that keeps our communities safe,” said U.S. Marshal Stephen Lynn. “This incident highlights the risks that these dedicated professionals face every day. It was a job well done.”
According to documents and statements referenced in court, Smith was wanted on state felony warrants when the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) learned that Smith was located at a residence on Somerset Drive in Warner Robins on Jan. 31, 2023. The USMS Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force (SERFTF) attempted to execute a search warrant at the location. Smith opened the door and quickly shut it; multiple gun shots were rapidly fired from inside the residence as SERFTF team members attempted to enter lawfully. The Warner Robins Police Department (WRPD) SWAT team arrived on scene, and the WRPD Hostage Negotiator Team communicated with Smith for hours in an attempt to get him to peacefully stand down and exit the home. After hours of negotiations, the SWAT team deployed pepper spray into the home, and gunfire was exchanged between Smith and the SWAT team. Smith was taken into custody. Inside of the residence, law enforcement recovered a Glock 9mm pistol with a 30-round drum magazine and a rifle. Smith has been convicted of several prior felonies including robbery by force and possession of methamphetamine.
This case is a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) and the Warner Robins Police Department (WRPD) with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), FBI and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica L. Daniels prosecuted the case for the Government.
Alaska Businesswoman Pleads Guilty to Tax Evasion SchemeRead the Press Release
An Alaska woman pleaded guilty on Wednesday to evading taxes on income she earned from the business she operated.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Tina H. Yi, of Anchorage, was the sole owner and operator of SJ Investment LLC, a hotel, bar and liquor store in Nome, Alaska, that did business as Polaris HBL. Yi created the business in approximately April 2007 and operated it until approximately October 2017, when the physical property was destroyed in a fire.
From approximately 2014 to 2018, Yi maintained two sets of financial records relating to the business’ income and expenses, one of which accurately captured SJ Investment’s income and expenses, and one that understated the business’s income. Yi provided the false records to her accountant to prepare her tax returns. As a result, her 2014 through 2018 tax returns were all false.
Yi caused a total tax loss to the IRS of over $550,000.
Yi is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 11, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. She also faces a period of supervised release, restitution and monetary penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney John C. Gerardi of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Bradley for the District of Alaska are prosecuting the case.
Wednesday 3 July 2024
Zuni Man Pleads Guilty to AssaultRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni man pleaded guilty in federal court to charges arising from 2023 assault which resulted in serious bodily injury.
According to publicly available court documents, on February 25, 2023, Christopher Hannaweeke, Sr., 49, an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Zuni, assaulted John Doe. During the assault, Hannaweeke kicked John Doe in the head and body. As a result, John Doe suffered fractures to his face, extreme physical pain, and had to hospitalized for a period of time.
The Court ordered that Hannaweeke remain on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
At sentencing, Hannaweeke faces 21 months in prison. Upon his release from prison, Hannaweeke will be subject to up to three 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 Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Zuni Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin L. Dillon is prosecuting the case.
View the Plea Agreement# # #
Winnebago Man Sentenced for Assault Resulting in Substantial Bodily Injury to Domestic PartnerRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Amarro T. Loera, 27, of Winnebago, Nebraska, was sentenced on July 3, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for assault resulting in substantial bodily injury to a domestic or dating partner. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Loera to 21 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Loera’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
On July 9, 2023, Loera assaulted his domestic and dating partner by hitting and strangling her. The victim suffered bruising to her neck, was bleeding from her face, and had an eye that was swollen shut from the assault. The offense occurred on the Winnebago Indian Reservation and involved a felony assault, giving rise to federal jurisdiction for the offense.
This case was investigated by the FBI.
Windsor Man Sentenced to 3 ½ Years for Drug Trafficking and Possession of MachinegunRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Byron Ellison, 28, Windsor, Wisconsin, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge William M. Conley to 3 ½ years in federal prison for possessing heroin and fentanyl intended for distribution and possessing a machine gun. Ellison pleaded guilty to these charges on March 14, 2024. The prison term will be followed by 3 years of supervised release.
Between September 9, 2023, and October 9, 2023, Ellison sold a heroin and fentanyl mixture to an undercover officer on four separate occasions. On October 17, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Ellison’s residence. In a safe in Ellison’s bedroom, they found a loaded Polymer 80 9mm handgun with a “Glock switch” attached to it. In the same safe was a Mini Draco AK47-variant pistol and 13 grams of a heroin and fentanyl mixture. In a backpack in Ellison’s room, investigators found a loaded .40 caliber Polymer 80 handgun.
A “Glock switch” is an illegal after-market device that converts a Glock semi-automatic handgun into a fully functioning machinegun. A Polymer 80 is a privately made firearm (aka “ghost gun”) that does not have a serial number. Ghost guns are put together using components purchased either as a kit or as separate pieces.
At sentencing, Judge Conley recognized that notwithstanding Ellison’s criminal history, this would be his first time being sent to prison. Judge Conley also noted that this was a serious case because Ellison was a drug dealer who had a ghost gun with a switch, a firearm capable of spraying bullets in an indiscriminate manner.
The charges against Ellison were the result of an investigation conducted by the Dane County Narcotics Task Force and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan prosecuted this case.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
Wethersfield Man Charged with Distributing Narcotics to Overdose VictimRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Meriden Police Chief Roberto Rosado today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging JIMMY LASSUS, 39, of Wethersfield, with distribution of fentanyl and oxycodone. The charge stems from an investigation of an overdose death in October 2023.
The indictment was returned on June 25, 2024. Lassus appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and entered a plea of not guilty. He has been detained since his arrest on a federal criminal complaint on April 11, 2024.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, in the early morning of October 6, 2023, Meriden Police responded to a residence on a report of a suspected overdose and found a 27-year-old woman unresponsive in a bedroom. She was transported to the hospital where she was pronounced deceased. The investigation revealed that for several months before the victim’s death, the victim engaged in numerous drug-related text message conversations with Lassus. The text messages revealed that Lassus supplied the victim with oxycodone, and that he supplied her with fentanyl that she ingested in the hours before she died. The victim stated in text messages and in a journal entry that it was her first time using fentanyl.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner determined the victim’s death to be caused by acute intoxication due to the combined effects of fentanyl, benzodiazepines, xylazine, and oxycodone.
