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16 August 2024
Previously Convicted Felon from McKees Rocks Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court on August 15, 2024, to 12 years of prison on his convictions for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture containing methamphetamine and fentanyl, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Nora Barry Fischer imposed the sentence on Reginald Bernard Blunt, 32.
According to information presented to the Court, an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police between August 2022 and June 2023 into a drug trafficking organization operating in McKees Rocks revealed that Blunt was a member of the organization and lived at a residence where firearms and controlled substances were being stored. On June 14, 2023, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant upon that residence and recovered from Blunt’s bedroom a backpack containing two prescription pill bottles bearing Blunt’s name, a loaded handgun containing 17 rounds of ammunition, and a “Glock switch” that, when attached to the handgun, would render the firearm fully automatic. Law enforcement also recovered from the residence approximately 60 grams of a fentanyl and methamphetamine mixture, 20 grams of fentanyl, and approximately 1,000 rounds of ammunition, in addition to seizing $4,300.
The firearm recovered by law enforcement was determined to be the same one that Blunt—who has previous felony drug trafficking and firearms convictions—had used just before law enforcement responded to a call at Blunt’s residence nearly one month earlier, where it was reported that two individuals were fighting and that one of the individuals possessed a gun. Traffic camera footage of this May 16, 2023, incident obtained by investigators in preparation for the federal search warrant revealed Blunt repeatedly pointing a firearm at an adult male who was accompanied by a child, with the adult carrying the child while ducking behind a vehicle to avoid Blunt as he pointed the firearm. The footage further recorded Blunt permitting the adult to place the child in the vehicle before Blunt brought the individual back to his residence, where, on the porch, the two males began exchanging punches. Federal law prohibits possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Blunt.
Previously Convicted Felon Returns to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - Mamadou D’Jire, a previously convicted felon, has been sentenced to federal prison for possessing a firearm while illegally selling drugs, damaging a government vehicle while fleeing from law enforcement, and for violating the terms of his supervised release.
“D’Jire is a dangerous felon who resumed his criminal activity shortly after being released from prison,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “This successful prosecution is the result of the collaborative work of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners whose investigation and apprehension of D’Jire make our community safer.”
“Criminals must understand that there are serious repercussions for the illegal possession of firearms,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alicia D. Jones. “The ATF and our law enforcement partners will contribute all necessary time and effort to ensure criminals are brought to justice.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: On June 14, 2022, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) special agents, and law enforcement officers with the DeKalb County, Georgia, Police Department, surveilled a gas station on Hairston Road in Stone Mountain, Georgia, when they saw Mamadou D’Jire make several marijuana sales.
As D’Jire departed the gas station driving a white Nissan Altima, a Dekalb County police officer pulled behind the Altima and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. D’Jire pulled into an apartment complex where children were playing outside, but he refused to come to a complete stop. ATF agents then used their government vehicle to block the Altima. As the agents exited their vehicle, D’Jire accelerated, crashed into the agents’ vehicle, and smashed the driver’s side door, causing extensive damage.
D’Jire then fled the scene but was quickly apprehended and placed under arrest. Agents searched the vehicle D’Jire was driving and found a semi-automatic 9mm caliber pistol with an extended magazine, ammunition, marijuana packaged for sale, and a federal supervised release identification card. D’Jire, a convicted felon, was released from prison approximately a month prior to committing these offenses. He had been previously convicted of three violent felonies, including two burglaries and an armed robbery.
Mamadou D’Jire, 29, of Stone Mountain, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steve C. Jones to 12 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $6,631.99. D’Jire was convicted of destruction of government property and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on May 14, 2024, after he pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with valuable assistance provided by the DeKalb County Police Department and the Georgia State Patrol.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Bethany L. Rupert prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Pittsburgh Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Trafficking of Fentanyl, Fluorofentanyl, and CocaineRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court on August 15, 2024, to 15 years of imprisonment on his convictions for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 100 grams or more of fluorofentanyl, and 500 grams or more of cocaine, as well as to possess with intent to distribute a quantity of fentanyl, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge William S. Stickman IV imposed the sentence on Andre Nunley, 50.
According to information presented to the Court, between June 2022 and December 2023, Nunley was the subject of a joint investigation by federal, state, and local law enforcement operating under the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) program in Beaver County. As part of the investigation, law enforcement seized over 500 grams of cocaine from a mid-level drug dealer as he left a brief meeting with Nunley. In January 2023, law enforcement executed federal search warrants upon both of Nunley’s known stash houses, resulting in the seizure of approximately 15,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills, 4,200 stamp bags, 40 boxes containing empty glassine bags, and bulk U.S. currency. A laboratory confirmed that the seized substances contained about 1,352 grams of fentanyl, 797 grams of a fluorofentanyl and fentanyl mixture, and 199 grams of fluorofentanyl. Fluorofentanyl and fentanyl are Schedule I and II controlled substances, respectively.
Following that seizure, law enforcement continued to investigate Nunley’s drug trafficking operation and identified a third residence used by Nunley. In December 2023, law enforcement intercepted a parcel addressed to that residence, which contained about two kilograms of fentanyl. During a controlled delivery operation of the seized parcel to the third residence, law enforcement encountered Nunley, who confessed to expecting a parcel containing drugs.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Drug Enforcement Administration, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, and United States Postal Inspection Service for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Nunley.
Owner and Operator of Mid South Retirement Services in Boyce Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud ChargeRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Jerry O. Pearson, 61, appeared in the Western District of Louisiana today and pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. United States District Judge Dee D. Drell presided over the hearing today in Alexandria.
The investigation of this case by agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation revealed that from 2012 to 2021, Pearson was the owner/operator of Mid South Retirement Services LLC (“Mid South”) located in Boyce, Louisiana. As owner/operator of Mid South, Pearson managed Self Directed Individual Retirement Accounts (SDIRA). A SDIRA is an IRA held by a custodian that allows investment in a wider range of assets than most conventional IRA custodians permit. Mid South served as the custodian of Self-Directed IRAs and managed approximately $40,000,000 in assets.
Pearson created a scheme to defraud clients wherein he would take funds that Mid South was holding as the custodian, and transfer them to other accounts he controlled, without the client’s permission. In total, during the scheme, Pearson transferred $3,431,152.21 in client funds from the Mid South client funding bank account to other accounts he controlled. Pearson then used the funds for himself, as well as the benefit of his family and other companies that he controlled. In order to keep the scheme from being detected, Pearson would misrepresent to clients that he was investing the funds as they had directed, when, in fact, he was taking the money.
Pearson faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. The sentencing hearing for Pearson has been scheduled for December 3, 2024, at 1:30 p.m.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Seth D. Reeg. The Louisiana Office of Financial Institutions was also involved in the investigation.
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Orlando Man Sentenced to 50 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child Sexual Abuse VideosRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Brian Hamilton (43, Orlando) to 50 years in federal prison for production and receipt of child sexual abuse material. Hamilton pleaded guilty on March 27, 2024.
According to court documents, tips about a user distributing child sexual abuse material online led the FBI to Hamilton. After the FBI executed a search warrant at Hamilton’s residence on October 11, 2023, they located numerous videos of child sexual abuse material on Hamilton’s laptop, some of which had been produced by Hamilton. Hamilton admitted that he had sexually abused one of the child victims in the videos and stated that he had done so to “get even” with the child’s parent. Hamilton also admitted to sexually abusing the child victim on multiple occasions, including in a public restroom.
“Compassion for the victims is what drives our agents to work these incredibly disturbing cases. While today’s sentencing ensures the end of this defendant’s despicable crime, the FBI continues its effort to expose those preying on the innocent and make certain justice is served,” said FBI Tampa Division Special Agent in Charge Matthew Fodor.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie McNeff.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Omaha Man Sentenced to 33 Months for Assaulting an Offutt AFB Airman with a Deadly WeaponRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan T. Lehr announced that Robert A. Williams, age 29, of Omaha, Nebraska was sentenced on August 16, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for assault on a federal officer with a dangerous or deadly weapon. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Williams to 33 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Williams will be required to complete a 3-year term of supervised release.
On November 30, 2023, Williams drove a blue Honda CR-V to the USSTRATCOM gate at Offutt Air Force Base. He stopped at the entry control point (ECP) as directed by entry controllers, both of whom were uniformed U.S. Air Force Security Forces Airmen. An entry controller, suspecting that Williams was driving under the influence, placed a cone in front of the CR-V. Williams ran over the cone and drove onto the installation at a high rate of speed. Controllers activated barriers past the ECP and Williams was forced to U-turn at least twice, eventually speeding back toward the ECP. The two controllers attempted to stop the CR-V while it was headed towards them. Williams narrowly missed hitting one of the Airmen and both were forced to move out of the way of the CR-V. The controllers were placed in immediate danger as the CR-V approached, and they fired rounds into the vehicle. Williams nonetheless drove the CR-V back through the ECP and off the installation.
