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Monday 24 June 2024
Lincoln Man Sentenced to 16 Months Prison for Being Drug User in Possession of a Firearm.Read the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Clifton Davis, Jr., 23, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced June 24, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln for being an unlawful user or addict of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Davis to 16 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Davis’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
Davis initially came to law enforcement’s attention after three guns he had purchased were used by others to commit crimes, including a domestic assault and a homicide. Investigators were able to secure and execute a search warrant on Davis’s home and phone in early June of 2023. Officers found an American Tactical 5.56mm handgun, 32 9mm rounds, 83 .22 rounds, 38 .40 rounds, and the manufacture’s box for an additional weapon. Officers also located marijuana and drug paraphernalia in his house and vehicle.
In an interview with law enforcement, Davis admitted to being a marijuana user, advising he smoked about once a day. On his phone, investigators found numerous conversations about buying, and occasionally selling marijuana, pictures of marijuana and videos of marijuana. Some of these conversations occurred within days of Davis purchasing firearms. Authorities were further able to confirm that the ammunition and firearm had been manufactured outside the state of Nebraska and transported via interstate commerce.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Leader of South Shore Drug Trafficking Ring Convicted by Federal JuryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The leader of a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed fentanyl, fentanyl analogue and cocaine throughout Quincy and Weymouth has been convicted by a federal jury in Boston.
Aderito Patrick Amado, 34, of Brockton and Quincy, was convicted on June 21, 2024 of two counts of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue and 500 grams or more of cocaine – and conspiracy to do the same; one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 100 grams or more of fentanyl analogue; one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl; two counts of possessing firearms as a convicted felon; and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug offense. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Oct. 8, 2024.
In September 2022, Amado was indicted by a federal grand jury along with co-defendants Erica Vieira, Neylton Fontes and Chaasad Cyprien. The defendants were subsequently charged in a superseding indictment in December 2022 and, later, a second superseding indictment in October 2023. Amado was charged in a third superseding indictment in May 2024.
“This case is emblematic of the fentanyl crisis facing our communities. Dozens of pounds of illegal drugs, high-capacity firearms, and hundreds of thousands of dollars all in the hands of a man while he was already on probation for a state drug conviction. Mr. Amado will now pay a severe price for choosing to pump this poison onto the streets of Massachusetts,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “Mr. Amado had drugs, cash and guns everywhere – in his apartment and his stash house. Given the unrelenting scourge of illegal drugs and overdose deaths, this office is as committed as ever to prosecuting drug-dealing criminals. This case should serve as a warning to others: if you want to engage in illicit narcotics activities, we will find you and prosecute you to the fullest extent of the law.”
“Aderito Patrick Amado was part of a conspiracy that brought in and sold vast amounts of fentanyl and cocaine all over southeastern Massachusetts. We’re talking multi-kilo quantities of dangerous drugs that he protected using illegal firearms,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “Today’s conviction is a win for the FBI’s Metro Boston Gang Task Force as we work with our partners to get dangerous drugs and criminals off the street. The ultimate goal here is to free our communities from the clutches of violent drug traffickers who have zero regard for the incredible damage they inflict on people’s lives.”
“I would like to thank the Detectives assigned to the Quincy Police Drug Control Unit, our local, state and federal partners and particularly the prosecutors from the U.S. Attorney’s office for bringing this case forward. Taking this individual off the streets undoubtedly saved lives in our community,” said Quincy Police Chief Mark Kennedy.
Until at least January 2021, Amado helped lead a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, fentanyl analogue and cocaine in and around the Quincy and Weymouth areas. The investigation determined that the drug distribution conspiracy operated primarily out of a stash house in Weymouth, with additional evidence located inside Amado’s apartment in Quincy and his Jeep Cherokee.
Specifically, a January 2021 search of Amado’s Quincy apartment resulted in over 40 grams of fentanyl, over $270,000 in cash, a money counter and a loaded Glock being recovered. Additionally, the Weymouth stash house was, in essence, a drug factory – housing two presses used to form controlled substances into kilogram-sized bricks and extensive drug paraphernalia, including blenders, digital scales and packaging equipment. The stash house also contained more than 10 kilograms of fentanyl, fentanyl analogue and cocaine as well as three firearms and ammunition, including two high-capacity magazines and a speed loader. Given Amado’s status as a felon, he is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Evidence presented at trial included information from a court-ordered GPS ankle monitor that placed Amado at both his residence and the stash location essentially every day over a two-month period while on probation for a state drug conviction. Additionally, web history information from one of Amado’s devices showed that he conducted online reviews of various items ultimately recovered from the stash house, including the kilogram presses, firearms and cutting agents.
Vieira pleaded guilty in May 2024 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 4, 2024. Fontes pleaded guilty in May 2024 and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 16, 2024 and Cyprien pleaded guilty in April 2024 and is scheduled to be sentenced on July 17, 2024.
The charge of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 100 grams or more of a fentanyl analogue, 500 grams or more of cocaine, and conspiracy to do the same, provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and 40 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to 40 years in prison, at least four years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $5 million. The charge of possessing a firearm as a convicted felon provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug offense provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to life in prison, to be served from and after the term of imprisonment imposed for any other count, up to five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy, FBI SAC Cohen and Chief Kennedy made the announcement. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Weymouth, Braintree, Randolph and Brockton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin R. O’Donnell and Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit are prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Leader and Two Members of Brooklyn-Based Real Ryte Gang Each Sentenced to More Than a Decade in Prison for Violent Racketeering OffensesRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Semaj Smith, also known as “Bam Bam” and “Real Ryte Sport,” a member of the Brooklyn-based street gang Real Ryte, was sentenced by United States District Judge Hector Gonzalez to 132 months in prison for racketeering conspiracy and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Last month, co-defendants Dajahn McBean, also known as “Jeezy Mula,” who is the leader of Real Ryte, and Real Ryte member Mark Waiters, also known as “Telly,” were sentenced to terms of imprisonment of 150 months and 149 months, respectively. All three defendants pleaded guilty in September and October 2023 to charges in a superseding indictment stemming from Real Ryte’s gang war with the Breadgang crew of the 5-9 Brims, a subset of the Bloods.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the sentences.
“The defendants have dedicated themselves to committing violent crimes on behalf of their gang without any regard for endangering the public,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “We will not tolerate our communities being turned into scenes out of video games with gang warfare, reckless shootings and car chases. Today’s sentence shows that individuals, like these defendants, who don’t get that message will be punished with significant time in prison.”
Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation to the New York City Police Department and to the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations New York for their outstanding work and assistance in this investigation.
According to court filings and facts presented during the defendants’ guilty plea proceedings, Real Ryte was a violent street gang that operated in, among other places, Brooklyn, New York. Members of Real Ryte have committed acts of violence, including acts involving murder and assault, and engaged in bank fraud, wire fraud and other crimes. Between at least 2015 and 2018, members of Real Ryte committed serious crimes to further the interests of the gang, including earning money for the gang’s members through illicit means, and committing acts of violence to enhance the gang’s position with respect to rival criminal organizations.
During the charged period, Real Ryte was engaged in a violent conflict with members of a rival crew known as the “Breadgang,” whose members also operated in Brooklyn. The gang war led to a series of shootings between Real Ryte and Breadgang, including the murder of Sean Peart, a Real Ryte member, a crime for which Marvin Pippins, a Breadgang member, was convicted following a trial in this District. In response to Peart’s death, the defendants and other members of Real Ryte retaliated against Pippins and other Breadgang members. On January 3, 2017, the defendants learned that a Breadgang member could be found in lower Manhattan, and, at McBean’s direction, Smith, Waiters and a co-conspirator traveled to the location to shoot and kill him. However, during a chase with vehicles speeding through the streets of Manhattan in the wrong direction, the defendants mistakenly shot an innocent person they mistook for their intended target, seriously injuring the victim before fleeing.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Joy Lurinsky and Rebecca Schuman are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialists Cleon Thomas and Abiodun Ojo.
The Defendants:
DAJAHN MCBEAN (also known as “Jeezy Mula”)
Age: 28
Brooklyn, New YorkMARK WAITERS (also known as “Telly”)
Age: 26
Brooklyn, New YorkSEMAJ SMITH (also known as “Bam Bam” and “Real Ryte Sport”)
Age: 30
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-260 (S-1) (HG)
Last of Five Defendants with Ties to White Supremacy and Who Were Charged with Targeting Energy Facility Enters Guilty PleaRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, N.C. – Today, Jordan Duncan, 29, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the manufacturing of a firearm as charged in a superseding criminal information filed in the Eastern District of North Carolina. This crime carries a maximum punishment of 10 years’ imprisonment. Duncan is a former Marine assigned previously to Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, North Carolina.
According to court documents, Duncan, with co-defendants, Paul James Kryscuk, 38, Liam Collins, 25, Justin Wade Hermanson, 25, and Joseph Maurino, 25, researched, discussed, and reviewed at length a previous attack on the power grid by an unknown group. The group depicted in the attack used assault-style rifles in an attempt to explode a power substation. Between 2017 and 2020, Kryscuk manufactured firearms while Collins stole military gear, including magazines for assault-style rifles, and had them delivered to the other defendants. During that time, Duncan gathered a library of information, some military-owned, regarding firearms, explosives, and nerve toxins and shared that information with Kryscuk and Collins. In October 2020, a handwritten list of approximately one dozen intersections and places in Idaho and surrounding states was discovered in Kryscuk’s possession, including intersections and/or places containing a transformer, substation, or other component of the power grid for the northwest United States.
Previously filed charges alleged that Collins and Kryscuk were members of and made multiple posts on the “Iron March” forum, a gathering point for young neo-Nazis to organize and recruit for extremist organizations, until the forum was closed in late 2017. Collins and Kryscuk met through the forum and expanded their group using an encrypted messaging application as an alternate means of communication outside of the forum. Collins and Kryscuk recruited additional members, including Duncan, Hermanson, and Maurino, and conducted training, including a live-fire training in the desert near Boise, Idaho. From video footage recorded by the members during the training, Kryscuk, Duncan, and others produced a montage video of their training. In the video, the participants are seen firing short barrel rifles and other assault-type rifles, and the end of the propaganda video shows the four participants outfitted in AtomWaffen masks giving the “Heil Hitler” sign, beneath the image of a black sun, a Nazi symbol. The last frame bears the phrase, “Come home white man.” Prior to their arrests, Collins and Duncan had relocated to Idaho from North Carolina and Texas, respectively, to be near Kryscuk.
Kryscuk, Collins, Maurino and Hermanson earlier entered pleas of guilty to various crimes: on February 15, 2022, Kryscuk entered a plea of guilty to conspiracy to destroy an energy facility, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment; on October 24, 2023, Collins pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the interstate transportation of unregistered firearms, which carries a maximum of 10 years’ imprisonment; and on March 8, 2023 and April 11, 2023, respectively, Hermanson and Maurino pleaded guilty to conspiracy to manufacture firearms and ship interstate, which carries a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment.
All five defendants now await sentencing before Chief United States District Judge Richard E. Myers II.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement. The Naval Criminal Investigative Service, the FBI Salt Lake City and Charlotte Field Offices with assistance from Fields Offices in Boston, New York, and Newark, the Boise Police Department, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Barbara Kocher of the Eastern District of North Carolina and Trial Attorney John Cella of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Assistant United States Attorneys for the District of Idaho, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, and the District of Rhode Island.
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. 7:20-CR-167-M.
Kentucky Man Pleads Guilty and Is Sentenced for Federal Hate Crime Targeting Children OnlineRead the Press Release
A Kentucky man pleaded guilty and was sentenced last week to one year and one day in prison and one year of supervised release in the District of Eastern Louisiana for committing a federal hate crime.