If convicted of the charge in the indictment, Lassus faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This investigation is being conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Meriden Police Department, with the assistance of the Wethersfield Police Department. The Task Force includes members from the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brendan Keefe and Reed Durham.
Tellico Village Property Owners' Association Agrees to Pay $1.3M Following Receipt of PPP LoanRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Tellico Village Property Owners Association, Inc. (TVPOA) has agreed to pay $1,361,992.22 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by applying for, receiving, and obtaining forgiveness of a loan under the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) for which it was not eligible.
Congress created the PPP in March 2020, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to provide relief to small businesses experiencing economic hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic. Although certain nonprofit organizations were eligible to receive PPP Loans at various times throughout the program, 501(c)(4) nonprofit organizations have never been eligible.
In April 2020, TVPOA, a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization, applied for and received a PPP loan. The PPP application required applicants to identify their business type from a list of eligible options or, alternatively, to select “Other.” The application also required applicants to certify that they were eligible to receive a PPP loan. On the application it submitted, “C-Corp” was selected as TVPOA’s entity type. In submitting its application, TVPOA represented that it was eligible to receive the applied-for loan. TVPOA later applied for and received forgiveness of its PPP loan. TVPOA cooperated fully with the United States’ investigation and contends that any misstatements in its application were inadvertent. The settlement amount reflects TVPOA’s cooperation.
This Settlement resolves a lawsuit filed under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to sue on behalf of the government for false claims and receive a share of any recovery. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. GNGH2, Inc. v. Tellico Village Property Owners Association, Inc., No. 3:23-cv-199 (E.D. Tenn.).
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexa Ortiz Hadley and Ben Cunningham represented the United States, with assistance from the Small Business Administration.
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 the 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.
The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
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Tampa Man Who Was A Fugitive for Nearly 15 Years Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Possess with Intent to Distribute over 100 Kilograms of MarijuanaRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Zecki Halum, (40, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute over 100 kilograms of marijuana. Halum faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, in August 2009, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) received information that a recreational vehicle (RV) would be used to transport approximately 200 pounds of marijuana from Arizona to the Middle District of Florida. Agents tracked the RV as Halum’s co-conspirator, Dale Wetherholt, drove the RV to Florida. Upon Wetherholt’s arrival in Tampa, he was met by a vehicle driven by another co-conspirator with Halum in the passenger seat. Wetherholt, Halum, and the co-conspirator followed each other first to a convenience store parking lot, and then to a church parking lot in Crystal Springs, where they planned to unload the marijuana from the RV. At that time, agents arrested Halum and his coconspirators. Agents searched the RV and found over 100 kilograms of marijuana packaged in bales and wrapped in a manner consistent with drug trafficking.
Halum was indicted on September 23, 2009. In February 2010, Halum violated the conditions of his pretrial release, failed to appear for court, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Halum was arrested on the warrant on March 29, 2024.
Wetherholt pleaded guilty on November 12, 2009, to the same offense and was sentenced on April 30, 2010, to 30 months in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jeff Chang and Kelley Howard Allen.
Sweepstakes Operators Plead Guilty to Bank Secrecy Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
Two Missouri men pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring with bankers to willfully fail to implement appropriate anti-money laundering (AML) controls at a Missouri bank, as required by the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA).
Kevin Brandes, 60, and William Graham, 56, both residents of Kansas City, Missouri, owned and operated multiple sweepstakes businesses and held accounts for those businesses at the Missouri bank. According to court documents, from 2013 to 2019, Brandes and Graham abetted bank officials in failing to implement key components of the bank’s AML program.
Under the BSA and its implementing regulations, the bank was required to file currency transaction reports (CTR) with the Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) for any transaction in currency of more than $10,000. In 2017, at the request of bank officials, Brandes and Graham signed FinCEN CTR Exemption Review Forms that classified their companies as “direct mail advertising” businesses. After receiving the signed exemption forms, the bank failed to file CTRs with FinCEN on transactions involving Brandes’ and Graham’s businesses. Additionally, Brandes’ and Graham’s companies were deemed “high risk” and subject to heightened monitoring under the bank’s policies and procedures. Brandes and Graham understood that by signing the CTR exemption forms the bank would apply less scrutiny to their companies’ transactions.
Additionally, on or about Oct. 11, 2016, at the direction of two bank officials, Brandes and Graham had an outside attorney sign a legal opinion letter, then sent it to the bank, knowing that it contained false information. Specifically, the letter indicated that one of Brandes’ companies “in over 3 years has not received negative or unwanted legal action by way of regulatory bodies or private suits.” Brandes and Graham knew at the time, however, that this information was false because a state regulatory agency had filed a legal action against the company in question. Brandes and Graham both believed this letter would help the bank circumvent its requirements under the BSA.
Brandes and Graham each pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to cause the willful failure to implement and maintain an appropriate anti-money laundering program. Brandes and Graham will be sentenced at a later date and face maximum penalties of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Teresa A. Moore for the Western District of Missouri, Special Agent in Charge Justin R. Bundy of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General (FDIC-OIG) Kansas City Region, Special Agent in Charge Thomas F. Murdock of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) St. Louis Field Office, and Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division made the announcement.
FDIC-OIG, IRS-CI, and the FBI are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Chad M. Davis and Christopher Ting of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick D. Daly and Matthew N. Sparks for the Western District of Missouri are prosecuting the case.
MLARS’ Bank Integrity Unit investigates and prosecutes banks and other financial institutions, including their officers, managers, and employees, whose actions threaten the integrity of the individual institution or the wider financial system.
St. Cloud Man Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Entice A 14-Year-Old Child to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Daniel Michael Mohat (27, St. Cloud) has pleaded guilty to attempted enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Mohat faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, and up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, in August 2022, law enforcement engaged in an online undercover multi-agency operation based out of Nassau County, for the purpose of identifying and apprehending individuals using the internet to exploit juveniles for sexual activity. During the operation, Mohat contacted one of the undercover agents, who was posing as a 14-year-old girl, via social media. Over the course of several days, Mohat engaged in a sexually oriented conversation with the undercover agent. On multiple occasions, Mohat requested that the “girl” create explicit videos and pictures of herself and send them to him.
This case was investigated by the Naval Criminal Investigative Service and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David B. Mesrobian.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Springfield Man was Sentenced to over Nine Years in Prison for Firearms ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Springfield for firearms offenses.
