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1 August 2024
El Departamento de Justicia descubre condiciones que violan normas constitucionales en cinco centros de justicia de menores de TexasRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy sus conclusiones de que el Departamento de Justicia de Menores de Texas (TJJD, por sus siglas en inglés) está violando la Constitución de los Estados Unidos, así como la Ley de Educación para Personas con Discapacidades (IDEA, por sus siglas en inglés) y la Ley de Estadounidenses con Discapacidades (ADA, por sus siglas en inglés).
“Los menores son internados en centros del TJJD para recibir tratamiento y rehabilitación, a fin de que puedan regresar a sus comunidades como ciudadanos respetuosos de la ley y productivos”, declaró Kristen Clarke, la fiscal general adjunta de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. “Nuestra investigación demostró que, lejos de lograr esos objetivos, el TJJD incurrió en un patrón de abuso, privación de servicios esenciales y discriminación relacionada con la discapacidad que perjudica gravemente a los niños y socava su rehabilitación. Los funcionarios del estado tienen la obligación de mantener a estos niños a salvo, de enseñarles, de proporcionarles los servicios sanitarios necesarios y de tratarlos con equidad y sin discriminación. El Departamento de Justicia se ha comprometido a proteger los derechos de los niños vulnerables internados en centros de menores. Esperamos trabajar con los funcionarios del estado para remediar estas violaciones, instituir las reformas necesarias y mejorar los resultados para los niños de Texas”.
El informe del departamento detalla los hallazgos de una investigación exhaustiva de cinco centros de menores del TJJD, incluidos el Centro Regional de Menores de Evins, la Escuela Estatal de Gainesville, la Escuela Estatal de Giddings, el Correccional Juvenil Estatal del Condado de McLennan y el Complejo Correccional Juvenil Estatal Ron Jackson. El informe concluye que:
- El TJJD sistemáticamente viola los derechos constitucionales de los niños en las cinco instalaciones al:
- Exponerlos a fuerza excesiva y aislamiento prolongado;
- No proteger a los niños de actos de abuso sexual; y
- No proporcionar servicios de salud mental adecuados.
- El TJJD viola la ley IDEA al no proporcionar educación especial y servicios relacionados a los niños con discapacidades.
- El TJJD discrimina a los niños con discapacidades en violación de la ADA al:
- No proporcionar las modificaciones razonables necesarias para permitir su participación en los programas requeridos de liberación y
- Negarles la igualdad de oportunidades para beneficiarse de la educación.
Estas violaciones de la Constitución y de la ley federal exponen a los niños a un riesgo considerable de sufrir daños físicos y psicológicos graves e impiden que los niños salgan adelante.
“Mi oficina se sintió orgullosa de colaborar con la División de Derechos Civiles y con otras Fiscalías de los EE. UU. de nuestro estado en esta investigación exhaustiva del Departamento de Justicia de Menores de Texas”, dijo Jaime Esparza, el fiscal federal para el Distrito Oeste de Texas. “Los niños en estas instalaciones son especialmente vulnerables a sufrir lesiones y abusos, lo que limita sus posibilidades de rehabilitación. Merecen ser protegidos contra cualquier lesión, recibir una atención de salud mental adecuada y recibir servicios de educación especial y modificaciones razonables que les den la oportunidad de llevar una vida productiva en la comunidad, fuera de los muros de estas instituciones”.
“Según nuestro informe, el TJJD no consigue crear un entorno que fomente la rehabilitación”, declaró Leigha Simonton, la fiscal federal para el Distrito Norte de Texas. “Por el contrario, parte de su personal emplea fuerza excesiva y somete a los menores a un aislamiento prolongado, lo que resulta perjudicial. Los tejanos sabemos que no es así como rehabilitamos a nuestros niños. Estamos deseosos de trabajar con el estado y el TJJD para eliminar estos problemas en el futuro. Juntos, estoy segura de que podemos implementar prácticas que resulten en un mejor ambiente de rehabilitación en el TJJD y aseguren un camino para que los niños bajo su cuidado crezcan, sanen y alcancen su máximo potencial”.
“Las condiciones de estos centros son inaceptables”, declaró Alamdar S. Hamdani, el fiscal federal para el Distrito Sur de Texas. “Nuestra investigación encontró que los niños en estas instalaciones se enfrentan a abusos sexuales por parte del personal así como de otros niños. Trágicamente, esta no es la primera investigación sobre alegatos de abuso sexual en los centros del TJJD. Desde principios de los años 2000, otras investigaciones realizadas por agencias del estado de Texas y los Rangers de Texas corroboraron alegatos de abuso sexual de los niños en los centros del TJJD; sin embargo, este horrible problema persiste. En colaboración con las demás fiscalías de los EE. UU. en Texas, la División de Derechos Civiles y el estado de Texas, mi oficina espera proteger a las personas vulnerables y ayudar a corregir errores que han existido durante demasiado tiempo”.
“Los estados que reciben fondos federales para ayudar a educar a los niños con discapacidades están obligados a utilizar esos fondos adecuadamente en beneficio de estos niños”, dijo Damien M. Diggs, el fiscal federal para el Distrito Este de Texas. “No evaluar sistemáticamente a los niños de los que se sospecha que tienen discapacidades, priva inevitablemente a estos niños de la educación especial que estos fondos estaban destinados a proporcionar. Texas recibió fondos al amparo de la Ley de Educación para Personas con Discapacidades, pero no cumplió con su obligación de garantizar que los niños con discapacidades recibieran una educación adecuada de acuerdo con sus necesidades especiales, entre otros aspectos. Sin los servicios adecuados, los niños con discapacidades internados en centros correccionales de menores de Texas no pueden acceder al plan de estudios de educación general, lo que impide una rehabilitación y un progreso significativos. Esperamos colaborar con Texas para rectificar los problemas que hemos detectado en nuestra investigación, a fin de que estos niños, mediante la satisfacción de sus necesidades educativas, tengan más posibilidades de triunfar cuando vuelvan a nuestras comunidades”.
El Departamento de Justicia inició su investigación de los centros de justicia de menores del TJJD en octubre de 2021, al amparo de la Ley de Derechos Civiles de las Personas Internadas en Instituciones y la Ley de Represión de Delitos Violentos y de Orden Público de 1994, que autorizan al departamento a investigar una pauta o práctica de privación de los derechos constitucionales y federales de los menores internados en centros correccionales gestionados por el gobierno estatal o local.
La Sección Especial de Litigios de la División de Derechos Civiles y las Fiscalías de los EE. UU. en Texas investigaron el caso.
Si desea obtener más información sobre la División de Derechos Civiles y la Sección Especial de Litigios, visite www.justice.gov/crt/special-litigation-section. También puede denunciar violaciones de los derechos civiles a la sección completando el formulario de denuncia disponible en https://civilrights.justice.gov.
Si desea proporcionar información relacionada con la investigación del departamento sobre los centros del TJJD, llame al 1-866-432-0438 o envíe un correo electrónico a [email protected].
- El TJJD sistemáticamente viola los derechos constitucionales de los niños en las cinco instalaciones al:
Doctor and Her Granddaughter Sentenced to Prison for Unlawful Distribution of OpioidsRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Thomas Barber today sentenced Janet Pettyjohn (78, Spring Hill) to three years in federal prison and Shelly Gallagher (34, Brooksville) to six years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute drugs. As part of Pettyjohn’s sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $34,132, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. Pettyjohn and Gallagher entered guilty pleas in May 2024.
