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12 August 2024
Terrebonne Parish Man Pleads Guilty to Violations of the Federal Controlled Substances Act, Federal Gun Control Act, and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JON VERDIN (“VERDIN”), age 28, of Terrebonne Parish, La., pled guilty on August 7, 2024, before United States District Court Judge Sarah S. Vance to possessing over a kilogram of fentanyl and four firearms, in addition to money laundering. Specifically, VERDIN pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, possession of firearms by a convicted felon, and engaging in monetary transactions derived from a specified unlawful activity, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(A), Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), and Title 18, United States Code, Section 1957, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
On February 2, 2022, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at VERDIN’s home and recovered over a kilogram of fentanyl and four firearms. VERDIN admitted he possessed the fentanyl with intent to distribute same. He also admitted that he possessed the firearms knowing he had prior felony convictions that prohibited him from possessing a firearm.
During the investigation, law enforcement learned that on March 20, 2021, VERDIN used proceeds from a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan to purchase a Lincoln MKZ for $28,000.
VERDIN is scheduled to be sentenced on November 20, 2024. On the narcotics charge, VERDIN faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of ten (10) years and a maximum of life imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000,000.00, and at least five (5) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment. For the felon in possession of firearms charge, VERDIN faces up to ten (10) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three (3) years of supervised release. On the money laundering charge, VERDIN faces up to ten (10) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000 or the greater of twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to any person, and up to three (3) years of supervised release. As to each charge, VERDIN also faces payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
This prosecution is part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, as well as the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office, Houma Police Department, St. Charles Parish Sheriff’s Office, Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, St. John Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Louisiana State Police. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.
Tampa Man Pleads Guilty to Gas Station RobberyRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Brandale Swails (29, Tampa) has pleaded guilty to brandishing a firearm during the commission of a Hobbs Act Robbery. Swails faces a minimum mandatory sentence of seven years, up to life, in federal prison. His sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 7, 2024.
According to court documents, Swails arrived at a gas station on a bicycle, entered the business, pointed a gun at a clerk, and demanded money. The employee immediately hid behind the counter. Swails jumped over the counter towards the clerk while continuing to point the firearm at him. Swails then stated he would shoot the clerk if he did not open the register. Swails continued to hold the victim at gunpoint while directing him into a bathroom. Swails then exited the business and fled on a bicycle. Swails was arrested two weeks later, hiding inside a bedroom closet.
This case was investigated by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is geing prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.
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.
Tahlequah Resident Sentenced for Felony Assault ChargeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Tristan Hunter Finch, age 27, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma, was sentenced to time served and three years of supervised release for one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country.
The charges arose from an investigation by the United States Marshals Service and the Muskogee Police Department.
On February 20, 2024, Finch pleaded guilty to the charge. As part of the plea, Finch admitted that on the morning of September 5, 2023, Finch threatened the victim while holding a knife. The crime occurred in Muskogee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing Muskogee.
Assistant United States Attorney Michael E. Robinson represented the United States.
Stilwell Resident Sentenced for Federal Firearm CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Lewis Reynaldi Cypress, age 39, of Stilwell, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 30 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Stilwell Police Department.
On August 6, 2024, Cypress pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on December 3, 2023, law enforcement seized two firearms and 24 rounds of ammunition from Cypress during a traffic stop. Cypress knowingly possessed the firearms and ammunition after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
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 Ronald A. White, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Cypress 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 Michael E. Robinson represented the United States.
St. Tammany Parish Man and Georgia Man Indicted for Scheme to Defraud Former Political Candidate and Four Other Louisiana ResidentsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that, on August 9, 2024, JOSEPH HAROLD WEST, JR. (“WEST”), a resident of St. Tammany Parish, and CHASE DUNCAN CAMPBELL (“CAMPBELL”), a resident of Cobb County, Georgia, were indicted for conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 and 1343. WEST was also charged with three counts of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343.
According to the indictment, from as early as November 2020, and continuing through at least May 2024, WEST and CAMPBELL conspired to: defraud Candidate 1 with fake campaign services; defraud Victim 1 out of approximately $236,867 in fake real estate purchases and associated costs; defraud Victim 2 out of approximately $83,268.05 in fraudulent claims of real estate and title work; and defraud Victims 3 and 4 out of approximately $112,328.18 in connection with a fake legal defense scheme. Among other things, WEST and CAMPBELL utilized numerous fake aliases and occupations, “burner” numbers for text messages and calls, and fraudulent invoices to defraud their victims.
If convicted of conspiracy (Count 1), WEST and CAMPBELL each face a maximum sentence of five (5) years in prison, up to three (3) years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 or the greater of twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to the victim, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
If convicted of wire fraud (Counts 2 through 4), for each count WEST faces a maximum sentence of twenty (20) years in prison, up to three (3) years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The prosecution of the case is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney, Andre J. Lagarde of the Public Integrity Unit.
St. Lucie County Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MIAMI- A St. Lucie County man was sentenced today to 240 months in federal prison for production of visual depictions of sexual exploitation of a minor, after pleading guilty in May 2024.
Between November 2022 and January 2023, Luis Escoto, 28, of Port St. Lucie, engaged in sexual intercourse with a 17-year-old when he was about 26 or 27 years old in St. Lucie and Martin counties. Escoto recorded the sexual interactions with the minor victim using his cellphone and convinced the victim to send him sexually explicit pictures through text messages and communication platforms. In February 2023, Martin County Sheriff’s Office detectives arrested Escoto, when he showed up, thinking he was going to have sex, after texting with an undercover detective who had been posing as the minor.
U.S. District Judge David S. Liebowitz, sitting in Fort Pierce, sentenced Escoto to prison, to be followed by 15 years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Anthony Salisbury of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Miami, and Sheriff William D. Snyder of the Martin County Sheriff’s Office announced the sentence.
HSI Fort Pierce and the Martin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmen Lineberger prosecuted it.
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals, who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about the Project Safe Childhood initiative and for information regarding Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cr-14024.
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Springfield Man Admits Travelling to Have Sex with MinorRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Springfield, Missouri on Monday admitted being intercepted by police while trying to have sex with a teen from Lincoln County.
Jonathan Mauser-Campbell, 29, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to a felony charge of possession of child pornography. He admitted that on Dec. 2, 2022, he drove from Springfield to Lincoln County, Missouri, to pick up an underage girl from her home. Mauser-Campbell planned to take her to a campground to engage in sex acts with her.
During a traffic stop, however, officers with the Hawk Point Police Department rescued her after realizing the girl was underage and had run away from home to be with Mauser-Campbell. A later analysis of Mauser-Campbell’s cell phone uncovered over 300 images/videos containing child pornography.
The Hawk Point Police Department, the FBI and the St. Charles Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dianna Edwards is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice 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 exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
South Carolina Woman Pleads Guilty to Money Laundering in Relation to COVID-19 Relief Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
BLUEFIELD, W.Va. – Anna Marie Omar, 50, of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, pleaded guilty today to money laundering by engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from a fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan. Omar admitted that she fraudulently obtained a $20,833 PPP loan guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 30, 2021, Omar applied for a PPP forgivable loan while living in Bluefield, West Virginia. PPP loans were available to qualifying independent contractors and self-employed individuals adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, to replace their normal income and for certain other expenses. Omar admitted that she falsely represented that she was an independent contractor, that she had earned $152,000 in gross income in that capacity during tax year 2020, that she earned that income while working for a water processing business, and that she had been in business since 2010. Omar further admitted that she obtained the COVID-19 relief money for her own personal use.
A PPP lender approved Omar’s loan application and deposited $20,833 in loan proceeds into Omar’s personal checking account on May 17, 2021. Omar admitted that she transferred $12,216.70 of the loan proceeds from her personal checking account to her personal savings account the following day.
Omar is scheduled to be sentenced on December 9, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Omar also owes $23,410.60 in restitution.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU), Homeland Security Investigations, the Horry County South Carolina Sheriff’s Office and the Myrtle Beach Police Department.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-36.
Seven Men Arrested in Multi-Agency Sex Trafficking OperationRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), the South Dakota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Ellsworth AFB Office of Special Investigations, the Pennington County Sheriff’s Office, and the Rapid City Police Department conducted a joint sex-trafficking operation during the 2024 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally designed to apprehend persons attempting to arrange sexual encounters with underage children. The operation began on August 2, 2024, and continued through August 8, 2024.
As a result, the following seven men were arrested and charged:
Brockton Dominquez, 26, Rapid City – Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet
Eli Poorman, 20, Rapid City – Attempted Commercial Sex Trafficking of a Minor
Dustin Day, 20, Piedmont – Attempted Commercial Sex Trafficking of a Minor
Vance Coats, 25, Box Elder – Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet
Brandon Bishop, 36, Rapid City – Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet
Corey Simon, 36, Rapid City – Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet
Aaron Ray Williams, Jr., 23, Rapid City – Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet
“Once again, this operation demonstrates the sad reality that there are individuals in our communities who are using the Internet to target young girls for sex,” said U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell. “We are grateful to our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, who regularly collaborate to safeguard children across South Dakota. Because of their work, the Rapid City community is a little safer this week.”
The mandatory minimum penalty upon conviction for Attempted Commercial Sex Trafficking of a Minor under the age of fourteen is 15 years up to 30 years in federal prison; and any term of years, not less than five, up to lifetime supervised release.
The mandatory minimum penalty upon conviction for Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet is 10 years up to life in federal prison; and any term of years, not less than five, up to lifetime supervised release.
The charges are merely accusations, and all seven defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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.
The cases are being federally prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Knox.
San Jose Man Sentenced to Nearly Three Years for Defrauding Investors of $4.7 MillionRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Joon Woo Kim was sentenced today to 33-months in prison for two fraud schemes – the first, a scheme to mislead investors to contribute millions to an electric vehicle investment fund he formed in San Francisco, and the second, a scheme to obtain multi-million dollar business loans by lying to a bank – announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge James Donato.
On March 4, 2024, Kim, 58, of San Jose, Calif., pleaded guilty to two fraud charges against him, one count of committing wire fraud and the other for making false statements to a bank to obtain a loan. The first fraud scheme occurred from June 2015 through March 2022 and involved creating and running an investment fund that Kim named the M5 Doctors Fund. Kim admitted in his plea agreement that he ran the M5 Doctors Fund, along with a separate management entity M5 Management, with the intent to deceive investors. Kim represented to investors that he would invest the funds of the M5 Doctors Fund in securities of electric vehicle companies, including Tesla, and would always invest only in publicly traded securities. Instead, Kim transferred nearly all the millions invested by investors in the M5 Doctors Fund into a failing private company called CKR Enterprise, Inc. (CKR). CKR was a wholesale food distribution company operated by Kim and his wife and owned by them, among others.
Kim defrauded investors out of $4,690,000 due to his transfer of the M5 Doctors Fund assets to CKR. While this was occurring, Kim continued to mislead investors by sending quarterly reports to them suggesting their money was invested in public securities such as Tesla.
Kim engaged in a second fraud scheme in which he defrauded Hanmi Bank by applying for two loans for CKR, a $1,300,000 line of credit and a $3,200,000 business loan. Kim admitted the bank loan application contained materially false and fraudulent representations. Based on those representations, Kim obtained the proceeds of these loans.
In a memorandum filed for the sentencing hearing, the government argued that Kim gained the trust of his investors due to his impressive profile, which included multiple Ivy League degrees and extensive investment experience. Many M5 Doctors Fund investors were non-profit institutions that could invest only in public securities and would not have invested with Kim if they knew the truth, that is, that Kim transferred their money to a private company owned by Kim and his wife. The government pointed out that while Kim drained this fund, he continued to deceive his investors into believing the fund still had money that it no longer had.
A federal grand jury charged Kim on June 27, 2023, with multiple counts of wire fraud, bank fraud, and making a false statement to a bank. In his plea agreement, Kim pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343, and one count of making a false statement to a bank, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1014.
In addition to the 33-month term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge James Donato sentenced the defendant to a three-year period of supervision following his release from prison and ordered Kim to pay more than $4.7 million in restitution to his victims. Kim was ordered as one condition of his supervised release to make at least three 30-minute presentations to university MBA classes to inform students about the consequences of engaging in fraudulent business practices and behaviors.
Kim was ordered to surrender into custody on September 3, 2024.
Chris Highsmith is the Assistant U.S. Attorney prosecuting the case, with the assistance of Tina Rosenbaum and Aarian Beti and Victim Specialist Alicia Guevara. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.
San Diego Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Abuse of 14-Year-Old Girl on an AirplaneRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 12, 2024
SAN DIEGO – Ryan Coffey of San Diego pleaded guilty in federal court today, admitting that he sexually abused the 14-year-old girl seated next to him on an American Airlines flight from Charlotte, North Carolina to San Diego, California.
Coffey was indicted on March 15, 2024, for Sexual Abuse of a Minor and Abusive Sexual Contact stemming from his actions on an evening flight on January 7, 2023. Coffey, who was 31 years old at the time of the offense, pleaded guilty, admitting that he gave the girl rum and touched her inner thigh and breasts. The defendant did not know the victim.
“Thanks to the courage of a brave girl who reported what happened in the dark on a plane, and swift engagement from law enforcement, this defendant was brought to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to protecting the public in the air, on the ground, or at sea.”
“Ryan Coffey’s conduct was abhorrent,” said Acting FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge TJ Holland. “The FBI, along with our dedicated law enforcement partners remain committed to using all tools available to follow the evidence and bring those who commit crimes against children to justice.”
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew Sherwood and Katie Grammenidis.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 24cr505-AJB
Ryan Coffey Age: 33 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Abusive Sexual Contact Title 18, U.S.C., Section 2244(a)(3)
Maximum penalty: Two years in prison
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
Federal Bureau of Investigation
St. Thomas Man Indicted on Gun and Drug Possession ChargesRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI - United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging N’Kel Morton, 30, of St. Thomas, with possession with intent to distribute cocaine and illegal firearm possession.
According to court documents, on December 7, 2023, a Drug Enforcement Administration undercover agent purchased cocaine from Morton in the Red Hook area of St. Thomas. At the time of his arrest, Morton, who was on supervised release following his prior federal firearm conviction, was found in possession of an unlicensed firearm.
This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration and the Virgin Islands Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly M. Riley.
United States Attorney Smith reminds the public that an indictment is merely a formal charging document, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
St. Croix Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of a Firearm in a School ZoneRead the Press Release
St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Jimmar A. Payne, 31, of St. Croix, pleaded guilty in District Court before Magistrate Judge Emile A. Henderson III, to Possession of a Firearm in a School Zone. The sentencing in this matter is scheduled for December 12, 2024, where Payne faces a maximum sentence of five years' incarceration. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to court documents, on January 29, 2023, Virgin Islands Police Department officers conducted a traffic stop of Payne’s vehicle on the Melvin Evans Highway in the vicinity of the Ricardo Richards Elementary School for failure to display a visible rear license plate. Officers later observed a handgun protruding from under the driver’s seat of Payne’s vehicle. Payne did not have a license to possess the firearm.
This case was investigated by the Virgin Islands Police Department and High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Task Force and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Huston. This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and community leaders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. For more information on the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods, please see: https://www.justice.gov/psn.
Rochester woman arrested, charged with defrauding Social Security and identity theftRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Wendy Stone, 63, of Rochester, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with theft of government funds, aggravated identity theft, and making a false statement to obtain social security benefits. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas A. Testani, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, Stone’s boyfriend, Kenneth Crisman, died on December 28, 2022. Stone lived with Crisman, who received Social Security benefits prior to his death. However, Stone failed to notify anyone of Crisman’s death, instead, moving his body to the basement of their residence and continuing to collect his benefits. Stone wrapped Crisman’s body, and placed it into a plastic recycling bin, periodically pouring bleach on his body to prevent foul odor.