Investigators determined that Williams purchased the CR-V from a used car dealer two days prior to the incident and subsequently located it at Williams’s address in Omaha. Once investigators learned his identity, Williams was positively identified as the driver of the CR-V by the Airmen at the ECP and through video evidence of the encounter at the ECP. A motor vehicle is considered a deadly or dangerous weapon when driven in a manner likely to endanger lives.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Air Force Office of Special Investigations, and the 55th Wing Security Forces Squadron at Offutt Air Force Base.
Ocala Man Arrested for Attempted Enticement of A MinorRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Scott Alan Colson (59, Ocala) on an indictment charging him with attempted enticement of a minor. If convicted, Colson faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. A federal grand jury indicted Colson on August 6, 2024. His case is set for trial in October 2024 before U.S. District Judge Thomas Patrick Barber.
According to court records, on July 24, 2024, a Marion County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO) undercover detective posed as a 15-year-old girl on an online messaging application. Colson contacted the undercover detective’s account and inquired as to whether the fictional minor had ever been with older men and asked to meet her. He told her, “You keep secrets if we meet up.” Colson then engaged in a sexually explicit conversation with the undercover detective. During the conversation, Colson asked the fictional minor to “make it easy to get down ur pantys.” The following day, they agreed to meet at a predetermined location in Marion County. When Colson drove to the location, he was arrested by law enforcement. An examination of Colson’s cellphone revealed child sexual exploitation materials.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. This case is being prosecuted by Hannah Nowalk.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Ocala Gang Member Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possessing A Firearm as A Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Clinton Darnelle Kaham (24, Ocala) to 20 months in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Kaham pleaded guilty in February 2024.
According to court records, on July 6, 2022, officers from the Ocala Police Department discovered Kaham, a gang member, in possession of a loaded firearm. The firearm had previously been reported stolen in Marion County. A subsequent FBI forensic analysis found very strong support that Kaham was the source of the DNA profile developed from the trigger, grip, frame, and trigger guard of the firearm. At the time he possessed the firearm, Kaham was a convicted felon for possession of heroin (2021). As a convicted felon, Kaham is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Ocala Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Hannah Nowalk.
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.
Nurse Practitioner Pleads Guilty to Unlawful Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Christopher Viagrande, age 42, of Latham, New York, pled guilty today to distributing controlled substances outside the course of professional practice and for no legitimate medical purpose.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement.
Viagrande admitted that from May 2021 through January 2024, he issued a total of 149 controlled substance prescriptions, to a total of five people, for no legitimate medical purpose. Viagrande also admitted to improperly issuing an additional 28 controlled substance prescriptions, to two people, from June 2019 to April 2020. Nearly all of the prescriptions were for amphetamine.
Viagrande admitted to prescribing dangerous amounts of amphetamine to someone (identified in court papers as “Individual-1”) who was not seeing him for patient visits in 2023 and 2024, while he also failed to keep medical records for Individual-1 and ignored indications that she was abusing the drug.
Viagrande also admitted to regularly prescribing amphetamine to “Individual-2” at Individual-1’s request, even though Individual-2 was never his patient. Viagrande admitted to ignoring indications that Individual-1 was picking up Individual-2’s prescriptions at pharmacies.
At sentencing, before Senior United States District Judge Frederick J. Scullin, Jr., Viagrande faces up to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million, as well as at least 3 years of post-imprisonment supervised release. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
As part of his plea agreement, Viagrande surrendered his DEA registration, which had allowed him to prescribe controlled substances.
The DEA’s Tactical Diversion Squad (TDS) investigated this case. TDS is comprised of DEA Special Agents and Diversion Investigators, as well as Investigators from the New York State Department of Health, Bureau of Narcotic Enforcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Barnett is prosecuting this case.
Northern District of California Bankruptcy Court Extends Sexual Abuse Claims Bar Deadline in Bankruptcy filed by Franciscan Friars of California, IncRead the Press Release
On July 11, 2014, in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of California (“Court”), Oakland Division, Case No. 23-41723 WJL, the Court entered an order extending the General Bar Date, as defined in the Bar Date Order, to August 30, 2024, at 5:00 p.m. (Pacific Time). Debtor was ordered by the Court to serve the U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota with a copy of the Notice Package, and Debtor’s counsel requested that we post the provided Sexual Abuse Claim Notice Package. Attached is the Notice Package received as well as the Court order. The US Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota is not involved in this matter. For additional information, the “Notice of Extended Bar Date Requiring Filings of Proofs of Claim” indicates, in part, that you may contact Donlin Recano & Company, Inc. at (888) 444-4055 or email inquiries to [email protected].
Order Extending The Claims Bar Date and Granting Related Relief
order_from_bk_ct_-_ndca.pdfNiagara Falls father and son arrested on gun chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Dustin McCarthy, Sr., 43, and his son, Dayzon McCarthy, 21, both of Niagara Falls, NY, were arrested and charged in separate criminal complaints with firearms trafficking, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. In addition, Dayzon McCarthy is also charged with illegal transfer of a machine gun, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey E. Intravatola, who is handling the case, stated that according to the criminal complaints, between June 20 and August 12, 2024, the ATF and Niagara County Sheriff’s Office conducted four controlled purchases of firearms from Dayzon McCarthy, including a Glock .22 caliber pistol, a Beretta, a Davis Industries .380 caliber pistol and a “Ghost Gun” that included a 3D printed back plate auto sear, also known as a machinegun conversion device, attached to the firearm.
On July 23, 2024, investigators made a controlled purchase of a 9mm pistol from Dustin McCarthy. He has two previous felony convictions and is currently on pre-trial supervision related to federal narcotics trafficking charges.
The defendants made an initial appearance this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and were held pending a detention hearing on August 21, 2024.
The complaints are the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan Miller, the Niagara County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Michael Filicetti, and the Niagara Falls Police Department, under the direction of Superintendent Nicholas Ligammari.
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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New York Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Theft from Retiree’s Bank AccountRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MAVANI COLEMAN, 44, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport to three months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in the theft of funds from a retiree’s bank account.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2018, Gregory Ivy, of New Haven, began working for a retired woman (“the victim”), doing odd jobs for her. In October 2018, Ivy began to steal checks from the victim’s checkbook while in her home. He then wrote checks payable to himself, forged the victim’s signature on the checks, and deposited the checks into his personal credit union account. Ivy subsequently gave stolen blank checks on which he had forged the victim’s signature to Coleman, and Coleman filled in the name of the payee and the amount to be paid. Ivy and Coleman initially agreed that they would arrange to deposit the checks into other persons’ bank accounts, and Ivy would receive half of the proceeds. Coleman, who worked with others to cash or deposit the stolen checks, would kick back to Ivy amounts typically ranging from $500 to $800. At times, Ivy did not receive his agreed-upon share of the proceeds.
Coleman also used the routing number and account number of the victim’s bank account to arrange electronic funds transfers (EFTs) from the victim’s account to make payments for himself, his business, his family members, and other friends and acquaintances.
Coleman worked with other individuals, including Lamont Bethea, to cash or deposit stolen checks on which Ivy had forged the victim’s signature, and Bethea also used the routing and account number to arrange EFTs from the victim’s account to make payments for himself and others. Bethea also provided the routing and bank account numbers to other individuals so they could arrange similar EFTs for themselves and others from the victim’s account.
Coleman, Ivy, Bethea and other participants attempted to obtain a total of $624,818.28 from the victim’s bank account. Because the victim’s bank account became overdrawn, some attempted check deposits or EFTs were reversed, resulting in a loss to the victim of $479,569.08. Coleman personally stole $33,869 from the victim during his involvement in the scheme.
Judge Dooley ordered Coleman to pay restitution of $248,423.09, which includes money stolen from the account by Coleman and other individuals working with Coleman.
Coleman was arrested on April 6, 2023. On February 14, 2024, he pleaded guilty to bank fraud.
Coleman, who is released on a $50,000 bond, is required to report to prison on October 16, 2024.
Ivy and Bethea previously pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Sheldon.
The Justice Department has established a National Elder Fraud Hotline to provide services to seniors who may be victims of financial fraud. The Hotline is staffed by experienced case managers who can provide personalized support to callers. Case managers assist callers with reporting the suspected fraud to relevant agencies and by providing resources and referrals to other appropriate services as needed. When applicable, case managers will complete a complaint form with the Federal Bureau of Investigation Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) for Internet-facilitated crimes and submit a consumer complaint to the Federal Trade Commission on behalf of the caller. The Hotline’s toll free number is 833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311). For more information, please visit. https://ovc.ojp.gov/program/stop-elder-fraud/providing-help-restoring-hope.
Mother of Minor Who Died of a Drug Overdose Sentenced for Making False Statements to Law Enforcement OfficersRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On August 15, 2024, Melanie Cruz Clivilles was sentenced by United States District Court Judge María Antongiorgi-Jordan to 48 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for making false statements to a task force officer of the United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in relation to a criminal investigation.
Defendant Melanie Cruz Clivilles was the mother of 13-year-old female minor G.L.C.C. who died of a drug overdose in August of 2023 and had been brought by 26-year-old Bryan Xavier Pérez Hernández to the hospital. Bryan Xavier Pérez Hernández was charged with production of child exploitation material and drug trafficking in relation to the deceased minor.