Benjamin Hunter-Blake, 25, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 114 months in prison followed by 36 months of supervised release. In April 2024, Hunter-Blake pleaded guilty to one count each of felon in possession of firearm and ammunition, unlawful possession of machinegun, and unlawful possession of unregistered firearm (a silencer).
On Jan. 27, 2023, during a search of Hunter-Blake’s Springfield residence five pistols, including a .40 caliber pistol with an attached “Glock switch” machinegun conversion device and an assault rifle style pistol with silencer and a high capacity drum magazine containing 22 rounds of ammunition; four other Glock switches; and a large collection of ammunition, large capacity magazines, and other firearms-related items were seized. Hunter-Blake’s mobile phone, which contained evidence that Hunter-Blake had been obtaining and distributing other firearms, including Glock switches, to other individuals, including at least one person with a felony conviction, after two state firearms convictions and while on pretrial home conferment for a third state firearms case was also found.
Hunter-Blake was convicted twice in state court on firearms felonies and is currently under indictment and house arrest for a third state firearms case.Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance provided by the Springfield Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven H. Breslow of the Springfield Branch Office is prosecuting the case.
South Carolina Man Sentenced to 180 Months for CarjackingRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that, on June 28, 2024, ONIS WASHINGTON (“WASHINGTON”), age 25, a resident of South Carolina, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey to 180 months of imprisonment, 3 years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee for carjacking, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2119.
On January 2, 2022, in the 1000 block of Carondelet Street, WASHINGTON and his co-defendant forcefully stole a car from the victim and fled in the stolen vehicle. Louisiana State Police and the New Orleans Police Department located the vehicle, but it refused to stop. Following a chase, WASHINGTON and his co-defendant hit several vehicles and crashed the stolen vehicle, before fleeing on foot. WASHINGTON was later arrested in South Carolina.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Louisiana State Police, and the New Orleans Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Inga Petrovich of the Violent Crime Unit.
Shelton Man Charged with Producing Child Sex Abuse ImagesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New England, and Connecticut State Police Colonel Daniel Loughman today announced that ROSS DeLIBRO, 53, of Shelton, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with production of child pornography.
DeLibro has been detained since his arrest on related state charges on June 11, 2024.
As alleged in court documents, in March 2024, a detective assigned to the Connecticut State Police Computer Crimes Unit began an investigation into the sharing of child sex abuse images and videos over a peer-to-peer file sharing network. The investigation revealed that an internet protocol (IP) address assigned to DeLibro’s residence in Shelton had been used to download child sex abuse videos. On May 1, 2024, investigators conducted a court-authorized search of DeLibro’s residence and seized his Apple MacBook Air, his iPhone, an external hard drive, and other items. Analysis of the seized items revealed image and video files depicting male children being sexually abused, including two images in which DeLibro appears engaging in sexually explicit conduct with a toddler.
The charge of production of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Connecticut State Police, with the assistance of the Shelton Police Department and the Connecticut Department of Emergency Services and Public Protection’s Division of Scientific Services. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel George and Nancy Gifford.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office Victim Advocate can be reached at [email protected] or 203-696-3039.
SDTX hosts historic reentry simulationRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas (SDTX) hosted, for the first time in its history, a reentry simulation for law enforcement, lawyers and probation, non-profit agencies, city personnel and relevant community members to mimic the challenges people who leave prison often face when reintegrating into society, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
The event was held at the United Way of Greater Houston July 2 and was designed to provide a deeper appreciation for the complexity of reentry and a stronger commitment to support policies and programs that address these challenges.
The simulation placed participants in the shoes of someone recently released from prison. In the exercise, attendees were given a detailed profile and had to navigate daily tasks under constraints similar to those formerly incarcerated people face. They had to try to find employment, secure housing, attend probation meetings or access necessary services - all with limited time, financial resources and facing significant bureaucratic hurdles.
A debrief and discussion about the criminal justice system and the complexities of reentry followed the simulation.
“This empathy, I hope, will lead to tomorrow’s second chances,” said Hamdani.
When individuals leave prison, they face significant challenges that act as barriers to reintegration - securing employment, finding stable housing, accessing healthcare and mental health support, and reconnecting with family and community. Without proper support, the risk of recidivism increases dramatically.
However, effective reentry programs that provide holistic support aimed at addressing this myriad of challenges can make a difference. By offering job training, educational opportunities, substance abuse treatment, mental health services and housing assistance, these programs create a supportive framework for individuals to rebuild their lives. Research consistently demonstrates that communities with robust reentry initiatives see significant reductions in recidivism rates. This not only promotes community safety but also reduces the financial burden on the justice system and taxpayers.
The simulation provided an eye-opening opportunity to participants. Some expressed the understanding of the immense difficulties those reentering society often face. The experience of frustration, anxiety and the constant pressure to comply with numerous requirements while trying to rebuild a life provided insights that mere statistics and reports cannot convey.
The SDTX is committed to raising awareness about the importance of reentry and to supporting initiatives that promote successful reintegration into society.
“I hope by combining the strengths of effective reentry programs and the enlightening experience of reentry simulations, we can forge a justice system that not only reduces recidivism but also honors the humanity and potential of every individual,” said Hamdani. “Stakeholders who truly understand and empathize with the struggles of reentry can become powerful advocates for the necessary changes in policy and practice.”
Hamdani praised the work of Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Krystal Walker Noble, who organized and led the effort on behalf of the SDTX.
“The hurdles returning citizens face demonstrate how they continue to pay a debt to society long after completing a term of imprisonment,” said Noble. “By hosting this reentry simulation, the SDTX has encouraged community partners to join us in reducing recidivism throughout the district.”
For more information, please contact Noble at [email protected].
Rexburg Man Convicted of Wire Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft Sentenced to More Than 5 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – Kelly Ryan McCandless, 53, of Rexburg, was sentenced to 65 months in federal prison following his convictions for defrauding his partners out of more than $580,000, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today.
According to court records, in 2017, McCandless and two others formed a partnership to build a 96-bed student housing property in Rexburg, Idaho. McCandless’s contribution was to build the property, using a loan secured by the partnership, at cost. In exchange for his efforts, and upon completion of the project, he would be entitled to 24.5% of the building equity and future proceeds.