Prior to his death, Crisman requested a replacement debit card for his benefits. On January 6, 2023, the card was successfully activated with a new PIN number. The next day, the first debits to Crisman’s new card began. The card was depleted by January 15, 2023, with charges at The Peppermill Restaurant, Walmart, BJs Wholesalers, The Home Depot, Staples, as well as ATM withdrawals. The card was also used to open a Rent-A-Center account on March 7, 2023, for a $1,815.05 purchase. Between January and September 2023, $7,902.00 of benefits intended for Crisman were deposited into his account and depleted by Stone. On January 3, 2024, the Social Security Administration conducted a redetermination for continuing eligibility for Stone’s benefits, who falsely reported that since December 2021, no one has moved into or out of her residence, to include births or deaths, and that nobody helped pay her bills or rent since December 2021. The use of Crisman’s benefits rendered Stone ineligible for her own benefits from December 28, 2022, through September 2023.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Bradley Parker and the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith.
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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Oklahoma City Man Sentenced to Spend 15 Years in Federal Prison after Threatening Woman with Firearm and Possessing Fentanyl with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – REUBEN JULIUS INGRAM, III, 44, of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to serve 180 months in federal prison for illegal possession of firearms after a previous felony conviction and possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On October 3, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a three-count Superseding Indictment, charging Ingram with being a felon in possession of firearms, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. According to public record, on August 22, 2023, the Oklahoma City Police Department (OCPD) received a call from a woman who claimed Ingram had pointed a firearm at her multiple times, threatened to kill her, and hit her vehicle window with the firearm. OCPD officers later located Ingram’s car in a nearby motel parking lot, and arrested Ingram after a traffic stop. Officers then searched Ingram’s motel room pursuant to a search warrant, where they found three firearms, ammunition, and large quantities of fentanyl and crack cocaine.
Public record further reflects that Ingram holds multiple prior felony convictions, all in Oklahoma County District Court, including trafficking in illegal drugs in case number CF-2012-1744, domestic assault and battery in case number CF-2007-6521, and driving while under the influence of alcohol and attempting to elude officers in case number CF-2000-4027.
On January 9, 2024, Ingram pleaded guilty to counts 1 & 2 of the Superseding Indictment, and admitted to possessing at least forty grams of fentanyl with the intent to distribute it, and to possessing a firearm despite his criminal history.
At the sentencing hearing on August 8, 2024, U.S. District Judge Scott L. Palk sentenced Ingram to serve 180 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. In announcing his sentence, Judge Palk noted the seriousness of Ingram’s crimes, as well as his history of violence, including domestic violence offenses.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Oklahoma City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mary E. Walters prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a Department of Justice program to reduce violent crime. In October 2017, the Department announced the reinvigoration of PSN and directed U.S. Attorney’s Offices to develop crime-reduction strategies that incorporate lessons federal law enforcement has learned since the program’s launch in 2001. This case is also part of “Operation 922,” the Western District of Oklahoma’s implementation of PSN, which prioritizes prosecution of federal crimes connected to domestic violence. For more information about PSN, please visit https://justice.gov/psn and https://justice.gov/usao-wdok.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Violations of Federal Gun Control ActRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – JAMAUR JOHNSON a/k/a Jamal Johnson (“JOHNSON”), age 36, of New Orleans, pled guilty on August 7, 2024, before United States District Judge Sarah S. Vance to four counts of being a convicted felon in possession of firearms and ammunition and one count of being a convicted felon in possession of firearms, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
As part of “Operation Big Easy,” agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives identified individuals who were involved in trafficking firearms within the City of New Orleans. Agents conducted multiple undercover purchases of firearms from JOHNSON between August 30, 2023, and October 26, 2023.
JOHNSON is scheduled to be sentenced on November 20, 2024. On each count, JOHNSON faces up to fifteen (15) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. The prosecution is being handed by Assistant United States Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.
Nashville Couple Pleads Guilty to COVID Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Joe Lewis Jefferson, 49, of Nashville, North Carolina, pled guilty for executing a scheme to defraud a program designed to help struggling North Carolinians stay in their homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. He faces up to 31 years in prison. On March 27, 2024, Jefferson’s wife, Danyael Davis Jefferson, pled guilty to conspiracy to commit mail fraud for her role in the scheme.
According to information presented in court, Jefferson recruited others to falsely pose as landlords for properties located in Eastern North Carolina. In the names of these nominee landlords, Jefferson prepared and submitted fraudulent North Carolina Housing Opportunities and Prevention of Evictions (NC HOPE) loan applications for emergency rental assistance. When the applications were approved, NC HOPE mailed checks to addresses controlled by Jefferson. Jefferson traveled with the nominee landlords to area banks to negotiate the checks and split the proceeds. Jefferson and his co-conspirators were responsible for the submission of at least 44 fraudulent applications for rental assistance, resulting in the disbursement of approximately $279,000.
The NC HOPE Program administered federal COVID-19 relief funds and provided emergency rental assistance to North Carolina renters who faced eviction and homelessness during the pandemic. The Program allowed renters to submit an online application to apply for rental assistance. If approved, the Program paid the tenant’s rent, in checks sent directly to the landlord, for up to 15 months of overdue or future rent payments.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after United States Magistrate Judge Robert T. Numbers, II accepted the plea. Sentencing will occur before United States District Judge James C. Dever, II, later this year. The investigation is being conducted by IRS-Criminal Investigation and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Toby Lathan is prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-cr-00493.
Maryland felon pleads guilty to federal firearm crime in VirginiaRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Maryland man pled guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on Feb. 27, officers with the Arlington County Police Department and a United States Marshals Service Task Force took Christian Lamont Thompson, 40, of Waldorf, into custody at a hotel in Arlington County on an outstanding warrant for a parole violation following a drug distribution conviction in the District of Columbia. As officers placed Thompson into custody, crack cocaine fell from his pants. During a search of Thompson’s room, investigators recovered a vial of PCP, plastic baggies, $680, suspected marijuana, and a loaded handgun with an affixed laser sight.
As a previously convicted felon, Thompson cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.
Thompson is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 21. He faces a maximum punishment of 15 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Charles “Andy” Penn, Arlington County Chief of Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles accepted the plea.
USMS provided valuable assistance in the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc J. Birnbaum is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-113.
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to Sex TraffickingRead the Press Release
HARRISONBURG, Va. – A Maryland man, who used the drug dependency of at least three adult women to compel them to engage in commercial sex work, pled guilty today to federal charges.
William O’Neil Murray III, 36, pled guilty today to one count of sex trafficking by force, fraud, or coercion.
According to court documents, beginning in December 2021 and continuing through July 2022, Murray engaged in a multistate sex trafficking operation involving at least three adult female victims. Murray recruited and coerced his victims into sex work using their drug dependency as his primary method of control.
Murray controlled his victims’ narcotics use, not allowing them to obtain drugs from anyone but himself, therefore taking complete control of each victim’s drug dependency. Murray would withhold drugs from his victims if they did not follow his directions or engage in commercial sex. Many of the victims described becoming “dopesick” when Murray withheld drugs from them. Thus, Murray stood between them and the threat of withdrawal. Murray knew that withholding drugs from the victims would have a coercive effect and incentivize them to obey him.
Murray managed every aspect of the commercial sex transactions. The defendant used various commercial sex websites, such as Skipthegames.com to set up dates with commercial sex customers, set the prices, booked the hotel rooms, and transported his victims to the dates. Murray received all the proceeds from the commercial sex acts.
Murray maintained strict control over his victims’ activities including requiring them to stay in communication with him while they completed their commercial sex “dates.” Victims were not allowed to go anywhere without Murray’s permission and were punished if they did so.
The criminal behavior occurred in Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, West Virginia, New York, New Jersey, and Florida.
U.S. Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Office and Colonel Gary T. Settle, Superintendent of the Virginia State Police made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s I-81 Human Trafficking Task Force (I-81 HTTF) and the Virginia State Police are investigating the case.
The I-81 HTTF is a collaborative effort of law enforcement and community partners focused on identifying instances of human trafficking along the I-81 corridor in the northern Shenandoah Valley of Virginia, West Virginia, and Maryland; prosecuting those responsible; and providing assistance to the victims impacted by these crimes. The I-81 HTTF includes law enforcement from the counties of Frederick, Clarke, and Shenandoah as well as the cities and towns of Front Royal, Hagerstown, and Frederick, Maryland, and Lord Fairfax Community College.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Melanie Smith, Sally Sullivan and Trial Attorney Christina Randall-James with the Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit of the Department of Justice are prosecuting the case for the United States.
Marion County Man Arrested for Transporting A Minor with the Intent to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Thomas Allen Ebersole (32, Dunnellon) on an indictment charging him with transporting a minor with the intent to engage in sexual activity. If convicted, Ebersole faces minimum mandatory sentence of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.
According to court records, Ebersole met a 16-year-old female while playing online video games. On December 28, 2023, Ebersole drove from his residence in Florida to Ohio where the minor lived. Once there, Ebersole picked up the minor and immediately drove her back to Florida where they engaged in sexual activity. The minor stayed in Ebersole’s home until January 3, 2024, when law enforcement was able to identify her location through the Internet Protocol (IP) address she used to play video games online. After law enforcement removed the minor from Ebersole’s home, DNA results confirmed that Ebersole had engaged in sexual activity with her.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, and the Lima (Ohio) Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney 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.
Man Sentenced to 28 Years in Federal Prison for Targeting and Robbing Victims Selling Apple Products on OfferUpRead the Press Release
MIAMI - Last month, Jordan Denzel Lewis, 24, was sentenced to 336 months in federal prison for conspiring to rob and robbing several people who had various types of Apple products for sale on the online marketplace application OfferUp. His co-defendants Tyrell Brion Bouie, Anthony Christopher Diggs Jr., and Johntaevious Henry Johnson were sentenced to 126, 108, and 47 months, respectively, in federal prison. Each defendant previously pled guilty for his respective involvement in the conspiracy and was ordered to serve five years of supervised release following the prison sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Raag Singhal.
From September to October 2022, Lewis, Bouie, Diggs, and Johnson contacted victims who had posted electronics for sale online through OfferUp. After contacting the victims and pretending to be interested in purchasing the electronics, Lewis and his co-defendants would meet the victims at an agreed public location such as a parking lot or restaurant, and instead of purchasing the items, Lewis, Bouie, Diggs, and Johnson would rob the victims. On some occasions, they brandished guns or used violence during the robberies.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, and Chief W. Howard Harrison of the Plantation Police Department made the announcement.
FBI Miami and Plantation Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Deric Zacca and Vanessa Bonhomme prosecuted it.
This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-60138.
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Leader of international malvertising and ransomware schemes extradited from Poland to face cybercrime chargesRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – WASHINGTON – A Belarussian and Ukrainian national charged in the District of New Jersey and Eastern District of Virginia with leading international computer hacking and wire fraud schemes made his initial appearance in Newark, New Jersey, today after being extradited from Poland.
As alleged in court documents unsealed today, Maksim Silnikau, also known as Maksym Silnikov, 38, led two multi-year cybercrime schemes. At different points, Silnikau has been associated with the online monikers “J.P. Morgan,” “xxx,” and “lansky,” among others.
In the District of New Jersey, Silnikau, along with alleged co-conspirators Volodymyr Kadariya, a Belarussian and Ukrainian national, 38, and Andrei Tarasov, a Russian national, 33, are charged with cybercrime offenses associated with a scheme to transmit the Angler Exploit Kit, other malware, and online scams to the computers of millions of unsuspecting victim Internet users through online advertisements — so-called “malvertising” — and other means from October 2013 through March 2022. In the Eastern District of Virginia, Silnikau is charged for his role as the creator and administrator of the Ransom Cartel ransomware strain and associated ransomware operations beginning in May 2021.
“Today, the Justice Department takes another step forward in disrupting ransomware actors and malicious cybercriminals who prey on victims in the U.S. and around the world,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “As alleged, for over a decade, the defendant used a host of online disguises and a network of fraudulent ad campaigns to spread ransomware and scam U.S. businesses and consumers. Now, thanks to the hard work of federal agents and prosecutors, along with Polish law enforcement colleagues, Maksim Silnikau must answer these grave charges in an American courtroom.”
“This case reemphasizes the importance of both cybersecurity and our crucial law enforcement partnerships worldwide,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Online threats emerge within the digital ecosystem among those who exploit the very tools that help us connect and collaborate. In turn, we must maximize our investigative collaborations globally to address those threats. This investigation demonstrates the positive results of leveraging international partnerships to combat international crimes.”
“As alleged in the indictment, Silnikau and his co-conspirators distributed online advertisements to millions of internet users for the purpose of delivering malicious content,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These ads appeared legitimate but were actually designed to deliver malware that would compromise users’ devices or to deliver ‘scareware’ designed to trick users into providing their sensitive personal information. Silnikau’s arrest and extradition demonstrate that, working with its domestic and international partners, the Criminal Division is committed to bringing cyber criminals who target U.S. victims to justice, no matter where they are located.”
“These conspirators are alleged to have operated a multiyear scheme to distribute malware onto the computers of millions of unsuspecting internet users around the globe,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “To carry out the scheme, they used malicious advertising, or ‘malvertising’, to trick victims into clicking on legitimate-seeming internet ads. Instead, the victims would be redirected to malicious internet sites that delivered malware to their devices, giving the conspirators access to the victims’ personal information. The conspirators then sold that access and information to other cybercriminals on the dark net. Throughout the scheme, the conspirators attempted to hide their identities from law enforcement, including by using fraudulent aliases and online personas.”
“This arrest underscores a long-term investigation by the U.S. Secret Service, in coordination with foreign, domestic and private partners, of cybercrime organizations that allegedly distributed the notorious Angler Exploit Kit, conducted malvertising, and operated the Ransom Cartel ransomware organization,” said Assistant Director of Investigations Brian Lambert of the U.S. Secret Service. “Cybercriminals should know that even if they attempt to hide their criminal conduct behind the anonymity of the internet that eventually, through the dedication of international law enforcement professionals, they will be apprehended and held accountable for their actions.”
“Silnikau and his co-conspirators allegedly used malware and various online scams to target millions of unsuspecting internet users in the United States and around the world,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “They hid behind online aliases and engaged in complex, far-reaching cyber fraud schemes to compromise victim devices and steal sensitive personal information. The FBI will continue to work with partners to aggressively impose costs on cybercriminals and hold them accountable for their actions.”
“The FBI will continue to work alongside our partners both overseas and in the states to identify and dismantle cyber threats, and to pursue those criminals who attempt to target and defraud victims in the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge Stephen Cyrus of the FBI Kansas City Field Office.
District of New Jersey Indictment
According to the indictment unsealed in the District of New Jersey, from October 2013 through March 2022, Silnikau, Kadariya, Tarasov, and others in Ukraine and elsewhere used malvertising and other means to deliver malware, scareware, and online scams to millions of unsuspecting Internet users in the United States and elsewhere. The malvertising campaigns were designed to appear legitimate, but often redirected victim Internet users who viewed or accessed the advertisements to malicious sites and servers that sought to defraud the users or delivered malware to the users’ devices. The conspirators’ scheme caused unsuspecting Internet users to be forcibly redirected to malicious content on millions of occasions, and defrauded and attempted to defraud various U.S.-based companies involved in the sale and distribution of legitimate online advertisements.
One strain of malware that Silnikau and others allegedly took a leading role in disseminating was the Angler Exploit Kit, which targeted web-based vulnerabilities in Internet browsers and associated plug-ins. At times during the scheme, the Angler Exploit Kit was a leading vehicle through which cybercriminals delivered malware onto compromised electronic devices. The conspirators also allegedly enabled the delivery of “scareware” ads that displayed false messages claiming to have identified a virus or other issue with a victim Internet user’s device. The messages then attempted to deceive the victim into buying or downloading dangerous software, providing remote access to the device, or disclosing personal identifying or financial information.
For years, the conspirators tricked advertising companies into delivering their malvertising campaigns by using dozens of online personas and fictitious entities to pose as legitimate advertising companies. They also developed and used sophisticated technologies and computer code to refine their malvertisements, malware, and computer infrastructure so as to conceal the malicious nature of their advertising.