According to court documents, Bryan Xavier Pérez Hernández attempted to induce, entice, and coerce 13-year-old female minor G.L.C.C., to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child exploitation material. Pérez Hernández was also charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine, conspiracy to distribute cocaine, and distribution of cocaine to a minor. Pérez Hernández plead guilty on April 18, 2024, and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 20, 2024.
Melanie Cruz Clivilles, mother of G.L.C.C., was charged with lying to a federal law enforcement agent. Cruz Clivilles made a materially false, fictitious, and fraudulent statement and representation by falsely stating to a Task Force Officer of the United States Department of Homeland Security Investigations that she first met Bryan Xavier Pérez Hernández at the hospital on August 4, 2023, where he arrived with defendant’s deceased daughter G.L.C.C. The statement and representation was false because, as she then and there knew, she had met Pérez Hernández at the latest in July of 2023, and had been with him during a meeting on August 3, 2023.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Rebecca González-Ramos, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Puerto Rico Police Bureau investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenifer Hernández Vega, Chief of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit prosecuted the case.
For more information about HSI’s efforts to protect children from sexual predators, visit https://www.ice.gov/topics/iGuardians; and to denounce suspicious activities call 787-729-6969.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Mercer County Accounting Professor Found Guilty of Tax Evasion and Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Mercer County, New Jersey, man was convicted of evading federal income taxes and filing false tax returns, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Gordian A. Ndubizu, 69, of Princeton Junction, New Jersey, was convicted on Aug. 15, 2024, of all eight counts of an indictment charging him with four counts of tax evasion and four counts of filing false tax returns in tax years 2014 through 2017. The jury deliberated for two hours before returning the guilty verdict following a four-day trial before U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
During tax years 2014 through 2017, Ndubizu was a professor of accounting at a university in Pennsylvania as well as the co-owner of Healthcare Pharmacy in Trenton, New Jersey. Healthcare Pharmacy was organized as an S corporation, the income of which flowed through to Ndubizu and his wife and was to be reported on their personal income tax returns. Ndubizu prepared fraudulent books and records for Healthcare Pharmacy inflating the pharmacy’s costs of goods sold to reduce and underreport the pharmacy’s actual profits flowing through to Ndubizu and his wife. In the fraudulent books and records, among other things, Ndubizu identified certain wire transfers as payments to purchase goods sold by the pharmacy when these wire transfers were in fact made to personal bank accounts under Ndubizu’s control and to bank accounts in Nigeria associated with an automotive company under Ndubizu’s control. Each of Ndubizu’s tax returns for tax years 2014 through 2017 falsely underreported his income and falsely reported that he had no financial interest in or signature authority over any foreign bank accounts. Ndubizu failed to report approximately $3.28 million in income from the pharmacy, resulting in the evasion of approximately $1.25 million in tax due and owing.
Each count of tax evasion carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. Each count of filing a false tax return carries a maximum potential penalty of three years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark, with the investigation leading to the guilty verdict. He also thanked special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, and officers of the Trenton Police Department and Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexander E. Ramey and Ashley Super Pitts of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.
McAlester Resident Sentenced to 92 Months for Possessing Stolen FirearmsRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Carl Ray Holland, age 35, of McAlester, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 92 months in prison for one count of Possession of Stolen Firearms.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On November 9, 2022, Holland pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on August 1, 2022, ATF agents investigating the burglary of a local firearms business received information about Holland’s possible involvement. Agents approached Holland, who denied being involved in the burglary but gave consent to search his residence for the missing firearms. During the search, agents recovered eight of the missing firearms hidden in Holland’s refrigerator.
“Enforcing federal firearm regulations is a crucial part of protecting the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens and ensuring public safety,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson. “Mr. Holland’s attempt to jeopardize public safety by possessing firearms stolen from a licensed dealer is a crime deserving of this sentence.”
“No one likes a thief, especially one that steals firearms from lawful owners. Mr. Holland tried to be sneaky and play hide and seek with the police. Unfortunately for him, most of the time we find what we are looking for. I’d like to thank all those involved in bringing him to justice, especially the United States Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. Because of their efforts, Mr. Holland will now have 92 months in the Federal penitentiary to think of better hiding spots than a refrigerator,” stated ATF Dallas Field Division Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey C. Boshek II.
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 Honorable John F. Heil, III, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Holland will remain in the custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Edith A. Singer represented the United States.
Man convicted for Springfield mail theft ringRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Springfield man yesterday on three charges of possessing and receiving stolen mail.
According to court records and evidence presented at trial, Kenshaun Thompson, 26, participated in a conspiracy to steal mail on several occasions in October 2023. Thompson’s co-conspirator, Adam Bekele, 33, of Annandale, accessed several mailboxes including the mailbox at the West Springfield Post Office on Rolling Road and took the mail from the box into a vehicle. On multiple occasions, and specifically on Oct. 24, 25, and 26, 2023, Bekele transported the stolen mail to an apartment in Falls Church where he transferred it to Thompson, who knew when he received the mail that it had been stolen.
On Feb. 22, Bekele pled guilty to conspiracy to commit mail theft. He faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison when he is sentenced on Oct. 3.
Thompson faces a maximum of 15 years, five years for each count of receiving stolen mail in prison when sentenced on Dec. 5. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles accepted the verdict.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alessandra Serano and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Antara Saikat Joardar are prosecuting the case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Hiller provided valuable assistance on this case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-137.
Man Pleads Guilty to Carjacking of Delivery Driver and Related Firearm OffenseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Dennis Vanison, 31, of Oxon Hill, Maryland, pleaded guilty to one count of carjacking and one count of carrying a pistol without a license, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Vanison entered his guilty plea on August 13, 2024, in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia before the Honorable Robert A. Salerno. Judge Salerno scheduled sentencing for November 15, 2024. Carjacking carries a mandatory minimum term of seven years of incarceration.
During the plea hearing, Vanison admitted that he and an unidentified accomplice carjacked a food delivery driver on May 2, 2023. The victim had just dropped off a delivery in the 2400 block of Wagner Street Southeast when Vanison’s accomplice stole items from the victim’s car. When the victim went to retrieve his belongings, Vanison and his accomplice attacked the victim and attempted to take his phone. During the attack, the accomplice produced a gun and pointed it at the victim, and at Vanison’s direction, snatched the victim’s keys from his pocket. Vanison and his accomplice then fled the scene, driving away in their car and the victim’s car, respectively.
The next morning, members of the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department encountered Vanison inside an SUV several feet from the victim’s car, which was parked and idling in an alley. Vanison’s cellphone and keychain were found inside the victim’s car, and a fully-loaded pistol was found at Vanison’s feet inside the SUV. Vanison was apprehended on May 3, 2023, and has been in custody ever since.
This case is being investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John Parron and Daniel Bromwich.
Lynn Man Sentenced for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lynn man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for participating in a North Shore-based drug trafficking organization (DTO) that allegedly distributed tens of thousands of counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Christopher Tejeda, 23, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge Dennis F. Saylor IV to one year and a day in prison followed by three years of supervised release, with the first year to be served in home confinement. In February 2024, Tejeda pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances.
According to court documents, the DTO distributed counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl and counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine, among other things, to various individuals in the Lynn area.
On behalf of the DTO, and at the direction of his relative, Javier Bello, Tejada picked up, transported and delivered controlled substances to various individuals as well as collected and delivered proceeds from drug sales. This included collecting counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl from Lawrence Nagle Sr.,. Bello, meanwhile, supervised Tejeda as well as several other individuals in the DTO.
Bello pleaded guilty in May 2024 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 9, 2024. In August 2024, Nagle Sr., was sentenced to 151 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; and John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Beverly, Everett, Peabody, Revere, Salem, Saugus and Swampscott Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan D. Panich of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Lincoln Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute FentanylRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Joe Paul Shultz, age 40, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced August 16, 20224 in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Shultz to 114 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Shultz is released from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
On April 27, 2020, Shultz delivered fentanyl to a victim, which contributed to an overdose death. Law enforcement investigated the overdose and located Shultz as the suspect. An autopsy was conducted on the victim, and the cause of death was buprenorphine and fentanyl toxicity. Law enforcement contacted Shultz, who admitted to the delivery of two fentanyl pills to the victim before the overdose. Law enforcement could not locate the source of the buprenorphine as it was not prescribed by a doctor. Shultz was also known to sell fentanyl pills to other individuals in the Lincoln, Nebraska metro area.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department.
Lexington Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child Sex Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — James Austen Gillespie, 33, of Lexington, was sentenced to 15 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to production of child sex abuse materials. *
Evidence presented to the court showed that on July 11, 2021, Gillespie used his cellphone to edit himself into two compromising images of a nude minor child.
United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Mr. Gillespie to 180 months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a lifetime term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. Mr. Gillespie was ordered to pay a total of $25,000 in restitution to his victims and to register as a sex offender.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the South Carolina Attorney General’s Office and the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Matthews prosecuted the case.
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NOTE: While the current federal statutes still contain the term “child pornography,” experts in the field now recognize “child sexual abuse materials” as the more accurate terminology.