According to court documents, Pettyjohn was an osteopathic physician licensed to practice medicine in the State of Florida with a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) registration number to prescribe controlled substances. In July 2020, Florida’s Board of Osteopathic Medicine (BOM) restricted Pettyjohn from prescribing opioids due to complaints about the manner in which she prescribed controlled substances. After the BOM’s Final Order and the prescribing restriction took effect, Pettyjohn continued to prescribe opioids in violation of the Final Order. The BOM later lifted the prescribing restriction in March 2021.
Gallagher is Pettyjohn’s granddaughter and did not hold a medical license. Between March 2021 and February 2023, Gallagher sponsored patients at Pettyjohn’s clinic and ordered controlled substances for herself and others from Pettyjohn. Despite obvious signs of drug abuse and diversion, Pettyjohn knowingly and intentionally prescribed the controlled substances for Gallagher and others for no legitimate medical purpose in the usual course of professional practice, which Gallagher and others abused and diverted.
A search of Pettyjohn’s residence in February 2024 revealed $34,132 in U.S. currency in a safe, which were proceeds of her illegal prescribing. Pettyjohn relinquished her medical license and DEA registration in May 2024.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration - Tampa District Office, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General, the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, and by the Opioid Fraud Abuse and Detection Unit at the United States Attorney’s Office, which focuses on opioid-related fraud and abuse by medical and health care professionals who have contributed to the prescription opioid epidemic. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Greg Pizzo.
Detroit Man Admits to Federal Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Shakur Jones, 25, of Detroit, Michigan, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Jones was the supplier of methamphetamine, cocaine base, and fentanyl for a drug trafficking conspiracy in Monongalia County, WV. As part of the investigation law enforcement officers searched a Morgantown residence and discovered over a kilogram of methamphetamine, and located Jones in one of the bedrooms. During a search of Jones’s phone, a photograph of 10 pounds of prepackaged methamphetamine taken two days before the search was recovered.
Two other defendants, Nolan Eickleberry, 27, of Morgantown, and Dorian Myles, 26, of Detroit, Michigan, have each admitted to their roles in the drug trafficking conspiracy and are awaiting sentencing.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zelda Wesley and Christie Utt are prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Mon Metro Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated.
Chief U.S. District Court Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
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Des Moines Man Sentenced to 6 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Transfer of Obscene Material to a MinorRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – A Des Moines man was sentenced on Thursday, July 25, 2024, to 72 months in federal prison for attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor.
According to public court documents, Carl Edward Gentry, 38, engaged in a Facebook conversation with an undercover officer posing as a 15-year-old female for approximately ten months. Gentry then began a separate Facebook conversation with an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old female. During each of the conversations, Gentry graphically described the sex acts he wished to perform upon the females if they met him in person. Gentry also sent graphic images of his exposed genital area to the 13-year-old female using a texting application.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Gentry 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 Altoona Police Department, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the FBI Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force.
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 Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Des Moines Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – A Des Moines man was sentenced on Friday, July 26, 2024, to 120 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography.
According to public court documents, Jon-Richard Stamatelos, 63, possessed four internet capable computer devices in October 2023. Three of those devices—two cell phones and a tablet computer—contained hundreds of images and videos of child pornography. At the time of his offense, Stamatelos was a registered sex offender due to a 2023 state conviction for possession of child pornography in the Iowa District Court for Polk County. Stamatelos was found in possession of child pornography approximately seven months after he was sentenced in state court.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Stamatelos will be required to serve ten years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Stamatelos was also ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Iowa Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the FBI Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force, and Iowa’s Fifth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services.
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 Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Departamento de Justicia llega a un acuerdo histórico con el Condado de Los Ángeles para aumentar la accesibilidad para los votantes con discapacidadesRead the Press Release
El Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que ha llegado a un acuerdo histórico con el Condado de Los Ángeles para resolver la demanda alegando que el condado violó la Ley para Estadounidenses con Discapacidades (ADA, por sus siglas en inglés) por negar a los votantes con discapacidades una oportunidad igualitaria de participar en sus programas, servicios y actividades de voto cuando fracasó en seleccionar y utilizar facilidades para centros de voto que son accesibles para las personas con discapacidades.
“Las personas con discapacidades tienen el derecho a plena inclusión en las urnas,” comentó la Fiscal General Auxiliar Kristen Clarke de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. “El Departamento de Justicia se compromete a salvaguardar el derecho de todos los votantes elegibles de participar en nuestro proceso electoral, incluido lo de los votantes con discapacidades. Este acuerdo debe transmitir a todos los oficiales del país un mensaje sobre la necesidad de asegurar la accesibilidad del proceso de votar ahora.”
“El derecho de votar es esencial para nuestra democracia y tiene que ser protegido para todos los votantes,” comentó el Fiscal de los Estados Unidos Martin Estrada para el Distrito Central de California. “Los votantes con discapacidades tienen el derecho de votar en persona, con privacidad e independientemente, al lado de sus vecinos y amigos. Comendamos al Condado de Los Ángeles para su compromiso a trabajar con el Departamento de Justicia para asegurar el acceso igualitario para los individuos con discapacidades.”
Se entabló esta demanda en junio 2023 después de una investigación larga que encontró que el condado excluyó a los individuos con discapacidades de participar en los programas de votación en persona del condado. La Oficina del Fiscal de los Estados Unidos para el Distrito Central de California había evaluado cientos de centros de votación durante las elecciones de junio 2016, marzo 2020, noviembre 2020 y noviembre 2022 y encontró que la gran mayoría tenían barreras arquitecturales, tal como rampas escarpadas, cambios de nivel repentinos en pasarelas peatonales y puertas de entrada, y falta de estacionamiento accesible. Estos impedimentos previnieron que las personas con discapacidades de movilidad y visión accedieran de forma segura a los centros de voto y votar en persona. Esta demanda también alegó que el programa de votar desde acera del condado era inaccesible, debido a ciertos centros de voto que carecían de señalización indicando que la votación desde la acera estaba disponible o que no proveían maneras a través de las que el votante podía comunicarse con un trabajador electoral para asistencia con la votación desde la acera.
El acuerdo, que se entabló con el corte hoy anteriormente, aumentará la accesibilidad para los votantes con discapacidades. Según el acuerdo, el Condado de Los Ángeles trabajará con un experto de accesibilidad independiente por tres años en sus policías de selección de sitios y procedimientos para asegurar que el Condado seleccione sitios como centro de voto que son accesibles o que pueden ser hecho más accesibles durante el periodo de voto, a través de implementar medidas remediadoras temporales. El condado ha acordado trabajar con el experto y el departamento para implementar las recomendaciones del experto. El experto también proveerá informes semestrales sobre sus hallazgos al condado y al departamento.
Con más de quinientos distritos políticos y aproximadamente 4,3 millones de votantes registrados, el Condado de Los Ángeles es la jurisdicción de elección más grande del país.
La investigación del Condado de Los Ángeles es parte de la Iniciativa de Votación ADA, la cual se enfoca en proteger los derechos de voto de los individuos con discapacidades. Para conocer más sobre la ADA y cómo esta se aplica a la votación usted puede visitar el sitio web a www.ada.gov/topics/voting/. Para conocer más sobre la División de Derechos Civiles, por favor visite a www.justice.gov/crt. Para conocer más sobre la ADA, por favor llame a La Línea de Información de la ADA gratuita a 1-800-514-0301 (TTY 1-833-610-1264) o visite a www.ada.gov. Si usted cree que ha experimentado la discriminación por motivos de discapacidad, por favor realizar un informe en línea a www.civilrights.justice.gov. Fiscal Federal Auxiliar y Jefe de la Sección de Derechos Civiles Richard Park y los Fiscales Federales Auxiliares Katherine Hikida, Matthew Barragan, Margaret Chen y Alexandra Young del Distrito Central de California trataron el asunto, en coordinación con la Sección de Derechos de Discapacidad de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia.