As alleged, Silnikau, Kadariya, Tarasov, and conspirators used multiple strategies to profit from their widespread hacking and wire fraud scheme, including by using accounts on predominantly Russian cybercrime forums to sell to cybercriminals access to the compromised devices of victim Internet users (so-called “loads” or “bots”), as well as information stolen from victims and recorded in “logs,” such as banking information and login credentials, to enable further efforts to defraud the victim Internet users or deliver additional malware to their devices.
Eastern District of Virginia Indictment
According to the indictment unsealed in the Eastern District of Virginia, Silnikau was the creator and administrator of the Ransom Cartel ransomware strain, created in 2021. Silnikau allegedly had been a member of Russian-speaking cybercrime forums since at least 2005 and was a member of the notorious cybercrime website Direct Connection from 2011 to 2016, when the site was shuttered after the arrest of its administrator.
Beginning in May 2021, Silnikau allegedly developed a ransomware operation and began recruiting participants from cybercrime forums. On various occasions, Silnikau allegedly distributed information and tools to Ransom Cartel participants, including information about compromised computers, such as stolen credentials, and tools such as those designed to encrypt or “lock” compromised computers. Silnikau also allegedly established and maintained a hidden website where he and his co-conspirators could monitor and control ransomware attacks; communicate with each other; communicate with victims, including sending and negotiating payment demands; and manage distribution of funds between co-conspirators.
On Nov. 16, 2021, Silnikau allegedly executed a ransomware attack on a company based in New York, and on March 5, 2022, Ransom Cartel ransomware was deployed against a company based in California. The hackers removed confidential data without authorization and demanded a monetary payment to refrain from releasing the victim’s data.
* * *
In the District of New Jersey, Silnikau, Kadariya, and Tarasov are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit computer fraud, and two counts of substantive wire fraud. If convicted, Silnikau, Kadariya, and Tarasov face maximum penalties of 27 years in prison for wire fraud conspiracy, 10 years in prison for computer fraud conspiracy, counts, and 20 years in prison on each wire fraud count.
In the Eastern District of Virginia, Silnikau is charged with conspiracy to commit computer fraud and abuse, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit access device fraud, and two counts each of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He faces a mandatory minimum of two years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
The U.S. Secret Service and FBI Kansas City Field Office are investigating the charges in the District of New Jersey, and the U.S. Secret Service is investigating the charges in the Eastern District of Virginia. The Department also appreciates the extensive cooperation and coordination by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency and Crown Prosecution Service over the course of several years, as well as significant support provided by the Security Service of Ukraine Cyber Department and Prosecutor General’s Office; Guardia Civil of Spain, Spanish Ministry of Justice, and the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Audiencia Nacional; Policia Judiciaria of Portugal; Germany—Bundeskriminalamt (BKA) and Landeskriminalamt (LKA) Berlin; and Polish authorities, in particular assistance provided by Poland’s Central Cybercrime Bureau, Border Guard, Ministry of Justice, and National Prosecutors Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Keim and Zoe Bedell are prosecuting the case in the Eastern District of Virginia. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samantha Fasanello, Chief of the Narcotics/OCDETF Unit, for the District of New Jersey and Senior Counsel Aarash A. Haghighat, Cyber Operations International Liaison Louisa K. Becker, and Trial Attorney Christen Gallagher of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) are prosecuting Silnikau and his co-defendants in the District of New Jersey. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew M. Trombly, Chief of the General Crimes Unit, for New Jersey, and Christopher Oakley for the District of Kansas also provided substantial assistance to the New Jersey case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided substantial assistance in the extradition of Silnikau and the collection of evidence.
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. 1:23-cr-108.
An indictment is merely an accusation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.
Leader of International Malvertising and Ransomware Schemes Extradited from Poland to Face Cybercrime ChargesRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Belarussian and Ukrainian national charged in the District of New Jersey and Eastern District of Virginia with leading international computer hacking and wire fraud schemes made his initial appearance in Newark today after being extradited from Poland.
As alleged in court documents unsealed today, Maksim Silnikau, also known as Maksym Silnikov, 38, led two multi-year cybercrime schemes. At different points, Silnikau has been associated with the online monikers “J.P. Morgan,” “xxx,” and “lansky,” among others. Silnikau appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jessica S. Allen in Newark federal court and was detained.
In the District of New Jersey, Silnikau, along with alleged co-conspirators Volodymyr Kadariya, a Belarussian and Ukrainian national, 38, and Andrei Tarasov, a Russian national, 33, are charged with cybercrime offenses associated with a scheme to transmit the Angler Exploit Kit, other malware, and online scams to the computers of millions of unsuspecting victim Internet users through online advertisements – so-called “malvertising” – and other means from October 2013 through March 2022. In the Eastern District of Virginia, Silnikau is charged for his role as the creator and administrator of the Ransom Cartel ransomware strain and associated ransomware operations beginning in May 2021.
“These conspirators are alleged to have operated a multiyear scheme to distribute malware onto the computers of millions of unsuspecting internet users around the globe. To carry out the scheme, they used malicious advertising, or ‘malvertising,’ to trick victims into clicking on legitimate-seeming internet ads. Instead, the victims would be redirected to malicious internet sites that delivered malware to their devices, giving the conspirators access to the victims’ personal information. The conspirators then sold that access and information to other cybercriminals on the dark net. Throughout the scheme, the conspirators attempted to hide their identities from law enforcement, including by using fraudulent aliases and online personas.”
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger
“Today, the Justice Department takes another step forward in disrupting ransomware actors and malicious cybercriminals who prey on victims in the U.S. and around the world,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “As alleged, for over a decade, the defendant used a host of online disguises and a network of fraudulent ad campaigns to spread ransomware and scam U.S. businesses and consumers. Now, thanks to the hard work of federal agents and prosecutors, along with Polish law enforcement colleagues, Maksim Silnikau must answer these grave charges in an American courtroom.”
“As alleged in the indictment, Silnikau and his co-conspirators distributed online advertisements to millions of internet users for the purpose of delivering malicious content,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These ads appeared legitimate but were actually designed to deliver malware that would compromise users’ devices or to deliver ‘scareware’ designed to trick users into providing their sensitive personal information. Silnikau’s arrest and extradition demonstrate that, working with its domestic and international partners, the Criminal Division is committed to bringing cyber criminals who target U.S. victims to justice, no matter where they are located.”
“This arrest underscores a long-term investigation by the U.S. Secret Service, in coordination with foreign, domestic and private partners, of cybercrime organizations that allegedly distributed the notorious Angler Exploit Kit, conducted malvertising, and operated the Ransom Cartel ransomware organization,” said Assistant Director of Investigations Brian Lambert of the U.S. Secret Service. “Cybercriminals should know that even if they attempt to hide their criminal conduct behind the anonymity of the internet that eventually, through the dedication of international law enforcement professionals, they will be apprehended and held accountable for their actions.”
“Silnikau and his co-conspirators allegedly used malware and various online scams to target millions of unsuspecting internet users in the United States and around the world,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “They hid behind online aliases and engaged in complex, far-reaching cyber fraud schemes to compromise victim devices and steal sensitive personal information. The FBI will continue to work with partners to aggressively impose costs on cybercriminals and hold them accountable for their actions.”
“The FBI will continue to work alongside our partners both overseas and in the states to identify and dismantle cyber threats, and to pursue those criminals who attempt to target and defraud victims in the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge Stephen Cyrus of the FBI Kansas City Field Office.
District of New Jersey Indictment
According to the indictment unsealed in the District of New Jersey, from October 2013 through March 2022, Silnikau, Kadariya, Tarasov, and others in Ukraine and elsewhere used malvertising and other means to deliver malware, scareware, and online scams to millions of unsuspecting Internet users in the United States and elsewhere. The malvertising campaigns were designed to appear legitimate, but often redirected victim Internet users who viewed or accessed the advertisements to malicious sites and servers that sought to defraud the users or delivered malware to the users’ devices. The conspirators’ scheme caused unsuspecting Internet users to be forcibly redirected to malicious content on millions of occasions, and defrauded and attempted to defraud various U.S.-based companies involved in the sale and distribution of legitimate online advertisements.
One strain of malware that Silnikau and others allegedly took a leading role in disseminating was the Angler Exploit Kit, which targeted web-based vulnerabilities in Internet browsers and associated plug-ins. At times during the scheme, the Angler Exploit Kit was a leading vehicle through which cybercriminals delivered malware onto compromised electronic devices. The conspirators also allegedly enabled the delivery of “scareware” ads that displayed false messages claiming to have identified a virus or other issue with a victim Internet user’s device. The messages then attempted to deceive the victim into buying or downloading dangerous software, providing remote access to the device, or disclosing personal identifying or financial information.
For years, the conspirators tricked advertising companies into delivering their malvertising campaigns by using dozens of online personas and fictitious entities to pose as legitimate advertising companies. They also developed and used sophisticated technologies and computer code to refine their malvertisements, malware, and computer infrastructure so as to conceal the malicious nature of their advertising.
As alleged, Silnikau, Kadariya, Tarasov, and conspirators used multiple strategies to profit from their widespread hacking and wire fraud scheme, including by using accounts on predominantly Russian cybercrime forums to sell to cybercriminals access to the compromised devices of victim Internet users (so-called “loads” or “bots”), as well as information stolen from victims and recorded in “logs,” such as banking information and login credentials, to enable further efforts to defraud the victim Internet users or deliver additional malware to their devices.
In the District of New Jersey, Silnikau, Kadariya, and Tarasov are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit computer fraud, and two counts of substantive wire fraud. If convicted, Silnikau, Kadariya, and Tarasov face maximum penalties of 27 years in prison for wire fraud conspiracy, 10 years in prison for computer fraud conspiracy, counts, and 20 years in prison on each wire fraud count.
The U.S. Secret Service and FBI Kansas City Field Office are investigating the charges in the District of New Jersey, and the U.S. Secret Service is investigating the charges in the Eastern District of Virginia. The Department also appreciates the extensive cooperation and coordination by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency and Crown Prosecution Service over the course of several years, as well as significant support provided by the Security Service of Ukraine Cyber Department and Prosecutor General’s Office; Guardia Civil of Spain, Spanish Ministry of Justice, and the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Audiencia Nacional; Policia Judiciaria of Portugal; Germany—Bundeskriminalamt (BKA) and Landeskriminalamt (LKA) Berlin; and Polish authorities, in particular assistance provided by Poland’s Central Cybercrime Bureau, Border Guard, Ministry of Justice, and National Prosecutors Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Samantha Fasanello, Chief of the Narcotics/OCDETF Unit, for the District of New Jersey, Senior Counsel Aarash A. Haghighat, Cyber Operations International Liaison Louisa K. Becker, and Trial Attorney Christen Gallagher of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS), are prosecuting Silnikau and his co-defendants in the District of New Jersey. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew M. Trombly of New Jersey and Christopher Oakley of Kansas City, Kansas also provided substantial assistance to the New Jersey case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided substantial assistance in the extradition of Silnikau and collection of evidence.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
silnikau.indictment.pdfLeader of International Malvertising and Ransomware Schemes Extradited from Poland to Face Cybercrime ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Belarussian and Ukrainian dual-national charged in both the District of New Jersey and Eastern District of Virginia with leading international computer hacking and wire fraud schemes made his initial appearance in Newark, New Jersey, today after being extradited from Poland.
As alleged in court documents unsealed today, Maksim Silnikau, also known as Maksym Silnikov, 38, led two multiyear cybercrime schemes. At different points, Silnikau has been associated with the online monikers “J.P. Morgan,” “xxx,” and “lansky,” among others.
In the District of New Jersey, Silnikau, along with alleged co-conspirators Volodymyr Kadariya, a Belarussian and Ukrainian national, 38, and Andrei Tarasov, a Russian national, 33, are charged with cybercrime offenses associated with a scheme to transmit the Angler Exploit Kit, other malware, and online scams to the computers of millions of unsuspecting victim internet users through online advertisements — so-called “malvertising” — and other means from October 2013 through March 2022. In the Eastern District of Virginia, Silnikau is charged for his role as the creator and administrator of the Ransom Cartel ransomware strain and associated ransomware operations beginning in May 2021.
“Today, the Justice Department takes another step forward in disrupting ransomware actors and malicious cybercriminals who prey on victims in the U.S. and around the world,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “As alleged, for over a decade, the defendant used a host of online disguises and a network of fraudulent ad campaigns to spread ransomware and scam U.S. businesses and consumers. Now, thanks to the hard work of federal agents and prosecutors, along with Polish law enforcement colleagues, Maksim Silnikau must answer these grave charges in an American courtroom.”
“This arrest underscores a long-term investigation by the U.S. Secret Service, in coordination with foreign, domestic and private partners, of cybercrime organizations that allegedly distributed the notorious Angler Exploit Kit, conducted malvertising, and operated the Ransom Cartel ransomware organization,” said Assistant Director of Investigations Brian Lambert of the U.S. Secret Service. “Cybercriminals should know that even if they attempt to hide their criminal conduct behind the anonymity of the internet that eventually, through the dedication of international law enforcement professionals, they will be apprehended and held accountable for their actions.”
“Silnikau and his co-conspirators allegedly used malware and various online scams to target millions of unsuspecting internet users in the United States and around the world,” said FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate. “They hid behind online aliases and engaged in complex, far-reaching cyber fraud schemes to compromise victim devices and steal sensitive personal information. The FBI will continue to work with partners to aggressively impose costs on cybercriminals and hold them accountable for their actions.”
“As alleged in the indictment, Silnikau and his co-conspirators distributed online advertisements to millions of internet users for the purpose of delivering malicious content,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These ads appeared legitimate but were actually designed to deliver malware that would compromise users’ devices or to deliver ‘scareware’ designed to trick users into providing their sensitive personal information. Silnikau’s arrest and extradition demonstrate that, working with its domestic and international partners, the Criminal Division is committed to bringing cybercriminals who target U.S. victims to justice, no matter where they are located.”
“These conspirators are alleged to have operated a multiyear scheme to distribute malware onto the computers of millions of unsuspecting internet users around the globe,” said U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey. “To carry out the scheme, they used malicious advertising, or ‘malvertising’, to trick victims into clicking on legitimate-seeming internet ads. Instead, the victims would be redirected to malicious internet sites that delivered malware to their devices, giving the conspirators access to the victims’ personal information. The conspirators then sold that access and information to other cybercriminals on the dark net. Throughout the scheme, the conspirators attempted to hide their identities from law enforcement, including by using fraudulent aliases and online personas.”
“This case reemphasizes the importance of both cybersecurity and our crucial law enforcement partnerships worldwide,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Online threats emerge within the digital ecosystem among those who exploit the very tools that help us connect and collaborate. In turn, we must maximize our investigative collaborations globally to address those threats. This investigation demonstrates the positive results of leveraging international partnerships to combat international crimes.”
“The FBI will continue to work alongside our partners both overseas and in the states to identify and dismantle cyber threats, and to pursue those criminals who attempt to target and defraud victims in the United States,” said Special Agent in Charge Stephen Cyrus of the FBI Kansas City Field Office.
District of New Jersey Indictment
According to the indictment unsealed in the District of New Jersey, from October 2013 through March 2022, Silnikau, Kadariya, Tarasov, and others in Ukraine and elsewhere used malvertising and other means to deliver malware, scareware, and online scams to millions of unsuspecting Internet users in the United States and elsewhere. The malvertising campaigns were designed to appear legitimate, but often redirected victim Internet users who viewed or accessed the advertisements to malicious sites and servers that sought to defraud the users or delivered malware to the users’ devices. The conspirators’ scheme caused unsuspecting Internet users to be forcibly redirected to malicious content on millions of occasions, and defrauded and attempted to defraud various U.S.-based companies involved in the sale and distribution of legitimate online advertisements.