Lanesborough Man Sentenced to over Five Years in Prison for Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Lanesborough man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Springfield for receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Robert Kend, 63, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 68 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. In May 2024, Kend pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography. Kend was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint on Sept. 12, 2023.
During a search of Kend’s residence on Sept. 12, 2023, law enforcement located an iPhone and MacBook, both containing numerous videos showing minors performing lewd acts, with Kend, sometimes appearing in a picture-in-picture box also performing lewd acts. Law enforcement found similar videos in Kend’s iCloud account as well.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine G. Curley of the Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Justice Department Transfers Approximately $300,000 in Forfeited Criminal Proceeds to BonaireRead the Press Release
The Justice Department shared $300,921.09 in forfeited criminal assets with Bonaire, a special Dutch Caribbean municipality within the country of the Netherlands, in recognition of Bonaire’s assistance to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)’s investigation of, and the department’s forfeiture of criminal proceeds derived from, the operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business that was active in the black market for exchanging Venezuelan bolivars for U.S. dollars.
This transfer marks the first international sharing of forfeited assets involving the Governments of the United States and Bonaire. Bonaire’s Public Prosecutors Office intends to use the funds to support ongoing criminal justice efforts.
The funds transferred are a share of net assets forfeited by U.S. authorities from an investigation into the operation of an unlicensed money transmitting business run by Hjalmar Gibelli Gomez. A U.S. law enforcement investigation revealed that Gibelli was engaging in unlicensed money transmitting through his business, a Venezuelan insurance agency called Resguardo Sociedad de Corretahe. The unlicensed money transmitting business exchanged Venezuelan bolivars for U.S. dollars on a black market currency exchange in violation of U.S. law. The funds were used to promote Gibelli’s illegal money transmitting business and were utilized in money laundering transactions. As part of his illegal scheme, Gibelli transferred $2,486,525 from the scheme to purchase a luxury yacht named the “Navigante,” among other transactions.
On Dec. 22, 2017, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Missouri filed a civil forfeiture complaint against the yacht and other assets held by Gibelli. As described in court documents, the yacht is subject to forfeiture as property involved in a transaction or attempted transaction in violation of U.S. money laundering statutes, or as property traceable to such property. Bonaire authorities provided important law enforcement assistance in the seizure and forfeiture by restraining the Navigante in their territory, safely offloading the yacht’s crew, and assisting in the yacht’s transfer to the United States. Gibelli consented to the forfeiture of the Navigante and other property.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Casey for the Eastern District of Missouri prosecuted the case, with substantial assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs and U.S. Marshals Service. The DEA and IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation.
The Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS) provided assistance in connection with the international sharing process.
The Criminal Division, through MLARS’ International Unit, administers the department’s international asset forfeiture sharing program. Pursuant to federal law, and in coordination with the Departments of the Treasury and State, the department may share proceeds of successful forfeiture of property with foreign countries that participate in the seizure or forfeiture of the property.
Jury Finds Calhoun Falls Man Guilty in Threat CaseRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, S.C. —Johnathan C. McCaslan, 51, of Calhoun Falls, was found guilty by a federal jury of stalking, mailing threatening communications and perpetuating letter hoaxes.
Evidence presented to the jury showed that while McCaslan was in divorce proceedings, he attempted to have his wife arrested by sending threatening letters to a Calhoun Falls police officer and to the Calhoun Falls Police Department. Both letters contained a white powdery substance and were written to appear as if his wife was the author. The State Law Enforcement Division (SLED) twice deployed the bomb squad to investigate the powder, which law enforcement feared was fentanyl, anthrax, or another deadly substance. Fortunately, powder was harmless.
The SLED laboratory examined the letters and found McCaslan’s DNA on the stamps of the letter sent to the police officer. SLED investigators also determined that some of the information contained in the letters was known only by McCaslan and not his wife.
“The letter hoaxes in this case had the potential to have an innocent woman arrested for a crime she did not commit,” said Adair F. Boroughs, U.S. Attorney for this District of South Carolina. “Caslan’s criminal actions were a terrible abuse law enforcement resources, and we are committed to prosecuting such abuse.”
“The United States Postal Inspection Service is always proud to work with our law enforcement partners to bring to justice those who misuse the U.S. Mail, to elicit fear and frame the innocent victims we work so diligently to protect,” said US Postal Inspector in Charge Tommy D. Coke of the Atlanta Division.
“Everyone deserves to feel safe in their community, and targeting law enforcement to frame someone for a crime is appalling,” said SLED Chief Mark Keel. “The hard-working professionals at SLED are subject matter experts committed to conducting thorough investigations. I’m grateful that no one was hurt, and that SLED could help find the facts that led to justice.”
United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins presided over the trial and will sentence McCaslan after the United States Probation Office prepares a presentence report. McCaslan faces a statutory maximum of five years on each of the four counts of the indictment.
This case was investigated by SLED and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Winston Marosek and Bill Watkins prosecuted the case.
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Judge Sentences Man to 78 Months in Prison for Robbery and Assault of Delivery DriverRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Emerson Goldring, Jr., 32, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 78 months in prison for a robbery and assault he committed with a firearm on July 21, 2023. Sutasha Miller, 34, of Washington, D.C. was sentenced to 18 months of incarceration for attempted robbery in connection to the same events; however, the 18 months were suspended on the condition that Miller complete one year of supervised probation. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Goldring, Jr. pleaded guilty on June 14, 2024, to one count of robbery, one count of assault with a dangerous weapon, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm. Miller pleaded guilty on the same date to one count of attempted robbery.
According to the government’s evidence, the victim was working as a Domino’s delivery driver when he parked in the 4800 block of North Capitol Street NE to deliver pizza to Miller. As the victim remained in the car, Miller and Goldring Jr. approached the victim’s car. Miller went to the driver’s side of the car, while Goldring Jr. went to the front passenger side. Goldring Jr. asked the victim to roll down the passenger side window, and Miller then reached inside to open the driver’s door. Goldring Jr. then pulled out a firearm, punched the victim, and hit the victim in the face with the butt of the firearm as Miller remained standing outside the driver’s side door. Goldring Jr. and Miller then took multiple pizza boxes and the pizza warmer bag from the victim. Goldring Jr. and Miller then went back together to Miller’s nearby apartment.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Goldstein, Randle Wilson, and Lauren “Luca” Winer who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Jamestown man arrested on multiple fentanyl chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Duane Lowery, 29, of Jamestown, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, and distribution of fentanyl. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Donna M. Duncan and Joshua A. Violanti, who are handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, Lowery was identified by investigators as a fentanyl and cocaine trafficker in and around Jamestown, NY. In November and December 2022, law enforcement conducted controlled purchases of fentanyl from Lowery. On December 7, 2022, a search warrant was executed at Lowery’s Jamestown residence, during which law enforcement recovered suspected fentanyl and methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and $1,140 in cash.
Lowery made an appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and was held pending a detention hearing on August 19, 2024.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino, the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson, and the Chautauqua County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff James Quattrone.
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.
Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt:
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan for a preliminary hearing on a criminal complaint on Aug. 16 was:
Rene Montenegro-Virrey, 50, of Bozeman, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted of the most serious crime, Montenegro-Virrey faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Montenegro-Virrey was detained pending further proceedings. The Missouri River Drug Task Force and Montana Highway Patrol conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-47.
Appearing on Aug. 14 and pleading not guilty was:
Dean Allen Wallowing Bull, 45, of Crow Agency, on charges of sexual abuse and attempted sexual abuse. If convicted of the most serious crime, Wallowing Bull faces life in prison, a $250,000 fine and at least five years of supervised release. Wallowing Bull was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI, Northern Cheyenne Criminal Investigative Services and Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated the case. PACER case reference. 24-110.
Kelly Duane Davis, 42, of Billings, on charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and distribution of meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Davis faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release. Davis was detained pending further proceedings. The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-66.
Channon Nicole Freemont, 35, of Lame Deer, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth, possession with intent to distribute meth and distribution of meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Freemont faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and at least three years of supervised release. The FBI conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-95.
Derrick Lee Moore, 39, of Fairview, on charges of possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Moore faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and three years of supervised release. Moore was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI and Billings Police Department conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-59.
Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto and pleading not guilty on Aug. 13 was:
Charles Clifford Hamlin, 60, of Helena, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and distribution of meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Hamlin faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Hamlin was detained pending further proceedings. The Missouri River Drug Task Force conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-16.
Appearing on Aug. 12 was:
Stevenson Metelus, 35, of Margate, Florida, on charges of attempted coercion of a minor and use of facility in aid of racketeering. If convicted of the most serious crime, Metelus faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $250,000 fine and at least five years to life of supervised release. Metelus was released pending further proceedings. The FBI, Missoula Police Department and Missoula County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-34.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Illegal Possession of Machine Gun and Handgun Leads to Federal Prison Time for Two North Louisiana MenRead the Press Release
MONROE/SHREVEPORT, La. – Two men charged with illegal possession of firearms were sentenced in the Western District of Louisiana today, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown.