Over the course of the next year, however, and beginning with the very first bank withdrawal, McCandless falsified subcontractor invoices and bank withdrawal requests. He unlawfully used subcontractors’ signatures to withdraw loan proceeds from the bank at a higher amount than what was invoiced to build the project. The bank relied on those documents and wired McCandless the proceeds from the loan. McCandless continued this scheme for months and improperly took approximately $580,000, which he used to purchase personal items like a brand-new pickup truck, several snow mobiles, several dirt bikes, toy haulers, a Jeep, a Jeep Grand Cherokee, $5,000 in dental work, vacations, among other expenditures. His actions caused the project to come to a standstill, and but for one of the partners injecting more capital into the project, the student housing property would never have been completed.
After a six-day jury trial, McCandless was found guilty of four counts of wire fraud and four counts of aggravated identity theft on November 29, 2023.
Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also ordered McCandless to pay a $10,000 fine and to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
“The defendant defrauded partners who put their trust in him and spent the funds he stole on a lifestyle he could not legitimately afford,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “We will not tolerate this illegal conduct, which truly harms victims and threatens our local economies. I’m grateful for the FBI’s hard work in this case, and we thank the jury for its service.”
“Like many fraudsters, McCandless was motivated by greed, lining his pockets with the embezzled money and spending it on expensive toys for himself,” said Shohini Sinha of the Salt Lake City FBI. “While he may have benefited in the short term, he will now be held accountable for betraying and defrauding his victims.”
U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the work of the FBI, which led to the charges. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Morse and former Assistant U.S. Attorney John Shirts prosecuted this case.
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Recidivist Pittsburgh Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Large-Scale Distribution of CocaineRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court on July 2, 2024, to 15 years in prison on his conviction of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV imposed the sentence on Kevin Rucker, 53.
According to information presented to the Court, over the course of nearly a year, Rucker supplied multiple kilograms of cocaine to other drug traffickers in the Pittsburgh area. During the conspiracy, Rucker was responsible for the possession or distribution of at least 35 kilograms of cocaine. Rucker was previously convicted in 2015 in federal court in Pittsburgh of conspiring to distribute heroin.
Prior to imposing sentence, Judge Stickman noted that Rucker was a recidivist drug trafficker responsible for large-scale trafficking in the Pittsburgh area, and that Rucker served as a ringleader in the conspiracy. In addition to the term of incarceration, Judge Stickman also ordered Rucker to serve 10 years of supervised release following his release from prison.
“The successful investigation and prosecution of Kevin Rucker was the result of a coordinated effort between the United States Attorney’s Office and multiple federal and local law enforcement agencies,” said U.S. Attorney Olshan. “Our office remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners to protect the Western District of Pennsylvania from drug traffickers—particularly large-scale, repeat offenders like Rucker—and the harm their criminal activities inflicts on our communities.”
Assistant United States Attorney Douglas C. Maloney prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, and Federal Bureau of Investigation for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Rucker.
This prosecution is part of two Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigations. 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.
Quad Cities Man Sentenced to 126 Months in Federal Prison for Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Quad Cities man was sentenced on Wednesday, June 26, 2024, to 126 months in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute less than 50 kilograms of marijuana and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to public court documents, Trevon Demon Horne, 23, was arrested by the Davenport Police Department following a search warrant executed at his Davenport residence. During the search of Horne’s residence, officers located approximately a pound of marijuana, digital scales, currency, and a Glock .45 caliber firearm with an auto-sear switch which made the firearm a machinegun. Horne admitted to selling marijuana and possessing the Glock in furtherance of his drug trafficking.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Horne will be required to serve 5 years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Davenport Police Department.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
President of Freight Forwarding Company Indicted for Allegedly Smuggling Goods from the United States to RussiaRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The President of a freight forwarding company has been indicted for allegedly smuggling goods from the United States into Russia without a license.
Kirill Gordei, 34, was indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States; one count of smuggling goods from the United States; and one count of export of a spectrometer which is a commerce control item. Gordei was arrested on June 30, 2024 in Florida and was released on conditions following an initial appearance in the Middle District of Florida yesterday. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date.
Gordei is a citizen of Belarus and the United States who resides in Hallandale, Fla. He is the President of Apelsin Logistics, a freight forwarding company, located in Hallandale Beach, Fla. Apelsin also has an address in Russia and two websites both of which are registered and hosted in Russia.
According to the indictment, on or about Aug. 11, 2023, Gordei allegedly falsely claimed that he was shipping an Orbitrap Exploris GC 240 Mass Spectrometer – an item that delivers high data quality and versatility to accelerate scientific discovery for academic, industry research, government and omics laboratories – to Uzbekistan when it was, in fact, destined for Russia. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022, a series of stringent export controls were implemented that restrict Russia’s access to the technologies and other items that it needs to sustain its attack on Ukraine. As of April 8, 2022, license requirements for exports, reexports and transfers to or within Russia were expanded to cover the most sensitive items subject to controls on a Controlled Commerce List. The Spectrometer, which was valued at over $600,000, was on the Controlled Commerce List and required a license from the Bureau of Industry and Security to export to Russia.
“By allegedly smuggling sensitive technology to Russia, Mr. Gordei undermined the critical framework established to protect national security. This case highlights the importance of enforcing export controls, especially regarding sensitive items on the Controlled Commerce List, which include technologies vital to scientific and industrial advancement. Our office will prosecute those who attempt to circumvent U.S. laws for personal or commercial gain, particularly when such actions have potential implications for global security,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy.
“As alleged, Gordei defrauded U.S. government export regulators and smuggled advanced scientific technology to Russian customers, placing personal profit over national security,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department will use every available tool to disrupt illicit supply chains used to funnel illegally sophisticated technologies to Russia and other hostile powers.”
“Freight forwarders play an outsized role in the export of items overseas and, accordingly, are expected to help uphold the law rather than subvert it,” said Assistant Secretary for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod. “Here, Kirill Gordei — the president of a freight forwarding company — is alleged to have willfully evaded restrictions designed to degrade the Russian war machine by obfuscating the value and ultimate destination of a mass spectrometer.”
The charge of Export of Commerce Control Items provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of smuggling goods from the United States provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States provides for a sentence of five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and Assistant Secretary Axelrod made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection; U.S. Marshals Service; and the Transportation Security Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura J. Kaplan of the National Security Unit is prosecuting the case with assistance from Trial Attorney Christopher Magnani of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence & Export Control Section.