One strain of malware that Silnikau and others allegedly took a leading role in disseminating was the Angler Exploit Kit, which targeted web-based vulnerabilities in Internet browsers and associated plug-ins. At times during the scheme, the Angler Exploit Kit was a leading vehicle through which cybercriminals delivered malware onto compromised electronic devices. The conspirators also allegedly enabled the delivery of “scareware” ads that displayed false messages claiming to have identified a virus or other issue with a victim Internet user’s device. The messages then attempted to deceive the victim into buying or downloading dangerous software, providing remote access to the device, or disclosing personal identifying or financial information.
For years, the conspirators tricked advertising companies into delivering their malvertising campaigns by using dozens of online personas and fictitious entities to pose as legitimate advertising companies. They also developed and used sophisticated technologies and computer code to refine their malvertisements, malware, and computer infrastructure so as to conceal the malicious nature of their advertising.
As alleged, Silnikau, Kadariya, Tarasov, and conspirators used multiple strategies to profit from their widespread hacking and wire fraud scheme, including by using accounts on predominantly Russian cybercrime forums to sell to cybercriminals access to the compromised devices of victim Internet users (so-called “loads” or “bots”), as well as information stolen from victims and recorded in “logs,” such as banking information and login credentials, to enable further efforts to defraud the victim Internet users or deliver additional malware to their devices.
Eastern District of Virginia Indictment
According to the indictment unsealed in the Eastern District of Virginia, Silnikau was the creator and administrator of the Ransom Cartel ransomware strain, created in 2021. Silnikau allegedly had been a member of Russian-speaking cybercrime forums since at least 2005 and was a member of the notorious cybercrime website Direct Connection from 2011 to 2016, when the site was shuttered after the arrest of its administrator.
Beginning in May 2021, Silnikau allegedly developed a ransomware operation and began recruiting participants from cybercrime forums. On various occasions, Silnikau allegedly distributed information and tools to Ransom Cartel participants, including information about compromised computers, such as stolen credentials, and tools such as those designed to encrypt or “lock” compromised computers. Silnikau also allegedly established and maintained a hidden website where he and his co-conspirators could monitor and control ransomware attacks; communicate with each other; communicate with victims, including sending and negotiating payment demands; and manage distribution of funds between co-conspirators.
On Nov. 16, 2021, Silnikau allegedly executed a ransomware attack on a company based in New York, and on March 5, 2022, Ransom Cartel ransomware was deployed against a company based in California. The hackers removed confidential data without authorization and demanded a monetary payment to refrain from releasing the victim’s data.
In the District of New Jersey, Silnikau, Kadariya, and Tarasov are charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit computer fraud, and two counts of substantive wire fraud. If convicted, Silnikau, Kadariya, and Tarasov face maximum penalties of 27 years in prison for wire fraud conspiracy, 10 years in prison for computer fraud conspiracy, counts, and 20 years in prison on each wire fraud count.
In the Eastern District of Virginia, Silnikau is charged with conspiracy to commit computer fraud and abuse, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, conspiracy to commit access device fraud, and two counts each of wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He faces a mandatory minimum of two years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison.
The U.S. Department of State has also announced a reward of up to $2.5 million through its Transnational Organized Crime (TOC) Rewards Program for information that leads to the arrest or conviction of Kadariya. Information that may be eligible for the reward can be submitted by email at [email protected].
The U.S. Secret Service and FBI Kansas City Field Office are investigating the case in the District of New Jersey, and the U.S. Secret Service is investigating the case in the Eastern District of Virginia. The Department also appreciates the extensive cooperation and coordination by the United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency and Crown Prosecution Service over the course of several years, as well as significant support provided by the Security Service of Ukraine Cyber Department and Prosecutor General’s Office; Guardia Civil of Spain, Spanish Ministry of Justice, and the Public Prosecutor’s Office at the Audiencia Nacional; Policia Judiciaria of Portugal; Germany—Bundeskriminalamt (BKA) and Landeskriminalamt (LKA) Berlin; and Polish authorities, in particular assistance provided by Poland’s Central Cybercrime Bureau, Border Guard, Ministry of Justice, and National Prosecutors Office.
Senior Counsel Aarash A. Haghighat, Cyber Operations International Liaison Louisa K. Becker, and Trial Attorney Christen Gallagher of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Samantha Fasanello, Chief of the Narcotics/OCDETF Unit, for the District of New Jersey are prosecuting Silnikau and his co-defendants in the District of New Jersey. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew M. Trombly, Chief of the General Crimes Unit, for New Jersey, and Christopher Oakley for the District of Kansas also provided substantial assistance to the New Jersey case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Keim and Zoe Bedell are prosecuting the case in the Eastern District of Virginia.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs also provided substantial assistance in the extradition of Silnikau and collection of evidence.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
View the District of New Jersey indictment here.
View the Eastern District of Virginia indictment here.
Last Defendant Found Guilty for El Hipopótamo Restaurant Robbery on October 30 and 31, 2021Read the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – Today, a federal jury convicted Basilio Matías-Fajardo, an employee of the El Hipopótamo restaurant, for conspiracy to interfere with commerce through robbery, aiding and abetting in the interference with commerce through robbery, and aiding and abetting the use, carrying, and discharging of a firearm during and in furtherance of a crime of violence.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Matías-Fajardo, together with Geofley Jomar-Pérez, Luis Aulet-Maldonado, Luis Cabán-Nieves, Jospe Jomar Santos-Mercado, and Edwin Peña-Valdés conspired to rob El Hipopótamo restaurant. Evidence presented at trial established that Matías-Fajardo provided his co-conspirators key insider information about the inner workings of the restaurant to ensure that the robbery would be a success. Further, on the night of the armed robbery, Matías-Fajardo provided his co-conspirators with details about the closing procedures and employees inside the restaurant while the armed robbers were outside. Throughout the armed robbery, three victims were also kidnapped, and a firearm was discharged resulting in the death of one of the kidnap victims -- Jesús Francisco Pérez — a 15-year-old minor.
The other five co-defendants previously pleaded guilty and are pending sentencing.
“Today’s verdict is a direct result of the tireless efforts and outstanding work of the FBI, Puerto Rico Police Bureau, and federal prosecutors from the inception of the robbery and kidnapping,” said U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow. “The jury’s verdict today underscores our commitment to bringing violent offenders to justice. The verdict does not, however, remove the pain and suffering of the victims of this crime, especially that caused by the senseless killing of a hard-working young man who was loved by his family.”
“Since October 2021 the FBI, along with the Police of Puerto Rico and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Puerto Rico, has worked tirelessly to bring to justice all the individuals responsible for the armed robbery and kidnapping that resulted in the death of a 15-year-old child,” said Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge, San Juan Field Office. “Although this result will never bring back the life lost, hopefully, it will bring all the victims a sense of peace and justice. The FBI remains steadfast with all those affected by these heinous acts.”
The FBI is investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Linet Suárez and Julian Radzinschi of the Violent Crime Division prosecuted the case. The sentencing hearing was scheduled for November 12, 2024, at 2 pm.
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Laguna Beach Businessman Who Served as Executor of Wealthy Clients’ Estates Pleads Guilty to Embezzling Nearly $6 MillionRead the Press Release
SANTA ANA, California – An Orange County man, who ran a business in which he served as the executor of the estates of wealthy people, pleaded guilty today to embezzling nearly $6 million from his clients over a period of several years.
David Robert McDonnell, 74, of Laguna Beach, pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
According to his plea agreement, from 2018 to January 2024, McDonnell ran a Laguna Beach-based company, McDonnell Business Services. Through his company, high-net-worth individuals hired McDonnell to be the executor of their trusts. As an executor, McDonnell’s job was to manage the trusts’ assets and – when the individuals died – to sell the assets and distribute the proceeds to the trusts’ beneficiaries. Instead of doing this, McDonnell liquidated the assets and diverted funds to his personal bank accounts.
McDonnell admitted in his plea agreement to misappropriating approximately $5.9 million from approximately four trusts.
For example, in August 2020, McDonnell wrote a check for $300,000 from the account of a victim trust located in Capistrano Beach to his own personal bank account. These funds were processed by Bank of America through computer servers in Texas.
United States District Judge James V. Selna scheduled a December 9 sentencing hearing, at which time McDonnell will face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.
The FBI and the Laguna Beach Police Department are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Jennifer L. Waier of the Santa Ana Branch Office is prosecuting this case.
Kinikilala ng Justice Department (kagawaran ng hustisya) ang Anibersaryo ng Executive Order (kautusang pampangasiwa) 13166: Pagpapabuti ng Pag-abot sa Mga Serbisyo para sa Mga Taong may Limited English Proficiency (limitadong kasanayan sa Ingles)Read the Press Release
Kahapon ay minarkahan ang ika-24 na anibersaryo ng Executive Order 13166, “Pagpapabuti ng Pag-abot sa Mga Serbisyo para sa Mga Taong may Limited English Proficiency.” Sa kaibuturan nito, kinikilala ng Order ang pangunahing prinsipyo na ang pederal na pamahalaan ay dapat na maunawaan at makipag-ugnayan sa lahat ng tao sa United States, kabilang ang mga may limited English proficiency (LEP), upang mapanatiling ligtas at maunlad ang ating bansa at mga komunidad.
Ngayon, ang Civil Rights Division (dibisyon ng karapatang pangsibil) ng Justice Department ay naglabas ng isang impresyon ng pagsusuri nito hanggang sa kasalukuyan ng mga plano sa pag-abot ng wika ng pederal na ahensya. Magbibigay kami ng karagdagang impormasyon tungkol sa progreso ng pederal na ahensya at mga uso sa mga darating na buwan habang patuloy kaming makikipagtulungan sa mga pederal na ahensya sa pag-update at pagpapatupad ng kanilang mga plano sa pag-abot ng wika.
Ang komunikasyon ay kritikal sa aming misyon. Sa loob ng mahigit dalawang dekada, ang departamento ay nagtrabaho sa pakikipagtulungan sa mga pederal na ahensya at mga stakeholder (may interes) upang alisin ang mga hadlang sa wika sa mga pederal at pederal na pinondohan na mga programa o serbisyo. Ang hindi pagkakaunawaan ay maaaring humantong sa mga kalunos-lunos na kahihinatnan sa mga sitwasyong pang-emergency, mga sistema ng pangangalagang pangkalusugan, at sistema ng hustisya. Sa katunayan, ang pakikipag-usap at pag-unawa sa mga taong may LEP ay kritikal sa pagpapatupad ng batas, pagpoprotekta sa kapaligiran, pagbibigay ng tulong sa pabahay o pagkain, pagtataguyod ng tagumpay ng mag-aaral, pagtiyak sa kalusugan ng publiko at pagtataguyod ng kaunlaran at hustisya ng ekonomiya. Kapag ang mga ahensya ng pamahalaan ay nagbibigay, halimbawa, ng mga pagsasalin ng mahahalagang dokumento o nag-aalok ng isang tagapagsalin sa panahon ng mahahalagang pag-uusap o pagdinig, pinapahusay namin ang bisa ng mga pederal at pederal na pinondohan na mga programa at serbisyo, tinitiyak na naaabot at nakikinabang ang mga ito sa lahat ng nilalayong komunidad.
Ang departamento ay nananatiling matatag sa pangako nito na tiyakin na ang aming sariling mga programa at ang mga programang aming pinopondohan ay mananatiling bukas sa lahat, anuman ang kasanayan sa Ingles ng isang tao. Habang ang mga ahensya sa buong pederal na pamahalaan ay nakagawa ng malaking pag-unlad, naiintindihan namin na ang mga hamon ay naghihintay sa hinaharap. Halimbawa, sa pamamagitan ng aming tungkuling pangkoordinasyon, nagsagawa kami ng detalyadong pagsusuri ng 40 na na-update na mga plano sa pag-abot ng wika ng pederal na ahensya, kung saan nalaman namin na dumarami ang bilang ng mga ahensyang pederal na nakatuon sa:
- Pagtatag ng nakatuon sa pag-abot ng wika na mga tauhan at kawani ng mga protokol sa pagsasanay upang matiyak ang epektibong pagpapatupad;
- Pagpapabuti ng mga kontrol sa kalidad upang mangailangan ng tumpak at nasusuri na kalidad na mga serbisyo ng tulong sa wika; at
- Pagpapalawak ng pag-abot sa impormasyon sa pamamagitan ng iba't-ibang wika na nilalaman sa online at mga digital na komunikasyon.
Kasama ng aming tungkuling pangkoordinasyon, inuna namin ang pag-aaral tungkol sa, pagpapatupad at pagpapalaganap ng impormasyon tungkol sa mga epektibong patakaran at pamamaraan upang maalis ang mga hadlang sa wika sa aming mga programa o mga programang aming pinopondohan. Halimbawa:
- Matapos mag-expire ang termino ng pinakaunang Language Access Coordinator (tagapag-ugnayan sa pag-abot ng wika) ng Departamento, ginawang permanente ng Office for Access to Justice (ATJ) (opisina para sa pag-abot ng hustisya) ang posisyon at pinunan ang tungkulin sa isang nakatataas na pangsibil na serbisyong Language Access Coordinator upang matiyak ang pangmatagalang buhay ng kritikal na gawaing ito. Ang ATJ ay nagpapasok din ng karagdagang kawani upang suportahan ang gawain ng Language Access Coordinator at upang higit pang bumuo ng Language Access Program (programa ng pag-abot ng wika).
- Alinsunod sa Language Access Plan (plano sa pag-abot ng wika) ng Departamento, ang Language Access Coordinator ng buong departamento ng ATJ ay nakikipagtulungan sa mga bahagi ng departamento upang bumuo ng mga plano na partikular sa bahagi sa pag-abot ng wika. Magbibigay-daan ito sa mga bahagi na bumuo ng mga patakaran sa pag-abot ng wika na partikular sa natatanging misyon at mandato ng bawat bahagi, alinsunod sa pangkalahatang mga patakaran ng plano ng Language Access ng departamento.
- Sa nakalipas ng dalawang taon, ang Language Access Program ng ATJ ay nagbigay ng teknikal na tulong at nag-ayos ng mga serbisyo sa pagsasalin para sa mahigit 50 na opisina sa buong Departamento, upang palawakin ang pag-abot ng wika sa buong nilalaman ng Departamento na kinakaharap ng publiko. Ang programa ay nakakumpleto ng higit sa 75 na mga proyekto sa pagsasalin na kinabibilangan ng mga press release (pahayag ng press), outreach na materyales, digital na nilalaman, mga ulat at higit pa.
- Bilang bahagi ng Law Enforcement Language Access Initiative (LELAI) (inisyatiba sa pag-abot ng wika ng tagapagpatupad ng batas) ng Civil Rights Division , si Assistant Attorney General (katulong na pangkalahatang abogado) Kristen Clarke ng Civil Rights Division ay nagbigay ng isang liham sa mga kasamahan sa pagpapatupad ng batas noong December 2023 na idinidiin ang kanilang pederal na obligasyon sa karapatang pangsibil na magbigay ng mga serbisyo ng tulong sa wika sa mga taong may LEP, at magbigay ng epektibong komunikasyon sa mga taong bingi at mahirap makarinig.
- Sa pamamagitan ng LELAI, ang Civil Rights Division ay nakipagtulungan din sa Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) (opisina ng mga serbisyong pampupulis na nakatuon sa komunidad) at National Center for Policing Innovation (pambansang center para sa makabagong pampupulis) upang ilunsad ang mga pangunahing mapagkukunan sa COPS Training Portal (portal na pagsasanay ng COPS) upang matulungan ang mga ahensyang nagpapatupad ng batas na malampasan ang mga hadlang sa wika bilang pagsunod sa Titulo VI ng Civil Rights Act (batas ng karapatang pangsibil) ng 1964 at ng Omnibus Crime Control (pangkalahatang pagkontrol ng krimen)at Safe Streets Act (batas ng kaligtasan sa kalye) ng 1968.