Timothy L. Elliott, 36, of West Monroe, Louisiana, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty in Monroe to 46 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On November 24, 2022, officers with the Monroe Police Department received a call that Elliott was holding a silver and black handgun and had concealed the handgun in his waistband. Upon the arrival of officers at the scene, Elliott fled, and a police chase ensued. Elliott was soon after apprehended and placed in handcuffs. Law enforcement officers searched his car and found a silver and black handgun in the center console of his car. Elliott has three prior felony convictions and knew he was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Monroe Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Robert F. Moody.
In a separate and unrelated case, L’Mykal Rashard Hicks, 22, of Shreveport, was sentenced by United States District Judge Elizabeth E. Foote in Shreveport to 25 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty to illegal possession of a machine gun. On April 10, 2022, officers with the Shreveport Police Department received a complaint of drugs being sold near the intersection of Coyth and Lynbrook Streets in Shreveport. When officers arrived at the scene, they observed two vehicles parked at the dead end of the street. Officers attempted to make contact and one of the vehicles, a black pickup truck, fled the scene and a police chase ensued. The black truck began driving throughout the neighborhood, running stop signs and only slowed down to make turns. Officers continued following the truck and the passenger, later identified as Hicks, attempted to jump out of the moving truck, injuring himself in the process. Hicks jumped back in the truck, and they continued to flee from police through the neighborhood. Eventually, Hicks jumped out of the truck again and began to flee on foot. Law enforcement officers began to chase Hicks and observed him pull a firearm out of his waistband and run with it in his right hand before dropping it to the ground. As Hicks attempted to turn around and grab the gun he had dropped, the police officer pulled out his firearm and commanded Hicks to get on the ground with his hands behind him. Hicks continued to try and reach for the firearm before the officer was able to kick the firearm out of reach. He was subdued and brought to the front of the police car to be handcuffed but he escaped and ran on foot again. Officers caught up to Hicks and tased and handcuffed him. Hicks was charged with possession of a loaded Glock Gen 4 .45 caliber pistol with a conversion device attached making it a machine gun.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Shreveport Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney J. Aaron Crawford.
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Havre woman admits lunging at airplane flight controls during landing at Havre airportRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Havre woman who was a passenger on a small commercial airplane admitted on Thursday to interfering with the flight by lunging at the controls as the plane was landing, causing it to accelerate and turn on the runway, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
The defendant, Tracy Lynn Eagleman, aka Tracy Badmoccasin, 36, pleaded guilty to interfering with an aircraft in flight. Eagleman faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Dec. 11. Eagleman was detained pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that on March 21, 2023, Eagleman was a passenger on Cape Air flight 1793, a small passenger plane that departed from Billings and was bound for Havre. On the final approach into Havre, about 10 miles out, Eagleman stood up and started yelling about the landing. The flight crew – a captain and first officer – were able to calm Eagleman down and get her back into her seat. However, just as the plane touched down, Eagleman lunged forward from her seat and hit the flight controls. Eagleman hit the throttle for one of the two engines, causing it to accelerate and prompting the plane to “yaw” or turn on the runway. At the time, the plane was traveling between 70 and 75 knots, which is approximately 80 mph. The flight crew regained control of the plane without further incident, stopped on the tarmac and eventually taxied safely to the airport terminal. One of the passengers recorded the incident on a cellphone. While the recording failed to capture the moment, Eagleman lunged at the control deck, other passengers are heard yelling in fear that they could have been killed. In later interviews, the flight crew indicated that yawing at 70 knots in an unbalanced aircraft could cause it to roll and crash.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI and Hill County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
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Hart County Company Sentenced to 3 Years of Probation and Fined $100,000 for Federal Criminal Violation of the Safe Drinking Water ActRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – Yesterday, Logsdon Valley Oil, Inc., a/k/a Hart Petroleum, a Hart County, Kentucky, company was sentenced to 3 years of probation and fined $100,000 for violating the Safe Drinking Water Act.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky and Acting Special Agent in Charge Leslie Carroll of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Criminal Investigation Division covering Kentucky made the announcement.
According to court documents, in 2019 Logsdon Valley Oil, Inc., a/k/a Hart Petroleum, illegally discharged produced fluid also known as brine water from oil and gas production into sinkholes without a permit in violation of the Safe Drinking Water Act. Logsdon Valley Oil, Inc. was previously convicted of violating the Safe Drinking Water Act in 2013.
“The enforcement of the Safe Drinking Water Act is vital to keeping Kentucky’s groundwater safe,” said U.S. Attorney Bennett. “We will continue to pursue, in partnership with the EPA, those who violate federal environmental laws in order to keep our citizens safe and to protect Kentucky’s natural resources.”
“Illegally injecting brine water into an unpermitted well violates the Safe Drinking Water Act and threatens the quality of groundwater,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Carroll. “Our nation’s environmental laws are designed to protect public health and safety, and the sentencing of Logsdon Valley Oil demonstrates that the EPA and its law enforcement partners will take action to protect communities and their local water supplies.”
This case was investigated by the Environment Protection Agency Criminal Investigation Division.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Judd prosecuted the case.
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Hagerstown Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges of Possessing Sexually Explicit Images of ChildrenRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Yesterday, Chad Christopher Langgle, age 30, of Hagerstown, Maryland, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography.
U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron of the District of Maryland and Special Agent in Charge Michael S. McCarthy of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) announced Langgle’s guilty plea.
According to his guilty plea, in December 2022, Langgle emailed more than 50 videos containing child pornography. He also possessed images of child pornography on his cell phone and had additional videos stored in his email account.
Langgle was previously convicted of sex abuse of a minor and second-degree assault on a minor in the Circuit Court for Calvert County, Maryland. Additionally, he was previously convicted of second-degree sex offense in the Circuit Court for St. Mary’s County, Maryland.At sentencing, Langgle faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum of 20 years in prison followed by up to lifetime of supervised release. U.S. District Judge Julie R. Rubin has scheduled sentencing for October 10, 2024 at 10 a.m.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
U.S. Attorney Barron commended HSI, the Maryland State Police, and the United States Marshals Service for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Reema Sood, who is prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
Guilty Verdict for Man Who Killed 13-Year-Old Karon BlakeRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jason Lewis, 42, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty by a Superior Court jury today for the January 2023 killing of 13-year-old Karon Blake in the 1000 block of Quincy Street, NE, Washington D.C. The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Lewis was found guilty of three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, and one count of voluntary manslaughter while armed, committed against a minor.
Superior Court Judge Anthony Epstein scheduled sentencing for October 25, 2024. For committing voluntary manslaughter while armed against a minor, Lewis faces a maximum sentence of 45 years in prison.
According to the government’s evidence presented at trial, at approximately 4:00 a.m., on January 7, 2023, Lewis armed himself with a fully-loaded handgun and went outside his home in the 1000 block of Quincy Street, NE. Lewis is on video leaving his house, aiming and firing at two young people who were involved in breaking into cars. After Lewis fired at those two people, hitting the car that one was driving, Karon Blake then ran in Lewis’s direction and Lewis fired two shots into Karon’s left side, killing him. Lewis claimed that he acted in self-defense because the two people that he initially fired at threatened him. In finding Lewis guilty of the assaults with a dangerous weapon, the jury rejected his claim of self-defense.
Lewis was arrested on January 31, 2023, and was initially held until he was released in March 2023, over the government’s objection.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
This case was prosecuted and tried by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Wojcik and Shauna Payyappilly.
Former Knox County Teacher Sentenced to Twenty Years for Attempted Production and Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE Tenn. – Today, Zachariah Luaie Albaba, 33, a former teacher with the Knox County School system, currently of Rocky Top, Tennessee, was sentenced to two hundred and forty months in prison by the Honorable Katherine A. Crytzer, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Following his incarceration, Albaba will be on supervised release for his lifetime and will be required to register with state sex offender registries and comply with special sex offender conditions during his supervised release.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Albaba agreed to plead guilty to an indictment charging him with one count of production of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a) and one count of attempted production of child pornography in violation of 18 U.S.C. 2251(a).
According to the filed plea agreement, on September 11, 2022, in the Eastern District of Tennessee, in two separate communications, Albaba contacted two minor boys in different locations via OMEGLE, an internet application which provides real-time video communications. The real-time video communications with the two boys were located on Albaba’s cell phone. In each of the two videos, Albaba appears in the right-hand corner of the video requesting a male child to engage in sexual conduct and Albaba promises he will do likewise when the child is finished. One video shows a child engaging in sexual conduct, the other video does not. Neither boy has been identified.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee; Special Agent in Charge, Rana Saoud of the Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Acting Resident Agent in Charge, Lesley Cochran of the United States Secret Service (USSS) - Knoxville and Kentucky made the announcement.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation by the HSI; USSS; Knoxville Police Department-Internet Crimes Against Children Unit; Tennessee Internet Crimes Against Children; Kentucky Office of Attorney General; Campbell County Sheriff’s Office; and Rocky Top Police Department. This investigation was led by HSI Task Force Agent Thomas Evans.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer Kolman represented the United States.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006, by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc/resources.html and click on the tab "resources.”
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Former California Resident Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Role in Cocaine Distribution ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A former resident of Oxnard, California, was sentenced in federal court on August 14, 2024, to five years of imprisonment on his conviction for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge W. Scott Hardy imposed the sentence on Christopher Andrew Salgado, 24.