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.
Portland Man Faces 10+ Years to Life for Enticement of a Minor, Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Portland man pleaded guilty on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Portland to enticing a minor and possessing child sexual abuse material.
According to court records, in December 2022, Joshua Decker, 36, met the 16-year-old victim in an online chat forum and began regularly communicating with them despite knowing the victim was a minor. In April 2023, the conversations became graphic and sexual, and Decker discussed traveling to meet the victim. The U.S. Attorney’s Office does not identify victims of crime and is limiting identifying information, including gender and location, to protect the minor victim’s privacy. In July 2023, the Portland Police Department executed a search warrant on Decker’s vehicle and person, recovering a tablet. Examination of the tablet revealed child sexual abuse material. Decker was convicted in Androscoggin County Criminal Court in 2018 for possession of sexually explicit material of a minor under 12.
Decker faces no less than 10 years and up to life in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 on the enticement charge and 10–20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 on the possession of child pornography charge. Any sentence would be followed by five years to life of supervised release. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) investigated the case with assistance from the Portland Police Department.
Online enticement is increasing: The National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC) reported an alarming 300% increase in online enticement reports between 2020 and 2023. “Online enticement” involves an individual communicating with someone believed to be a child via the internet with the intent to commit a sexual offense or abduction. This type of victimization takes place across every platform, including social media, messaging apps, gaming platforms, etc. Learn more about online enticement, including red flags and risk factors, at https://www.missingkids.org/theissues/onlineenticement. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
Project iGuardian program available to Maine communities: The Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) program Project iGuardian is focused on keeping children and teens safe from online predators through education and awareness. The in-person educational outreach effort was created to share information about the dangers of online environments, how to stay safe online, and how to report abuse and suspicious activity. Schools, parent groups, and other community groups interested in bringing the program to their community can find more information at: https://www.dhs.gov/know2protect/training.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.
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Pekin Man Sentenced to 21 Months in Prison for Filing a False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
PEORIA, Ill. – A Pekin, Illinois, man, Kenin L. Edwards, 59, was sentenced on July 1, 2024, to 21 months in federal prison for making and subscribing a false tax return. Edwards will also serve one year of supervised release and is required to pay restitution, in addition to a $10,000.00 fine.
At the sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge James E. Shadid, the government presented evidence that Edwards was employed in the logging business as a timber buyer. His employment included contract work between landowners and sawmills, and he was paid a commission for the deals that he closed. In late 2017, Edwards formed a partnership with his son, which he named Edwards & Sons Log Purveyors. For the tax years 2014 through 2018, Edwards underreported income totaling $2,100,365.00 to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”), resulting in a total federal tax loss of $180,626.00. In addition, he underreported income totaling $673,359.00 to the Illinois Department of Revenue (“IDR”), resulting in a total state tax loss of $22,004.00. Edwards has a remaining tax loss due to the IRS of $6,346.00 and has paid the tax loss to the IDR. Interest and penalties due to both the IRS and IDR have not yet been paid.
A federal grand jury returned a 14-count indictment against Edwards in March 2021. Counts One through Four involved mail fraud and Counts Five through Seven were wire fraud charges. Counts Eight through Fourteen related to the filing of false tax returns.
Edwards pleaded guilty to one count of filing a false tax return in November 2023, pursuant to a written agreement. The court dismissed the remaining charges at sentencing upon the government’s motion. A ruling on the restitution amount due will be made at a later date.
The statutory penalties for filing a false tax return are up to three years imprisonment; up to one year of supervised release; and a fine of up to $100,000.00.
The case investigation was conducted by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Illinois Department of Revenue. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy C. Bass, Douglas F. McMeyer, and Sarah E. Seberger represented the government in the prosecution.
Oregon man arrested for indecent exposure after flight from Oregon to New Hampshire is diverted to BuffaloRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.- U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Neil McCarthy, 25, of Oregon, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with indecent exposure, which carries a maximum penalty of six months in prison and a $5,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who is handling the case, stated according to the complaint, on July 3, 2024, the Niagara Frontier Transit Authority (NFTA) Police were called to Gate 2 at the Buffalo Niagara International Airport, to respond to a report made by an American Airlines flight that a man exposed himself and urinated in the aisle of the aircraft while the plane was in flight. The aircraft was diverted from the original destination of Manchester, New Hampshire, to Buffalo. When the flight landed, an officer boarded the airplane and spoke to a flight attendant, who said that McCarthy had exposed himself and urinated on the flight. McCarthy was taken into custody and escorted off the plane.
McCarthy made an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and was released on his own recognizance.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Niagara Frontier Transit Authority Police, under the direction of Chief Brian Patterson and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Omaha Man Sentenced for Possession of Stolen Mail, Use of Access Devices and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Michael B. Emmanuel, 37, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on July 3, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for possession of stolen mail, unauthorized use of access devices and aggravated identity theft. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Emmanuel to 41 months’ imprisonment for the stolen mail and access device offenses, to run concurrently, and a mandatory consecutive 24 months for the aggravated identity theft offense. There is no parole in the federal system. After Emmanuel's release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. Emmanuel must also pay $32,972.71 in restitution.
Starting in about November 2022, residents west of Omaha reported a rash of thefts from their mailboxes, followed by fraudulent accounts being set up or attempted to be set up in their names. During traffic stops and residence searches in January to March 2023, stolen mail, credit and debit cards, identification documents, altered checks and other ID-theft related items were found in the possession of Emmanuel and his co-defendant, Maximino Vallecillo, who was sentenced previously in connection with the same case. Video from area merchants showed Emmanuel, sometimes accompanied by Vallecillo, conducting transactions with debit or credit cards stolen from mailbox theft victims. Emmanuel also set up a bank account using the name of another person and attempted to negotiate altered checks through that account. Investigators identified approximately $68,428 worth of altered checks and attempted transactions that resulted in actual loss of approximately $32,972.71.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department, the Douglas County Sheriff’s Office, the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office and United States Postal Inspection Service.
New York Man Pleads Guilty to Traveling to Louisiana to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with Fifteen-Year-Old FemaleRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that PETER NEALON (“NEALON”), age 66, from Schenectady, New York, pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Darrel James Papillion to interstate travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2423(b).