- Ang dibisyon ay patuloy na nakikipagtulungan sa mga Opisina ng U.S. Attorney (piskal ng U.S.) sa buong bansa upang tulungan ang mga ahensyang nagpapatupad ng batas na matugunan ang kanilang obligasyon na magbigay ng makabuluhang tulong sa wika sa mga taong may LEP upang mas mahusay ang paglingkod at pagprotekta ng mga komunidad. Kasama sa mga halimbawa ng trabaho sa mga partikular na ahensyang nagpapatupad ng batas:
- Settlement Agreement sa Sheriff’s Office a King County, Washington State
- Settlement Agreement at Language Access Plan sa Denver Police Department, Colorado
- Nagpaskil din ang dibisyon ng mga materyales para sa karapatan ng pagboto para sa pangkalahatang publiko sa mahigit isang dosenang wika, kabilang ang isang Know Your Rights (alamin ang iyong karapatan) na polyeto at isang dokumento na nagpapaliwanag sa mga kinakailangan sa wika ng Seksyon 203 ng Voting Rights Act (batas sa mga karapatang pagboto) ng 1965. Ang mga dokumentong ito ay matatagpuan sa Voting | Voting Rights (justice.gov).
Sa darating na taon, ang Civil Rights Division ay magpapatuloy na mamumuno sa mga pagpupulong ng Federal Language Access Working Group (grupong nagtatrabaho sa pederal na pag-abot ng wika). Sa mga pagpupulong ng magkakasamang ahensya na ito, natututo kami at nagbabahagi ng impormasyon tungkol sa pagsasagawa ng epektibong pagsasanay sa mga kawani sa pag-abot ng wika; pagre-recruit, pagtatasa, pagkuha at pagpapanatili ng kawani sa maraming wika; pangongontrata para sa mga kwalipikadong nagsasalin at tagapagsalin; at paggamit ng teknolohiya upang maghatid ng tumpak at maaasahang mga serbisyo ng tulong sa wika. Sa pamamagitan ng pinag-isang pamamaraang ito, hinahangad naming tuparin ang pangako ng Titulo VI ng Civil Rights Act ng 1964 at Executive Order 13166 sa pagpigil sa diskriminasyon at pagtiyak ng pantay na pagtrato sa ilalim ng batas.
Justice Department Secures Agreement with North Carolina Department of Adult Correction to Expand Religious Opportunities in State PrisonsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it has secured an agreement with the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction (NCDAC) expanding opportunities for group religious practice throughout the state prison system and allowing access to kosher-for-Passover meals and Seders. The agreement resolves the Justice Department’s investigation of NCDAC pursuant to the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA).
“The Constitution and federal law guarantee all Americans the freedom to practice their religion, including people who are incarcerated in jails and prisons,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This agreement will protect the religious practices of incarcerated people across North Carolina by allowing members of minority faiths to gather, worship and study. Whether at home with their families, in houses of worship, or behind bars, every person should be able to celebrate religious holidays and gather with their communities of faith.”
“Federal law guarantees all Americans the right to freely exercise their religion, and institutionalized persons have the right to practice their faith and worship together,” said U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Hairston for the Middle District of North Carolina. “We are committed to protecting this fundamental right and are grateful to the North Carolina Department of Adult Correction for its willingness to work with us and revise its policies to protect the religious rights of individuals in its custody.”
“The settlement agreement reaffirms that all individuals in custody retain the right to practice their religion fully and openly during their incarceration,” said U.S. Attorney Dena J. King for the Western District of North Carolina. “It is our duty to ensure that incarcerated persons are afforded the same religious rights, freedoms and protections as any other citizen. My office is committed to enforcing these rights and ensuring that they are upheld within all correctional facilities in North Carolina.”
“Our Constitution protects the religious liberty of all people to exercise their faith,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley for the Eastern District of North Carolina. “In America, that means even those who are incarcerated can continue to worship and pray. NCDAC’s new policies ensure that believers can maintain their faith and religious practices, even after they enter the jailhouse door.”
Under the agreement, NCDAC has adopted a policy that reduces the minimum number of people for group worship to two and no longer requires the presence of a faith helper for religious gathering. Under the prior policy, NCDAC had minimum participant and faith helper requirements for congregate religious practices by “minority faith groups” that often prevented these groups from gathering for worship, celebration and study. Minority faith groups were defined as non-Christian faiths, including adherents of Islam or Judaism.
In addition, when the department began the investigation, NCDAC did not provide certified kosher-for-Passover food to incarcerated people who wished to observe the Passover holiday. The agreement requires that NCDAC provide certified kosher-for-Passover meals every year for the eight days of Passover. In addition, NCDAC will provide the opportunity for people who observe Passover to participate in two Seder ritual observances, which will include a Seder plate of ceremonial foods.
For additional information about the Civil Rights Division and the Special Litigation Section please visit www.justice.gov/crt/special-litigation-section. The Justice Department issued a report on the 20th Anniversary of RLUIPA in 2020 and a statement and on the Institutionalized Persons Provisions of RLUIPA in 2017. Those interested in finding out more about RLUIPA can visit www.justice.gov/crt/religious-land-use-and-institutionalized-persons-act-0.
Justice Department Recognizes Anniversary of Executive Order 13166: Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English ProficiencyRead the Press Release
Yesterday marked the 24th anniversary of Executive Order 13166, “Improving Access to Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency.” At its core, the Order acknowledges the fundamental principle that the federal government must be able to understand and communicate with all people in the United States, including those with limited English proficiency (LEP), to keep our country and communities safe and prosperous.
Today, the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division has released a snapshot of its review to date of federal agency language access plans. We will provide additional information about federal agency progress and trends in the months to come as we continue to work with federal agencies on updating and implementing their language access plans.
Communication is critical to our mission. For over two decades, the department has worked in partnership with federal agencies and stakeholders to eliminate language barriers to federal and federally funded programs or services. Misunderstandings can lead to tragic consequences in emergency situations, health care systems, and the justice system. Indeed, communicating with and understanding people with LEP is critical to enforcing the law, protecting the environment, providing housing or food assistance, promoting student achievement, ensuring public health and upholding economic prosperity and justice. When government agencies provide, for example, translations of vital documents or offer an interpreter during important conversations or hearings, we enhance the effectiveness of federal and federally funded programs and services, ensuring they reach and benefit all intended communities.
The department remains steadfast in its commitment to ensure that our own programs and the programs we fund remain open to all, regardless of a person’s English proficiency. While agencies across the federal government have made much progress, we understand that challenges lie ahead. For example, through our coordinating role, we conducted a detailed review of 40 updated federal agency language access plans, where we found that increasing numbers of federal agencies have committed to:
- Establishing dedicated language access personnel and staff training protocols to ensure effective implementation;
- Improving quality controls to require accurate and quality-assessed language assistance services; and
- Expanding access to information through multilingual online content and digital communications.
Along with our coordinating role, we have prioritized learning about, implementing and disseminating information about effective policies and procedures to eliminate language barriers to our programs or the programs we fund. For example:
- After the department’s inaugural Language Access Coordinator’s term appointment expired, the Office for Access to Justice (ATJ) made the position permanent and filled the role with a senior civil service Language Access Coordinator to ensure the longevity of this critical work. ATJ is also onboarding additional staff to support the Language Access Coordinator’s work and to further develop the Language Access Program.
- In accordance with the department’s Language Access Plan, the ATJ department-wide Language Access Coordinator is working with department components to develop component-specific language access plans. This will allow components to develop language access policies that are specific to each component’s unique mission and mandates, in line with the overall policies of the department’s Language Access plan.
- Over the past two years, the ATJ Language Access Program has provided technical assistance and arranged for translation services for over 50 offices across the department, to expand language access across the department’s public facing content. The program has completed more than 75 translation projects involving press releases, outreach materials, digital content, reports and more.
- As part of the Civil Rights Division’s Law Enforcement Language Access Initiative (LELAI), Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division issued a letter to law enforcement colleagues in December 2023 reiterating their federal civil rights obligations to provide language assistance services to people with LEP, and to provide effective communication to deaf and hard of hearing people.
- Through LELAI, the Civil Rights Division also partnered with the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) and the National Center for Policing Innovation to launch key resources on the COPS Training Portal to help law enforcement agencies overcome language barriers in compliance with Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968.
- The division continues to work in partnership with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices across the country to help law enforcement agencies meet their obligation to provide meaningful language assistance to people with LEP to better serve and protect communities. Examples of work with specific law enforcement agencies include:
- Settlement Agreement with Sheriff’s Office in King County, Washington State
- Settlement Agreement and Language Access Plan with Denver Police Department, Colorado
- The division also posted voting rights materials for the general public in over a dozen languages, including a Know Your Rights brochure and a document explaining the language requirements of Section 203 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. These documents can be found at Voting | Voting Rights (justice.gov).
In the coming year, the Civil Rights Division will continue to lead meetings of the Federal Language Access Working Group. During these interagency meetings, we learn and share information about conducting effective language access staff training; recruiting, assessing, hiring and retaining multilingual staff; contracting for qualified translators and interpreters; and using technology to deliver accurate and reliable language assistance services. Through this unified approach, we seek to fulfill the promise of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and Executive Order 13166 in preventing discrimination and ensuring equal treatment under the law.
Jury convicts Cuban national for transporting non-citizens through checkpointRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas – A federal jury has returned a guilty verdict against a Cuban national residing in Odessa for unlawfully transporting undocumented individuals, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
The jury deliberated for less than an hour before finding Mario Enrique Nerey-Valdivia, 50, guilty following a one-day trial.
The jury heard that Nerey-Valdivia drove a tractor-trailer to the Border Patrol Checkpoint near Falfurrias. During an immigration inspection, law enforcement noticed an individual trying to hide in the bed compartment of the tractor.
Upon further inspection, authorities discovered five undocumented people on the bunk beds covered with blankets.
At trial, the defense attempted to convince the jury he had no knowledge of the individuals inside the cab of his truck. They did not believe those claims and found him guilty as charged.
U.S. District Judge David S. Morales presided over the trial and set sentencing for Nov. 6. At that time, Nerey-Valdivia faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.
Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John Lamont and Ashley Martin prosecuted the case.
Henderson Kentucky Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Child-Related Sex OffensesRead the Press Release
Owensboro, KY – A Henderson, Kentucky, man was sentenced last week to 30 years in federal prison for numerous child-related sex offenses.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman, and Special Agent in Charge Robert Holman of the United States Secret Service, made the announcement.
“I commend the work of the prosecutors assigned to this case as well the outstanding investigative effort conducted by Kentucky Attorney General Coleman’s Department of Criminal Investigations and the Secret Service,” said U.S. Attorney Bennett. “The collaboration between our federal, state, and local law enforcement personnel in this case is indicative of the ongoing work of our Western District law enforcement personnel and absolutely crucial as we identify and prosecute individuals who exploit our most vulnerable citizens.”
“The zealous collaboration among local, state and federal partners put this predator behind bars, where he belongs,” said Attorney General Coleman. “I’m grateful to everyone who played a role in protecting Kentucky’s children from horrific exploitation.”
According to court documents, Collin Marshall Newton, 25, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, followed by a 30-year period of supervised release, for one count of sex trafficking of children, two counts of online enticement of a minor, three counts of sexual exploitation of children, one count of attempted online enticement of a minor, and one count of distribution of child pornography. Newton was also ordered to pay $3,042.14 in restitution.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and the Kentucky Office of the Attorney General’s Department of Criminal Investigations, with assistance from the Kentucky State Police and the St. Matthews Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jo Lawless and Assistant U.S. Attorney Leigh Ann Dycus, of the U.S. Attorney’s Paducah Branch Office, prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
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Harrisburg Man Charged with Narcotics Distribution and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Frederick G. Guider, age 41, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, was indicted on August 7, 2024, by a federal grand jury for possession with the intent to distribute controlled substances and three firearms offenses.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on October 27, 2023, in Dauphin County, Guider possessed the following controlled substances with the intent to distribute: fentanyl; psilocybin; cocaine; marijuana; and 50 grams and more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
Additionally, it is alleged that Guider possessed more than twenty firearms of varying style and caliber in furtherance of his drug trafficking. The firearms listed on the indictment include, among others, 9mm semi-automatic pistols, a 20-gauge short-barreled shotgun, 5.56 caliber semi-automatic rifles, and two machinegun conversion devices. It is further alleged that Guider possessed these firearms and accompanying ammunition in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Lastly, Guider is charged directly for possessing two machineguns.
This matter was investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police, Dauphin County Drug Task Force, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Stephen Dukes is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is a life term of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, Aggravated Identify Theft, Witness Tampering, and Destruction of EvidenceRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Tyler Jacob (24, Winter Haven) has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit bank fraud, aggravated identify theft, witness tampering, and destruction of evidence. Jacob faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 2 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, between October 2021 and continuing through October 2023, Jacob, a self-identifying member of the “Trap Boys,” and others engaged in a conspiracy to defraud financial instructions throughout the Middle District of Florida. The conspiracy took many forms. First, Jacob obtained, altered, and created fictitious checks for the purpose of obtaining proceeds from those checks. The amount on the checks ranged from approximately $10,000 to as much as $100,000. In order to find businesses to defraud, Jacob identified bank account information, stole checks from industrial buildings, and called banks to obtain information. Second, Jacob recruited and enlisted a network of individuals to help him deposit those checks at various banks, instructing them on how to successfully deposit and withdraw funds and avoid detection by financial institutions. Third, Jacob, utilizing text messages and social media, sought Personal Identifying Information (PII), including bank account information that belonged to others, so that the fraudulent checks could be deposited in their accounts and the money could be withdrawn or wired from the bank account prior to detection. Jacob later paid his conspirators a portion of the fraudulent amount they obtained.
The conspiracy operated throughout Florida, including Orlando, Winter Haven, Lakeland, Bartow, Tampa, and Miami. During the course of the scheme, Jacob and his co-conspirators deposited approximately $50,000 per week in fraudulent checks, resulting in an intended loss of at least $550,000.
On January 23, 2024, the FBI and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Jacob’s residence. During the search, Jacob barricaded himself inside the home and began using a shredder to destroy evidence. Investigators found shredded papers on both floors of the residence and a shredding machine that was jammed. Jacob also threw documents inside his washing machine. In addition, investigators located a checkbook and financial documents in the names of others, as well as printers, scanners, and check writing software.
After his arrest, Jacob made phone calls to an individual and attempted to have that individual dispose of evidence and lie to law enforcement.
This case was investigated by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Georgia Man Charged with Wire Fraud Conspiracy in Connection with PPP Loan ScamRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Raynaldo Oquendo, 38, of Georgia, was charged by indictment with wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy in connection with a fraudulent PPP loan scam.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security ("CARES") Act was a federal law enacted in or around March 2020, designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of up to $849 billion in forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses, through a program referred to as the Paycheck Protection Program ("PPP''). In order to obtain a PPP loan, qualifying businesses were required to submit a loan application, signed by an authorized representative of the business. The loan application required the business to acknowledge the program rules and make certain affirmative certifications in order to be eligible to obtain the PPP loan. In the PPP loan application, the small business was required to state its average monthly payroll expenses and its number of employees, among other things. These figures were used to calculate the amount of money the small business was eligible to receive under the PPP.
According to court documents, a loan application was submitted on behalf of a Virgin Islands business, Shama’s Specialties, in July of 2020. The owner of that business, Mashama Ferdinand, worked with Oquendo to submit an application that included material misrepresentations. Specifically, the application fraudulently claimed that Ferdinand employed 15 employees and earned a quarterly payroll of $460,079.82. Based on these fraudulent misrepresentations, a PPP loan was awarded to Shama’s Specialties in the amount of $383,397.00. For his role, Oquendo received approximately $30,000.00 after the proceeds of the loan were deposited into Shama’s Specialties’ bank account. If convicted, Oquendo faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. In 2022, Ferdinand was sentenced by Chief Judge Robert Molloy to 33 months incarceration her guilty plea to wire fraud.