According to information presented to the Court, between March 2022 and September 2022, an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) conducted an investigation into a drug trafficking organization operating in the Western District of Pennsylvania. The investigation revealed that a cocaine source of supply in California would mail parcels containing kilogram quantities of cocaine to a residence in Aliquippa, Pennsylvania. After investigators seized a parcel containing two kilograms of cocaine before it reached the Aliquippa residence, the source of supply began sending the parcels to Salgado in West Virginia. Thereafter, mobile and electronic surveillance confirmed that Salgado would drive the parcels from West Virginia to the Pittsburgh International Airport, pick-up co-defendant Jose Sanchez, who would arrive on flights from California, and transport both the parcel and Sanchez to another co-defendant, Romaro Foster Sr., in Aliquippa.
Following one re-supply of cocaine to Foster, law enforcement followed Salgado as he drove Sanchez back to the Pittsburgh airport, and observed Salgado dispose of a box in the trash of a fast food restaurant parking lot. Investigators recovered the box, observing a shipping label with Salgado’s West Virginia address as well as drug packaging material within the box. A field test of the packaging revealed the presence of cocaine.
In August 2022, investigators seized a parcel sent from California to Salgado in West Virginia. The parcel contained approximately two kilograms of cocaine. Investigators conducted a controlled delivery operation of the parcel at Salgado’s residence, executing a federal search warrant at the residence in conjunction with the operation. From Salgado’s bedroom, investigators recovered a separate parcel sent from California to Salgado containing approximately two kilograms of cocaine, along with a loaded 9mm handgun, an empty pistol magazine, a box of ammunition, and a digital scale.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Drug Enforcement Administration for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Salgado.
This prosecution is part of an OCDETF investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Former Alabama Police Sergeant Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Offense for Using Excessive ForceRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – A former Daleville, Alabama, Police Department sergeant, Ryan Phillips, pleaded guilty yesterday to depriving an arrestee of his civil rights under color of law.
“When police officers violate the law and abuse their power, it erodes the community’s trust in the ability of law enforcement to keep them safe and to preserve their rights,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This defendant abused his power by entering the cell of an arrestee to violently strike him in the face and upper body without cause or reason. The Justice Department is steadfast in its determination to protect the civil and constitutional rights of all Americans, including people who are incarcerated, and to hold accountable law enforcement officials who use excessive force.”
“Although police officers are granted authority to maintain law and order, that authority has its limits,” said U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Ross for the Middle District of Alabama. “The defendant lost his composure and beat an arrestee inside his cell. This type of excessive force cannot be tolerated. By holding accountable those who disparage the profession by breaking the law, we will protect the reputations of the countless officers who serve honorably.”
“Ryan Phillips clearly violated his position of public trust,” said Acting Assistant Director Jodi Cohen of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Law enforcement officers take an oath to protect and serve all people and Phillips betrayed that trust. The law enforcement community relies on each other to uphold that sacred oath, and the FBI remains committed to holding those accountable should that oath be violated."”
According to documents submitted and statements made in court, Phillips willfully used unreasonable force against an arrestee identified as D.M. Specifically, while D.M. was inside a jail cell, he and Phillips had a verbal altercation. Phillips removed his badge and firearm, entered D.M.’s cell and hit D.M. in the upper body and face multiple times resulting in bodily injury to D.M., including lacerations and bruising. With the plea agreement, Phillips admitted that he had no legitimate law enforcement purpose for engaging in this conduct, that he acted willfully and that D.M. suffered bodily injury.
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. Phillips faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Mobile Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.
Trial Attorney MarLa Duncan of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Counts for the Middle District of Alabama are prosecuting the case.
Former Alabama Police Sergeant Pleads Guilty to Civil Rights Offense for Using Excessive ForceRead the Press Release
A former Daleville, Alabama, Police Department sergeant, Ryan Phillips, pleaded guilty yesterday to depriving an arrestee of his civil rights under color of law.
“When police officers violate the law and abuse their power, it erodes the community’s trust in the ability of law enforcement to keep them safe and to preserve their rights,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This defendant abused his power by entering the cell of an arrestee to violently strike him in the face and upper body without cause or reason. The Justice Department is steadfast in its determination to protect the civil and constitutional rights of all Americans, including people who are incarcerated, and to hold accountable law enforcement officials who use excessive force.”
“Although police officers are granted authority to maintain law and order, that authority has its limits,” said U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Ross for the Middle District of Alabama. “The defendant lost his composure and beat an arrestee inside his cell. This type of excessive force cannot be tolerated. By holding accountable those who disparage the profession by breaking the law, we will protect the reputations of the countless officers who serve honorably.”
“Ryan Phillips clearly violated his position of public trust,” said Acting Assistant Director Jodi Cohen of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Law enforcement officers take an oath to protect and serve all people and Phillips betrayed that trust. The law enforcement community relies on each other to uphold that sacred oath, and the FBI remains committed to holding those accountable should that oath be violated."”
According to documents submitted and statements made in court, Phillips willfully used unreasonable force against an arrestee identified as D.M. Specifically, while D.M. was inside a jail cell, he and Phillips had a verbal altercation. Phillips removed his badge and firearm, entered D.M.’s cell and hit D.M. in the upper body and face multiple times resulting in bodily injury to D.M., including lacerations and bruising. With the plea agreement, Phillips admitted that he had no legitimate law enforcement purpose for engaging in this conduct, that he acted willfully and that D.M. suffered bodily injury.
A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. Phillips faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI Mobile Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency.
Trial Attorney MarLa Duncan of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Counts for the Middle District of Alabama are prosecuting the case.
Foreign national heads to prison for trafficking over 17 kilograms of meth in the Conroe areaRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 36-year-old Mexican citizen illegally residing in Houston has been sentenced for conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and possession with intent to distribute meth, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
A federal jury deliberated for less than five hours before convicting Alberto Ramos-Nogueda Feb. 7.
U.S. District Judge Sim Lake has now ordered Ramos-Nogueda to serve 210 months in federal prison. Not a U.S. citizen, he is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment. In imposing sentence, Judge Lake noted that credible evidence showed Ramos-Nogueda played an essential role in the conspiracy and made the choice to participate in the distribution of a large quantity of a dangerous substance that affects many people.
“Seventeen kilos of crystal meth is a lot of deadly meth for any size city, no matter how large,” said Hamdani. “Had Ramos-Nogueda been successful in bringing the drugs into Conroe, many there and in other nearby communities north of Houston, such as The Woodlands and Kingwood, could have fallen victim to meth’s deadly effects. Thanks to law enforcement’s surveillance and hard work, including chasing him down into the woods, Ramos-Nogueda’s efforts to destroy lives for his own personal profit came up short and left him in prison.”
In May 2022, law enforcement conducted surveillance at a hotel in north Houston believing a large amount of meth was going to be transported through Houston into the Conroe area. Authorities observed Ramos-Nogueda arrive at the hotel carrying a large cardboard box into one of the rooms. Shortly thereafter, he left with Hector Hernandez-Velasquez.
He then placed the box into his vehicle and began to drive north on Highway 45 toward Conroe with Hernandez-Velasquez. When authorities attempted to stop them, both fled on foot. Law enforcement quickly took Hernandez-Velasquez into custody, but Ramos-Nogueda fled into a wooded area. They were able to apprehend him as well just a few hours later.
Law enforcement seized the box and discovered over 17 kilograms of crystal meth.
Hernandez-Velasquez, 49, illegally residing in Pharr, previously pleaded guilty and is set for sentencing Oct. 24. At that time, he faces up to life in prison and a possible $10 million maximum fine.
Ramos-Nogueda will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The Houston Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Conroe Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Stabe and Jimmy Leo prosecuted the case.
Federal Prisoner Sentenced to Six Years for Assaulting His Cellmate Causing Serious Bodily HarmRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – Senior United States District Judge John Antoon II has sentenced Walter Lamar Jackson (43, Georgia) to six years for assault within the special maritime or territorial jurisdiction of the United States (a federal prison) resulting in serious bodily harm. A federal jury found Jackson guilty on January 30, 2024.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Jackson was an inmate at the Federal Correctional Complex Coleman in Sumter County, Florida. On July 15, 2021, he was housed in a cell with another inmate inside the facility’s special housing unit. At approximately 5:50 p.m., correctional officers responded to an emergency alarm and discovered Jackson’s cellmate lying on the floor unconscious. Jackson was standing over his cellmate and slamming the man’s head into the concrete floor, which resulted in severe injuries. The officers immediately stopped the assault and restrained Jackson in handcuffs. Jackson subsequently stated to medical personnel that he had attacked his cellmate after giving him three warnings to be quiet.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Prisons. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Hannah Nowalk and William S. Hamilton.
Federal Jury in Louisville Finds Man Guilty of Drug Offenses Involving CocaineRead the Press Release
Louisville, KY – Today a federal jury convicted a Louisville man of one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Acting Special Agent in Charge Erek G. Davodowich of the DEA Louisville Field Division, and Interim Chief Paul Humphreys of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Reginald Brown, age 38, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine. On September 23, 2022, the Louisville Metro Police Department executed a search warrant at 8805 Beulah Church Road. During the execution of the search warrant, law enforcement recovered approximately seven (7) kilograms of cocaine, and evidence consistent with drug trafficking. Brown was one of the individuals present during the execution of the warrant, and the evidence revealed he was a member of the conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine.