El mes pasado se compló el 34º aniversario de la ADA, promulgado por Presidente George H.W. Bush el 26 de julio, 1990. La ADA fue la primera ley comprehensiva de derechos civiles para las personas con discapacidades. Mientras celebramos el 34º aniversario de la ADA, dedicamos tiempo para reconocer los beneficios de la ADA mientras tanto entendiendo que aún queda trabajo por hacer para lograr las metas perdurables de la equidad, la inclusión, y la accesibilidad para las personas con discapacidades.
Defendants in two different cases sentenced to prison for abusive sexual contact on aircraft flying to SeattleRead the Press Release
Seattle – Two men were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle in separate instances of sexually assaulting passengers seated near them on aircraft flying to Seattle, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Indian citizen Abhinav Kumar, 39, was sentenced to 15 months in prison for his May 2024 conviction at trial of abusive sexual contact. Desmond D. Bostick was sentenced to nine months in prison for assault with intent to commit a felony. Bostick pleaded guilty in April 2024. Both sentences were imposed by U.S. District Judge Jamal N. Whitehead.
“The Western District of Washington continues to see an increase in cases involving sexual assault aboard aircraft, and we have a zero-tolerance policy,” said U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “These cases demonstrate that there are real consequences for this predatory behavior. Those who prey on passengers on flights coming to Seattle face prosecution and loss of their freedom.”
According to records filed in the case and testimony at trial, Abhinav Kumar was arrested at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Sunday, February 18, 2024, after groping the breast of a juvenile sitting near him on an Emirates flight from Dubai to Seattle. The victim was traveling with family members who were sitting in the seats in front of the victim and across the aisle from the victim. Kumar was seated in a window seat with an open center seat between him and the victim. Kumar engaged the 17-year-old in conversation and asked her to meet him for coffee. She politely declined the invitation.
Later, while the victim was trying to sleep under a blanket, Kumar spread his blanket over himself and over the middle seat. The on-board video shows the movement of his arm under the blanket reaching toward the victim.
The sleeping victim awoke to feel a hand under her blanket, and she pulled away. The hand returned, moving up her arm, then inside her shirt, and eventually reaching her breast. The victim froze at first but then got up and asked her mother to come to the bathroom with her. The Emirates crew was notified, and they alerted law enforcement to meet the plane. Kumar was arrested and convicted following a three-day jury trial.
In asking for a 21-month prison sentence, prosecutors wrote to the court, “Kumar took advantage of a vulnerable 17-year-old girl by assaulting her while she was asleep. He reached inside her shirt to stroke her bare breast and stopped his assault only when a flight attendant was approaching. Not only did he demonstrate gross disregard for others’ bodily privacy and cause lasting trauma for the victim, but he has never acknowledged his crime nor demonstrated any understanding that he may not use girls for his personal gratification.”
In a statement to the court the victim wrote the assault, “has become a persistent, haunting presence in my life…. The experience has changed me. It has tainted my perceptions of others and made me fearful of strangers.”
In the second case sentenced today, 25-year-old Desmond D. Bostick of Federal Way, Washington, pleaded guilty last April, admitting the sexual motivation for his assault on the 24-year-old stranger sitting next to him on a June 2023 Alaska Airlines flight from San Diego to Seattle.
Bostick was seated in the last row of the plane in the aisle seat and the victim, was seated in the middle seat. Bostick repeatedly touched the victim on the thigh and grabbed her buttocks when she stood to allow the passenger in the window seat to exit the row. Bostick touched her buttocks a second time when the victim stood for the window seat passenger to return to his seat. Bostick admits he touched the victim to arouse his sexual desire.
After the plane landed, the victim reported the conduct to the flight crew and law enforcement began its investigation. Bostick had left the airport, and his location was unknown. The federal grand jury returned an indictment in the case on September 27, 2023. Bostick was located and arrested by the FBI on February 9, 2024. He pleaded guilty April 11, 2024.
Writing to the court, prosecutors emphasized the importance of deterrence, “Bostick assaulted a young woman while she sat isolated on a plane in flight. He repeatedly groped her while she was stuck in the middle seat of the back of an airplane with nowhere to go… Sexual offenses on airplanes are a serious problem. General deterrence is important so that potential offenders consider the risk of consequences if they are caught. This court should order a sentence that communicates to both Bostick and other potential offenders that abusive sexual contact is a serious crime that will be met with meaningful consequences.”
At the sentencing hearing Judge Whitehead told Bostick, “To characterize your conduct as a ‘lapse of judgement’ would be to divorce your conduct from its true ugliness.” Bostick will serve three years of supervised release following his prison term.
Both cases were investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Port of Seattle Police. U.S. Customs and Border Protection assisted with U.S. v Kumar.
Assistant United States Attorneys Miriam Hinman and Sanaa Nagi prosecuted U.S. v. Kumar (24-00041JNW).
Assistant United States Attorneys Kristine Foerster and Sean Waite prosecuted U.S. v. Bostick (23-155JNW)
Dauphin County Man Indicted for Controlled Substance and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG– The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Keane Jackson, age 38, of Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury for controlled substance and firearms offenses.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges Jackson with possessing with intent to distribute a controlled substance, possessing a firearm (.38 caliber Colt DA) in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessing a firearm as a prohibited person.
The case was investigated by the Dauphin County Criminal Investigations Division and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney K. Wesley (Wes) Mishoe is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for the charges against Jackson is life imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, a fine, and special assessment. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons indicted are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Danbury Man Admits Recording His Sexual Abuse of Minor VictimRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ENRIQUE PAULO PUCHA-JIMENEZ, 33, of Danbury, pleaded guilty today in Hartford federal court to production of child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on multiple occasions between November 2020 and August 2023, Pucha-Jimenez sexually abused a minor girl, who was between the approximate ages of nine and 12, and used his cell phone to take photographs and videos of his sexual abuse of the victim.
On August 16, 2023, Danbury Police arrested Pucha-Jimenez on state sexual assault and risk of injury offenses. He has been detained since his arrest.
Pucha-Jimenez is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jeffrey A. Meyer in New Haven on October 24, at which time he faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 30 years.
Pucha-Jimenez’s state charges are pending.
This matter has been investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Danbury Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Cummings with the assistance of the Office of the State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of Danbury.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Court Permanently Stops Mississippi Professionals and Business from Organizing and Selling “Tax Plans”Read the Press Release
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi entered permanent injunctions yesterday against Thomas Walt Dallas, Jason Todd Mardis and Capital Preservation Services LLC to bar them from making statements about tax benefits for compensation, among other relief. The defendants consented to entry of the injunctions.
According to the complaint, Dallas, Mardis and Capital Preservation Services marketed a tax scheme at numerous professional conferences and media appearances targeting medical professionals and small business owners. They allegedly, falsely claimed that customers following their “Tax Plans” could claim multiple deductions to which they were not actually entitled. This included false claims that (1) customers’ businesses could take deductions for paying large, unnecessary “marketing fees” to newly-created, sham marketing companies; (2) the marketing companies could employ family members, including minor children, and take deductions for family meals, vehicle expenses and tuition, among other items; and (3) customers could “rent” their homes to their businesses on a short-term basis at exorbitant rates and avoid paying taxes on the rental income.
The complaint further alleges that Dallas, Mardis and Capital Preservation Services knew or had reason to know that their statements to customers about the supposed tax benefits of the tax plans were false. The alleged the harm from the scheme could be as much as $130 million in lost tax revenue since 2014.