This case is being investigated by the United States Secret Service and Small Business Administration’s Office of the Inspector General and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Yasir Sadat.
United States Attorney Smith reminds the public that an indictment is merely a formal charging document, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Frackville Man Sentenced for Influencing A Federal Official by ThreatRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Joshua Frisch, age 42, of Frackville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on August 7, 2024, to time served (six months) and three years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge Julia K. Munley for one count of Influencing a Federal Official by Threat.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Frisch previously pled guilty to threatening federal law enforcement officers, namely FBI Agents, with the intent to interfere with those officers in the performance of their official duties. Frisch further admitted that between November 12, 2022, and November 13, 2022, he posted a series of threatening communications on multiple social media accounts, including Truth Social and X, formerly known as Twitter, which were designed to interfere with federal law enforcement officers in the performance of their official duties.
The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney James Buchanan prosecuted the case.
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Former Cornell Student Sentenced for Posting Online Threats Against Jewish Students on CampusRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Patrick Dai, age 22, formerly a junior at Cornell University and originally from Pittsford, New York, was sentenced today to 21-months imprisonment for posting threats to kill or injure another person using interstate communications. The announcement was made by Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James, and Cornell University Police Chief Anthony Bellamy.
Patrick Dai was also sentenced to a three-year term of post-incarceration supervised release to include no contact with Cornell University, mental health treatment, as well as restrictions and monitoring of his electronic devices and internet use.
As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Dai admitted that on October 28 and 29, 2023, he posted threatening messages to the Cornell section of an online discussion forum, including posts that said “gonna shoot up 104 west” (a dining hall at Cornell University that caters predominantly to Kosher diets and is next to the Cornell Jewish Center that provides residential accommodations for students) and “gonna bomb jewish house.” In another post, Dai threatened to “stab” and “slit the throat” of any Jewish man he saw on campus, to rape and throw off a cliff any Jewish women he saw, and to behead any Jewish babies. In that same post, Dai threatened to “bring an assault rifle to campus and shoot all you pig jews.”
“Every student has the right to pursue their education without fear of violence based on who they are, how they look, where they are from or how they worship,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Antisemitic threats of violence, like the defendant’s vicious and graphic threats here, violate that right. Today’s sentencing reaffirms that we will hold accountable those who violently threaten and intimidate others based on their religious practice or background. The Justice Department will continue to protect all Americans against bias-motivated crimes wherever they occur, including college campuses.”
“Today former Cornell University student Patrick Dai was sentenced to serve 21 months in prison for posting anonymous threats to kill Jewish students,” said United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman. “Before imposing sentence, the court found that this was a hate crime under the federal Sentencing Guidelines because Dai targeted Jewish students and substantially disrupted the university’s core function of educating its students. The defendant’s threats terrorized the Cornell campus community for days and shattered the community’s sense of safety. My office will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute threats and acts of violence motivated by antisemitism and by hatred of any kind.”
“Mr. Dai’s actions serve as a disturbing reminder of the terrifying hatred our Jewish communities encounter simply because of their beliefs,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli of the FBI Albany Field Office. “Thanks to the strong partnerships between our Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), the New York State Police, and the Cornell University Police Department, Dai was quickly identified, charged, and has remained in custody since that hateful day in October 2023. This sentence should serve as a reminder that the FBI will continue to work diligently with our law enforcement partners to investigate any individual who perpetuates hate crimes to ensure our college campuses and communities at large remain free of hateful individuals who threaten the safety of Americans.”
New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James said, “No person should fear being attacked for who they are or what they believe. The sentencing of Mr. Dai is a reminder that there is zero tolerance for any individual that perpetuates hate crimes within our communities. I thank the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York and our partners in law enforcement for their shared commitment to intercepting these crimes.”
Cornell University Police Chief Anthony G. Bellamy said, “The Cornell University Police Department is dedicated to the safety and security of our community. We appreciate the close collaboration of the U.S. Attorney Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and New York law enforcement partners investigating this case and making a timely arrest. This sentencing affirms that threats against our community will not be tolerated.”
FBI Albany’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes the New York State Police, investigated the case, with assistance from the Cornell University Police Department and the Ithaca Police Department
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey J. L. Brown, Stephen C. Green and Michael D. Gadarian for the Northern District of New York prosecuted the case, with assistance from the Justice Department’s National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
Former Cornell Student Sentenced for Posting Online Threats Against Jewish Students on CampusRead the Press Release
Patrick Dai, 22, formerly a junior at Cornell University and originally from Pittsford, New York, was sentenced today to 21 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release and a special assessment in the amount of $100 for posting threats to kill or injure another person using interstate communications.
“Every student has the right to pursue their education without fear of violence based on who they are, how they look, where they are from or how they worship,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Antisemitic threats of violence, like the defendant’s vicious and graphic threats here, violate that right. Today’s sentencing reaffirms that we will hold accountable those who violently threaten and intimidate others based on their religious practice or background. The Justice Department will continue to protect all Americans against bias motivated crimes wherever they occur, including college campuses.”
“Today, former Cornell University student Patrick Dai was sentenced to serve 21 months in prison for posting anonymous threats to kill Jewish students,” said U.S. Attorney Carla B. Freedman for the Northern District of New York. “Before imposing a sentence, the court found that this was a hate crime under the federal Sentencing Guidelines because Dai targeted Jewish students and substantially disrupted the university’s core function of educating its students. The defendant’s threats terrorized the Cornell campus community for days and shattered the community’s sense of safety. My office will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute threats and acts of violence motivated by antisemitism and by hatred of any kind.”
“Mr. Dai’s actions serve as a disturbing reminder of the terrifying hatred our Jewish communities encounter simply because of their beliefs,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig L. Tremaroli of the FBI Albany Field Office. “Thanks to the strong partnerships between our Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), the New York State Police and the Cornell University Police Department, Dai was quickly identified, charged and has remained in custody since that hateful day in October 2023. This sentence should serve as a reminder that the FBI will continue to work diligently with our law enforcement partners to investigate any individual who perpetuates hate crimes to ensure our college campuses and communities at large remain free of hateful individuals who threaten the safety of Americans.”
As part of his previously entered guilty plea, Dai admitted that, on Oct. 28 and 29, 2023, he posted threatening messages to the Cornell section of an online discussion forum, including posts that said “gonna shoot up 104 west” (a dining hall at Cornell University that caters predominantly to Kosher diets and is next to the Cornell Jewish Center that provides residential accommodations for students) and “gonna bomb jewish house.” In another post, Dai threatened to “stab” and “slit the throat” of any Jewish man he saw on campus, to rape and throw off a cliff any Jewish women he saw and to behead any Jewish babies. In that same post, Dai threatened to “bring an assault rifle to campus and shoot all you pig jews.”
The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, which includes the New York State Police, investigated the case, with assistance from the FBI Albany Field Office, Cornell University Police Department and Ithaca Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Geoffrey J. L. Brown, Stephen C. Green and Michael D. Gadarian for the Northern District of New York prosecuted the case, with assistance from the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
Five More Defendants Sentenced to Prison for Roles in Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Five defendants were sentenced today for their roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Southern District of West Virginia.
Hakeem Rashad Mack, also known as “Paper,” 31, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Gary Diaz, also known as “Poppy,” 66, of Nitro, was sentenced to 15 years and nine months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Georgia Alice Jackson, 32, of Huntington, was sentenced to seven years and six months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release, for possession with the intent to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl.
Jashawn William Lawson, also known as “Nitty,” 23, of Detroit, Michigan, was sentenced to seven years and three months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for aiding and abetting possession with the intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Shakur Raekwan Joyce, also known as “Cheeta,” 24, of Huntington, was sentenced to three years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine.
The five defendants are among 27 individuals indicted in a 53-count indictment that charges the defendants with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl transported from Detroit, Michigan, in Huntington and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Mack admitted that he distributed approximately 283 grams of methamphetamine at his residence to a confidential informant on June 28, 2023. Mack arranged the transaction beforehand with the informant via a video call with the FaceTime mobile device app. Mack further admitted to distributing a total of approximately 306 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant on May 10, 2023 and June 5, 2023.
Diaz participated in the DTO from approximately November 2022 through November 2023, receiving a total of at least 30 pounds of methamphetamine for distribution during this period. Diaz commonly obtained the methamphetamine on consignment, paying for it after it was distributed. Diaz received at least 1 pound and as much as 2 pounds at a time during the final six months of his participation in the conspiracy.
Participating in the DTO from at least February 2023 through November 2023, Jackson distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl on numerous occasions and used her residence to store and distribute drugs.
Lawson participated in the DTO from at least April 2023 through November 2023. Lawson’s participation included selling a total of approximately 808.6 grams of methamphetamine on three occasions between April 13, 2023 and July 13, 2023. Lawson also sold approximately 2.9 grams of fentanyl during the July 13, 2023 transaction.
Joyce participated in the DTO from at least August 2023 to in and around November 2023. Joyce transported methamphetamine and collected and transported drug proceeds on behalf of other individuals, and received methamphetamine that he distributed to various customers. Joyce possessed approximately 877 grams of methamphetamine seized by law enforcement officers during a September 20, 2023 traffic stop of a vehicle in which he was traveling on I-64 in Hurricane.
On November 15, 2023, law enforcement officers arrested all five defendants and executed search warrants at multiple residences. At Mack’s residence, officers seized approximately 165 grams of methamphetamine, 108 grams of fentanyl and a Charter Arms .38-caliber revolver, and multiple bags of methamphetamine and a loaded Diamondback DB 9mm pistol. At Jackson’s residence, officers seized approximately 380 grams of fentanyl, a Phoenix Arms HP22A .22-caliber pistol, a Sun City Stevens 320 12-gauge shotgun and various rounds of ammunition. At Lawson’s residence, officers seized quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl, a Landor Arms Canyon Arms 12-gauge shotgun, a Walther P22 .22-caliber pistol equipped with a silencer, a Kel-Tec PMR-30 .22-caliber pistol and various rounds of ammunition. Joyce consented to a search of his residence where officers seized a quantity of methamphetamine.
Mack, Diaz, Jackson, Lawson and Joyce are also among 21 defendants who have pleaded guilty in the main case. One other of the 27 indicted individuals pleaded guilty to a related offense in a separate case. The indictment against the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentences. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-180.
Four Jamaican Nationals Indicted in Marijuana Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI - United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Miguel Orr, 29, Rayvon Smith, 21, Sherland Campbell, 39 and Romaine Betty, 29, all of Jamaica, with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance while on board a vessel subject to the jurisdiction of the United States.
According to court documents, on April 30, 2024, the United States Coast Guard intercepted a vessel located approximately 14 nautical miles off the coast of Haiti. Onboard the vessel were the four defendants and approximately 3,700 pounds of marijuana which was hidden in a compartment of the vessel.
This case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard and Homeland Security Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly M. Riley.
United States Attorney Smith reminds the public that an indictment is merely a formal charging document, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Ex-Law Enforcement and Former Military Officers Charged in Alleged Sham Raid to Extort O.C. Man at Behest of Chinese NationalRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – Four ex-law enforcement and military officers are scheduled to be arraigned today on a four-count superseding indictment that alleges they acted as a sham law enforcement team that entered an Irvine man’s home and threatened him and his family with violence and deportation unless he turned over nearly $37 million and signed away his rights in a business – worth tens of millions of dollars – that he shared with a wealthy Chinese national who secretly financed the bogus raid.
The superseding indictment filed on August 1, charges the following defendants with one count of conspiracy to commit extortion, one count of attempted extortion, one count of conspiracy against rights, and one count of deprivation of rights under color of law:
- Steven Arthur Lankford, 68, of Canyon Country, a retired Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) deputy who stopped working for LASD in 2020 and owns a Santa Clarita-based process service company;
- Glen Louis Cozart, 63, of Upland, a former LASD deputy who owns and operates a San Bernardino County-based private investigation and security services company;
- Max Samuel Bennett Turbett, 39, of Australia, a United Kingdom citizen and former member of the British military who owns an Australia-based private investigation and asset recovery business; and
- Matthew Phillip Hart, 41, of Australia, an Australian citizen and former member of the Australian military who owns an Australia-based risk management services business.
The defendants are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
“It is critical that we hold public officials, including law enforcement officers, to the same standards as the rest of us,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “It is unacceptable and a serious civil rights violation for a sworn police officer to take the law into his own hands and abuse the authority of the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.”
“The defendants in this case allegedly believed they could carry out vigilante justice by using official police powers to enter the home of vulnerable victims and extorting them out of millions of dollars,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI will not tolerate civil rights violations by anyone who takes the law into their own hands for personal gain or otherwise.”
According to the superseding indictment, the Irvine businessman – identified as “Victim 1” – had an ongoing business dispute with an unindicted co-conspirator – the wealthy Chinese national – regarding their respective ownership interests in Jiangsu Sinorgchem Technology Co. Ltd., a China-based rubber chemical manufacturer. Their dispute led to at least three lawsuits in China and one in Atlanta. In October 2013, the Chinese national alleged in a civil court filing that China had issued a “red notice” for Victim 1, which Victim 1 understood was linked to his business dispute with the unindicted co-conspirator.
In December 2018, the unindicted co-conspirator allegedly contacted Turbett to help locate and recover assets from Victim 1. She said that the long and costly litigation had not been “the smart way” to handle her dispute with Victim 1 and asked Turbett to find a different “solution to finish the problem.” She promised Turbett that if he helped her, “we can both retire.”
In June 2019, Turbett and the unindicted co-conspirator drafted purported settlement agreements calling for Victim 1 to transfer assets – including approximately $36,972,386 in cash as well as lucrative shares in Jiangsu Sinorgchem – to the unindicted co-conspirator.
Turbett allegedly hired Cozart to locate Victim 1 and assemble a team to obtain Victim 1’s signature on the settlement agreements. Cozart, in turn, hired Lankford, then an LASD deputy, who searched Victim 1’s name and date of birth in the National Crime Information Center database using his Justice Data Interface Controller terminal at LASD, in violation of LASD policy that law enforcement databases only be used for law enforcement purposes and not for personal use.
Turbett and Hart flew from Australia to Los Angeles, where they met with Cozart and Lankford to discuss plans for the sham raid.
On June 17, 2019, Lankford – in violation of LASD policy – drove an unmarked LASD vehicle to Victim 1’s home with Cozart, Hart and Turbett, the superseding indictment alleges. Lankford and Cozart then approached Victim 1 outside his home. Lankford allegedly identified himself as a police officer and showed his badge, while Cozart falsely identified himself as an “Immigration” officer.
Under the guise of a legitimate law enforcement operation, the defendants allegedly entered the home, where they forced Victim 1, his wife, and their two children into one room, took their phones, and prevented them from leaving for hours. Victim 1 was slammed against a wall and choked, the superseding indictment states. Defendants allegedly also threatened to deport Victim 1 and his wife and permanently separate them from their 4-year-old son unless Victim 1 complied with their demands.
Fearing for his and his family’s safety, the superseding indictment alleges that Victim 1 ultimately signed the documents, thereby relinquishing his multimillion-dollar interest in Jiangsu Sinorgchem.
Although Lankford told Victim 1 that he would be arrested and deported if he reported the incident to police, Victim 1 immediately contacted the Irvine Police Department (IPD) after defendants left his home. Lankford thereafter spoke with an IPD officer and falsely claimed that he had been at Victim 1’s home for a legitimate law enforcement purpose, that Victim 1 consented to all parties being in his home, and that no force was used.
By November 2019, all the defendants had been paid for their efforts. The unindicted co-conspirator paid Turbett’s company approximately $419,813 for services rendered and emailed Turbett to thank him for a “very good job,” the superseding indictment alleges.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for each extortion-related count and up to 10 years in federal prison for each deprivation of rights-related count.
The FBI is investigating this matter. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and Irvine Police Department provided substantial assistance.