Brown is scheduled for sentencing on November 13, 2024, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky. The Court ordered Brown remain detained pending sentencing. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine the sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Louisville Metro Police Department are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alicia P. Gomez and Marisa J. Ford are prosecuting the case with assistance from paralegal Adela Alic.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Federal Jury Finds Convicted Felon Guilty of Possessing A FirearmRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Antoine Johnson (45, Indialantic) guilty of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Johnson faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 15 years in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for December 10, 2024. Johnson was indicted on July 26, 2023.
According to the evidence presented at trial, after being stopped for violating a Florida traffic law on May 9, 2023, Johnson was found with a loaded firearm in his waistband. Johnson admitted to law enforcement that he knew he was a convicted felon and should not have been carrying a firearm. In a special finding, the jury found that before being stopped by the police, Johnson had been convicted three different times in the State of Florida, including robbery and two the sale of cocaine.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Palm Bay Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie McNeff.
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.
Eastern Oregon Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Assaulting Girlfriend on the Burns Paiute Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
EUGENE, Ore.—A Baker City, Oregon man was sentenced to federal prison Tuesday for assaulting his then-girlfriend on the Burns Paiute Indian Reservation in March 2023.
Skyhawk Teeman Garcia, 29, was sentenced to 27 months in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, on March 11, 2023, Garcia went to his then-girlfriend’s house on the Burns Paiute Indian Reservation while intoxicated and demanded access to her phone. When she refused, Garcia, a former mixed martial arts fighter, became angry and put the victim in a chokehold, strangling her. The victim’s child intervened, causing Garcia to release the victim, and then called 911. Garcia punched multiple holes in a wall before leaving the residence.
Police arrived as Garcia was walking away from the house. He told the officer he had an argument with his girlfriend and punched some walls, but denied assaulting the victim.
On April 20, 2023, a federal grand jury in Eugene returned an indictment charging Garcia with one count of assault by strangulation. One year later, on April 24, 2024, he pleaded guilty to the single charge.
This case was investigated by the FBI and Bureau of Indian Affairs Police, and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey S. Sweet.
Domestic violence can include both physical and emotional abuse, and it is frequently hidden from public view. Many survivors suffer in silence, afraid to seek help or not knowing where to turn. The traumatic effects of domestic violence also extend beyond the abused person, impacting family members, friends, and communities.
If you or someone you know are in immediate danger, please call 911.
If you need assistance or know someone who needs help, please contact the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233). Many communities throughout the country have also created support networks to assist survivors in the process of recovery.
The StrongHearts Native Helpline offers culturally specific support and advocacy for American Indian and Alaska Native survivors of domestic violence. Please call 1-844-762-8483 or visit www.strongheartshelpline.org for more information.
Dubuque Woman Sentenced for Participating in Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
A woman who was involved in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, in which a young woman died from using cocaine distributed by the conspirators, was sentenced on August 15, 2024, to more than nine years in federal prison.
Whitaker Jo Ingles, age 30, from Dyersville, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 14, 2024 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine between 2019 and February 17, 2021, near Madison Park in Dubuque, Iowa.
At the guilty plea and sentencing, Ingles admitted she was a member of a conspiracy to distribute cocaine in the Dubuque area. She helped get the cocaine from the individual who brought it from Chicago, and then worked with others to distribute the cocaine to customers in Dubuque. On February 14, 2021, one of her partners distributed cocaine to a young woman in Dubuque who went home, used the cocaine and died from using the cocaine.
Ingles was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Ingles was sentenced to 115 months’ imprisonment. She was ordered to make $13,911.02 in restitution to the victim’s family. She must also serve an eight-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Ingles is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until she can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Patrick J. Reinert and Nicole Nagin and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department
of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Iowa Medical Examiner’s Office and the Dubuque Drug Task Force, comprised of Dubuque Police Department, Dubuque Sheriff’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-01006.
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DOJ and eating disorder clinic resolve allegation the program violated the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)Read the Press Release
Seattle – An eating disorder clinic, The Emily Program P.C. (TEP), and the U.S. Department of Justice have entered into a voluntary settlement agreement to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Under the terms of the settlement, the clinic is making several changes to address the needs of clients seeking eating disorder treatment but who have dietary restrictions due to their disabilities. These changes include: adding staff training; appointing a specific ADA Dietary Designee at each clinic; and logging requests for dietary modifications.
The agreement is in response to an investigation of a complaint by a person with a disability alleging discriminatory treatment, but The Emily Program admits no wrongdoing and chooses to voluntarily enter into the settlement to avoid the uncertainty of litigation.
“We are pleased that The Emily Program is making important changes to its procedures to ensure it respects the rights and needs of disabled clients,” said U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “The former client, who is disabled, effectively advocated for changes which will assist others going forward.”
Under the terms of the settlement, TEP will allow patients with disabilities the opportunity to request exceptions to its dietary program rules as reasonable modifications to its policies and procedures. TEP agrees not to penalize or admonish or discourage a patient from requesting a modification. TEP will ensure it maintains foods and beverages that do not contain ingredients which are commonly restricted for people with disabilities such as sugar, caffeine, nuts, lactose or dairy products, gluten, eggs, soy, and fish/shellfish.
TEP is designating one person at each location to serve as the ADA Dietary Designee. This person will be specially trained to review requests for accommodation in diet and will know about common food restrictions for people with various disabilities, including but not limited to diabetes, epilepsy, autism, and food allergies. The staffer will maintain a log of all requests for dietary modification. The staffer will investigate and resolve complaints about ADA compliance and will ensure the location has foods that do not contain ingredients commonly restricted for people with disabilities.
DOJ will review training for TEP employees and will receive compliance reports every six months to ensure TEP is following the settlement agreement. TEP will alert DOJ if it receives any other complaints or is served with any lawsuits alleging violation of the ADA. The settlement terms are in force for 18 months after the settlement was signed.
The former client, who brought the matter to the attention of the Civil Rights Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office has been offered $15,000 by The Emily Program.
The matter was investigated, and the settlement was negotiated, by Assistant United States Attorney Susan Kas, who serves as the Civil Rights Coordinator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington.
For more information on our Civil Rights and ADA work, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/usao-wdwa/civil-rights
Convicted Felon Is Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking FentanylRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – John Edward Bradley, 50, of Cherokee, N.C., was sentenced yesterday to seven years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for trafficking fentanyl, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
According to court documents and court proceedings, Bradley was previously convicted of a federal firearms offense in the Western District of North Carolina and was sentenced to a term of imprisonment. After serving his prison term, Bradley was placed under court supervision on conditions of federal supervised release. In June 2023, Bradley’s federal probation officer obtained a warrant for Bradley’s arrest on allegations that Bradley had violated the terms of his supervision.
According to court documents, on June 13, 2023, law enforcement observed Bradley driving his vehicle in Cherokee. Knowing that there was an active arrest warrant against Bradley, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of Bradley’s vehicle and Bradley was taken into custody. While in custody, Bradley told law enforcement that he had narcotics hidden in his underwear. Law enforcement searched Bradley and retrieved two baggies containing a controlled substance. Following a lab analysis of the substances it was determined that the larger baggie contained fentanyl and the smaller baggie contained methamphetamine. Bradley admitted that he possessed the fentanyl with the intent to distribute it to others.
On December 20, 2023, Bradley pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. He is currently in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
This prosecution is the result of a joint investigation by the DEA, the Cherokee Indian Police Department, and the Cherokee Alcohol Law Enforcement, with the assistance of the U.S. Probation Office in the Western District of North Carolina.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alex Scott with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.
Chicago Man Charged in Federal Court with Plotting to Kill Two Witnesses in Cousin’s Murder TrialRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago man has been indicted on federal murder-for-hire charges for allegedly plotting to kill two potential witnesses in his cousin’s upcoming murder trial.
An indictment returned Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Chicago charges CHRISTOPHER YATES, 39, with two counts of murder-for-hire and one count of unlawful transfer of a firearm and ammunition.
According to the indictment and a criminal complaint previously filed in the case, Yates sought the killings of two individuals he believed would testify against his cousin in a state murder trial. Yates’s cousin is currently detained in state custody on murder and attempted murder charges for allegedly shooting two individuals, one fatally, in 2020. The trial was set to begin this fall.
Last month, Yates allegedly recruited a man to carry out the killings and provided him with a handgun and ammunition. Yates allegedly told the man, “I want them both off the board. Both of them got to [expletive] go.” Yates provided the man with $250 in cash and said he could offer more money later as payment for the killings, the charges allege. “Whatever you charge, I’m working on that,” Yates allegedly said.
Yates was arrested on July 31, 2024, and he remains detained in federal custody without bond. He pleaded not guilty to the charges during his arraignment Thursday in federal court in Chicago.