According to court documents, Brian Adams, 24, of Paintsville, Kentucky, transmitted a threat to a fifth-grade class at the Laureate Academy Charter School on or about Oct. 14, 2020. At the time, the school was conducting class virtually over Zoom due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, Adams used racial epithets against the students and teachers and threatened to “hang them by a tree.” Adams pleaded guilty to one count of transmitting threatening communications. The court found that Adams’ actions were motivated by hate.
“This prosecution should make clear that perpetrators of hate crimes hiding behind computer screens, hacking into teleconferences and disrupting virtual meetings will be held accountable. The defendant used racial epithets and threats against innocent children who were simply trying to get an education,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “No child should ever have to endure racially motivated hatred like this in a classroom, a school or anywhere else. The Justice Department is committed to protecting children from such hate-filled assaults and to safeguarding their right to a safe and secure education.”
“Citizens should not fear threats based on their race at any time and especially for students while pursuing their education,” said U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans for the Eastern District of Louisiana. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to working closely with federal, state and local law enforcement to ensure hate crimes are investigated, prosecuted and to ultimately hold perpetrators responsible for their actions.”
“Hate has no place in our country, especially in a fifth-grade classroom,” said Special Agent in Charge Lyonel Myrthil of the FBI New Orleans Field Office. “Protecting the rights of all Americans under the Constitution is the heart of the FBI's mission.”
The FBI New Orleans Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracey N. Knight for the Eastern District of Louisiana prosecuted the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Mary Hahn of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section.
Kayenta Resident Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Making Hoax Calls to Elicit SWAT ResponsesRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – James Thomas Andrew McCarty, 21, of New Mexico, was sentenced last week to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to charges in two separate indictments relating to hoax calls that elicited police SWAT responses.
With respect to the indictment originating from the District of Arizona, McCarty pleaded guilty on February 1, 2024, to making two hoax calls to high schools in Indiana and Oklahoma using the names of real students at the high schools he called. McCarty also pleaded guilty to two separate crimes of aggravated identity theft since he used the identity of an actual individual during these calls. On January 25, 2021, McCarty made repetitive hoax calls to two different high schools. In the first series of hoax calls to a high school in Indiana, McCarty called school officials representing that he was a student at the school, while using the real name of a student there, and that he was outside the school with an AR-15 rifle, a Glock handgun, and propane bottles ready to shoot at the school. In the second series of hoax calls about 20 minutes later to a high school in Oklahoma, McCarty called school officials representing that he was a student at the school, while using the real name of a student there, and that he was outside of the school with an AR-15 rifle, a Glock handgun, and propane tanks ready to shoot the propane tanks before coming into the school. McCarty also pleaded guilty to two hoax calls he made on April 16, 2021, and May 20, 2021. He used the name of the same homeowner in both calls, stating to police that he had killed his wife, would kill everyone, blow up the residence, and had four bombs planted outside of a retail location. McCarty was a resident of Kayenta and made all his calls while residing there.
With respect to the indictment originating from the Central District of California, McCarty pleaded guilty on February 1, 2024, to conspiracy by working with others to access Ring doorbell accounts. On November 13, 2020, McCarty made an unauthorized intrusion into a victim’s Ring doorbell account in Florida, called the police in that Florida community where the victim lived, and represented himself to be the victim’s husband who had just killed her, was holding a hostage, and had rigged explosives at the residence. McCarty then livestreamed the law enforcement response and posted a message that he thought it was funny. McCarty also made multiple calls to victims in California.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Arizona and Los Angeles, California offices. Valuable assistance was provided by South Plainfield (New Jersey) Police Department, Snellville (Georgia) Police Department, Forsyth County (Georgia) Sheriff’s Office, Westfield (Indiana) Police Department, Vinita (Oklahoma) Police Department, and Parma (Ohio) Police Department. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Phoenix, and the United States Attorney’s Office in the Central District of California, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR 22-08133-PHX-SPL (Original District of Arizona Indictment)
CR 24-00122-PHX-SPL (Originally Central District of CA—Rule 20)
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-082_McCarty# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.KC Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Steal Firearms from VehiclesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy in which five men broke into numerous vehicles in the Westport entertainment district and elsewhere in the metropolitan area and stole more than 100 firearms, which they later sold on their social media accounts.
Bobby Lamb, 22, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Greg Kays to 11 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Lamb to pay $1,500 in restitution.
On Sept. 29, 2023, Lamb pleaded guilty to conspiracy to receive, possess, and dispose of stolen firearms. Lamb also pleaded guilty to possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and possessing a stolen firearm.
Lamb admitted that he participated in a conspiracy to break into vehicles and steal firearms and other items. Conspirators used social media to advertise the stolen firearms for sale, which included sales to individuals who were prohibited by law from possessing firearms.
According to court documents, Lamb and his co-conspirators stole more than 100 firearms obtained from vehicle break-ins from June 18 to Nov. 19, 2021. When Lamb was arrested on Sept. 16, 2021, he was in possession of a stolen Glock 9mm handgun.
Lamb is the first defendant to be sentenced in this case. Four co-defendants, all of Kansas City, Mo., have pleaded guilty and await sentencing. Drevion Hooker, 22, is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 4, 2024. Rayquan Duane Pettaway, 25, is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 28, 2024. Treyon Bloodsoe, 22, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 24, 2024. Roy Rushing, 26, is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 2, 2024.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stefan C. Hughes. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Justice Department to Monitor Compliance with Federal Voting Rights Laws in New YorkRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in Queens, New York, for the June 25 primary election.
The Justice Department enforces the federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all citizens to access the ballot. The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities all across the country. In addition, the department deploys federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management, where authorized by federal court order.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section, working with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Civil Rights Act and Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.
More information about voting and elections is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/voting. Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section.
Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931. The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York will also be available to receive complaints on Tuesday, June 25, 2024 at the following number (718) 254-7000 for Brooklyn, Queens, Staten Island, Nassau and Suffolk counties.
Justice Department to Monitor Compliance with Federal Voting Rights Laws in New YorkRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it will monitor compliance with federal voting rights laws in Queens, New York, for the June 25 primary election.
The Justice Department enforces the federal voting rights laws that protect the rights of all citizens to access the ballot. The department regularly deploys its staff to monitor for compliance with federal civil rights laws in elections in communities all across the country. In addition, the department deploys federal observers from the Office of Personnel Management, where authorized by federal court order.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section, working with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, enforces the civil provisions of federal statutes that protect the right to vote, including the Voting Rights Act, National Voter Registration Act, Help America Vote Act, Civil Rights Act and Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act.
More information about voting and elections is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/voting. Learn more about the Voting Rights Act and other federal voting laws at www.justice.gov/crt/voting-section. Complaints about possible violations of federal voting rights laws can be submitted through the Civil Rights Division’s website at civilrights.justice.gov or by telephone at 1-800-253-3931.
Justice Department Secures Agreement with Georgia School District to Protect Civil Rights of Students with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today a settlement agreement with Fulton County Schools in Georgia to resolve the department’s investigation of the district’s response to an escalating series of student-on-student sexual assaults on a school bus serving students with special needs. The department conducted its investigation under Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972, Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Equal Educational Opportunities Act of 1974.
“A school district’s responsibility is to protect its students from sexual assault and harassment, particularly students whose disabilities make them vulnerable,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Schools have a responsibility to address obstacles in reporting sexual assault and to take into account the special needs or vulnerabilities of any affected students and their families. The Justice Department will continue working to ensure that our schools are safe learning environments free from sexual harassment and equitable for students with disabilities.”
“Children with disabilities can be especially vulnerable and deserve to thrive in a learning environment free of violence of any kind, including when traveling to and from school aboard buses,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia. “We applaud the school district’s willingness to cooperate with our investigation and to amicably resolve this matter to ensure the protection and safety of these children.”
The department’s investigation found that the district lacked adequate procedures and failed to train employees in the proper reporting of and response to student-on-student sexual harassment and assault; failed to appropriately accommodate the special needs of students with disabilities in preventing and responding to sexual assault; and failed to make educational and school communications, particularly those related to the complaint reporting and investigation process, accessible for parents and guardians with limited English proficiency. The agreement will strengthen the district’s policies and procedures for responding to student-on-student sexual assault and ensure that the district’s response accounts for the unique needs of students with disabilities and Limited English Proficient (LEP) parents.
The district cooperated with the department throughout the investigation. Among other actions, under the settlement agreement, the district will:
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Revise its policies for responding to complaints of sexual misconduct;
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Provide district staff with trainings on student-on-student sexual misconduct;
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Ensure it provides students with disabilities the accommodations they need to participate in the district’s educational programs, particularly accommodations that support the communication needs of students with disabilities; and
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Provide appropriate language assistance services to LEP parents and guardians.
The enforcement of Title IX, Title II and the Equal Educational Opportunities Act are top priorities for the Civil Rights Division. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division of the Justice Department is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt, and additional information about the Educational Opportunities Section’s work is available at www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section. Members of the public may report possible civil rights violations at www.civilrights.justice.gov/.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia worked in collaboration with the Civil Rights Division’s Educational Opportunities Section to investigate this case. Information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia can be found at www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/about.
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Jamestown woman going to prison for selling methRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Tracey Wynn, 42, of Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute, and distributing, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, was sentenced to serve 24 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who handled the case, stated that between September 2018 and January 2019, Wynn was a drug trafficking associate of Douglas Beardsley and sold methamphetamine supplied by Beardsley. On four separate occasions, Wynn sold methamphetamine to an individual working with the DEA. On August 7, 2017, investigators executed a search warrant at Wynn’s residence and recovered a quantity of methamphetamine, approximately $347 in cash, drug paraphernalia, as well as items indicating children lived at the residence. On October 23, 2019, Wynn committed a moving traffic violation and was stopped by a Jamestown Police officer. A search of the vehicle recovered two digital scales, one of which had crystal methamphetamine on it. Wynn was arrested for driving with a suspended license and possession of drug paraphernalia. At the jail, a bag of marijuana was found in Wynn’s sweatshirt pocket, and plastic bags of methamphetamine were found on her person. Douglas Beardsley was previously convicted and sentenced.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino, New York Field Division; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan Miller, New York Field Division.
International Gun Smuggler Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos Mendoza has sentenced Chrissie Fier Williams (39, Kissimmee) to three years and one month in federal prison for smuggling firearms internationally. Williams entered a guilty plea on January 2, 2024.
According to court documents, on five separate occasions from January 28, 2021, through October 4, 2022, Williams prepared packages with household items to be sent to Trinidad and Tobago. Williams concealed numerous firearms, firearm parts, and ammunition inside those packages, prepared fake shipping manifests to conceal the contents, and paid “straw shippers” to deliver the packages under their names. Inside these packages, Williams concealed completed pistols and AR-style rifles, parts that could be readily assembled into completed guns, extended magazines including a 65-round drum magazine and a 100-round drum magazine, and ammunition to match the firearms being smuggled.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dana E. Hill.
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.
Hawaiian Gardens Man Found Guilty of Selling Fentanyl to 18-Year-Old Victim Who Later Suffered Fatal OverdoseRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Hawaiian Gardens man was found guilty by a jury today of selling purported black tar heroin that in fact was fentanyl to an 18-year-old victim who later ingested it and suffered a fatal overdose from the powerful synthetic opioid.
Gregory Hevener, 47, was found guilty of one count of distribution of fentanyl resulting in death and one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin.
He has been in federal custody since February 2022.
According to evidence presented at a seven-day trial, in November 2020, the victim responded to an ad placed by Hevener on the website OfferUp, an online marketplace. The listing advertised the sale of “BLACK TAR ROOFING MATERIALS!!” – coded language for black tar heroin – in Long Beach. OfferUp records revealed Hevener operated or had access to several accounts on the platform, in which he advertised and distributed drugs, including heroin and fentanyl.