Assistant United States Attorney Cassie D. Palmer of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section is prosecuting this case.
El Departamento de Justicia reconoce el aniversario de la Orden Ejecutiva 13166: Mejorando el acceso a los servicios para personas con un dominio limitado del inglésRead the Press Release
Ayer marcó el 24º aniversario de la Orden Ejecutiva 13166, “Mejorando el acceso a los servicios para personas con un dominio limitado del inglés”. En esencia, la Orden reconoce el principio fundamental de que el gobierno federal debe ser capaz de comprender y comunicarse con todas las personas en los Estados Unidos, incluidas aquellas con un dominio limitado del inglés (LEP), para mantener a nuestro país y nuestras comunidades seguros y prósperos.
Hoy, la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia ha publicado un resumen de su revisión hasta la fecha de los planes de acceso lingüístico de las agencias federales. Proporcionaremos información adicional sobre el progreso y las tendencias de las agencias federales en los próximos meses a medida que continuemos trabajando con las agencias federales para actualizar e implementar sus planes de acceso lingüístico.
La comunicación es fundamental para nuestra misión. Durante más de dos décadas, el Departamento ha trabajado en asociación con agencias federales y partes interesadas para eliminar las barreras lingüísticas de los programas y servicios federales y los que son financiados a nivel federal. Los malentendidos pueden tener consecuencias trágicas en situaciones de emergencia, sistemas de atención médica y el sistema de justicia. De hecho, la posibilidad de comunicarse con y entender a las personas LEP es primordial a la hora de hacer cumplir la ley, proteger el medio ambiente, proporcionar ayuda para la vivienda o la alimentación, promover el éxito estudiantil, garantizar la salud pública y mantener la prosperidad económica y la justicia. Cuando las agencias gubernamentales proporcionan, por ejemplo, traducciones de documentos vitales u ofrecen a un intérprete durante conversaciones o audiencias importantes, mejoramos la eficacia de los programas y servicios federales y los que son financiados a nivel federal, así garantizando que alcancen y beneficien a todas las comunidades previstas.
El departamento se mantiene firme en su compromiso de garantizar que nuestros propios programas y los programas que financiamos permanezcan abiertos a todos, independientemente del dominio del inglés de una persona. Aunque las agencias del gobierno federal han hecho mucho progreso, entendemos que los desafíos están por venir. Por ejemplo, a través de nuestra función de coordinación, llevamos a cabo una revisión detallada de 40 planes de acceso lingüístico actualizados de agencias federales, donde descubrimos que cada vez más agencias federales se han comprometido a:
- Establecer protocolos dedicados de acceso lingüístico y de formación del personal para garantizar una implementación eficaz;
- Mejorar los controles de calidad para requerir servicios de apoyo lingüístico precisos y evaluados por la calidad; y
- Ampliar el acceso a la información a través de comunicaciones digitales y contenido en línea en múltiples idiomas.
Junto con nuestra función de coordinación, hemos priorizado el aprendizaje, la implementación y la difusión de información sobre políticas y procedimientos eficaces para eliminar las barreras lingüísticas de nuestros programas o los programas que financiamos. Por ejemplo:
- Después de que venciera el nombramiento inaugural del Coordinador de Acceso Lingüístico del departamento, la Oficina para el Acceso a la Justicia (ATJ, por sus siglas en inglés) convirtió el puesto en uno permanente y llenó la vacante con un coordinador veterano de Acceso Lingüístico del servicio civil para garantizar la longevidad de este trabajo crítico. La ATJ también está incorporando a personal adicional para apoyar el trabajo del Coordinador de Acceso Lingüístico y para desarrollar aún más el programa de acceso lingüístico.
- De acuerdo con el Plan de Acceso Lingüístico del Departamento, el Coordinador de Acceso Lingüístico de la ATJ para todo el departamento está trabajando con los componentes del departamento para desarrollar planes de acceso lingüístico específicos para los componentes. Esto permitirá a los componentes desarrollar políticas de acceso lingüístico que sean específicas para la misión y los mandatos únicos de cada componente, de acuerdo con las políticas generales del plan de acceso lingüístico del departamento.
- Durante los últimos dos años, el Programa de Acceso Lingüístico de la ATJ ha proporcionado asistencia técnica y ha organizado servicios de traducción para más de 50 oficinas en todo el departamento, con el fin de ampliar el acceso lingüístico por todo el contenido del departamento orientado al público. El programa ha completado más de 75 proyectos de traducción que incluyen comunicados de prensa, materiales de difusión, contenido digital, informes y más.
- Como parte de la Iniciativa de las fuerzas del orden público para el acceso lingüístico (LELAI, por sus siglas en inglés), de la División de Derechos Civiles, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles, Kristen Clarke, emitió una carta a los compañeros de las fuerzas del orden público en diciembre del 2023 reiterando sus obligaciones federales de derechos civiles de proporcionar servicios de asistencia lingüística a personas LEP y de proporcionar una comunicación eficaz a personas sordas y con dificultades auditivas.
- A través de LELAI, la División de Derechos Civiles también ha colaborado con la Oficina de Servicios de Vigilancia Policial Orientados a la Comunidad (COPS, por sus siglas en inglés) y el Centro Nacional para la Innovación Policial para lanzar recursos clave en el Portal de formación de COPS para ayudar a las agencias del orden público a superar las barreras lingüísticas de conformidad con el Título VI de la Ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964 y la Ley General de Control de la Delincuencia y Calles Seguras de 1968.
- La división continúa trabajando en asociación con la Fiscalías Federales de todo el país para ayudar a las agencias del orden público a cumplir con su obligación de proporcionar asistencia lingüística significativa a las personas LEP, con el fin de servir y proteger mejor a las comunidades. Algunos ejemplos de trabajo con agencias del orden público específicas incluyen:
- Acuerdo con la Oficina del Alguacil en el condado King, Estado de Washington
- Acuerdo y Plan de acceso lingüístico con el Departamento de la Policía de Denver, Colorado
- Por otra parte, la división también publicó materiales sobre los derechos de voto para el público en general en más de una decena de idiomas, incluyendo un folleto titulado Conozca sus Derechos y un documento que explica los requisitos lingüísticos de la Sección 203 de la ley de Derechos de Voto de 1965. Estos documentos se pueden encontrar en Votación | Derechos de voto (justice.gov).
El año que viene, la División de Derechos Civiles continuará dirigiendo reuniones del Grupo de Trabajo Federal de Acceso Lingüístico. Durante estas reuniones interinstitucionales, aprendemos y compartimos información sobre cómo realizar una formación eficaz del personal de acceso lingüístico; cómo reclutar, evaluar, contratar y retener a personal multilingüe; cómo contratar a traductores e intérpretes cualificados; y cómo utilizar la tecnología para ofrecer servicios de asistencia lingüística precisos y fiables. A través de este enfoque unificado, buscamos cumplir la promesa del Título VI de la ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964 y la Orden Ejecutiva 13166 para prevenir la discriminación y garantizar el trato igualitario en virtud de la ley.
Drug-Dealing Gun Trafficker Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison – Highlighting Arizona-to-San Diego Illegal Gun PipelineRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – August 9, 2024
SAN DIEGO – Jarez Roberts, a felon and known gang member, was sentenced in federal court today to nine years in prison for committing various drug and gun-related crimes, including dealing methamphetamine while armed, being a felon in possession of firearms, and unlawfully transporting illegally-acquired firearms from Arizona to San Diego.
The case against Roberts was initiated in August 2022, after the San Diego Police Department recovered a loaded handgun from a dumpster in the College Grove Area. ATF investigators were then able to trace the firearm to a sale at Randall’s Sporting Goods in Glendale, Arizona. The handgun had been purchased only two days prior to its recovery in San Diego.
According to his plea agreement, in 2022 Roberts repeatedly coordinated the illegal purchase of handguns from an Arizona resident, later identified as Lillian Shingleton. Roberts then drove to Arizona on multiple occasions to acquire the handguns and transport them back to San Diego. Once in San Diego, Roberts used one of the firearms to protect himself while he dealt methamphetamine.
On June 6, 2024, Shingleton pleaded guilty to being Roberts’ source of firearms in Arizona. Shingleton was arrested in Arizona and removed to San Diego to face federal charges for aiding and abetting Roberts. According to her plea agreement, Shingleton knew that Roberts was unable to lawfully purchase firearms for himself and that she was paid a commission for each gun she acquired for him. As part of her plea, Shingleton also agreed that federal prosecutors could prove that Roberts was a felon and a gang member.
The Roberts-Shingleton connection is just one example of recent federal prosecutions involving firearms unlawfully obtained in Arizona and trafficked to San Diego.
Just last month, on July 29, 2024, Jacob Gall-Carrizosa pleaded guilty to transporting firearms without a federal license. According to his plea agreement, Gall-Carrizosa traveled from San Diego to Arizona on multiple occasions between 2021 and 2022, to unlawfully buy eleven different firearms. To complete each purchase, Gall-Carrizosa used an Arizona Identification Card that falsely claimed he was an Arizona resident. After purchasing the firearms in Yuma, he brought them back to San Diego for illegal resale. One of the firearms illegally sold by Gall-Carrizosa was then recovered by law enforcement in Tijuana, Mexico.
“Trafficking firearms across state lines creates a dangerous pipeline for illegal weapons,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “By bringing cases like these to justice, we are keeping guns out of the wrong hands.”
“The primary goal of ATF’s firearms trafficking strategy is to prevent violent crime by disrupting and dismantling the firearms trafficking organizations and networks responsible for supplying violent offenders with crime guns,” said Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge of Los Angeles Field Division Christopher Bombardiere. “ATF’s strategy is multi-faceted and includes the inspection of licensed gun dealers, targeting and arresting straw purchasers, and a greater intelligence-driven emphasis by identifying and targeting these individuals responsible for organizing and directing firearms trafficking operations. ATF remains committed to arresting those who illegally supply firearms to prohibited individuals, and by deterring the diversion of firearms from lawful commerce into the illegal market.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office has recently fortified efforts to address gun violence though increased prosecutions. The office has so far charted a 40 percent increase in gun-related prosecutions in 2024 versus 2023, with five months still remaining in the year. Given the proliferation of ghost guns, the office has also emphasized prosecutions involving these homemade weapons that are very difficult to trace. Prosecutors have charged more than 30 ghost gun-related cases since the beginning of the year.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Andrew R. Haden and Allison B. Rogge.
DEFENDANTS
Case Number 22cr2488-TWR
Jarez Roberts Age: 44 San Diego, CA
Case Number 24cr249-TWR
Lillian Shingleton Age: 38 Phoenix, Arizona
Case Number 24cr1252-AGS
Jacob Gall-Carrizosa Age: 39 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute – Title 21, U.S.C. Section 841
Maximum penalty: Forty years in prison and $5 million fine
Possession of a Firearm in the Furtherance of Drug Trafficking Activity – Title 18, U.S.C. Section 924(c)
Maximum penalty: Life in Prison, mandatory five years and $250,000 fine
Felon in Possession of Firearms – Title 18, U.S.C. Section 922(g)(1)
Maximum penalty: Ten years in prison and $250,000 fine
Unlicensed Transportation of Firearms – Title 18, U.S.C. Section 922(a)(3)
Maximum penalty: Five years in prison and $250,000 fine
INVESTIGATING AGENCY
Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms & Explosives
These cases are part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Dolton, Ill. Police Officer Charged in Federal Court with Bankruptcy FraudRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A police officer for the Village of Dolton, Ill. was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Chicago on bankruptcy fraud charges for allegedly engaging in a scheme to conceal assets and income from creditors and prevent payment of the settlement of a lawsuit.
A nine-count indictment returned this afternoon in U.S. District Court in Chicago charges LEWIS A. LACEY, 61, of Matteson, Ill., with bankruptcy fraud, making false statements and declarations in a bankruptcy case, and perjury. Each count is punishable by a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison. Arraignment has not yet been scheduled.
The indictment was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Douglas S. DePodesta, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI, Ramsey E. Covington, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Chicago Field Office, Ruth M. Mendonça, Inspector-in-Charge of the Chicago Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Hannibal Ware, Inspector General of the U.S. Small Business Administration. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Trustee Program. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason A. Julien and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian P. Netols.
The officials noted that Lacey was indicted as part of an ongoing federal investigation.
According to the indictment, Lacey since the 1980s has filed numerous personal bankruptcy cases in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Northern District of Illinois, including petitions in 2019 and 2020. The recent petitions automatically stayed enforcement of a settlement agreement Lacey had reached in 2017 with the plaintiff in a lawsuit in state court. The indictment alleges that Lacey filed the 2019 bankruptcy petition shortly after the plaintiff moved to enforce the settlement agreement, accusing Lacey of still owing $43,000 of the $55,000 settlement.
The indictment alleges that Lacey made several materially false and fraudulent representations in oral statements and documents submitted in the bankruptcy cases, including underreporting his monthly income and concealing bank accounts that he controlled. Among other things, Lacey falsely represented that he was separated from his spouse and that she did not reside with him or contribute to his monthly income and mortgage, the indictment states. The false representations allowed Lacey to fraudulently calculate his monthly income for purposes of repayment of his creditors as substantially less than it should have been if his spouse’s contributions were included, the indictment states.
During the charged fraud scheme, Lacey served as a police officer for the Dolton Police Department.
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.
Lacey indictmentDominican Republic Man Charged with Cocaine PossessionRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI - United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Santos Jiminez Caraballo, 42, of the Dominican Republic, with possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
According to court documents, between November 2021 and December 2, 2021, Caraballo negotiated the sale of cocaine to an undercover federal agent. On December 2, 2021, Caraballo met the undercover agent in an undisclosed location of St. Thomas to complete the sale of 10 kilograms cocaine. Caraballo later fled the scene, first by car and then by foot, leaving behind the 10 kilograms of cocaine in his vehicle. If convicted, Caraballo faces a sentence of up to 20 years in prison and a $1,000,000.00 fine.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kimberly M. Riley.
United States Attorney Smith reminds the public that an indictment is merely a formal charging document, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Co-Owner of Mattapan Plumbing and Heating Supply Company Sentenced for Filing False Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The co-owner of a Mattapan plumbing and heating supply company was sentenced for filing false tax returns in connection with a scheme to use millions of dollars of unreported business receipts to buy gold and silver bars.
Claudio Poles, 78, of Dorchester, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to four months in prison and one year of supervised release. Poles was also ordered to pay a fine of $200,000 and $2,961,261 in restitution. In May 2024, Poles pleaded guilty to four counts of filing false tax returns.
Poles failed to accurately disclose the company’s gross business receipts to its tax preparer, who prepared the company’s tax returns using the false information Poles provided. Poles then used some of the unreported gross receipts to purchase more than $10 million of gold and silver bars for himself from bullion dealers. To conceal the nature of the purchases he made from the company’s bank accounts, Poles described the purchases in the memo section of the checks, as being for boilers, materials and other plumbing and heating supplies.
Between 2019 and 2022, Poles falsely reported losses on his individual tax returns and omitted personal income that he received from the business by purchasing the gold and silver bars.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mackenzie A. Queenin of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.
Career Offender Sentenced to More Than Eleven Years in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
TEXARKANA – A Colombia County, Arkansas man was sentenced today to 140 months in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for distributing methamphetamine in south Arkansas. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing, which took place in the United States District Court in Texarkana.
According to court documents, Joseph Edward Lowe, age 37, of Magnolia, Arkansas, sold high-purity methamphetamine during multiple ‘controlled buy’ operations conducted by state and federal investigators in 2021 and 2022. A federal grand jury indicted Lowe in September 2022, and he later pleaded guilty to two counts of Distribution of Methamphetamine on October 10, 2023. Lowe’s sentence was enhanced due to his status as a Career Offender. There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Magnolia Police Department, Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham Jones prosecuted the case for the United States.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website at www.pacer.gov.