Deputy Assistant General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
Each year the IRS highlights some of the tax scams that put taxpayers at risk of losing money, personal information, data and more. In the IRS’ most recent list, it specifically warned taxpayers “to beware of promoters peddling bogus tax schemes aimed at reducing taxes or avoiding them altogether.”
Working with the IRS, the Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers and tax scheme promoters over the past decade. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
CPS Consent Injunction.pdf Dallas Consent Injunction.pdf Mardis Consent Injunction.pdfCorpus Christi Man Sentenced to 46 Months in Federal Prison for Transporting, Endangering Undocumented NoncitizensRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A Corpus Christi man was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 46 months in prison for conspiracy to transport undocumented noncitizens, placing lives in jeopardy.
According to court documents, Thomas Bucciarelli, 40, failed to yield to law enforcement in Carrizo Springs on Aug. 20, 2022. Bucciarelli drove through red traffic lights and struck the driver’s side of a vehicle stopped at an intersection. Border Patrol agents located Bucciarelli’s vehicle in a parking lot, finding four passengers who were revealed to be undocumented noncitizens. Bucciarelli was taken into federal custody. He pleaded guilty to one count on Feb. 6, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Markovits prosecuted the case.
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Corporate President Sentenced to Prison for Multimillion Dollar California Excise Tax SchemeRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Rahman Lakhani, of Naperville, Illinois, was sentenced today to four years in prison for a tobacco-related excise tax fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta sentenced Lakhani and his two corporations, N. Ali Enterprises Inc. and 21st Century Distribution Inc., for a total of 20 counts of mail and wire fraud. In addition to Lakhani’s prison term, his companies were each sentenced to three years of probation and all defendants were ordered to pay over $5.9 million in restitution.
According to court documents, Lakhani and the corporate defendants used warehouses in Illinois, Nevada, and California, to move over $25 million worth of other tobacco products (OTP) across the United States and into California. OTP are tobacco products other than cigarettes, such as cigars and chewing tobacco.
As the defendants moved the OTP from state to state, they submitted false excise tax returns to different state regulators that were designed to hide the size and value of the shipments. Ultimately, the OTP was sold into California on false invoices with the misrepresentation that tax had been paid. In fact, Lakhani and the corporate defendants submitted or caused to be submitted false tax returns to the California Board of Equalization (BOE) and the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration (CDTFA). As a result of the fraud, Lakhani and the corporate defendants defrauded the State of California of over $5.9 million.
This fraud allowed Lakhani and the corporate defendants to earn additional profit and to undercut competitors who lawfully paid the excise tax. A large percentage of the proceeds of the California OTP excise tax are used to fund California’s early childhood development program, First 5 California.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives along with the former California State Board of Equalization, sections of which are now the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rosanne L. Rust and Michael D. Anderson prosecuted the case.
Conover, N.C. Woman Is Sentenced to Prison for Stealing More Than $300,000 from Elderly CoupleRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Andrea Brawley, 46, of Conover, N.C., was sentenced today to 48 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for stealing more than $300,000 from her elderly relatives, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in North Carolina and Sheriff Donald G. Brown II of the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and court proceedings, from August 2016 to January 2023, Brawley engaged in a scheme to defraud the elderly couple identified in court documents as J.S. and M.S., by exploiting her relationship with the victims to steal their money and property. Brawley gained access to the victims’ personal and company bank accounts, which she was expected to use to manage the couple’s personal and business affairs and to pay routine bills. Instead, Brawley misused her access to transfer funds to herself, causing the victims to sustain significant financial losses. For example, Brawley failed to make payments due on the victims’ home equity line of credit on their residence. As a result, the victims’ residence went into foreclosure and the couple lost their home. Brawley also drained the victims’ retirement accounts by forging retirement distribution forms without the victims’ knowledge and consent, causing them further financial hardship. Over the course of the scheme, Brawley defrauded J.S. and M.S. and M.S.’s company of more than $300,000.
According to court records, Brawley concealed the fraudulent scheme from J.S. and M.S. by making false representations about the cause of the foreclosure and about the state of J.S. and M.S.’s finances and personal affairs. Brawley also isolated J.S. and M.S. and limited their contact with their friends and family by taking the victims’ cell phones, impersonating them in communications with third parties, transporting them to various locations around the state, and preventing them from returning to their residence. In furtherance of the scheme, Brawley engaged in identity theft by using and attempting to use one or more means of identification that belonged to J.S. and M.S., including their names, addresses, and unique account numbers.
On November 28, 2023, Brawley pleaded guilty to wire fraud. She is currently released on bond and will be ordered to report to the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In sentencing Brawley, U.S. District Judge Kenneth D. Bell described the defendant’s conduct as “outrageous,” and ordered her to pay $628,174.06 in restitution.
The FBI and the Catawba County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Graham Billings with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This U.S. Department of Justice hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim, and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is staffed 10am-6pm Eastern Time, Monday-Friday. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.
Colombian Man Sentenced for his Participation in Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Colombian man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for is involvement in a money laundering conspiracy.
Jose Abril-Sequera, 59, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 50 months in prison today after pleading guilty to money laundering charges. In April 2024, Abril-Sequera pleaded guilty to an indictment charging him with participating in a money laundering conspiracy and conducting substantive money laundering transactions.
Beginning in 2016 and continuing until 2022, an investigation was conducted into a money laundering organization based primarily in Barranquilla, Colombia. An undercover investigator infiltrated the organization by portraying himself as an international money launderer, able to pick up bulk cash throughout the world, launder the proceeds through his United States based accounts, and send the money to Colombia through the Black Market Peso Exchange, a common method of trade based money laundering used to repatriate the proceeds of drug trafficking to Colombia.
Abril-Sequera was a business owner in Colombia who used his business bank account to receive drug proceeds in Colombia. During the course of the conspiracy, Abril-Sequera received over $250,000 million in wire transfers to his account. After receipt, Abril-Sequera withdrew the funds from his account to pay out the money in Colombia to the owners. Abril-Sequera also created fake invoices to mask the true source of the funds and evade anti-money laundering protocols. Abril-Sequera knew that the money involved was the proceeds of drug trafficking and freely discussed working with individuals dealing in hundreds of kilograms worth of drugs and the logistics of laundering the proceeds.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua R. Levy and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney’s Jared C. Dolan and Alathea E. Porter prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found athttps://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Cheektowaga man pleads guilty to child pornography chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that John Stuart, 35, of Cheektowaga, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy to possession of child pornography involving a prepubescent minor, which carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $250,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Rudroff, who is handling the case, stated that in August 2019, the FBI received a lead indicating that in May 2019, an online user accessed child sexual abuse and exploitation material via a website on the Tor network. Subsequent investigation traced the IP address to Stuart. In October 2020, a search warrant was executed at Stuart’s residence, during which law enforcement seized multiple electronic devices, including two laptop computers, a cell phone, a hard drive, and a desktop computer tower. A forensic review recovered approximately 8,000 videos and approximately 2,000 images of child pornography on one of the laptops, and approximately 150 images and one video of child pornography on the second laptop. Approximately 90 images and 150 videos of child pornography were recovered from the cell phone and approximately 90 images and two videos on the hard drive. Some of the images included depictions of violence against children.
Stuart also admitted during his plea that during the execution of the search warrant, law enforcement recovered live marijuana plants, more than a pound of dried marijuana ready for consumption, and that he was a chronic user of marijuana. Stuart was also found to be in possession of three firearms. Because he was a user of controlled substances, Stuart was legally prohibited from owning or possessing firearms.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Coons.
Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
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Charlotte Man with Federal Armed Bank Robbery Conviction Is Sentenced to Prison for Possession of A Firearm by A FelonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Jamell Tremaine Robinson, 42, of Charlotte, was sentenced today to 66 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Colonel Freddy L. Johnson, Jr., Commander of the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and court proceedings, on October 13, 2021, around 11:30 p.m., a trooper with the North Carolina State Highway Patrol was operating stationary radar in the median of Interstate 40 in Catawba County. The trooper observed a gray Chevrolet Impala traveling at a high speed on the interstate and attempted to conduct a traffic stop. The driver of the vehicle did not comply and sped away before losing control of the vehicle and crashing off the roadway in a wooded area. The trooper approached the vehicle and the driver was taken into custody. The trooper asked the driver for his identification and vehicle registration and the driver indicated the documents were inside the vehicle. When the trooper went to the wrecked vehicle to look for the license and registration, he observed a handgun laying beside the gas pedal on the floorboard of the vehicle. The handgun was loaded with one round in the chamber.
According to court records, the driver was identified as Robinson. The trooper conducted a criminal history of Robinson and discovered that he had a prior conviction for armed bank robbery in the Western District of North Carolina. Court documents show that after the vehicle was removed from the wooded area, troopers continued a search of the vehicle. During the search, troopers recovered an AR-556 rifle from the trunk of the vehicle. The rifle was loaded with one bullet in the chamber. A clear plastic bag containing 52 rounds of ammunition was also located inside the trunk next to the firearm. As a convicted felon, Robinson is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
On July 21, 2022, Robinson pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
The ATF and the North Carolina State Highway Patrol investigated the case.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) William Wiseman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. Mr. Wiseman is a state prosecutor with the office of the 26th Prosecutorial District and was assigned by District Attorney Spencer Merriweather to serve as a SAUSA with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte. Mr. Wiseman is sworn in both state and federal courts. The SAUSA position is a reflection of the partnership between the office of the 26th Prosecutorial District and the United States Attorney’s Office.
Charleston Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Robert Jared Smith, 45, of Charleston, was sentenced today to four years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on April 16, 2023, law enforcement officers attempted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Smith on the 1000 block of Virginia Street East in Charleston. The vehicle was traveling at night with its headlights off. Smith refused to stop, leading officers on a pursuit before crashing at the intersection of Kanawha Boulevard and Brooks Street. While attempting to flee on foot following the crash, Smith tripped and threw a loaded Glock Model 45 9mm pistol under a nearby porch before continuing to flee. Officers recovered the firearm and captured Smith after he fell to the ground.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Smith knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions in the United States District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia for aiding and abetting robbery affecting interstate commerce on May 13, 2015, and conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine base and aiding and abetting possession with intent to distribute cocaine base on November 17, 2000.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Charleston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Frank W. Volk imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Holly Wilson prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-111.
Charleston Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Opioid CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Curon Cameron Cordon, 24, of Charleston, pleaded guilty today to distribution of protonitazene and isotonitazene.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 31, 2023, Cordon sold 13 pills to a confidential informant in Charleston. The West Virginia State Police Forensic Laboratory confirmed that the pills contained protonitazene and isotonitazene, synthetic opioids potentially more dangerous and deadly than fentanyl.
Cordon is scheduled to be sentenced on October 31, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Charleston Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Lesley C. Shamblin is prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:24-cr-50.
Chambersburg Man Sentenced to 22 Months in Prison for Hacking into Social Media Accounts and Stealing Private PhotographsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Reginald Adams, aka “Reggie Adams,” 25, of Chambersburg, PA, was sentenced today by Senior United States District Court Judge Michael Baylson to 22 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release, for hacking into numerous social media accounts and circulating the victims’ private photographs.
On January 30, 2024, the defendant pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
From May 2020 to August 2021, Adams hacked into the Snapchat accounts of at least 20 female victims. Targeting mostly women he knew from high school, he tricked the victims into providing their account security codes by sending them text messages from anonymized numbers claiming to be Snapchat official staff. Once he obtained the security codes, he logged into the victims’ accounts and reset the passwords. He located any private sexually explicit photographs in the “My Eyes Only” section of the accounts and shared them with the victims’ contacts – their friends, family, coworkers, and acquaintances. Sometimes, he posted the victims’ private photos on public websites, along with the victims’ contact information, which led to victims receiving unsolicited messages from unknown individuals who had seen their private photos. He also extorted victims, tricking them into sending him photos by falsely promising to pay them, then using their photos to control the victims and extract more photos.
“It’s truly hard to understand why someone would be this cruel,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “What’s crystal clear, though, is that Reginald Adams respects the law as little as he respects women. Again and again, he deliberately targeted, tricked, and took the most personal of photos from his victims, posting them online, violating their privacy, and causing significant emotional distress. We and our partners at the FBI take crimes like this incredibly seriously, and we’re committed to seeking justice for victims and accountability for cyber predators like Adams.”
“When criminals attempt to exploit the privacy of those in our communities, the FBI and our partners will not stand idly by,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “This sentence sends a clear message; if you commit such criminal activity, we will bring you to justice.”
The case was investigated by the FBI and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah M. Wolfe.
Cape Canaveral Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Julie S. Sneed has sentenced William Alfred Harris (62, Cape Canaveral) to five years in federal prison for possessing child sexual abuse material. The court also ordered Harris to forfeit the electronic device used in the commission of the offense and to pay a $250,000 fine and $22,000 in additional assessments. Harris entered a guilty plea on April 30, 2024.
According to court documents, in January 2023, the FBI identified Harris as being a recipient or downloader of child sex abuse material (CSAM) on a file-sharing platform. Agents downloaded multiple images and videos of CSAM from Harris’s internet protocol (IP) address. In May 2023, the FBI executed a search warrant at Harris’s residence and seized his laptop. A forensic examination of the computer revealed CSAM, three file wipers, and encryption software. In addition to the 21 images of CSAM recovered on the laptop, the forensic examination also uncovered a pattern of Harris downloading, viewing, and then deleting CSAM.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Canadian national admits to attempted coercion and enticement, distribution of child pornographyRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Canadian national accused of driving to Billings from Canada believing he was going to meet a juvenile girl for sex admitted today to attempted coercion and child pornography crimes, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Andrew Scott Brown, 43, of Sylvan Lake, Alberta, Canada, pleaded guilty to attempted coercion and enticement and distribution of child pornography. Brown faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to life of supervised release on the attempted coercion charge and a mandatory minimum of five years to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the distribution of child pornography charge.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Brown was detained pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that on Jan. 27, law enforcement, acting in an undercover capacity as a 12-year-old child, posted on social media. Brown responded to the post. The undercover informed Brown that he was chatting with a 12-year-old juvenile, and Brown responded that he could get into a lot of trouble. Over the next several weeks, Brown chatted with the undercover, and the messages were consistently sexual in nature. Brown indicted a desire to get the juvenile girl pregnant, how they were going to end up having sex and that he will go to jail. Brown also sent the undercover a picture of his penis and a video depicting a child being sexually assaulted by an adult man. On May 6, Brown drove from Canada to Billings with the belief he was going to meet the juvenile girl for sex and messaged along the way. Law enforcement arrested Brown when he arrived in Billings.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office, Billings Police Department and the FBI conducted the investigation.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
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Bộ Tư Pháp Đạt Được Thỏa Thuận Mang Tính Bước Ngoặt với Quận Los Angeles nhằm Tăng Khả Năng Tiếp Cận cho Cử Tri Khuyết TậtRead the Press Release
Hôm nay, Bộ Tư Pháp thông báo rằng họ đã đạt được thỏa thuận mang tính bước ngoặt với Quận Los Angeles để giải quyết vụ kiện cáo buộc rằng quận này đã vi phạm Đạo Luật Người Mỹ Khuyết Tật (Americans with Disabilities Act, ADA) khi từ chối trao cho cử tri khuyết tật cơ hội bình đẳng để tham gia vào các chương trình, dịch vụ và hoạt động bỏ phiếu bởi quận này không lựa chọn và sử dụng các cơ sở làm địa điểm bỏ phiếu dễ tiếp cận cho người khuyết tật.