According to court documents, beginning on or about July 17, 2023, NEALON met law enforcement personnel operating in an undercover capacity posing as a fifteen-year-old female (FM1) on Instagram. Over the next several months, NEALON engaged FM1 in overtly sexual conversations and, on multiple occasions, transmitted images and videos depicting what he claimed to be his erect penis. Beginning in about July 2023, and continuing on multiple occasions until on or about March 27, 2024, during his communications with FM1, NEALON told FM1 that he intended to visit her in Louisiana to engage in sex with FM1 and explained, in considerable detail, the sex acts he intended to perform.
In February 2024, NEALON used a messaging application to communicate with someone he believed to be a fourteen-year-old female, who was FM1’s friend (FM2). During
conversations with FM1 and FM2, NEALON expressed an intent and expectation to engage in various forms of sexual contact with FM1 and FM2, individually and collectively.
In March 2024, NEALON discussed logistics of his trip with FM1 and, on about March 19, 2024, booked flight and hotel reservations from Albany, New York, to New Orleans, Louisiana. NEALON travelled by plane to New Orleans on about March 27, 2024, in furtherance of his intent to engage in sexual acts with FM1 and FM2.
NEALON faces a maximum term of imprisonment of thirty (30) years. NEALON also faces at least five (5) years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. NEALON may also be required to register as a sex offender. Sentencing before Judge Papillion has been scheduled for October 8, 2024.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorneys Briana Williams and Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, are in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Federal Drug and Weapons ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –GERARD TURNER (“TURNER”), age 22, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Wendy B. Vitter to 87 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release, along with a $400 mandatory special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8); possession of a machinegun, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(o) and 924(a)(2); possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(D); and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).
According to court documents, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at TURNER’s residence in July, 2023. TURNER possessed distributable quantities of marijuana; a loaded Romarm/Cugir Model Mini Draco, 7.62x39-millimeter semi-automatic pistol; rounds of various calibers of ammunition, including a loaded pistol magazine and loaded drum magazine; and a machinegun conversion device, which is designed to turn a semi-automatic firearm into a fully automatic machinegun. TURNER has prior felony convictions for simple burglary, illegal use of weapons, and illegal possession of stolen things.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Controlled Substances Act ViolationRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JASON LONIE (“LONIE”), age 47, pled guilty on July 2, 2024, before United States District Judge Darrel James Papillion to possession with intent to distribute fifty (50) grams or more of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B).
As a result of his guilty plea, LONIE faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five (5) years and up to forty (40) years imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000 fine, at least four (4) years of supervised release, and payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
According to court documents, LONIE was investigated as a methamphetamine supplier in Orleans Parish. During the course of the investigation, LONIE was arrested, searched and found in possession of 84 grams of methamphetamine in his backpack, that he intended to distribute.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Louisiana State Police, and the New Orleans Police Department. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.
Montebello Man Found Guilty of Distributing Fentanyl that Resulted in Victim’s Fatal Overdose at Long Beach Drug Rehabilitation ClinicRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A federal jury today found a Montebello man guilty of distributing fentanyl to a buyer who then distributed it to a victim who the next day suffered a fatal overdose of the powerful synthetic opioid at a Long Beach drug treatment facility in late 2021.
Juan Carlos Gutierrez, 33, a.k.a. “Johnny G,” was found guilty of one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and serious bodily injury, a felony offense that carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment.
According to evidence presented at an eight-day trial, Gutierrez on December 9, 2021, distributed fentanyl to co-defendant Jayleen Feusier, 36, of South Gate. Previously that night, Feusier agreed to get fentanyl for the victim, a 34-year-old man who was residing at a Long Beach drug treatment facility. In exchange for $60, Feusier agreed to get the fentanyl for the victim from Gutierrez.
Later that night, Feusier broke off approximately one gram of the fentanyl that Gutierrez provided to her, packaged it in a small plastic baggie, and placed the baggie, a lighter, and drug paraphernalia into a small box. She then placed the small box into a bag with a black t-shirt to mask the contents, ordered an Uber delivery service, and placed the item on the backseat of the vehicle to be delivered to the victim at the rehabilitation facility. Feusier then sent a link to the victim so he could track the Uber as it traveled to him.
At around 11 p.m. that night, the victim jumped a fence and retrieved the package from the Uber vehicle then went back inside the drug treatment facility. Approximately six hours later, the victim’s body was discovered inside the facility’s living room. Drug paraphernalia sent by Feusier was discovered nearby the victim.
The Los Angeles County Medical Examiner’s Office ruled that the victim’s death was caused by a fentanyl overdose.
United States District Judge Stanley Blumenfeld Jr. scheduled an October 15 sentencing hearing for Gutierrez, who has been in federal custody since May 2023.
Feusier, who has been in federal custody since February 6, pleaded guilty on March 5 to one count of distribution of fentanyl. She faces up to 20 years in federal prison at her sentencing hearing, which is expected to occur in the coming months.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Long Beach Police Department investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremy K. Beecher and Danbee C. Kim of the General Crimes Section are prosecuting this case.
Methamphetamine Dealer Sentenced to 188 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
CAPE GIRARDEAU – U.S. District Judge Stephen N. Limbaugh Jr. on Wednesday sentenced a methamphetamine dealer to 188 months in prison.
Marcus M. Nelson, 42, of Cairo, Illinois pleaded guilty in March in U.S. District Court in Cape Girardeau to two counts of distributing methamphetamine. He admitted selling meth on two occasions to a confidential informant who told Drug Enforcement Administration agents about past purchases of multiple ounces of meth from Nelson. On July 10, 2023, Nelson sold 157 grams of meth for $1,600 to the informant at a Cape Girardeau home. On July 16, 2023, he sold 446 grams, or nearly one pound, of meth for a downpayment of $2,500 and a later payment of $700 more.
Nelson’s sentence will run consecutive to any prison sentence he receives for violating his parole on a robbery conviction. Nelson was sentenced to 140 months in prison after a 2001 conviction for conspiracy to distribute and distribution of cocaine base in the Southern District of Illinois.
The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Willis prosecuted the case.
Manchester Man Arrested for Manufacturing and Trafficking Counterfeit Pharmaceutical PillsRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Manchester man has been charged in connection with operating a counterfeit pill pressing scheme, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Jerry Summers, 44, of Manchester, was charged by complaint with one count of manufacturing a controlled substance, containing fentanyl and methamphetamine, two counts of distribution of a controlled substance, one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, and trafficking in a drug and using a counterfeit drug mark on or in connection with such drug. The defendant’s next scheduled hearing is July 8, 2024.