Hevener and the victim met in Hawaiian Gardens and the victim purchased what he believed to be heroin from Hevener. Instead, Hevener sold what was a black, tar-like substance containing fentanyl and tramadol, a pain-relief medication. The victim then drove home and took the drugs, suffering a fatal overdose.
In July and October 2021, law enforcement searched trash cans outside of Hevener’s residence in Hawaiian Gardens and seized discarded plastic bags and burnt pieces of tinfoil containing fentanyl and tramadol residue.
Another search in December 2021 resulted in the seizure of a plastic bag containing approximately 245 grams of black tar heroin, a digital scale, burnt tin foil, and a plastic bag containing approximately 1.2 grams of fentanyl.
United States District Judge Mark C. Scarsi scheduled a September 16 sentencing hearing, at which time Hevener will face a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the El Monte Police Department investigated this case.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kellye Ng and Maria Jhai of the Violent and Organized Crime Section and Kyle W. Kahan of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section are prosecuting this case.
Frederick County Man Sentenced to Twelve Years in Federal Prison for Committing Two Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – On Friday, June 21, 2024, United States District Judge Ellen L. Hollander sentenced Anthony Young, age 38, of Jefferson, Maryland, to twelve years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for the armed robberies of an American Legion Post and a bank, both located in Frederick County, Maryland.
The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office, and Chief Jason Lando of the Frederick Police Department.
According to his plea agreement, on November 18, 2019, Young and another suspect entered the American Legion, Francis Scott Key Post 11, in Frederick, Maryland. The two men entered the bar of the Post, brandishing a black handgun. The men grabbed an employee, struck him in the mouth twice, and then restrained him with zip ties. The men then stole a large sum of U.S. currency. Witnesses observed the suspects entering a car that was determined to be registered to Young. On December 5, 2019, the Woodsboro Bank in Frederick reported an armed robbery. The suspect matched the description of Young. Employees and witnesses stated that a man entered the bank, armed with a small black handgun, and was able to steal a large sum of U.S. currency. The suspect then left the bank, entered a car, and left the area. The car was traced back to Young.
On December 16, 2019, search warrants were executed at Young’s home. During the search, law enforcement officers seized clothing and items that matched the description of one of the suspects from the American Legion robbery, and the suspect from the bank robbery. Young was arrested and taken into custody. He waived his rights and confessed to committing both robberies.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Barron commended the FBI and the Frederick Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney John W. Sippel, Jr., who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Former officer receives 20 years for raping woman while on dutyRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 29-year-old Houston and former officer for the Arcola Police Department has been sentenced following his conviction for obstruction of justice and violation of civil rights, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Hector Aaron Ruiz pleaded guilty Jan. 19.
U.S. District Judge Charles Eskridge has now sentenced Ruiz to a total of 20 years in federal prison to be immediately followed by five years of supervised release.
“Ruiz was not only a predator but a predator with a badge,” said Hamdani. “During a traffic stop, he raped a young woman he was sworn to serve and to protect, violently breaking a fundamental promise law enforcement makes with any community. The U.S. Attorney’s office is relentless in its pursuit to bring to justice officers who betray their uniform and oaths, committing heinous acts against members of our community. Today’s sentence is the fruit of that pursuit.”
“Hector Ruiz mistakenly believed he was protected by his uniform and badge and operated as a calculating predator who targeted and sexually assaulted his victim during a traffic stop,” said FBI Houston Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams. “We thank the courageous woman who bravely confronted Mr. Ruiz in court to ensure he faced justice for his crime against her. As law enforcement officers, there’s nothing we despise more than those who disgrace the badge, betray the oath to protect our community and violate the public’s trust.”
On Nov. 16, 2019, Ruiz was on duty and pulled over a 23-year-old woman to conduct a traffic stop in the middle of the night. He told her to “convince” him to not take her to jail, then took her driver’s license and ordered her to follow him. When she tried to drive off, Ruiz pulled her over again and repeated his command. He eventually drove her to a neighborhood, which was under construction at the time, forced her to drink alcohol and coerced her to have sex with him.
The victim came forward the same day and identified Ruiz as her rapist.
The investigation revealed Ruiz had disabled his body microphone and the active recording system in his police cruiser. Authorities also found a text message the victim sent to a friend while Ruiz was making her follow him. In it, she said she thought she was going to die
Forensic analysis further confirmed Ruiz was her rapist.
He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI and Texas Rangers conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharad S. Khandelwal and Sebastian Edwards prosecuted the case.
Former airline mechanic sentenced to prison for sexual assault of woman seated next to him on planeRead the Press Release
Seattle – A former commercial airline mechanic was sentenced today to six months in prison and five years of supervised release for abusive sexual contact aboard an aircraft, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Duane Brick, 53, pleaded guilty March 5, 2024. At today’s sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge James H. Chun said, “This was a serious and frightening crime…. He was clearly a predator. He checked to see if she was responsive and when she was not, he continued the abuse.”
According to records filed in the case Brick was on a March 20, 2023, flight from Phoenix to Seattle. He was seated in a middle seat, with the 24-year-old victim in the window seat. The victim was anxious about flying and had taken an anti-anxiety medication. After politely tolerating Brick’s attempt at small talk, the victim put on her headphones and closed her eyes to try to relax. She fell asleep and awoke to find Brick had grabbed her hand and placed and pressed it on his crotch. The victim was frozen in shock.
Brick then tapped the victim on the face, head, arm, and breast to see if she was fully asleep. He reached under her shirt and bra and groped her breast. Brick pulled out the victim’s shirt and reached toward her waistband in an attempt to put his hands down her trousers. She pushed his hand away and said “no.” She turned her body away. Despite that, Brick tried two more times to reach into her pants.
In court today Assistant United States Attorney Grace Zoller said the assault was “intentional, methodical, and prolonged… it took place over many minutes. He knew she was not consenting and when he was caught, he blamed her.”
A witness in the aisle seat reported what he saw happening to the flight crew. The victim told the flight crew she wanted law enforcement called to meet the plane. However, the flight attendants failed to do that. Brick was an employee of their airline. Brick claimed to them that the touching was accidental. Brick, as an airline employee, was allowed to leave the plane quickly when it landed at Seattle.
The victim did report the assault. Brick was indicted April 12, 2023. His employment with the airline was terminated.
The FBI investigated this case.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Grace Zoller and Amanda McDowell.
The case is U.S. v. Duane Brick (23-cr-00052)
Former U.S. Coast Guard Member Sentenced to over 6 Years in Prison for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
MIAMI - On June 18, a former U.S. Coast Guard Member was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, for possessing child pornography.
The social media application Snapchat alerted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that one image of suspected child pornography was uploaded on March 8, 2021, using an account linked to Blayne Schouest, who at the time was a U.S. Coast Guard Member stationed in Key West, Fla. After executing a search warrant, law enforcement discovered seven videos containing child pornography on Schouest’s cell phone.
An indictment charged Schouest with one count of possessing child pornography. Schouest pled guilty to the indictment on March 8.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge, Matthew Margelot, U.S. Coast Guard Investitive Service (CGIS) Southeast Field Office, announced the conviction.
CGIS Key West investigated this case. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Ayer prosecuted it.
To report online child sexual exploitation, use the electronic Cyber Tip Line or call 1-800-843-5678. The Cyber Tip Line is operated by NCMEC in partnership with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and other law enforcement agencies.
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.usdoj.gov/usao/fls.
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 on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-cr-10016.
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Former SEPTA Video Surveillance Manager Sentenced to 37 Months for Extensive Bribery and Extortion SchemeRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that James Stevens, 71, of Somerdale, NJ, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Gerald J. Pappert to 37 months in prison for a bribery and extortion scheme that traded on his role as the Director of the Video Surveillance Unit at the Southeastern Regional Transportation Authority (SEPTA).
In November of 2022, Stevens and Robert Welsh, 60, of Tempe, Arizona, were charged by indictment with conspiracy, bribery, extortion, and fraud charges related to the scheme, in which Stevens demanded from Welsh, owner and operator of Spector Logistics, Inc., a stream of financial and other benefits. In exchange, Stevens helped grow Welsh’s business with SEPTA, for which the firm installed, maintained, and supplied video surveillance equipment.
The benefits Welsh provided to Stevens included tens of thousands of dollars in cash payments, as well as donations to an alleged charity that Stevens pocketed, lodging and meals during the 2015 Papal Visit, frequent meals and drinks, tickets to Barbra Streisand and Billy Joel concerts, and funds for SEPTA annual holiday parties. As Stevens demanded, Welsh also offered Stevens future employment with Spector when Stevens retired from SEPTA.
During the time of this corrupt relationship, Spector maintained and obtained millions of dollars in contracts with SEPTA. Stevens played a significant role in facilitating and approving contracts for Spector and Blue Zebra, a second company Welsh owned and established with Stevens’ assistance. Stevens helped Spector win bids by giving Welsh inside information about SEPTA’s financial analyses and otherwise collaborating with Welsh in the contracting process. In doing so, Stevens provided an unfair advantage to Welsh and a disadvantage to other potential vendors.
Stevens and Welsh pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme in January 2024 and August 2023, respectively. Welsh is scheduled to be sentenced on July 18, 2024.
"Stevens’ sentence serves as a warning to those who abuse the public’s trust in its government officials," said U.S. Attorney Romero. "The hundreds of thousands of daily commuters who count on SEPTA, as well as honest vendors who compete fairly for its contracts, deserve public employees who carry out their duties with integrity, without manipulating the system for personal gain. The U.S. Attorney's Office in partnership with the FBI will continue to fight fraud and corruption."
“Mr. Stevens used his position in maintaining safety on our region’s transit system to secure a myriad of benefits, which he received in exchange for providing his co-conspirator with millions of dollars’ worth of SEPTA contracts,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “We at the FBI, with our partners at the US Attorney’s Office, will continue to root out pay-to-play schemes that harm the public’s trust in our systems.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Louis D. Lappen and John J. Boscia.
Former Mexican lawyer who became major methamphetamine supplier to drug trafficking organization sentenced to more than seven years in prisonRead the Press Release
Tacoma – A former attorney from Mexico was sentenced June 21, 2024, to 90 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Gustavo Castellanos-Tapia, 38, of Burien, Washington, was a significant supplier of methamphetamine to the drug trafficking organization with ties to the prison gang known as the “Aryan Family.” In imposing the sentence, Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo rejected arguments from the defense the Castellanos-Tapia played a minor role in the drug ring.
Gustavo Castellanos-Tapia was identified as a significant supplier of methamphetamine to the drug trafficking organization. Law enforcement had
Castellanos-Tapia under surveillance and learned that he would deliver suitcases full of methamphetamine—some 30-40 pounds at a time—every few weeks.
Unlike some drug ring participants who become involved to feed their addiction, Castellanos-Tapia was not a drug user. In fact, he previously worked as a lawyer in Mexico and came to the U.S. in 2020 when the pandemic stalled the economy. He obtained work as a boat painter but got into drug dealing to increase his income.
Castellanos-Tapia and 23 other defendants were indicted and arrested in March 2023. Over the course of the investigation, agents seized from members of the drug trafficking organization an estimated 255 pounds of methamphetamine, an estimated 830,000 fentanyl pills, more than 26 pounds of fentanyl powder, cocaine, six pounds of heroin, $668,000 of suspected drug proceeds, and 225 firearms.
In asking for a nine-year prison sentence, prosecutors pointed out that despite a small decrease in overdose deaths nationwide, Washington had an increase in overdose deaths of over 27% in the year ending December 2023. “Drugs like the methamphetamine that Castellanos-Tapia distributed have a devastating impact on the community,” prosecutors wrote. “Users of these drugs frequently resort to stealing—from family members, friends, and complete strangers—to feed their addictions. No doubt, drug users are responsible for a large percentage of these crimes, as well as the violent crimes, in our communities.”