“Người khuyết tật có quyền tham gia đầy đủ hoạt động bỏ phiếu”, Trợ Lý Tổng Chưởng Lý Kristen Clarke thuộc Ban Dân Quyền của Bộ Tư Pháp, cho biết. “Bộ Tư Pháp cam kết bảo vệ quyền của mọi cử tri đủ điều kiện, bao gồm cả cử tri khuyết tật, trong việc tham gia vào quy trình bầu cử của chúng tôi. Thỏa thuận này sẽ truyền tải thông điệp đến các quan chức trên khắp cả nước về tính cần thiết của việc đảm bảo khả năng tiếp cận cho quy trình bỏ phiếu vào thời điểm hiện tại”.
“Quyền bầu cử đóng vai trò thiết yếu đối với nền dân chủ của chúng ta và phải được bảo vệ cho tất cả các cử tri”, Chưởng Lý Hoa Kỳ Martin Estrada của Quận Trung Tâm California cho biết. “Cử tri khuyết tật có quyền được trao cơ hội công bằng để bầu cử trực tiếp, riêng tư và độc lập, cùng với hàng xóm và bạn bè của họ. Chúng tôi ngợi khen Quận Los Angeles vì đã cam kết hợp tác với Bộ Tư Pháp để đảm bảo quyền tiếp cận công bằng cho người khuyết tật”.
Vụ kiện được đệ trình vào tháng 6 năm 2023 sau một cuộc điều tra kéo dài, trong đó phát hiện quận đã loại trừ những người khuyết tật khỏi việc tham gia chương trình bỏ phiếu trực tiếp của quận. Văn Phòng Chưởng Lý Hoa Kỳ của Quận Trung Tâm California đã khảo sát hàng trăm địa điểm bỏ phiếu trong các cuộc bầu cử vào tháng 6 năm 2016, tháng 3 năm 2020, tháng 11 năm 2020 và tháng 11 năm 2022 và phát hiện ra rằng phần lớn các địa điểm này đều có rào cản về mặt kiến trúc, chẳng hạn như đường dốc, thay đổi đột ngột về độ cao ở lối đi và cửa ra vào, và thiếu bãi đậu xe dễ tiếp cận. Những trở ngại này đã ngăn cản những người khuyết tật về vận động và thị lực tiếp cận một cách an toàn với các trung tâm bầu cử và bỏ phiếu trực tiếp. Vụ kiện cũng cáo buộc rằng chương trình bỏ phiếu tại lề đường của quận là không dễ tiếp cận, vì một số trung tâm bỏ phiếu không có biển báo cho biết có thể bỏ phiếu tại lề đường hoặc không cung cấp đủ phương tiện để cử tri có thể liên hệ với nhân viên bầu cử để được hỗ trợ bỏ phiếu tại lề đường.
Thỏa thuận giải quyết, được đệ trình lên tòa án vào đầu ngày hôm nay, sẽ tăng cường khả năng tiếp cận cho cử tri khuyết tật. Theo thỏa thuận này, Quận Los Angeles sẽ làm việc với một chuyên gia về khả năng tiếp cận độc lập trong ba năm về các chính sách và quy trình lựa chọn địa điểm để đảm bảo rằng quận lựa chọn các địa điểm trung tâm bỏ phiếu dễ tiếp cận hoặc có thể được cải thiện để trở nên dễ tiếp cận hơn trong thời gian bỏ phiếu bằng cách áp dụng các biện pháp khắc phục tạm thời. Quận đã đồng ý làm việc với chuyên gia và bộ để thực hiện các khuyến nghị của chuyên gia. Chuyên gia sẽ cung cấp các báo cáo hai lần một năm về phát hiện của họ cho quận và bộ.
Với trên 500 khu vực chính trị và khoảng 4,3 triệu cử tri đã đăng ký, Quận Los Angeles là khu vực bầu cử lớn nhất cả nước.
Cuộc điều tra của Quận Los Angeles nằm trong khuôn khổ của Sáng Kiến Bỏ Phiếu theo ADA của bộ, trong đó tập trung vào việc bảo vệ quyền bỏ phiếu của người khuyết tật trên khắp cả nước. Quý vị có thể tham khảo thêm thông tin về bỏ phiếu và bầu cử trên trang web của Bộ Tư Pháp tại www.justice.gov/voting. Để biết thêm thông tin về Ban Dân Quyền, vui lòng truy cập www.justice.gov/crt. Để biết thêm thông tin về ADA, vui lòng gọi đến Đường Dây Thông Tin ADA miễn phí của bộ theo số 1-800-514-0301 (TTY 1-833-610-1264) hoặc truy cập www.ada.gov. Nếu quý vị cho rằng mình bị phân biệt đối xử dựa trên tình trạng khuyết tật, vui lòng gửi báo cáo trực tuyến tại www.civilrights.justice.gov. Trợ Lý Chưởng Lý Hoa Kỳ và Trưởng Bộ Phận Dân Quyền Richard Park cùng với Trợ Lý Chưởng Lý Hoa Kỳ Katherine Hikida, Matthew Barragan, Margaret Chen và Alexandra Young của Quận Trung Tâm California đã xử lý vấn đề này, phối hợp với Bộ Phận Quyền cho Người Khuyết Tật thuộc Ban Dân Quyền của Bộ Tư Pháp.
Tháng trước đánh dấu kỷ niệm 34 năm ngày ban hành ADA, được Tổng Thống George H.W. Bush ký thành luật vào ngày 26 tháng 7 năm 1990. ADA là luật toàn diện đầu tiên trên thế giới về dân quyền dành cho người khuyết tật. Khi kỷ niệm 34 năm ngày ban hành ADA, chúng ta dành thời gian để công nhận những lợi ích của ADA, đồng thời cũng ghi nhận rằng vẫn còn nhiều việc phải làm để đạt được các mục tiêu lâu dài về công bằng, hòa nhập và khả năng tiếp cận cho người khuyết tật.
Buffalo man pleads guilty to selling methRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that John R. Bollinger, 24, of Buffalo, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, 50 grams or more of methamphetamine, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of 40 years, and a fine of $5,000,000.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Pierre Richard Antoine, who is handling the case, stated that in April 2023, law enforcement began investigating the drug trafficking activities of Bollinger, who was suspected of manufacturing and selling quantities of counterfeit Adderall containing methamphetamine in the Buffalo area. Between June 13 and July 16, 2023, investigators made four controlled purchases of counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine.
The plea sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino, and the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Stanley Edwards, III.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 3, 2024, at 10:00 a.m. before Judge Sinatra.
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Brookings, South Dakota Man Sentenced for Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Harley Degroat, 45, of Brookings, South Dakota, was sentenced on July 31, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Degroat to 192 months’ imprisonment with a 10-year term of supervised release to follow. There is no parole in the federal system. Degroat was found to be a career offender under federal law, and his sentence was enhanced due to a 2019 conviction for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine in the District of Wyoming.