According to the charging documents, after a multi-month federal and state investigation, on July 1, 2024, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Clandestine Laboratory Team executed a federal search warrant of Summer’s Manchester office suite, rented under the name of “Summertime Drywall and Maintenance LLC.” During the search, DEA agents located a pill press that was covered in powdered residue and wrapped in soundproofing material, and large amounts of colored press tablets. A drug test revealed the presence of fentanyl and amphetamines on the residue found on and around the pill press.
On two prior occasions, Summers sold pills to a confidential informant. During the first sale, which occurred on March 21, 2024, Summers sold a quantity of blue pills that were marked as being OxyContin but later tested positive for fentanyl. During the second sale, on April 10, 2024, Summer sold a quantity of blue pills that were marked as being OxyContin but later tested positive for fentanyl as well as a quantity of orange pills that were marked as being Adderall but later tested positive for methamphetamine.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Manchester Police Department led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey W.R. Ward is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Lexington Man Sentenced for Trafficking Fentanyl Resulting in Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Lexington man, Eeston Thomson, 22, was sentenced on Wednesday, by U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove, to 240 months in prison, for distribution of acetylfentanyl and fentanyl resulting in an overdose death.
According to his plea agreement, on June 26, 2022, law enforcement responded to reports of an unresponsive victim. When law enforcement arrived, the victim was pronounced dead, and it was suspected that he died from a fentanyl overdose. Law enforcement searched the residence and found piece of a blue pill on the kitchen counter, which was later confirmed to contain acetylfentanyl and fentanyl.
Law then enforcement searched the victim’s phone and found an Instagram conversation between the victim and Thomson from June 25, 2022, discussing the purchase of pills. When Thomson found out about the victim’s death, he admitted to a friend that he had sold the victim the pills, and believed he was responsible for his death.
Under federal law, Thomson 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 3 years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Erek Davodowich, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Louisville Field Division; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA and the Lexington Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Greenfield is prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States.
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Lexington Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of Firearm and Fentanyl Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky. – A Lexington man, David Hager, 27, was sentenced on Wednesday, by U.S. District Judge Gregory Van Tatenhove, to 120 months, for two counts of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, one count of possession of a machine gun, and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
In May 2023, agents with ATF, received information that David Hager was distributing fentanyl and firearms. During the investigation, ATF purchased 15 firearms and a machine gun conversion device from Hager. ATF also purchase approximately 10 grams of fentanyl from Hager. After these purchases, a search warrant was executed at Hager’s residence, where agents located three additional firearms (one of which was stolen), multiple high-capacity magazines, suspected explosive devices, and approximately 37 grams of fentanyl. Hager had previously been convicted of a felony and was prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Under federal law, Hager must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence. Upon Hager’s release from prison, he will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Shawn Morrow, Special Agent in Charge, ATF, Louisville Field Division; and Chief Lawrence Weathers, Lexington Police Department, jointly announced the sentence.
The investigation was conducted by ATF, with assistance from the Lexington Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Rieker prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
This case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s “Project Safe Neighborhoods” Program (PSN), which is a nationwide, crime reduction strategy aimed at decreasing violent crime in communities. It involves a comprehensive approach to public safety — one that includes investigating and prosecuting crimes, along with prevention and reentry efforts. In the Eastern District of Kentucky, U.S. Attorney Shier coordinates PSN efforts in cooperation with various federal, state, and local law enforcement officials.
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Las Vegas Business Owner Sentenced to Prison for Submitting over $700,000 in Fraudulent Invoices to HospitalRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas business owner was sentenced Tuesday to 21 months in prison for submitting over $700,000 in false invoices to a hospital, causing the hospital to mail checks to the defendant for products not provided to the hospital.
According to court documents, beginning in 2020 and continuing through June 14, 2022, Roland Sagun Torres devised a scheme to defraud a hospital located in Nevada. As part of the fraudulent scheme, Torres used the names of at least 100 patients and doctors at the hospital to submit false invoices from his business for products that he did not provide to the hospital. In total, Torres’s submission of these false invoices caused the hospital to mail checks to Torres’s company in the amount of $712,000 for products he never provided.
On November 3, 2023, Torres pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud. In addition to imprisonment, United States District Judge Gloria M. Navarro sentenced Torres to three years of supervised release and ordered Torres to pay $712,000 in restitution.
United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement.
This case was investigated by the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Edward Veronda prosecuted the case.
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Kissimmee Man Who Attempted to Entice A Child to Engage in Sexual Activity Sentenced to More Than 12 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Paul G. Byron has sentenced Damien Jesse Suhr (41, Kissimmee) to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison for attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual conduct. Suhr was found guilty by a federal jury on March 28, 2024.
According to evidence presented at trial, on May 27, 2023, the FBI was involved in an operation with the Osceola County Sheriff’s Office. As part of the operation, a profile was created by the FBI on a dating application, which indicated that the user, “Jack,” was an adult, but depicted a photo of a 14-year-old boy. On that dating application, “Jack” and Suhr began exchanging messages and then quickly switched to exchanging cellphone text messages, in which the “child” made clear to Suhr that he was 14 years old. For two weeks, Suhr spoke to the “child” about engaging in sex with him. Suhr explained in detail the sexual acts he wanted to perform on and with the “child.” Additionally, he directed the “child” to delete his text messages with Suhr to avoid detection by his mother or law enforcement. He selected a location at a gas station that was convenient for him to meet the “child.” Suhr sent messages to the “child” requesting that he wear a specific type of underwear to the meeting. On June 9, 2023, Suhr went to the gas station to meet with the “child,” where Suhr was arrested by law enforcement officers. Evidence presented at trial showed that Suhr had previously exchanged messages with other online users about his desire to have sexual encounters with children as young as 12.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kaley Austin-Aronson and Dana Hill.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Armed RobberyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Antone Watkins, 29, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a Superior Court jury of armed robbery and other firearm-related offenses, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The verdict was returned on July 3, 2024, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Robert Salerno scheduled sentencing for September 19, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence, at around 10:47 p.m., on June 17, 2022, the victim was led into an alley near Howison Place and N Street SW. In that alley, Watkins brandished a firearm and hit the victim across the face with it, chipping his tooth. Watkins and two others then robbed the victim of his cash, chains, watch, and car keys. Video footage showed Watkins running from the alley, getting into the victim’s truck, and driving off. Further video footage showed Watkins only a few minutes later rummaging through the victim’s belongings in the truck. Police arrested Watkins on September 15, 2022. Watkins has been detained since his arrest.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Rubb of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and U.S. Probation Office from early in the case and through trial.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Levy and Gregory Evans.
Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Armed Burglary and Multiple Armed Assaults for Attack on Woman and ChildRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Sean Branch, 31, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of first-degree burglary while armed, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and other charges in a morning home invasion and violent assault of a woman and her twelve-year-old son that took place in Southeast Washington D.C. on September 11, 2020, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Branch was also found guilty of three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, one count of second-degree cruelty to children, and two counts of threats to do bodily harm. The verdict was returned on July 3, 2024, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Michael O’Keefe presided over the trial. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Branch faces a mandatory minimum of five years’ imprisonment for his offenses.
According to the government’s evidence, Branch had developed a friendship with the adult victim in the summer of 2020, which led to Branch storing belongings in her apartment. In the days leading up to the offense, Branch and the adult victim argued over whether Branch could continue to store his belongings there. On September 11, 2020, shortly after 8:30 a.m., Branch broke into the apartment of the victims. After breaking into the home through an exterior window, Branch, wearing a ski mask, approached the woman and her child in the living room. He struck the woman in the face with the gun, causing her to bleed extensively, and then dragged them to the back bedroom while repeatedly demanding his belongings. Branch eventually pointed the gun at the child’s head and threatened to kill both victims. Branch then fled the scene. The victims identified the assailant based on the assailant’s voice and the context of the offense.
Officers with the Metropolitan Police Department recovered surveillance footage showing the assailant fleeing from the ground floor balcony, wearing a ski mask. Officers also recovered a pair of sweatpants and jacket along the defendant’s flight path that was consistent with the assailant’s appearance on video. Branch was eventually linked to the recovered clothing through DNA testing.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Danielle White who indicted the case in 2021.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Covert and Katharine Yaske of the Domestic Violence Unit.
Jury Convicts Marion Man of Attempted Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
A man who attempted to entice a minor to engage in sex acts was convicted by a jury on Wednesday, July 3, 2024, after a one-and-a-half-day trial in federal court in Cedar Rapids.
Cory Gall, age 30, of Marion, Iowa, was found guilty of attempted enticement of a minor.
The evidence at trial showed that, in December 2023, Gall exchanged text messages with a person who stated that she was 13 years old. The person was actually an undercover law enforcement officer. Gall sent messages describing sex acts he could perform with the minor, and he traveled to Hiawatha, Iowa, to meet with her.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Gall remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Gall faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, $5,100 in special assessments, and supervised release for 5 years to life following any imprisonment.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Hiawatha Police Department.
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.”
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is CR 24-32.
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Jackson Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon and Faces Mandatory Minimum of 15 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man pled guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison.
Bernard Caston, 54, pled guilty in U.S. District Court in Jackson.
According to court documents, Caston and Fredrick Harper, 44, both of Jackson, stole four firearms from another individual on February 24, 2018. Caston and Harper were stopped by a Jackson police officer when they were driving to another location in Jackson to sell the stolen guns.
Caston will be sentenced on October 1, 2024. He will be sentenced under the Armed Career Criminal Act based on his prior felony convictions for crimes of violence, including a federal armed bank robbery conviction and multiple house burglary convictions in Hinds County. Under the Armed Career Criminal Act, Caston will face a minimum of 15 years in federal prison followed by 5 years of supervised release. A federal district court judge will determine his sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Harper previously pled guilty in federal court to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and was sentenced to serve 188 months in prison.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the ATF and the Jackson Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amber Jones and Dave Fulcher are prosecuting the case.
Illegal Alien and Two Others Sentenced to Federal Prison in Organ Transplant SchemeRead the Press Release
An illegal alien and two other individuals who conspired to obtain over $500,000 in federally funded health care benefits, including a kidney transplant, were sentenced to prison on June 24, 2024, and July 2, 2024.
Jeremias Otoniel Herrera Rosales (“Herrera Rosales”), age 37, from Worthington, Minnesota, originally from Guatemala, received a 16-month prison term after a February 7, 2024, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
Jennifer Guadalupe Herrera (“Herrera”), age 43, from Worthington, Minnesota, received a one-month prison term after a February 9, 2024, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
Jaklyn Guerra (“Guerra”), age 52, from Wells, Minnesota, received a one-month prison term after a February 6, 2024, guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud.
Evidence in the defendants’ criminal case established that Herrera Rosales was a citizen of Guatemala with no legal status in the United States. No later than 2012, Guerra and Herrera provided Herrera Rosales with the name, date of birth, and social security number of D.G. Herrera and Herrera Rosales were married, and Guerra is Herrera’s sister.
Beginning no later than 2015, Herrera Rosales assumed D.G.’s identity and used D.G.’s identification documents to apply for Medicare and Minnesota Medicaid benefits. The United States funds Medicare and, through a cost-sharing arrangement, also partially funds Minnesota Medicaid benefits. Between 2015 and
2020, Herrera Rosales obtained more than $500,000 in benefits from Medicare, Minnesota Medicaid, and the Social Security Administration using D.G.’s identity without D.G.’s knowledge or consent.
As part of the scheme, Herrera Rosales gained placement on the organ donor registry under the false and fraudulent pretense that he was D.G. and eligible for a kidney transplant. In 2019, Herrera Rosales obtained a federally funded kidney transplant in Minnesota. Herrera Rosales in his plea agreement admitted that, because he received the kidney transplant fraudulently, another person who needed the kidney did not receive it.
The defendants were sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Herrera Rosales was sentenced to 16 months of imprisonment, Herrera was sentenced to one month of imprisonment, and Guerra was sentenced to one month of imprisonment. All three defendants were ordered to make $510,949.61 in restitution as a joint and several obligation. Each defendant must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after their respective prison terms. There is no parole in the federal system.
Herrera Rosales is being held in United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. Herrera and Guerra were released on bonds previously set and are to surrender to the United States Marshal on future dates.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy L. Vavricek and Ronald Timmons and investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General, and the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-4062.
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