Because Castellanos-Tapia was not legally present in the United States he likely will be deported following his prison term.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This investigation was led by the FBI with critical investigative teamwork from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Washington State Department of Corrections, with significant local assistance from the Tacoma Police Department, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, and the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force, led by the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office. Throughout this investigation the following agencies assisted the primary investigators: Washington State Patrol, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, Lakewood Police Department, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Max Shiner and Zach Dillon.
The case is U.S. v Castellanos-Tapia CR23-5085
Former Alabama Sheriff’s Deputy Sentenced for Federal Civil Rights Offense of Excessive ForceRead the Press Release
Former Elmore County, Alabama, Sheriff’s Deputy Blake Hicks, 33, was sentenced today to 29 months in prison and three years of supervised release for depriving an arrestee of his civil rights under color of law.
According to documents and statements made in court, Hicks willfully used unreasonable force against an arrestee, identified as T.Q. Specifically, without legal justification, Hicks punched and kicked T.Q. in or around the head while T.Q. was handcuffed and incapacitated on the ground. T.Q. suffered a broken cheekbone, concussion and lacerations from Hicks’ assault.
“This defendant had a duty to respect the rights of people in his custody and to keep them safe,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Instead, he violently assaulted a person under arrest who was not resisting or threatening harm to the defendant or the public. The Justice Department remains firmly committed to holding accountable law enforcement officials who abuse their powers and use excessive force against people in custody.”
“We expect law enforcement officers to maintain order and ensure public safety,” said U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Ross for the Middle District of Alabama. “These are tremendous responsibilities. Fortunately, the vast majority of officers serve honorably. Hicks fell short of his obligation to protect and serve. The sentence imposed today ensures that he is held responsible for his actions. Failure to hold Hicks accountable would discredit the noble service of other officers and weaken the public’s trust in law enforcement.”
The FBI Mobile Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Laura-Kate Bernstein and Special Litigation Counsel Michael J. Songer of the Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Counts for the Middle District of Alabama are prosecuting the case.
Five Charged in Capital Region Drug ConspiracyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Felix Arencibia, age 38, of Amsterdam, New York; Todd Austin, age 64, of Gloversville, New York; Ahmad Burke, age 66, of Albany; Kevisha DuBoise, age 27, of Schenectady, New York; and Christian Mur-Santana, age 28, of Las Vegas, Nevada have been indicted for participating in a drug distribution conspiracy.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the Boston Division of the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), made the announcement.
As alleged in the indictment and other court papers, between November 2022 and July 2023, the defendants participated in a drug conspiracy led by Arencibia, who received packages of methamphetamine and fentanyl from Mur-Santana through the mail and then distributed those drugs in the Capital Region. The specific charges, and the maximum and mandatory terms of imprisonment, are set forth below:
Defendant
Charges
Max./Min.
Felix Arencibia
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl
Distribution of methamphetamine
Minimum:10 years Maximum: Life
Todd Austin
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine
Distribution of methamphetamine
Maximum: 20 years
Ahmad Burke
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine
Maximum: 20 years
Kevisha DuBoise
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine
Distribution of methamphetamine
Maximum: 20 years
Christian Mur-Santana
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl
Distribution of methamphetamine
Minimum:10 years Maximum: Life
The charges in the indictment are merely accusations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Each of the defendants previously made initial appearances before United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart. All were released with conditions pending further proceedings, except for Todd Austin, who was ordered detained following a detention hearing.
Four other defendants charged as part of this conspiracy have pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine, and to the distribution of methamphetamine, and are currently scheduled to be sentenced as follows:
- Andrew Deleon, age 27, of Schenectady, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 12, 2024.
- Melissa Karwan, age 37, of Schenectady, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 16, 2024.
- Flor Arencibia, age 39, of Albany, is scheduled to be sentenced on September 5, 2024.
- Stefanie Plass, age 37, of Schenectady, is scheduled to be sentenced on July 17, 2024.
The DEA and USPIS are investigating these cases. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashlyn Miranda and Joshua Rosenthal are prosecuting the cases.
These cases are part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Final of Four Defendants Sentenced for Grand Rapids-Based Drug Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Defendant Linked to Fatal Fentanyl Poisoning, Operation Distributing Drugs to Prisoners Using Fake Mail from Defense Attorneys
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that the last of four defendants, Anthony Martell Sanders, 30, of Grand Rapids, was sentenced to 300 months in prison for his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed fentanyl and methamphetamine throughout the Grand Rapids area, including fentanyl laced with xylazine.
“Illicit street drugs are extremely dangerous and claim more lives across Michigan and the United States than ever before,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “Everyone who uses illegal substances takes their life in their own hands. Only a speck of fentanyl can kill. And so often it laces other drugs. A user who thinks they’re taking one drug doesn’t realize they’re also taking a lethal dose of fentanyl and is dead in minutes. Moreover, the addition of xylazine means naloxone cannot reverse the effect of fentanyl. My office is committed to disrupting the pipelines that distribute these poisons in our communities, causing so much devastation.”
The following individuals have been convicted and sentenced as part of this investigation:
Name
Age
City
Sentence
Anthony Martell Sanders
30
Grand Rapids
300 months
Amon Sudan Sanders-Outlaw
23
Grand Rapids
168 months
Marquan Demond Staffney
28
Grand Rapids
75 months
Javon Bridgeforth House
32
Grand Rapids
54 months
On January 14, 2023, officers with the Holland Department of Public Safety responded to an overdose death. Investigators discovered text messages that linked Sanders as a drug supplier of the decedent. Investigators with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) then completed six undercover buys of fentanyl and methamphetamine from Sanders and others. The investigation culminated with the execution of three search warrants in Grand Rapids on April 4, 2023. At one apartment occupied by members of Sanders’ family, agents seized over five pounds of methamphetamine and fentanyl. The fentanyl that Sanders and others had previously distributed to the undercover officer had been laced with xylazine or “tranq,” a veterinary tranquilizer not approved for human use, the effects of which are irreversible by naloxone.
In addition, at an Airbnb apartment where law enforcement arrested Sanders on April 4, agents found significant evidence of the defendant mailing drugs into the prisons through a scheme to falsify envelopes to make them appear as if they were sent from criminal defense firms as “legal mail” in the hope of evading law enforcement detection. Specifically, investigators found fake return labels and return stamps for three Grand Rapids law firms and a roster of prisoners throughout the nation. Investigators had previously linked Sanders, and related defendant Marquan Staffney, to a package seized on July 22, 2022, at the Lakeland Correctional Facility in Branch County, purporting to be legal mail and containing a hallucinogenic controlled substance known as “K2.”
“These sentences will ensure these individuals can no longer endanger lives in west Michigan,” said Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge of Detroit Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to rid communities of drug traffickers who threaten the safety and well-being of the general public.”
“I am pleased to see this successful prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Michigan,” said Michigan Department of Corrections Director Heidi Washington. “These drugs present a serious danger to our prisons, placing staff and prisoners at risk. I’d like to thank the MDOC staff involved in this investigation, as well as our partners in law enforcement and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their work to end this drug trafficking effort and protect our staff.”
Throughout the entire scope of the conspiracy, Sanders was on federal supervised release from a prior federal conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
During the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Robert J. Jonker found as an “aggravating factor” that after Sanders pled guilty, he shared discovery material with a third-party who then posted it on Facebook in an attempt to intimidate a cooperating witness. Specifically, investigators discovered a February 10, 2024, recorded video call with Sanders from the Newaygo County Jail where Sanders divulged cooperation materials and encouraged the third-party to disseminate the materials on social media. Judge Jonker also found that Sanders was a leader of the drug trafficking conspiracy as he directed others to deliver drugs on his behalf. Sanders even directed his brother, Amon Sanders-Outlaw, on a promotional offer to provide drug users with free drugs in exchange for introductions to other drug customers.
This case was investigated by DEA, Michigan State Police, Michigan Department of Corrections, West Michigan Enforcement Team, Kent Area Narcotic Enforcement Team, Kent County Sheriff’s Office, Holland Department of Public Safety, Grand Rapids Police Department, Wyoming Department of Public Safety, Walker Police Department, and Grandville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Vito S. Solitro and Stephanie M. Carowan prosecuted the case.
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MEDIA NOTE: For more information on Xylazine, see the October 2022 DEA Joint Intelligence Report: The Growing Threat of Xylazine and its Mixture with Illicit Drugs. For more information on Fentanyl, see the Drug Enforcement Administration’s factsheet on the substance.
Final Defendant in Nationwide Methamphetamine Trafficking Ring Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – The final member of a large-scale nationwide methamphetamine trafficking ring has been convicted. Throughout the investigation over 160 pounds of pure methamphetamine, as well as an AK-47, a Glock with no serial number, two loaded Smith & Wesson handguns, and over 4,200 rounds of ammunition were seized. An illegal marijuana grow operation with hundreds of marijuana plants was also dismantled.
Brian Keleman, 55, of Pascoag, R.I., pleaded guilty on June 21, 2024 to two counts of the second superseding indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and money laundering conspiracy. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Sept. 17, 2024.
“This final conviction represents the culmination of a very important investigation involving over 150 pounds of methamphetamine and high-powered weapons. The dismantling of this organization underscores that federal, state and local law enforcement is doing everything in our power to get dangerous drugs off our streets, protect our community and hold those accountable who continue pump these deadly substances onto our streets,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy.
“With Brian Keleman’s conviction, Operation Ice Cats has officially crushed a large-scale, multi-state drug trafficking organization that brought over 160 pounds of highly addictive meth to New England,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division. “The FBI and our partners will continue to investigate and dismantle drug trafficking operations like this and bring those involved to justice, as we work to make our communities safer."
“As methamphetamine seizures are on the rise, DEA stands committed to keeping this highly addictive drug out of Massachusetts,” said Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. “Drug trafficking, along with the violence that all too often accompanies it, is a serious threat to the safety and security of our communities. This should serve as a warning to those who attempt to distribute this poison in Massachusetts.”
Keleman was charged in a superseding indictment in September 2021 with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. The superseding indictment also charged 10 other defendants with controlled substance offenses, firearm offenses, and money laundering offenses.
In approximately October 2020, investigators received information about drug trafficking activities of a large-scale methamphetamine supplier in the Boston area. In late 2020, investigators identified Reshat Alkayisi as a large-scale methamphetamine trafficker, who distributed multi-pound quantities to customers throughout the New England area. Keleman worked for Alkayisi at his illegal marijuana grow operation and also delivered methamphetamine to some of Alkayisi’s regular methamphetamine customers who further distributed that methamphetamine throughout New England.
Between April and May 2021, Keleman delivered over 21 pounds (nine kilograms) of pure methamphetamine to Alkayisi’s customers. On June 1, 2021, four packages were seized containing a total of approximately 100 pounds (over 45 kilograms) of 100% pure methamphetamine from Keleman that he picked up on behalf of Alkayisi from a UPS store in Rhode Island.
Keleman is the 11th and final defendant in the case to plead guilty. The remaining 10 co-defendants are awaiting sentencing.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine to which Keleman pleaded guilty provides for a sentence of up to life in prison, a minimum of three years of supervised release and a maximum of a term of supervised release of life and a fine of up to $10 million. The charge of money laundering conspiracy provides for up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $500,000 or twice the amount of laundered funds, whichever is greater. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; FBI SAC Cohen; and DEA Acting SAC Belleau made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts Department of Correction; Norfolk County Sherriff’s Office; and Concord, Hudson, Peabody, Reading, Watertown and Waltham Police Departments. Assistance was also provided by the Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alathea Porter and Katherine Ferguson of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Trafficker Sentenced to 14 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Dennis Francis Kaleohano Kelly, 45, of Tucson, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Jennifer G. Zipps to 14 years in prison. Kelly pleaded guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Methamphetamine, Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, and International Money Laundering on November 17, 2023.