On October 3, 2020, a Merrick County Sheriff’s deputy stopped a driver for speeding along Highway 30 in Merrick County. Degroat was driving and a female was in the front passenger seat. The deputy learned that Degroat had an active arrest warrant out of Pottawattamie County, Iowa for violating probation. The deputy arrested Degroat on the warrant. Degroat and his passenger gave conflicting information about their travel plans. A drug dog alerted and indicated to the presence of narcotics in Degroat’s car. Investigators searched the car, locating a black case near the engine compartment containing bags of meth, heroin, THC cartridges, marijuana, and a black Ruger .380 firearm. An analyst from the Nebraska State Patrol Crime Lab confirmed the presence of about three pounds of meth and a half-ounce of heroin.
This case was investigated by the Merrick County Sheriff’s Office and the Trident Drug Task Force, which is made up of officers from the Grand Island Police Department, Hall County Sheriff, Hastings Police Department, Adams County Sheriff, Kearney Police Department, Buffalo County Sheriff, Nebraska State Patrol, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Brevard Man Sentenced to More Than 19 Years for Sexual Abuse of A MinorRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Carlos E. Mendoza has sentenced Michael Angelo Tollen (75, Brevard County) to 19 years and 7 months in federal prison for sexual abuse of a minor. In addition, Tollen will be required to register as a sex offender and comply with the provisions of the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act upon his release from prison. Tollen entered a guilty plea on March 11, 2024.
According to court documents, Tollen, who resided on Patrick Air Force Base at the time of the offense, was arrested in October 2023 after his family discovered he had been sexually abusing the victim who suffered from developmental and cognitive impairment. Evidence presented at sentencing showed that Tollen had been sexually abusing the victim starting when the victim was about 13 years old and continuing for over a year. Tollen’s sentence was enhanced because the Court ruled that, due to the victim’s development and cognitive impairments, the victim was incapable of appraising the nature of the conduct against the victim. The Court also ruled that Tollen had attempted to obstruct justice by threatening to divorce his wife and cut off her access to his military benefits if she testified against him.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the United States Air Force Office of Special Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kara M. Wick.
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Brainerd Man Pleads Guilty to Distributing Fentanyl in the Brainerd Lakes AreaRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Brainerd man has pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute thousands of fentanyl pills, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on August 1, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a storage unit in Brainerd that belonged to Dazaughn Ellis West, 28. Inside the unit, officers found between 13,000 and 15,000 pressed fentanyl pills, weighing approximately 2.8 pounds. Law enforcement also executed a search warrant at West’s home in Brainerd, where they found an additional 150 grams of fentanyl pills, a loaded semi-automatic pistol, a .22 caliber rifle, and distributable quantities of cocaine.
West pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge John R. Tunheim to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. West’s co-defendant, Devaughn Ellis West, is scheduled to plead guilty on August 19, 2024. Sentencing hearings will be scheduled at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Crow Wing County Sheriff’s Office, Brainerd Police Department, and the Lakes Area Drug Investigative Division (LADID).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren O. Roso is prosecuting the case.
Bogalusa Man Sentenced for Federal Drug Trafficking and OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JAMAR MCGOWAN (“MCGOWAN”), age 30, a resident of Bogalusa, Louisiana, was sentenced on July 31, 2024, to 235 months imprisonment after previously pleading guilty to violations of the Federal Control Substances Act and the Federal Gun Control Act. Specifically, MCGOWAN pled guilty to maintaining a drug involved premises, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Section 856; conspiring to use firearms in furtherance of a drug conspiracy, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(o); and being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). Each sentence was ordered to run concurrently with each other. He was also sentenced to serve 3 years of supervised release after his release from prison and pay a mandatory $300 special assessment fee.
According to court documents, in 2018, agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated several acts of violence and narcotics trafficking in Bogalusa, Louisiana. Agents determined that MCGOWAN and others were members and associates of an organization that conspired to distribute controlled substances. Members of this group also possessed, used, carried, and discharged numerous firearms to further their drug trafficking and other crimes of violence. Specifically, from 2017 to the present, their firearm activities were designed to protect their drug turf, retaliate against rival neighborhood drug groups, and maintain and increase their status in the group and in the City of Bogalusa.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maurice Landrieu of the Narcotics Unit and investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Washington Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Bogalusa Police Department.
Belle Vernon Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Robbery ChargesRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Belle Vernon, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court on July 30, 2024, to charges of bank robbery and attempted bank robbery, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Dylan Adams, 29, pleaded guilty before Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak.
According to information presented to the Court, on July 9, 2021, surveillance footage from a Monessen, Pennsylvania, bank recorded a male wearing a baseball cap, a mask, and white sneakers walk into the bank and slide a note to the teller demanding $15,000 and threatening to “shoot” if the police were called. In response, the teller provided the male $3,731, and the male fled before law enforcement’s arrival.
Forensic evidence identified Adams as the individual who committed the bank robbery, with investigators also finding a photograph of Adams on his social media account that showed the same white sneakers worn during the bank robbery.
Following the July 9 bank robbery, law enforcement released still images of the surveillance footage. On July 23, 2021, an employee of a credit union in Charleroi, Pennsylvania, contacted law enforcement indicating that he recognized the male from those still images as someone who had entered the credit union and then left after observing that all of the tellers were occupied with other customers. An employee of the credit union quickly locked the door behind the man, who attempted to re-enter the bank through that and another door, but was told that the bank was closed. Law enforcement again identified Adams as the individual who attempted to commit this bank robbery.
Judge Hornak scheduled sentencing for December 19, 2024. The maximum penalty at each count is up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the prosecution of Adams.
Baton Rouge Man Pleads Guilty to Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced that Jonathan Wayne Lanaute, age 40, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, pleaded guilty before Chief Judge Shelly D. Dick to bank robbery.
According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, on the morning of May 3, 2024, Lanaute entered United Community Bank, located on Bluebonnet Boulevard in Baton Rouge, and stated that he needed to cash a check. Lanaute approached a counter and passed a handwritten note to the bank teller which stated “give me all the money in the cash resgister [sic] before everybody die in here.” The teller, fearful of bodily harm, directed the bank’s computer to begin dispensing $100 bills. While waiting for the bills to be dispensed, Lanaute was fidgeting in his sweatshirt pockets as if he had a firearm. Lanaute told the teller to “hurry up, hurry up,” and not to make any moves.
The machine dispensed fifty, $100 bills at a time, and ran through four (4) cycles. When complete. Lanaute took the money from the teller and walked towards the bank to leave. Before exiting the building, Lanaute heard the machine continuing to dispense money and he returned to the teller counter to retrieve the additional bills. Lanaute then exited the building with twenty-thousand dollars ($20,000).
Law enforcement was dispatched to the scene and retrieved video footage from the bank’s surveillance system. The surveillance footage showed Lanaute entering the bank wearing a grey hooded sweatshirt and a black Saints baseball cap, and ultimately fleeing the scene in a dark colored sedan with a spoiler on the rear of the vehicle. Law enforcement identified the vehicle as a dark grey Mitsubishi Lancer which had been reported stolen during an armed robbery near the bank the previous night.
The vehicle was identified around the immediate area of United Community Bank and law enforcement visually confirmed the driver to be the same individual identified as the robber from the bank’s video surveillance. Officers attempted a traffic stop of the vehicle. Lanaute refused to stop and a vehicle pursuit ensued. During the pursuit, Lanaute drove the vehicle into ongoing traffic, ran another motorist off the road, and drove in the wrong direction on the interstate. The pursuit of the vehicle ended when the driver crashed head-on into an innocent motorist on the interstate.
After the crash, Lanaute fled on foot. Following a short foot pursuit, Lanaute was apprehended and taken into custody. Lanaute was wearing the same clothing as seen in the bank’s video surveillance. Approximately $8,207.89 was recovered from Lanaute’s person.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Baton Rouge Police Department, and the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff’s Office, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristen Lundin Craig.