The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Sean Fitzgerald, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of Homeland Security Investigations. Substantial assistance was provided by the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office and the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirsten Moran.
The public is reminded that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. The unlawful transfer charge is punishable by up to 15 years in federal prison, while each murder-for-hire count is punishable by up to ten years.
Yates complaint Yates indictmentCharlotte Man That Traded Guns for Drugs Is Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Distributing FentanylRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte man who was trading guns for drugs was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for distributing fentanyl, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Reginald Williams, 36, of Charlotte, was also ordered to serve four years under court supervision after he is released from prison.
Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department, join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to documents filed with the court, on July 9, 2020, law enforcement learned that Williams was trafficking narcotics, including fentanyl, in the Charlotte area. Over the course of the investigation, Williams communicated with an undercover officer (UC) posing as a drug supplier. During a conversation with the UC, Williams told the UC that he wanted to buy two kilograms of cocaine and indicated that he would pay for one kilogram of cocaine in cash and would trade firearms as payment for the second kilogram. On August 12, 2020, Williams met with the UC to execute the drug transaction. At that meeting, Williams and another individual placed four firearms – two rifles and two semiautomatic pistols – in the trunk of the UC’s vehicle, and a bag containing $37,800 in cash in the vehicle of a second UC who was also present for the transaction. Williams was arrested on scene soon thereafter.
A federal search warrant was executed at an apartment Williams used to store drugs. Law enforcement seized fentanyl, plastic baggies, and other items consistent with drug distribution, as well as 28 rounds of ammunition. A search of Williams’s residence yielded quantities of fentanyl, heroin, marijuana, a revolver and ammunition, and $23,748 in cash drug proceeds. During the investigation, Williams admitted to buying kilogram quantities of fentanyl and heroin, which he further distributed to others. He also admitted to illegally obtaining firearms from a gun trafficking source.
On December 20, 2023, Williams pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and marijuana. He remains in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King thanked the ATF and CMPD for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Shavonn Bennette of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Charlotte Car Dealership Owner and Sales Manager Plead Guilty to Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The owner of a Charlotte area car dealership and a sales manager have pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy charges, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. John Harvey Martin, 50, of Charlotte, pleaded guilty today, and Vincent Emmanuel Jefferson, Jr., 47, of Fort Mill, South Carolina, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, August 13, 2024.
Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Charlotte Field Office, and Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Atlanta Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), which oversees the Charlotte District Office, join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to filed court documents and court proceedings, Martin was the owner of iNetwork Auto Group Inc. (iNetwork), a car dealership located in Charlotte. Martin owned and operated The Scorpio nightclub, also located in Charlotte. Martin employed Jefferson as a sales manager for iNetwork. Court documents show that, from July 2017, through January 2021, Martin and Jefferson engaged in a money laundering scheme by selling approximately 20 luxury vehicles to G.D., an individual who the defendants knew was a drug dealer or of whom they were willfully blind to that fact. The defendants received cash payments from G.D., also knowing or being willfully blind to the fact that the cash represented property derived from some form of criminal activity. Jefferson and Martin further facilitated the fraud by allowing G.D. to buy the vehicles using the names of straw purchasers in order to conceal G.D.’s identity and hide the illicit source of the cash G.D. was using to pay for the vehicles. To further the conspiracy, Martin and Jefferson at times forged the signatures of straw purchasers on sales, registration, and title paperwork for the vehicles sold to G.D., and frequently notarized the paperwork knowing that the straw purchasers were not the true purchasers of the vehicles. Court records show that Martin and Jefferson received from G.D. cash payments for the vehicles totaling over $520,000.
According to court documents, Martin used at least $200,000 in cash that he received from G.D. to pay for renovations to a building adjacent to iNetwork. Martin also solicited and received at least $100,000 in cash from G.D. to buy The Scorpio nightclub, while concealing G.D.’s ownership interest in The Scorpio. As Martin admitted in court today, he subsequently bought out G.D.’s ownership interest in The Scorpio for at least $100,000 in cash. G.D. gave that money to another individual, identified in court documents as J.M., who then attempted to drive the money to G.D.’s drug trafficking source of supply in California. After law enforcement seized the money from J.M., J.M. – at G.D.’s direction – submitted a fraudulent claim to the United States government under penalty of perjury falsely representing that J.M. was the lawful owner of the money and that he legally obtained the money from the sale of The Scorpio. Court documents show that Martin provided fraudulent documentation and made false representations in support of J.M.’s false and fraudulent claim.
Martin and Jefferson have been released on bond. The money laundering conspiracy charge carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. A sentencing date has not been set.
The prosecution was the result of a joint investigation by IRS-CI and the DEA.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Taylor Stout and Thomas Kent of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting the case.
Career criminal sentenced to 27 years in prison for federal drug trafficking and firearms crimesRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Henrico man was sentenced today to 27 years in prison for fentanyl distribution and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, from Feb. 10, 2022, to March 3, 2022, law enforcement in Richmond conducted three controlled purchases of fentanyl from Jason Dominic Coley, 38.
On March 22, 2022, law enforcement executed search warrants for locations and vehicles associated with Coley. During a search of Coley’s residence, investigators recovered two semiautomatic handguns, a semiautomatic rifle, 13.8 ounces of fentanyl, and 4.3 ounces of cocaine. At another residence associated with Coley, investigators recovered $16,085, and a .45 caliber handgun. The same day, law enforcement detained and arrested Coley, whom they found in possession of a .40 caliber handgun. Coley admitted that for the past year, he had been purchasing approximately two kilograms of fentanyl from California for distribution.
Coley is a career criminal with previous felony convictions, including in federal court. As a convicted felon, he cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; and Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen E. Anthony prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:22-cr-126.
Buffalo man arrested on multiple child pornography chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Sean Braven, 37, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with receipt, distribution, and possession of child pornography, which carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, and a maximum of 20 years.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron J. Mango, who is handling the case, stated that on July 26 and August 17, 2018, an undercover law enforcement officer identified an IP address that had made available suspected child pornography on a peer-to-peer file sharing network. The officer downloaded eight files which constitute child pornography. Subsequent investigation determined that the IP address belonged to Braven. In October 2018, a search warrant was executed at Braven’s residence, during which investigators seized several items, including a computer. A forensic review of the computer recovered more than 420 image files and 540 video files containing child pornography, some of which included depictions of violence against children.
Braven made an appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and was released on conditions.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Town of Tonawanda Police Department, under the direction of Chief James Stauffiger, and the U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force, under the direction of Marshal Charles Salina.
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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Buffalo man arrested on drug and gun chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Robert Green, 34, of Buffalo, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute a methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $10,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Donna M. Duncan, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on January 23, 2024, Green was observed by law enforcement in a rental vehicle on Central Avenue in Salamanca, NY, engaged in what appeared to be drug distribution. Deputies from the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office witnessed Green commit multiple traffic infractions and initiated a traffic stop, and as they approached, they observed Green with glassy and bloodshot eyes. There was also a strong odor of burnt marijuana emanating from the vehicle. After deputies conducted standardized field sobriety tests, Green ran on foot, but was taken into custody a few blocks away. During a search of the area where Green ran, deputies recovered a bag full of several smaller bags of suspected methamphetamine, crack cocaine, fentanyl, and hydrocodone.
On April 5, 2024, Cheektowaga Police responded to a call for service at a Kensington Avenue apartment building. Inside one apartment, they recovered five loaded handguns and a rifle, as well as evidence indicative of a narcotics processing and packaging operation. Detectives seized numerous bags of narcotics packaged in varying weights, including suspected methamphetamine, cocaine, and crack cocaine. Green’s DNA was found on at least one of the firearms. In 2007 and 2015, Green was convicted of felonies in Erie County Court and is legally prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Green made an appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and was held pending a detention hearing on August 20, 2024.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino, the Cattaraugus County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Timothy Whitcomb, and the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Coons.
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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Bridgeport Man Pleads Guilty to Participating in Vehicle Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that TAD CARR, 22, of Bridgeport, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to charges stemming from a series of vehicle thefts from dealerships using personal information from identity theft victims.
According to court documents and statements made in court, beginning in approximately September 2020, Carr’s alleged co-conspirator utilized personal information stolen from residents of Connecticut and other states to apply for vehicle loans at dealerships in Connecticut, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, and Rhode Island for motorcycles, an all-terrain vehicle, and other performance vehicles. Once the loan was approved by the dealership using the identity theft victim’s information, Carr’s co-conspirator would send a series of runners, including Carr, to pick up the vehicle utilizing a fictitious driver’s license that included the identity theft victim’s information and a photograph of the runner. The vehicle was then transported back to Connecticut for resale on Facebook Marketplace.
Carr pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud, which carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years, and one count of aggravated identity theft, which carries a mandatory consecutive term of imprisonment of two years. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Janet C. Hall on November 8, 2024.
Carr was arrested on December 7, 2023. He is released on a $75,000 bond pending sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation the FBI’s New Haven Safe Streets/Gang Task Force, the Bridgeport Police Department, the Hopkinton (R.I.) Police Department, the Westtown – East Goshen Regional (Pa.) Police Department, and the Washington Township (N.J.) Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and Heather M. Cherry.