Between November 2020 and August 2021, Kelly supervised and directed several co-conspirators to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl on his behalf. Kelly personally mailed multiple packages of methamphetamine to Hawaii and New Mexico for further distribution, and wired thousands of dollars of drug proceeds to the source of supply in Mexico. Kelly was arrested in August 2021 after receiving approximately 10,000 fentanyl pills from a drug courier.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force operation. The OCDETF Strike Force Initiative identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant United States Attorneys Ashley Culver and David Petermann, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR 21-02360-TUC-JGZ
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-081_Kelly# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Espanola Man Sentenced for Conspiracy to Commit KidnappingRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Espanola man was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison for his role in the brutal 2018 kidnapping, assault and murder of a woman in retaliation for allegedly stealing from another woman.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on January 14, 2018, Luis Mariscal-Lopez, 26, Jorge Dominguez, Crystal Ramos and another individual conspired to retaliate against Jane Doe for allegedly stealing and using Ramos' ATM card. The group lured the victim to Ramos' residence in Espanola.
Upon Jane Doe's arrival, the group brutally assaulted her over an extended period of time until she ultimately died from the vicious attack.
In an attempt to cover up their crime, the group wrapped Jane Doe's body in plastic, loaded it into a vehicle and transported it to a remote area near Velarde, N.M. There, they tried to dismember her remains before digging shallow pits to burn the body. The group spotted a helicopter, so they extinguished the fire, gathered the remains and returned to Ramos' home where they attempted to conceal the remains in a toolbox.
Later, Black and another individual took the toolbox with the remains to a location near Ojo Caliente, N.M. There they buried the toolbox in a shallow grave near the river.
Johnny Black pleaded guilty to federal firearms offenses and being an accessory after the fact and was sentenced to 171 months in prison.
Jorge Dominguez pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnapping and remains in custody pending sentencing which is currently scheduled for August 6, 2024.
Crystal Ramos died in a shootout with police in Denver, Colorado on June 14, 2018.
Upon his release from prison, Mariscal-Lopez will be subject to five years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Espanola Police Department, Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office, Bureaus of Indian Affairs, and New Mexico State Police. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicholas J. Marshall and Caitlin L. Dillon are prosecuting the case.
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El Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo con un Distrito Escolar de Georgia para proteger los derechos civiles de los estudiantes con discapacidadesRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy un acuerdo de conciliación con las Escuelas del Condado de Fulton en Georgia para resolver la investigación del Departamento de la respuesta del distrito a una serie de agresiones sexuales entre estudiantes en un autobús escolar que atiende a estudiantes con necesidades especiales. El Departamento llevó a cabo su investigación bajo del Título IX de las Enmiendas Educativas de 1972, el Título II de la ley de Estadounidenses con Discapacidades (ADA, por sus siglas en inglés) y la ley de Igualdad de Oportunidades Educativas de 1974.
«La responsabilidad de un distrito escolar es proteger a sus estudiantes del acoso y la agresión sexuales, especialmente aquellos cuyas discapacidades los hacen especialmente vulnerables», afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. «Las escuelas tienen la responsabilidad de abordar los obstáculos en la denuncia de agresiones sexuales y de tener en cuenta las necesidades especiales o vulnerabilidades de los estudiantes afectados y sus familias. El Departamento de Justicia continuará a trabajar para garantizar que nuestras escuelas sean entornos seguros del aprendizaje, libres del acoso sexual, y que sean equitativas para estudiantes con discapacidades».
«Los niños con discapacidades pueden ser especialmente vulnerables y merecen florecer en un entorno del aprendizaje libre de cualquier tipo de violencia, incluyendo durante el viaje en autobús hacia y desde la escuela,» declaró Ryan K. Buchanan, el Fiscal Federal para el Distrito Norte de Georgia. «Felicitamos al distrito por su disposición a cooperar con nuestra investigación y a resolver este asunto de manera amistosa, con el fin de asegurar la protección y seguridad de estos niños».
La investigación del Departamento descubrió que el distrito carecía de procedimientos adecuados y no capacitó a los empleados en la adecuada notificación y respuesta ante casos de agresión y acoso sexuales entre estudiantes; no acomodó adecuadamente las necesidades especiales de los estudiantes con discapacidades para prevenir y responder a las agresiones sexuales; y no hizo que las comunicaciones educativas y escolares, especialmente aquellas relacionadas con el proceso de notificación e investigación de quejas, fueran accesibles para los padres y tutores con un dominio limitado del inglés. El acuerdo fortalecerá las políticas y los procedimientos del distrito de respuesta ante agresiones sexuales entre estudiantes y garantizará que la respuesta del distrito considere las necesidades únicas de estudiantes con discapacidades y padres con un dominio limitado del inglés (LEP, por sus siglas en inglés).
El distrito cooperó con el Departamento durante toda la investigación. Entre otras acciones, en virtud del acuerdo conciliatorio, el distrito:
- Revisará sus políticas de respuesta a quejas de conducta sexual indebida;
- Proporcionará capacitaciones al personal del distrito sobre la conducta sexual indebida entre estudiantes;
- Se asegurará de que proporcione a los estudiantes con discapacidades los acomodos que necesitan para participar en los programas educativos del distrito, en particular las adaptaciones que respaldan las necesidades de comunicación de los estudiantes con discapacidades; y
- Proporcionará servicios de asistencia lingüística adecuados a los padres y tutores LEP.
La aplicación del Título IX, el Título II y la ley de Igualdad de Oportunidades Educativas es una de las principales prioridades de la División de Derechos Civiles. Puede encontrar información adicional sobre la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia en su sitio web en www.justice.gov/crt, e información adicional sobre el trabajo de la Sección de Oportunidades Educativas está disponible en www.justice.gov/crt/educational-opportunities-section. Los miembros del público pueden informarnos de posibles infracciones de los derechos civiles en civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
La Fiscalía Federal para el Distrito Norte de Georgia trabajó en colaboración con la Sección de Oportunidades Educativas de la División de Derechos Civiles en la investigación de este caso. Información sobre la Fiscalía Federal para el Distrito Norte de Georgia se puede encontrar en www.justice.gov/usao-ndga/about.
Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 180 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Peter Vega, 38, of Rio Rico, was sentenced on June 11, 2024, by United States District Judge Raner C. Collins to 180 months in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Vega pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, and Conspiracy to Launder a Monetary Instrument on March 19, 2024.
Vega was the leader of a drug trafficking organization that distributed methamphetamine and fentanyl throughout the United States. Vega coordinated the shipment of methamphetamine on at least six occasions from Arizona to the eastern United States using the United States mail. He also coordinated the transportation of approximately 14 kilograms of fentanyl. In addition to shipping and transporting drugs, Vega coordinated the laundering of drug proceeds returning to Arizona by funneling money through multiple bank accounts held by third parties.
Search warrants served on Vega's house and cell phone revealed evidence of the crimes including drug packaging materials, photos, videos and chats. After being indicted, Vega fled to Mexico. U.S. and Mexican law enforcement located and apprehended Vega in Mexico in January 2023. The Government of Mexico then deported him back to the United States to face charges.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. This case also involves the OCDETF Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The Drug Enforcement Administration-Tucson Office OCDETF Strikeforce, including agents from United States Border Patrol, the United States Marshals Service and the Marana Police Department led the investigation. The IRS Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation and United States Postal Inspection Service also assisted as partner agencies on the investigation. The Government of Mexico assisted with locating and deporting the defendant. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR 18-00107-RCC
CR 18-02467-RCC
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-080_Vega# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Dewitt Woman Sentenced to 20 Months in Federal Prison for Theft of Federal FundsRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Dewitt woman was sentenced on Monday, June 17, 2024, to 20 months in federal prison, for theft of funds from an organization receiving federal funds.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Mindy L. Chapman, 56, is the former director of a local daycare provider and held that position for approximately 20 years. During the course of the investigation, law enforcement uncovered evidence that, over the course of several years as the daycare’s director, Chapman made personal purchases with the daycare’s credit cards, transferred daycare funds to pay personal credit card bills, and increased her salary significantly. As part of her sentence, Chapman was ordered to pay $296,801.50 in restitution.
After completing her term of imprisonment, Chapman will be required to serve three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the DeWitt Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Bronx Resident Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for Interstate Transport of Money Stolen from Skill Gaming Machines in Dozens of Pennsylvania and Virginia EstablishmentsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of the Bronx, New York, has been sentenced in federal court to 57 months of imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on his conviction of interstate transportation of stolen money, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon imposed the sentence on Rolando Jose Pena, 47.
According to information presented to the Court, between April 2022 and March 2023, Pena and his co-defendants broke into and stole cash from skilled gaming machines located throughout Pennsylvania and Virginia, then transported the stolen money back to New York. In total, Pena and his conspirators stole more than $800,000 from over 40 establishments.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan T. Conway prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the United States Secret Service, United States Postal Inspection Service, and various law enforcement departments throughout Pennsylvania and Virginia for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Pena.
Blackstone Man Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Defrauding Former Employer, Identity Theft and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Blackstone man was sentenced today in federal court in Worcester for defrauding his former employer – a company that operates a national chain of second-hand retail stores – by using others’ identities and repeatedly falsifying working hours for employees and taking all the wages for himself.
Anthony Prizio, 49, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Margaret R. Guzman to three years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Guzman also ordered Prizio to pay $431,399 in restitution to his former employer and $86,190 to the Internal Revenue Service. In February 2024, Prizio pleaded guilty to six counts of wire fraud, one count of tax evasion and one count of unauthorized use of another’s identity.
From January 2019 until July 2021, while serving as manager of the company’s Worcester store location, Prizio devised and carried out a scheme to steal over $430,000. As the store manager, Prizio had access to the store’s timekeeping system for employees’ working hours, human resources portal and un-activated payroll paycards issued to certain employees for wages. Prizio used his position as store manager to repeatedly enter false hours worked for employees, including employees who no longer worked there. As part of the scheme, Prizio caused payroll debit cards to be issued in others’ names, which he then took for himself. Prizio used some or all of the wages for his own use on personal expenditures. Additionally, Prizio took steps to conceal his fraud by misrepresenting the productivity of the Worcester store to make it appear that the store processed more items, as well as by entering false paid sick and bereavement for employees to fraudulently cause payment for fictitious hours without adversely affecting the productivity measurement of the store. Prizio failed to pay taxes on any of the income derived from this fraudulent scheme.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division; and Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kaitlin J. Brown of the Worcester Branch Office prosecuted the case.
Arizona Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Transportation of a Minor with Intent to Engage in Criminal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Robert Frenchie McGriff, 44, of Mesa, Arizona, pleaded guilty today to attempted transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, from March 2019 through June 2019, McGriff began communicating with an individual he believed to be a minor female on Instagram. McGriff told the individual that he was a pimp and actively recruited her to work for him in Arizona as a prostitute. In June 2019, McGriff traveled by bus from Phoenix, Arizona, to Turlock, California, with the intent of retrieving the minor female in Turlock and transporting her to work for him as a prostitute. McGriff was thereafter arrested by law enforcement.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Stanislaus County Sheriff’s Department’s Special Prosecutions Unit and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Whitnee Goins and Shea Kenny are prosecuting the case.
McGriff is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Kimberly Mueller on Sept. 9, 2024. McGriff faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
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 those who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
ABA Therapy Provider to Make Changes to Comply with Americans with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that the government has entered into a settlement agreement with CREATIVE INTERVENTIONS, LLC (“Creative Interventions”) to resolve allegations that the company discriminated against a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder and Type 1 Diabetes, and the child’s parents, by refusing to monitor the child’s Continuous Glucose Monitor (“CGM”) and by refusing to provide other routine diabetes care while the child attended the Creative Interventions Achievement Clinic in Windsor.