Car Thief SentencedRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that EDWIN CORDERO, 23, formerly of Stratford and Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to approximately 11 months of imprisonment, time already served, followed by three years of supervised release, for possessing a stolen vehicle and for violating the conditions of his supervised release from a prior conviction related to the theft of stolen vehicles.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 18, 2022, Cordero was sentenced in Bridgeport federal court to 30 months of imprisonment and three years of supervised release for his role in an auto theft ring. The investigation revealed that Cordero and others stole numerous motor vehicles, and used the stolen vehicles to travel throughout Connecticut and to neighboring states to steal other vehicles and the valuables inside, including credit cards, cellular telephones, and firearms. He was released from federal prison in March 2023.
On August 8, 2023, a 2016 lnfiniti Q50 and a 2021 Chevrolet Silverado were reported stolen from a residence in Westerly, Rhode Island. The Silverado was located shortly thereafter near Exit 89 on I-95 South in Groton. The vehicle was unoccupied and appeared to have run out of gas. On August 13, 2023, a victim of the auto thefts contacted law enforcement to report that an iPhone that was in the Infinity Q50 when it was stolen was still being backed up to the iCloud account associated with the phone. A review of the iCloud account revealed photos and videos taken after the theft of the Q50. The photos include an image of Cordero with a pistol on his lap, an image of an individual posing on the hood of another stolen car parked near Cordero’s Bridgeport residence, and images of vape pens, cigarettes, bottles of alcohol, and marijuana.
Cordero was arrested by Bridgeport Police on August 14, 2023, after he and others attempted to flee from the Q50 after crashing it into multiple cars on Success Avenue in Bridgeport. A search of a fanny pack Cordero possessed revealed various controlled substances. Investigators subsequently found three bags that Cordero had attempted to hide after the crash. The bags contained numerous vape pens and an unopened bottle of liquor.
Cordero, who was released after his state arrest, has been detained since his federal arrest on August 29, 2023. On May 22, 2024, he pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen motor vehicle.
Judge Bolden ordered Cordero to pay $21,336.59 in restitution. Cordero also has a restitution order of $75,198 from his prior federal case.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Gang Task Force, the Connecticut State Police, the Bridgeport Police Department, and the Westerly (R.I.) Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff.
Colombian Man Charged with Illegal Reentry and Alien SmugglingRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging William Giraldo Cabanzo, 59, of Columbia, with Reentry of a Removed Alien and Unlawful Bringing of Aliens into the United States. Cabanzo, was previously removed from the United States on April 3, 2021, for violating the Immigration and Nationality Act. As a result of his removal, he was barred from reapplying for entry into the United States for five years.
According to court documents, in June 2024, federal agents apprehended Cabanzo after he was observed exiting a vehicle in the Charlotte Amalie area of St. Thomas. He later admitted to having reentered the United States Virgin Islands in May 2024. In addition to the illegal reentry charge, Cabanzo was also charged with unlawfully bringing a family from Venezuela into the United States in April 2024. According to court documents, Cabanzo contacted the Venezuelan family and agreed to assist them in entering the United States illegally. He initially charged the family $4,000.00 for his services and, upon their arrival at his residence in Tortola, BVI, Cabanzo demanded an additional $4,000.00 to arrange their transportation to the United States. On May 15, 2024, after receiving the payments, Cabanzo arranged the family’s travel from Tortola, BVI to St. Thomas, where they entered the United States illegally.
The charges against Cabanzo highlight the ongoing efforts by federal authorities to prevent the illegal reentry of previously removed aliens, and to combat human smuggling activities that pose a significant threat to national security. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cherrisse R. Woods.
United States Attorney Smith reminds the public that an indictment is merely a formal charging document, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Bộ Tư pháp đánh dấu kỷ niệm Sắc lệnh 13166: Cải thiện cách tiếp cận dịch vụ cho người có trình độ tiếng Anh hạn chếRead the Press Release
Hôm qua là ngày đánh dấu kỷ niệm 24 năm Sắc lệnh 13166, "Cải thiện cách tiếp cận dịch vụ cho người có trình độ tiếng Anh hạn chế". Về cốt lõi, Sắc lệnh thừa nhận nguyên tắc cơ bản là chính phủ liên bang phải có khả năng hiểu và giao tiếp với tất cả mọi người ở Hoa Kỳ, kể cả những người có trình độ tiếng Anh hạn chế (LEP), để giữ cho đất nước và cộng đồng được an toàn và thịnh vượng.
Hôm nay, Cục Dân quyền của Bộ Tư pháp đã công bố một tóm lược về đánh giá kế hoạch tiếp cận ngôn ngữ của cơ quan liên bang tính cho đến nay. Trong những tháng tới, chúng tôi sẽ cung cấp thêm thông tin về tiến độ và xu hướng của các cơ quan liên bang khi chúng tôi tiếp tục làm việc với họ để xem họ đã cập nhật và thực hiện các kế hoạch tiếp cận ngôn ngữ ra sao.
Giao tiếp là chuyện rất quan trọng cho nhiệm vụ của chúng tôi. Trong hơn hai thập niên, Bộ Tư pháp đã hợp tác với các cơ quan liên bang và các bên liên quan để loại bỏ rào cản ngôn ngữ trong các chương trình hoặc dịch vụ do liên bang thực hiện hoặc tài trợ. Những hiểu lầm có thể dẫn đến hậu quả bi thảm trong các tình huống khẩn cấp, trong hệ thống chăm sóc sức khỏe và trong hệ thống tư pháp. Thật vậy, giao tiếp và hiểu những người thuộc diện LEP là rất quan trọng để thực thi pháp luật, bảo vệ môi trường, hỗ trợ nhà ở hoặc thực phẩm, thúc đẩy thành tích của học sinh, đảm bảo sức khỏe cộng đồng và duy trì sự thịnh vượng và công bằng kinh tế. Ví dụ, khi các cơ quan chính phủ cung cấp bản dịch các tài liệu quan trọng hoặc cung cấp thông dịch viên trong các cuộc trò chuyện hoặc phiên điều trần quan trọng, chúng tôi sẽ nâng cao hiệu quả của các chương trình và dịch vụ do liên bang thực hiện và tài trợ, đảm bảo các chương trình và dịch vụ này được đến tay và mang lại lợi ích cho tất cả các cộng đồng nhắm tới.
Bộ vẫn kiên định với cam kết đảm bảo rằng các chương trình của bộ và các chương trình mà bộ tài trợ vẫn mở rộng cho tất cả mọi người, bất kể trình độ tiếng Anh của họ ra sao. Mặc dù các cơ quan trên toàn chính phủ liên bang đã đạt được nhiều tiến bộ, chúng tôi hiểu rằng những thách thức vẫn còn ở phía trước. Ví dụ, thông qua vai trò điều phối của mình, chúng tôi đã tiến hành xem xét chi tiết 40 kế hoạch tiếp cận ngôn ngữ cập nhật của cơ quan liên bang, kết quả là chúng tôi thấy rằng ngày càng có nhiều cơ quan liên bang đã cam kết:
- Thiết lập các quy trình để có nhân viên chuyên dụng và đào tạo nhân viên về tiếp cận ngôn ngữ để đảm bảo thực hiện kế hoạch có hiệu quả;
- Cải thiện kiểm soát chất lượng để yêu cầu các dịch vụ hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ phải chính xác và được đánh giá là có chất lượng; và
- Mở rộng khả năng tiếp cận thông tin bằng cách thực hiện các chương trình có nội dung trực tuyến đa ngôn ngữ và truyền thông kỹ thuật số.
Cùng với vai trò điều phối, chúng tôi đã ưu tiên tìm hiểu, thực hiện và phổ biến thông tin về các chính sách và thủ tục hiệu quả để loại bỏ rào cản ngôn ngữ đối với các chương trình do chúng tôi thực hiện hoặc tài trợ. Chẳng hạn:
- Sau khi nhiệm kỳ Điều phối viên Tiếp cận Ngôn ngữ đầu tiên của Bộ chấm dứt, Cục Tiếp cận Tư pháp (ATJ) đã biến vị trí này thành một vị trí thường trực và giao vai trò này cho một Điều phối viên Tiếp cận Ngôn ngữ, có ngạch công chức cao cấp, để đảm bảo công việc quan trọng này kéo dài. ATJ cũng đang tuyển dụng thêm nhân viên để hỗ trợ công việc của Điều phối viên Tiếp cận Ngôn ngữ và phát triển hơn nữa Chương trình Tiếp cận Ngôn ngữ.
- Theo Kế hoạch Tiếp cận Ngôn ngữ của Bộ, Điều phối viên Tiếp cận Ngôn ngữ cho cả bộ đang làm việc với các cơ quan của bộ để biên soạn các kế hoạch truy cập ngôn ngữ dành riêng cho từng cơ quan. Điều này sẽ giúp các cơ quan soạn ra các chính sách truy cập ngôn ngữ cụ thể tùy theo nhiệm vụ và chức năng độc đáo của mình, phù hợp với các chính sách chung của kế hoạch Tiếp cận Ngôn ngữ của bộ.
- Trong hai năm qua, Chương trình Tiếp cận Ngôn ngữ của ATJ đã hỗ trợ kỹ thuật và thu xếp dịch vụ dịch thuật cho hơn 50 văn phòng ở khắp Bộ, để mở rộng khả năng tiếp cận ngôn ngữ đối với các thông tin công khai của Bộ. Chương trình đã hoàn thành hơn 75 dự án dịch thuật liên quan đến thông cáo báo chí, tài liệu tiếp cận cộng đồng, nội dung kỹ thuật số, báo cáo và các nội dung khác.
- Là một phần của Sáng kiến Tiếp cận Ngôn ngữ Thực thi Pháp luật (LELAI) của Cục Dân quyền, Trợ lý Bộ trưởng Tư pháp Kristen Clarke của Cục Dân quyền đã gửi một lá thư cho các đồng nghiệp thực thi pháp luật vào tháng 12/2023, nhắc lại nghĩa vụ dân quyền liên bang của họ là cung cấp dịch vụ hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ cho những người thuộc diện LEP và cung cấp cách giao tiếp hiệu quả cho những người điếc và khiếm thính.
- Thông qua LELAI, Cục Dân quyền cũng hợp tác với Phòng Dịch vụ Cảnh sát Hướng tới Cộng đồng (COPS) và Trung tâm Đổi mới Cảnh sát Quốc gia để mở ra các phương tiện quan trọng trên Cổng đào tạo COPS để giúp các cơ quan thực thi pháp luật vượt qua rào cản ngôn ngữ khi tuân thủ Mục VI của Đạo luật Dân quyền năm 1964 và Đạo luật Kiểm soát Tội phạm và Đường phố An toàn Omnibus năm 1968.
- Cục Dân quyền tiếp tục hợp tác với các Văn phòng Biên lý Liên bang trên toàn nước Mỹ để giúp các cơ quan thực thi pháp luật đáp ứng nghĩa vụ hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ một cách có ý nghĩa cho những người thuộc diện LEP để phục vụ và bảo vệ cộng đồng tốt hơn. Ví dụ về cách làm việc với các cơ quan thực thi pháp luật cụ thể bao gồm
- Sở Tư Pháp Ký Thỏa Thuận Tiếp Cận Ngôn Ngữ với Văn Phòng Cảnh Sát Trưởng tại Tiểu Bang Washington
- Bộ Tư Pháp Công Bố Chính Sách Mới Về Việc Cơ Quan Thực Thi Pháp Luật Chủ Động Trong Việc Tiếp Cận Ngôn Ngữ
- Cục Dân quyền cũng đăng các tài liệu về quyền bầu cử cho công chúng được dịch sang hơn một chục thứ tiếng, trong đó có cẩm nang Bạn Cần Biết Những Quyền Của Mình và một tài liệu giải thích các yêu cầu về ngôn ngữ trong Đoạn 203 của Đạo luật Quyền Bầu cử năm 1965. Những tài liệu này có thể xem tại Bỏ phiếu | Quyền biểu quyết (justice.gov).
Trong năm tới, Cục Dân quyền sẽ tiếp tục chủ tọa các cuộc họp của Nhóm Công tác Tiếp cận Ngôn ngữ Liên bang. Trong các cuộc họp liên ngành này, chúng tôi tìm hiểu và chia sẻ thông tin về cách đào tạo nhân viên tiếp cận ngôn ngữ hiệu quả; tuyển dụng, đánh giá, thuê mướn và giữ chân nhân viên đa ngôn ngữ; hợp đồng với biên dịch viên, phiên dịch viên có trình độ và sử dụng công nghệ để cung cấp các dịch vụ hỗ trợ ngôn ngữ chính xác và đáng tin cậy. Thông qua cách tiếp cận thống nhất này, chúng tôi muốn thực hiện mục tiêu của Mục VI trong Đạo luật Dân quyền năm 1964 và Sắc lệnh 13166 nhằm ngăn chặn hiện tượng phân biệt đối xử và đảm bảo mọi người được đối xử bình đẳng theo luật pháp.
Bulgarian National Extradited for Scheme to Illegally Export U.S.-Origin Sensitive Microelectronics to RussiaRead the Press Release
Bulgarian national Milan Dimitrov, 50, made his initial appearance in a federal court in San Antonio today after being extradited from Greece.
According to court documents, Milan Dimitrov allegedly conspired with Ilias Sabirov, 52, of Russia, and Dimitar Dimitrov, 74, of Bulgaria, to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) and the Export Control Reform Act (ECRA) in a scheme to procure sensitive radiation-hardened integrated circuits from the United States and illegally export those components to Russia through Bulgaria without the required licenses from the U.S. government.
The indictment alleges that between at least May 2014 and May 2018 the defendants used the Bulgarian company Multi Technology Integration Group EEOD (MTIG) to receive export-controlled items from the United States and transship them to Russia without the required licenses.
According to the indictment, Sabirov is the head of two Russian companies — Cosmos Complect and OOO Sovtest Comp. — and controls MTIG. Both Dimitar and Milan Dimitrov worked for Sabirov at Cosmos Complect and MTIG.
As alleged, in 2014, the defendants met with the supplier of the radiation-hardened circuits in Austin, Texas, and were informed that radiation-hardened circuits could not be shipped to Russia because of U.S. trade restrictions. Sabirov then established MTIG in Bulgaria to purchase the controlled electronic circuits, which did not require a license for export to Bulgaria. The radiation-hardened properties of these circuits made them resistant to damage or malfunction in the harsh outer-space environment. The circuits were controlled for export to Russia for these very reasons. The parts were shipped to Bulgaria in 2015, and MTIG soon thereafter transshipped them to Sabirov’s companies in Russia. OOO Sovtest Comp. transferred over $1 million to MTIG for the parts.
In the same timeframe, MTIG — at Sabirov’s direction — ordered over $1.7 million in other electronic components produced by another U.S.-based electronics manufacturer. MTIG bought these parts to fulfill part of its contract with OOO Sovtest Comp. Again, the parts were shipped from the United States to Bulgaria, where they were merely repackaged and then shipped to Russia.
In late 2018, a Department of Commerce Export Control Officer interviewed Milan Dimitrov during a visit to MTIG to determine whether the radiation-hardened components were still in MTIG’s possession in Bulgaria. Milan Dimitrov, among other things, falsely denied sending the components to Russia.
Milan Dimitrov is charged with two counts of IEEPA violations, one count of money laundering, and one count of making false statements to the Department of Commerce in violation of the ECRA. Each count in the indictment carries a maximum penalty of up to 20 years in prison.
Sabirov and Dimitar Dimitrov remain at large. The two were charged in the same indictment in December 2020 with two counts of IEEPA violations and one count of money laundering.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department's National Security Division and U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The Commerce Department’s Office of Export Enforcement and the FBI are investigating the case with assistance from Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS).
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael C. Galdo and G. Karthik Srinivasan for the Wastern District of Texas are prosecuting the case along with Trial Attorney Christine Bonomo of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with Greek authorities to secure the extradition of Dimitrov to the United States.
An indictment merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.