Creative Interventions is a private company that provides Applied Behavior Analysis (“ABA”) therapy and other therapeutic services for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. Creative Interventions provides its services in private homes, public schools, and at its facility in Windsor where it offers an Achievement Clinic, a drop-off program for young children. Creative Interventions also provides early intervention services as part of Connecticut’s Birth to Three Program.
This matter was initiated by a complaint filed with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut by the Center for Children’s Advocacy (CCA) on behalf of the parents of a child with Type 1 Diabetes who was enrolled at the Creative Interventions Achievement Clinic from 9 am to 3:30pm, five days a week. According to CCA’s complaint, when the child was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes, Creative Interventions staff refused to provide the child’s diabetes-related care and, instead, required a parent to come to the clinic to provide the care. Among other things, the child’s diabetes management plan requires a caregiver to monitor a CGM, which shows the child’s blood sugar levels, and requires a caregiver to be prepared to address high or low blood sugar readings by providing a fast-acting carbohydrate or glucagon or insulin, if necessary.
Based on its investigation, the government found that Creative Interventions discriminated against the child and the child’s parents, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), by refusing to have its staff provide this routine diabetes care to the child. The government found that monitoring the child’s CGM and providing the other routine diabetes care specified by the child’s care plan (including the administration of insulin and glucagon) were reasonable modifications under the ADA that Creative Interventions staff should have provided, with proper training.
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Creative Interventions has agreed not to discriminate against children with disabilities in the future. Creative Interventions will also implement new policies and procedures for handling requests for reasonable modifications that are consistent with the ADA and will provide training to its staff on the ADA.
As part of the settlement, Creative Interventions has also agreed that, where a child’s parents and health care team consent, its non-medical staff will obtain training and provide routine diabetes care for children with Type 1 Diabetes, including monitoring a child’s CGM and administering glucagon and insulin, if necessary, as reasonable modifications under the ADA. Creative Interventions has also agreed to pay $15,000 to the complainant in this matter.
“Children with diabetes and their families are entitled to equal access to child care and health care,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “I thank Creative Interventions for cooperating The settlement agreement is effective for three years, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will monitor compliance during that time.
This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stewart C. Dearing.
Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that any place of public accommodation or public entity in Connecticut is not accessible to persons with disabilities may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 203-821-3700 and ask for the Civil Rights Intake Specialist.
Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov, or by calling the Justice Department’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 and (800) 514-0383 (TTY). More information about the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
Friday 21 June 2024
West Texas Man Sentenced to Fourteen Years in Prison for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
TEXARKANA – A West Texas man was sentenced yesterday to 168 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, for methamphetamine trafficking. 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 records, on September 28, 2020, Ray Cornelius Calvert, age 43, of El Paso, Texas was the driver of a rental vehicle stopped by the Arkansas State Police on Interstate 30, in Hempstead County. During the traffic stop, a Trooper asked the vehicle’s renter, passenger Anita Marie Hughes, age 47, for consent to search it, which she granted. During the ensuing search, Troopers found approximately 1.5 pounds of pure methamphetamine in the vehicle, which Calvert and Hughes had been transporting to Memphis, Tennessee, for distribution. Subsequent investigation also revealed that, at the time of his arrest in Arkansas, Calvert was on pre-trial release for a separate federal methamphetamine indictment then pending in another state.
On July 21, 2023, Calvert pleaded guilty to Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute in the Western District of Arkansas. Hughes also pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 72 months in prison in January 2022, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes made the announcement.
The Arkansas State Police and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated the case.
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.
Wallingford Restaurant to Make Changes to Comply with Americans with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that Ives Road, LLC (“Ives Road”), the owner of the building that currently houses Pacific Buffet & Grill Restaurant (“Pacific Buffet”) in Wallingford, has entered into a settlement agreement to resolve allegations that the building’s parking area did not comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”).
This matter was initiated by a complaint filed with the U.S. Department of Justice by an individual claiming that Pacific Buffet did not have adequate accessible parking spaces. Based on its investigation, the government found several ADA violations in Pacific Buffet’s parking area and entrance.
Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Ives Road has agreed to make changes to the building’s entrance and parking area to make them more accessible to individuals with disabilities. Among the changes required by the agreement, Ives Road will add three accessible spaces to its parking lot and remove gaps in the pavement around the accessible parking spaces. It will also lighten the pressure required to open its front door and provide more maneuvering clearance at its front door, so that its entrance is more accessible. Ives Road has a total of three months to complete these changes.
“No one should have to worry about not finding accessible parking in our state,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “The ADA’s mandate has existed for more than a decade. I want to commend Ives Road for doing the right thing by cooperating with our investigation and agreeing to make Pacific Buffet more accessible for everyone going forward.”
The settlement agreement is effective for three years, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will monitor compliance during that time.
This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stewart C. Dearing.
Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that any place of public accommodation or public entity in Connecticut is not accessible to persons with disabilities may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 203-821-3700 and ask for the Civil Rights Intake Specialist.
Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov, or by calling the Justice Department’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 and (800) 514-0383 (TTY). More information about the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Seeks to Intervene in Lawsuit Against Itasca, Ill. for Refusing to Allow Treatment Center to Open in VillageRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Chicago has sought to file a complaint in intervention in a pending lawsuit against Itasca, Ill., alleging the village engaged in unlawful disability discrimination in reviewing and ultimately denying a zoning request filed by a non-profit health care provider to use its property as a treatment center for people with substance-use disorders.
Haymarket DuPage LLC contracted in 2019 to purchase a hotel in Itasca with plans to repurpose it into a specialized treatment center offering health care services to treat substance-use disorders and related mental health disabilities. Haymarket’s main treatment center is in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood and offers a range of services, including detoxification support, inpatient and outpatient treatment programs, primary medical and pediatric care, and a program allowing mothers in treatment to remain with their children. Haymarket has sought for years to expand into DuPage County due to the urgent need for treatment centers in Chicago’s western suburbs.
The complaint in intervention that the U.S. Attorney’s Office seeks to file contends that the village engaged in disparate treatment by employing a host of highly anomalous tactics to frustrate Haymarket’s application for zoning approval. The complaint alleges that village officials concocted a pretextual narrative that the treatment center would impose severe economic harms on the region, while also fanning the flames of residents’ fears by issuing numerous public statements disparaging Haymarket and its supporters. The complaint contends that the village also failed to fulfill its accommodation obligations under the Americans with Disabilities Act prior to denying Haymarket’s zoning request.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office’s motion to intervene in the lawsuit was filed Thursday in federal court in Chicago. It was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jordan A. Rosen, Sarah F. Terman, and Patrick W. Johnson.
Motion to InterveneTwo Men Sentenced for Commercial Bribery and Tax FraudRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Danny Sing, age 61, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 27 months of imprisonment, and Mark Holmes, age 67, of Muskogee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 18 months of imprisonment by United States District Judge Malachy E. Mannion, for commercial bribery and tax fraud offenses.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Danny Sing pleaded guilty to conspiring with other individuals to failing to withhold and remit approximately $1,360,000 in federal employment taxes to the IRS. Global Staffing Services, Inc. leased temporary employees to companies in Pennsylvania and New York. Sing and his coconspirators paid Global Staffing Services, Inc. employees in cash, paid themselves in cash, and cashed all checks received from Global Staffing Services, Inc.’s clients, to conceal the income and wages from the IRS. Sing also pleaded guilty to providing in excess of approximately $400,000 in bribes and kickbacks to managers and supervisors at Global Staffing Services, Inc.’s client, to obtain business for Global Staffing Services, Inc. In total, Sing and his coconspirators obtained over $16,500,000 from a Pennsylvania food services company for their staffing companies. The criminal activities occurred between 2013 and 2020. Sing further failed to file personal tax returns and pay federal income tax for years 2014 through 2020, despite spending over $1 million at local casinos during that time period. This resulted in over $390,000 in tax losses to the IRS.
Mark Holmes pleaded guilty to accepting, as the General Manager of a Pennsylvania food services company, approximately $400,000 in bribes and kickbacks from the owners and operators of Global Staffing Services, Inc. and Penns Independent Staffing, another staffing company, in exchange for hiring their employees. The two temporary staffing companies, in turn, received approximately $7,800,000 from Holmes’s employer. Holmes also pleaded guilty to failing to remit approximately $135,000 in employment taxes to the IRS that were owed by Encore Staffing Solutions LLC, another temporary staffing company that he owned and operated. Encore Staffing Solutions LLC leased temporary employees to manufacturing businesses throughout Pennsylvania. The criminal activities occurred between 2014 and 2020.
Five other individuals were previously prosecuted in this investigation:
- Madeline Nieves, age 49, of Plains, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to a tax fraud conspiracy. Nieves conspired with other individuals to defraud the IRS, from 2018 to 2020, in connection with staffing company Encore Staffing Solutions LLC, which she owned and operated with Holmes. Nieves failed to report Encore Staffing Solutions LLC employee wages to the IRS, resulting in approximately $67,000 in employment taxes owed, but never paid, by Encore to the IRS. Nieves also failed to report her own personal income from Encore Staffing Solutions LLC to the IRS. Nieves was sentenced to 15 months of imprisonment.
- Nari Lam, age 31, of Wilmington, Delaware, pleaded guilty to failing to remit employment taxes to the IRS. From 2016 through 2020, Nari Lam, as the owner of temporary staffing company Penns Independent Staffing, failed to pay approximately $300,000 in employment taxes owed by Penns Independent Staffing to the IRS. Nari Lam was sentenced to three years of probation.
- Den Lam, age 49, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was charged in an information alleging that he conspired with other individuals to evade federal income taxes for approximately $1,600,000 in wages paid by Global Staffing Services, Inc. to its employees. Den Lam also was charged with failing to withhold and remit approximately $1,360,000 in federal employment taxes owed, but never paid, by Global Staffing Services, Inc. to the IRS.
- Jason R. Bonnewell, age 41, of North Abington Township, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to accepting, as a supervisor of the Pennsylvania food services company, approximately $150,000 in bribes and kickbacks from Global Staffing Services, Inc. and Penns Independent Staffing, in exchange for hiring their employees. The two temporary staffing companies, in turn, received approximately $13,000,000 from Bonnewell’s employer. Bonnewell also pleaded guilty to failing to disclose cash income on his personal tax returns. Bonnewell awaits sentencing.
- Jose L. Ortiz, age 48, of Drums, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit honest services fraud. From 2014 to 2021, Ortiz was a manager and director at a Pennsylvania food services company who, along with his coconspirators accepted cash bribes and other things of value from other coconspirators who owned and operated Global Staffing Services, Inc. and Penns Independent Staffing. In exchange for the kickbacks, Ortiz and his coconspirators entered contracts with and hired the temporary employees of the two staffing companies, paying them over $18,000,000, in exchange for hundreds of thousands of dollars in kickbacks. Ortiz received approximately $200,000 of those cash kickbacks.
The cases were investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigations Division. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo.
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Supreme Court's Rahimi Decision Important for Local Domestic Violence Initiative – Operation 922Read the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Today, the Supreme Court in United States v. Rahimi upheld the constitutionality of the federal statute prohibiting individuals subject to a domestic violence restraining order from possessing a firearm or ammunition. This law is a critical tool in our ongoing violent crime initiative – Operation 922. In 2018, the Western District of Oklahoma launched Operation 922 as the local implementation of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a Department of Justice program to reduce violent crime. The specific strategy is to reduce gun violence by targeting the subject matter of domestic violence.
“The Supreme Court’s decision today is vital to our office’s ongoing commitment to address domestic violence through enforcement of federal firearms laws,” said U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester. “We cannot have safe neighborhoods without first having safe homes. By bringing the power of federal prosecution to hold domestic abusers accountable, particularly when they possess a firearm, we are protecting the lives of women and children in abusive relationships, and the police officers who respond to domestic calls.”
Domestic abusers are found in all neighborhoods, regardless of race, ethnicity, socio-economic status, educational level, employment status, or geographic area. When domestic violence escalates to involving firearms, the threat to physical safety increases significantly for the intimate partner, child of a partner, and law enforcement officers responding to domestic calls. Operation 922 prioritizes prosecutions of repeat domestic abusers and particularly violent offenders in domestic settings who violate federal law (primarily firearms offenses). It brings law enforcement, prosecutors, and non-profit entities together with common purpose and clear direction – to protect victims of domestic violence and hold abusers accountable.
Since Operation 922 was launched in 2018, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma has charged 338 individuals with federal offenses stemming from domestic violence. To date, 321 have already been determined guilty through trial or plea, and 291 have already been sentenced to an average of more than 74 months in federal prison. Cases have originated in 26 different counties in the Western District of Oklahoma.
Stoughton Man Sentenced to over 11 Years for Role in Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy and Bank and Wire Fraud Scheme Related to COVID-19 Pandemic Relief ProgramRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Stoughton man was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston for his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that shipped dozens of parcels containing kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico to various addresses throughout Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The defendant was also sentenced for his role in a bank and wire fraud scheme to fraudulently obtain COVID-19 pandemic relief funds.
Patrick Joseph, 42, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 138 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release. In March 2024, Joseph pled guilty to one count each of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and cocaine base, wire fraud, bank fraud, and conspiracy to commit wire fraud and bank fraud.
From February 2020 to May 2021, Joseph facilitated the transportation of 10-20 kilograms of cocaine from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico, and eventually to Massachusetts via the U.S. Mail. The cocaine seized by investigators was found concealed in two-kilogram quantities inside air fryers and locking cash boxes before being sent through the U.S. Mail. The investigation led to the search of several drug stash locations and the seizure of dozens of kilograms of cocaine.
During the investigation it was learned that Joseph was involved in a scheme to defraud a COVID-19 pandemic relief program. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) created a temporary loan program directed at small businesses called the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). Independent contractors were eligible to apply for PPP loans, which were processed by private financial institutions and fully guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration. If an independent contractor used the loan funds for approved purposes, such as payroll, the loan could be forgiven by the financial institution and paid for by the U.S. Small Business Administration.
Joseph participated in a scheme that obtained over $220,000 in proceeds through fraudulent PPP loan applications submitted between April 2020 and April 2021. Joseph and co-conspirator Yves Montima submitted 12 fraudulent PPP loan applications, both in their own names and on behalf of others, at several financial institutions. The fraudulent loan applications claimed independent contractor income that did not exist and substantiated that non-existent income through falsified tax documents. In addition to receiving the proceeds from the loans submitted in their own names, Joseph and Montima received kickback payments from individuals on whose behalf they submitted fraudulent PPP loan applications. In November 2021, Montima pleaded guilty to one count of bank fraud conspiracy and was sentenced in September 2023.
Acting U.S. Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division; Andrew Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service, Boston Field Office; Massachusetts State Police Colonel John Mawn; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. The Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division and Homeland Security Investigations in Boston provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip C. Cheng and Christopher Markham of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.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.
St. Charles Man Sentenced to 40 Years in Prison for Recording Sexual Abuse of 2 GirlsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Friday sentenced a St. Charles, Missouri man who recorded his sexual abuse of two young girls for years to 40 years in prison.
Ronald C. Lawrence sexually abused two girls for years, starting when one was just 7 years old. He recorded that abuse and shared those images with others online.
The victims’ mother spoke in court, saying Lawrence had destroyed their lives and violated the trust they once had in him.
Lawrence also downloaded and possessed child sexual abuse material involving other children, and Judge Pitlyk ordered him to pay restitution of $3,000 to one of those children whose identity is known. Lawrence directed a third juvenile victim that he met via social media to create and send him videos of child pornography and asked the victim and another person to send him exploitative images of their younger siblings.
Lawrence, 25, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to two counts of production of child pornography, two counts of distribution of child pornography and one count of receiving child pornography.
The FBI, the St. Charles Police Department, the St. Charles County Police Department and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by 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 www.justice.gov/psc.
Springfield Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Purchasing Pornographic Images, Videos from Child VictimRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A Springfield, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for the sexual exploitation of a child.
Jason T. Bernard, 54, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to 30 years and five months in federal prison without parole. The court also sentenced Bernard to a lifetime of supervised release following incarceration and ordered him to pay $171,000 in restitution.
On Aug. 29, 2023, Bernard pleaded guilty to one count of the exploitation of a child, one count of the coercion and enticement of a child, and one count of receiving child pornography.
The investigation began when nine CyberTips were received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on April 7, 2022. The nine CyberTips involved 145 images of child pornography, some victims as young as toddlers, that Bernard uploaded for storage to the Verizon Cloud.
After investigators identified Bernard as the account holder, they received information from law enforcement in North Carolina that Bernard also was involved in one of their investigations. For two years, Bernard had been sending funds through Cash App to a child victim identified in court documents as “Jane Doe 1,” starting when she was 12 or 13 years old. In exchange, the child victim sent pornographic images and videos of herself to Bernard.
Bernard admitted that he sent sex toys and alcohol to Jane Doe, and those items were later used to produce images that he purchased from Jane Doe. Bernard possessed more than 700 images and videos of the child victim.
Bernard also admitted to having multiple conversations with Jane Doe about her traveling to Missouri to meet him for sex, offered her money for this potential meeting, and had conversations with Jane Doe about purchasing either a plane ticket or a bus ticket to facilitate her travel to Missouri.
Investigators also discovered more than 1,500 additional images and videos of child pornography on Bernard’s cell phone.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, and the Beaufort County, North Carolina, Sheriff’s Department.
Project Safe Childhood
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."
South Bend Man Sentenced to 168 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – DeVante Jiggetts, 30 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to two counts of robbery affecting commerce, one count of brandishing a firearm in relation to a crime of violence, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Jiggetts was sentenced to 168 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
and was ordered to pay $300 in restitution to the victims of the offense.
According to documents in the case, in November and December 2022, Jiggetts, along with co-defendants Smith and Harris, robbed at gunpoint several cellular telephone stores and a convenience store. The stores were spread across LaPorte, Elkhart, and St. Joseph counties. On November 29, 2022, Jiggetts drove Smith to commit a robbery of a cell phone store in South Bend. After the robbery was over, officers tracked Jiggetts to an apartment complex and attempted to apprehend him. Jiggetts fled first in a vehicle and then on foot, all while carrying a 9mm handgun that was recovered by law enforcement. Jiggetts had a 2014 felony robbery conviction which prohibited him from possessing the firearm.
Co-defendant Treveon Smith was previously sentenced to 214 months of imprisonment followed by 3 years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $300.00 in restitution.
Co-defendant Taibian Harris was previously sentenced to 84 months of imprisonment followed by 2 years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office, the South Bend Police Department, the Elkhart Police Department, the Michigan City Police Department, and the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Katelan McKenzie Doyle.
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.
Sikorsky Support Services, Inc. and Derco Aerospace, Inc. Agree to Pay $70 Million to Settle False Claims Act Allegations of Improper Markups on Spare Parts for Navy Trainer AircraftRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, joins the Civil Division of the Department of Justice in announcing that Sikorsky Support Services, Inc. (“SSSI”), a Delaware corporation headquartered in Stratford, Connecticut, and Derco Aerospace, Inc. (“Derco”), a Wisconsin corporation headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, have agreed to pay $70 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations that they overcharged the Navy for spare parts and materials needed to repair and maintain the primary aircraft used to train naval aviators.
In a lawsuit filed in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, the United States alleged that SSSI and Derco, which were both wholly-owned subsidiaries of the same parent company, knowingly entered into an improper cost-plus-percentage-of-cost (“CPPC”) subcontract. Under that contract, SSSI agreed to purchase parts from Derco at the cost that Derco paid other suppliers for those parts, plus a fixed 32 percent markup. SSSI, in turn, submitted cost vouchers to the Navy for reimbursement of the amounts it paid to Derco. The government alleged that, by failing to disclose that the costs claimed by SSSI were the product of an illegal CPPC subcontract between SSSI and Derco, SSSI and Derco knowingly presented false and fraudulent cost vouchers to the Navy. The district court ruled that Derco’s markup violated a federal statute barring CPPC contracting, which Congress prohibited because it gives suppliers incentive to drive up government costs, as well as the terms of the prime contracts between SSSI and the Navy.
“Government contractors must ensure their subcontracting arrangements comply with the law and with their contractual obligations,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement demonstrates that the Justice Department will ensure that government contractors do not skirt the law and engage in self-dealing that may artificially inflate their charges at the expense of the American taxpayers.”
“The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to preventing fraud and protecting taxpayer money,” said Gregory J. Haanstad, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. “Government contractors must put compliance with the law ahead of profits. This settlement makes the United States whole for the inflated costs arising from SSSI’s and Derco’s illegal subcontract while deterring future violations of the law.”
“Today’s settlement agreement should serve as a strong deterrent for those who seek to exploit the DoD’s procurement process,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Darrin K. Jones, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “This investigation is part of an ongoing effort by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and our partners to aggressively investigate defective pricing and cost mischarging schemes that put American taxpayer dollars at risk.”
“Overinflation of parts and material costs for the repair and maintenance of aircraft affected naval air training and is a disservice to the American taxpayer,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office. “NCIS continues to safeguard the Department of the Navy’s warfighting efforts from economic crimes by upholding the integrity of the defense acquisition process.”
The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The Act permits the United States to intervene and take over responsibility for litigating these cases, as the United States did here. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Patzer v. Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Sikorsky Support Services, Inc., and Derco Aerospace, Inc., Case No. 11-0560 (E.D. Wis.) and was brought by Mary Patzer, a former employee of Derco.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin.
Assistant United States Attorney Michael Carter of the Eastern District of Wisconsin and Trial Attorneys Alan Gale, Nelson Wagner, and Gary Newkirk of the Fraud Section of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
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For Additional Information Contact:
Public Information Officer
Sikorsky Support Services Inc. and Derco Aerospace Inc. Agree to Pay $70M to Settle False Claims Act Allegations of Improper Markups on Spare Parts for Navy Trainer AircraftRead the Press Release
Sikorsky Support Services Inc. (SSSI), a Delaware corporation headquartered in Stratford, Connecticut, and Derco Aerospace Inc. (Derco), a Wisconsin corporation headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, have agreed to pay $70 million to resolve False Claims Act allegations that they overcharged the Navy for spare parts and materials needed to repair and maintain the primary aircraft used to train naval aviators.
In a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, the Justice Department alleged that SSSI and Derco, which were both wholly-owned subsidiaries of the same parent company, knowingly entered into an improper cost-plus-percentage-of-cost (CPPC) subcontract. Under that contract, SSSI agreed to purchase parts from Derco at the cost that Derco paid other suppliers for those parts, plus a fixed 32% markup. SSSI, in turn, submitted cost vouchers to the Navy for reimbursement of the amounts it paid to Derco. The government alleged that, by failing to disclose that the costs claimed by SSSI were the product of an illegal CPPC subcontract between SSSI and Derco, SSSI and Derco knowingly presented false and fraudulent cost vouchers to the Navy. The district court ruled that Derco’s markup violated a federal statute barring CPPC contracting, which Congress prohibited because it gives suppliers incentive to drive up government costs, as well as the terms of the prime contracts between SSSI and the Navy.
“Government contractors must ensure their subcontracting arrangements comply with the law and with their contractual obligations,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s settlement demonstrates that the Justice Department will ensure that government contractors do not skirt the law and engage in self-dealing that may artificially inflate their charges at the expense of the American taxpayers.”
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to preventing fraud and protecting taxpayer money,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad for the Eastern District of Wisconsin. “Government contractors must put compliance with the law ahead of profits. This settlement makes the United States whole for the inflated costs arising from SSSI’s and Derco’s illegal subcontract deterring future violations of the law.”
“Today’s settlement agreement should serve as a strong deterrent for those who seek to exploit the Department of Defense's procurement process,” said Special Agent in Charge Darrin K. Jones of Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “This investigation is part of an ongoing effort by the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and our partners to aggressively investigate defective pricing and cost mischarging schemes that put American taxpayer dollars at risk.”
“Overinflation of parts and material costs for the repair and maintenance of aircraft affected naval air training and is a disservice to the American taxpayer,” said Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office. “NCIS continues to safeguard the Department of the Navy’s warfighting efforts from economic crimes by upholding the integrity of the defense acquisition process.”
The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The Act permits the United States to intervene and take over responsibility for litigating these cases, as the United States did here. The qui tam case is captioned United States ex rel. Patzer v. Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Sikorsky Support Services Inc., and Derco Aerospace Inc., Case No. 11-0560 (E.D. Wis.) and was brought by Mary Patzer, a former employee of Derco.
The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, with assistance from DCIS.
Trial Attorneys Alan Gale, Nelson Wagner and Gary Newkirk of the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Carter for the Eastern District of Wisconsin handled the matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.
SettlementSentence Handed Down in Killing of 19-Year Old in Northwest DC in 2022Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Anthony Lewis, 25, of Washington D.C., was sentenced on Friday, June 21, 2024, to 135 months in prison for the killing of 19-year-old Cameron Clemons in May 2022, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Lewis has been in custody since his arrest on November 20, 2022. In January of 2024, he entered a guilty plea to voluntary manslaughter while armed. The plea, which was contingent upon the Court’s approval, called for an agreed-upon prison sentence of 135 months, to be followed by five years of supervised release. The Honorable Robert Okun accepted the plea today and sentenced the defendant accordingly. The judge denied the defense’s request for a Youth Act sentence.
According to a proffer of facts submitted at the plea hearing, at around 10pm on May 28, 2022, Lewis was walking in the 600 block of Otis Place NW, when he stopped and exchanged words with a group of people on the opposite (north) side of the street, one of whom he had previously fought with. During the exchange, Lewis pulled out a firearm and fired multiple shots at another individual as that person walked toward him. Multiple individuals from the group fired back at Lewis as he ran from the scene. During the exchange of gunfire, Cameron Clemons, who had been standing on the south side of the street, was struck by a bullet. He was driven to an area hospital and treated for his injuries, but on June 4, 2022, while still at the hospital, he died from complications of the gunshot wound.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialists Stephanie Gilbert and Lisa Minott, and Victim/Witness Advocate Karina Hernandez.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Prins, who investigated and prosecuted the case.
Sebring Woman Charged for Role in Fatal Human Smuggling ConspiracyRead the Press Release
MIAMI - Yaqulelin Dominguez-Nieves, 25, of Sebring, Fla., was detained pending trial today, on an indictment charging ten counts relating to an alien smuggling venture that resulted in the death of approximately sixteen people, four of whom were recovered at sea and found to have died by drowning.
“Human smuggling ventures put people’s lives at risk for the sake of profit,” said U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida. “Human smugglers prey on the migrants’ hopes for a better life. Tragically, the smugglers’ exploits pose a grave danger to migrants. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to work with our partners to prosecute those who carry out illicit human smuggling operations to protect vulnerable migrants and save lives.”
"The Coast Guard Investigative Service is committed to safeguarding those who are vulnerable and at risk of exploitation. The indictment and arrest of Yaqulelin Dominguez-Nieves underscore our unwavering dedication to protecting individuals from the dangers of illegal smuggling operations. These criminal activities not only violate federal law but also endanger human lives. We remain steadfast in our mission to bring those who perpetrate such heinous acts to justice and ensure the safety and security of our maritime borders." said Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. Margelot of the Coast Guard Investigative Service (CGIS) Southeast Field Office.
According to allegations in the indictment and information presented during the detention hearing, Dominguez-Nieves facilitated a smuggling venture that resulted in death and that was for commercial gain. On Nov. 16, 2022, this smuggling venture resulted in the deaths of approximately sixteen migrants, three of whom are charged in the indictment and many of whom were children, when the boat they were being smuggled in—a boat that according to a survivor was overloaded and did not contain a single life vest—sank roughly thirty miles off the coast of Cuba while in transit to the Southern District of Florida.
Dominguez-Nieves was arrested by CGIS Special Agents.
If convicted of encouraging and inducing or attempting to bring aliens into the United States resulting in death, Dominguez-Nieves faces a maximum penalty of life in prison or death. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Matthew J. Margelot of the CGIS Southeast Field Office made the announcement.
CGIS Southeast Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from U.S. Coast Guard Sector Key West, the U.S. Border Patrol, the Monroe County Medical Examiner’s Office, and the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Keller is prosecuting this case.
An indictment contains mere allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
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 on http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-CR-20223.
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Quincy Area Man Convicted of Methamphetamine DistributionRead the Press Release
Springfield, Ill. – A federal jury returned a guilty verdict on June 21, 2024, against Phillip C. Mayfield, 35, of Quincy, Illinois, for distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine. Sentencing for Mayfield has been scheduled on October 29, 2024, at the U.S. Courthouse in Springfield, Illinois.
Over three days of testimony in front of U.S. District Judge Colleen R. Lawless, the government presented evidence to establish that, in February 2023, Mayfield sold over 50 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in a grocery store parking lot in Quincy. Evidence established that, in March 2023, Mayfield sold over 50 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant in an apartment parking lot in Quincy.
Mayfield is in the custody of the United States Marshals Service, where he has been since his arrest on June 20, 2023.
At sentencing, Mayfield faces statutory penalties of not less than 10 years and up to a life term of imprisonment; at least 5 years and up to a life term of supervised releasee; up to a $10,000,000 fine; and a $100 special assessment.
The case investigation was conducted by the Illinois State Police West Central Illinois Task Force. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration Springfield Resident Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah E. Seberger and Matthew Z. Weir represented the government at trial.
Provider Agrees to Pay over $629,000 to Settle Allegations of False Claims Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: United States Attorney Darcie N. McElwee today announced that Jamie P. Loggins, M.D. has agreed to pay $629,056.76 to settle allegations that he violated the federal False Claims Act (the “FCA”). The civil settlement agreement resolves allegations that Loggins prescribed orthotic braces that were not medically necessary to individuals with whom he had no valid prescriber-patient relationship.
Medicare statutes, regulations and guidelines make clear that participating providers may only bill for services actually provided and which are medically reasonable and necessary. As alleged by the Government, from September 2018 through November 2022, Loggins caused claims to be submitted to Medicare for payment for medical services that were not reasonably medically necessary or for which medical necessity could not be determined. More specifically, the Government alleges that Loggins worked with a telemedicine company to provide telemedicine consultations and consultation services. As part of those services, Loggins would review prepared intake forms, which included purported complaint information for a beneficiary and prepared prescriptions for orthotic braces. Frequently, the intake forms included multiple complaints and prescriptions for orthotic braces for each individual beneficiary. The Government alleges that Dr. Loggins would then electronically sign these prescriptions, despite there being no valid prescriber-patient relationship and no medical necessity for the claims.
The FCA provides that any person who “knowingly presents, or causes to be presented, a false or fraudulent claim for payment or approval” or “knowingly makes, uses, or causes to be made or used, a false record or statement material to a false or fraudulent claim” is liable to the United States for three times the amount of damages which the United States sustains, plus a civil penalty for each FCA violation. The Government alleges that by submitting claims for payment for medical services that were not medically reasonable or necessary, Loggins violated the FCA.
Loggins cooperated with this investigation and did not admit liability in the settlement agreement. Federal authorities encourage health care providers to cooperate with investigations involving the possible submission of false claims to federal programs. Entities or individuals that make proactive, timely and voluntary self-disclosures to the U.S. Attorney’s Office may receive credit during the resolution of a later FCA case.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General investigated the case.
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Poplar man sentenced to 15 months in prison for assaulting woman on Fort Peck Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Poplar man who admitted to beating a woman on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation was sentenced on June 20 to 15 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
The defendant, Thomas Ivan Reese Larson, 25, pleaded guilty in February to assault resulting in serious bodily injury.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided.
The government alleged in court document that in January 2021 in Poplar, on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, Larson assaulted the victim, identified as Jane Doe, during an argument while he was intoxicated. Larson held the victim by her throat and struck her in the face, causing multiple injuries to her face and neck.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI and Fort Peck Law Enforcement conducted the investigation.
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Omaha Man Sentenced for Unlawful Possession of AmmunitionRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Victor Henderson, 24, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced June 21, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for being a felon in possession of ammunition. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Henderson to 18 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Henderson’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
On July 30, 2023, Omaha Police observed the driver of a Ford Edge commit a traffic violation and initiated a traffic stop on that vehicle. The driver was identified as Christopher Grutel. Henderson was seated in the front passenger seat. Officers could smell a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside the vehicle, so they detained Grutel and Henderson for a probable cause search of their persons as well as the vehicle.
While searching the vehicle, officers located marijuana shake on the front passenger floorboard, an open container of alcohol on the driver’s seat, and an ammunition box in the back seat inside a plastic bag that contained four live “Aguila” 9mm rounds of ammunition. In 2021, Henderson was convicted in Douglas County District Court for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
Grutel also pleaded guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunition and will be sentenced on September 6, 2024.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms.
Oklahoma City Man Sentenced to Serve Nine Years in Federal Prison for Role in Major Black-Market Marijuana OperationRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – BRANDON YE, 43, of Oklahoma City, has been sentenced to serve 108 months in federal prison for possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Robert J. Troester.
On May 3, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a four-count Indictment against Ye and several other co-defendants, charging them for their roles in a major black-market marijuana drug trafficking organization (DTO). According to public record, in December 2022, agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics (OBN), and Oklahoma City Police Department officers, were investigating reports of a separate DTO when they observed what appeared to be an ‘Amazon’ delivery van pull up to a suspected drug stash house. Agents witnessed several individuals load the van with large, full trash bags. The van’s registration led authorities to a business address in Oklahoma City owned by Ye, followed by a home owned by Ye, where authorities observed what was later determined to be a fake Amazon van parked in the driveway.
An affidavit in a previously filed criminal complaint further alleges that Ye, working with the co-defendants and others, would pick up trash bags containing vacuum-sealed packages of marijuana from licensed marijuana grows across Oklahoma, and deliver the bags to a stash house operated by Ye in Oklahoma City. From there, the marijuana was repackaged into cardboard boxes and would be moved to two warehouses owned by Ye, to be picked up by a semi-truck, and transported to the east coast. It’s estimated that, between June 2022 and March 2023, Ye helped ship approximately 28 tons of marijuana out of the state of Oklahoma.
On September 11, 2023, Ye pleaded guilty to a two-count Superseding Information, and admitted to knowingly possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute, and to possessing a firearm while distributing that marijuana illegally.
At the sentencing hearing on June 20, 2024, U.S. District Judge Scott L. Palk sentenced Ye to serve 108 months in federal prison. In announcing the sentence, Judge Palk specifically noted the vast amount of marijuana transported by Ye during his clandestine operation.
This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office, the OBN, and OCPD. It is also a part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Assistant U.S. Attorney Wilson D. McGarry is prosecuting the case.
Reference is made to public filings for additional information.