Arnold Man Sentenced to 11 Years in Prison for Trafficking CocaineRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Arnold, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court to 132 months in prison, to be followed by six years of supervised release, on his convictions of conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Senior United States District Judge Kim R. Gibson imposed the sentence on Milton Paschal, 44.
According to information presented to the Court, from in and around September 2021 to in and around March 2023, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Paschal conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of a mixture and substance containing cocaine. Further, in and around December 2022, Paschal possessed with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture and substance containing cocaine. Paschal was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of cocaine that he distributed to others.
Assistant United States Attorney Arnold P. Bernard Jr. prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Laurel Highlands Resident Agency and Homeland Security Investigations for the investigation that led to the successful prosecution of Paschal. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, and other local law enforcement agencies.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Armed Robber Sentenced to 22 Years for Carjacking and RobberiesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jameson McNeil, 26, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced yesterday by Superior Court Judge Lynn Leibovitz to 22 years in prison for a series of crimes he committed between August 2022 and February 2023. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
McNeil pleaded guilty on May 6, 2024, to one count of armed carjacking and four counts of robbery. According to court documents, on February 7, 2023, McNeil was armed with what appeared to be a handgun when he ordered a woman out of her car while she was inside a parking garage in the 800 block of P Street NW. The robberies stemmed from McNeil’s targeting of female victims who were walking alone. On August 1, 2022, McNeil approached a woman walking alone in the 600 block of 21st Street SE and robbed her of her purse. Between February 13, 2023 and February 15, 2023, McNeil robbed three other women of their property – one in the 400 block of 7th Street NE, one in the 400 block of G Street NE, and one in the 1700 block of A Street SE. McNeil committed an armed carjacking on Capitol Hill in April 2023. He was running from the victims’ car when MPD officers found him hiding under a different car.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie Dinan, Ronald Chester, Shauna Payyappilly and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Forgie, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Arkansas Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Firearm PossessionRead the Press Release
HOT SPRINGS – A Little Rock man was sentenced yesterday to the maximum sentence of 120 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release on one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court in Hot Springs.
According to court documents, on June 23, 2022, a deputy with the Garland County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop in the 600 block of East Grand Avenue in Hot Springs, Arkansas. The deputy made contact with the driver, and sole occupant, of the vehicle Chantze T. Howze, age 30. As the deputy returned to his vehicle to investigate the information provided by Howze, Howze fled the scene in his vehicle. The deputy began pursuing Howze at speeds more than 100 miles per hour.
A trooper with the Arkansas State Police assisted in the pursuit of Howze, whose vehicle traveled in and out of traffic and traveled into the oncoming lane. Howze ultimately lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a motel located at the intersection of East Grand Avenue and Coy Street in Hot Springs causing damage to the building. A search of the vehicle yielded 795 grams of marijuana and a Glock 9mm semi-automatic handgun loaded with 18 live rounds. Howze was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to a prior felony conviction of Possession with Purpose to Deliver Controlled Substance Schedule IV and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia to Manufacture.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Garland County Sheriff’s Department, 18th East Judicial District Drug Task Force, Arkansas State Police and the 18th East Prosecuting Attorney’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Daniels prosecuted the case.
This case was prosecuted as 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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov.
Appling County man sentenced to federal prison for methamphetamine traffickingRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA: An Appling County man has been sentenced to federal prison after pleading guilty to trafficking methamphetamine.
Christopher Eric Stone, 40, of Baxley, Ga., was sentenced to 68 months in prison after pleading guilty to Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Stone to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison sentence.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Christopher Stone has a substantial history of arrests and convictions in Appling County, dating back more than two decades,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “Significant time behind bars will provide the community with a measure of relief from his serial criminality.”
As described in court documents and testimony, deputies from the Appling County Sheriff’s Office found Stone in possession of methamphetamine during a traffic stop and then, while he was on bond on state charges, again found him in possession of methamphetamine during another traffic arrest.
Stone has a long history of criminal convictions for charges including drug trafficking and domestic violence, primarily in the Baxley area.
“As Sheriff of Appling County, I am very thankful to our federal partners at the DEA and the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said Appling County Sheriff Mark Melton. “The sanctions we see through this partnership make a statement that we are not going to tolerate drug dealers and if they choose to do so here, there will be severe repercussions.”
“The investigation and subsequent conviction of this criminal drug dealer demonstrates the DEA’s commitment to fight the drug traffickers who have no regard for the citizens of our community,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Atlanta Division.
The case was investigated by the Appling County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Bradley R. Thompson.
After-Market Firearm Accessory Manufacturer and Distributor Agrees to Plead Guilty to Illegal Distribution of Firearm SilencersRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New Hampshire company has agreed to plead guilty to charges that it violated the National Firearms Act (NFA) by distributing interoperable components for firearm silencers.
KBC Capital, LLC d/b/a “Lethal Eye” has agreed to plead guilty to 26 counts of transferring a firearm in violation of the NFA. In connection with the plea agreement, KBC has agreed to pay a $260,000 fine, the maximum financial penalty permitted by law.
“By making gunshots harder to hear, silencers impede law enforcement efforts to respond to shootings and diminish the effectiveness of gunshot detection technology. This results in slower response time by first responders, which can have a direct impact on saving the lives of people struck by gunfire,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “That is why Congress and federal agencies require manufacturers and distributors of silencers to conform to strict regulatory requirements. By knowingly flouting these regulatory requirements, KBC Capital allegedly flooded the market with these inherently dangerous devices. This case demonstrates our Office’s efforts to attack the problem of illegal guns from all angles.”
“Perpetrators engaged in the manufacturing, distributing or possession of illegal silencers pose a significant challenge for law enforcement,” stated James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division. “We are committed to work with our partners to identify and disrupt these illicit activities so that we can help ensure the safety of our communities.”
“KBC Capital was responsible for at least 26 illicit transfers of firearm suppressors to Massachusetts residents. These devices are controlled by law and private companies in the firearms trade have a duty to follow the proper legal channels to ensure a safe, lawful firearms industry,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “This investigation was only made possible through the close collaboration with our partners in law enforcement working together towards our public safety goals.”
“The use of the mail to further the illicit trade in firearms and firearms components poses a real threat to the public,” said Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division. “The Postal Inspection Service is proud to stand with our federal partners and hold this company responsible for its actions.”
“This investigation is an example of DEA’s dedication to working with our local, state and federal partners in identifying, targeting and investigating those who are involved in selling dangerous devices.” said Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division. “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to stop illegal activities so our communities can be safe places to be.”
As part of the plea agreement, KBC Capital admits the facts underlying the government’s allegations. The NFA imposes taxes on the making and transfer of NFA Firearms, as well as a special occupational tax on Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs) engaged in the business of importing, manufacturing and dealing in NFA firearms. Only certain classes of FFLs may lawfully manufacture NFA weapons. The NFA requires registration of all NFA firearms with the Attorney General in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record (NFRTR). The purpose of the NFA is to regulate transactions in NFA firearms, which are deemed to be more dangerous than those not regulated by the NFA due to their proliferation in criminal activity at the time the NFA was enacted.
KBC operated a website using the trade name “Lethal Eye.” KBC sold a variety of firearms accessories. Despite marketing one of these products as a “muzzle break,” this product actually served as a principal part of a firearm silencer. This part was interoperable with other KBC products that, together, along with other generally available consumer products, could be combined to generate a firearm silencer. According to court documents, while doing business as “Lethal Eye,” KBC allegedly sent 26 illegal suppressor parts to Massachusetts residents. On Aug. 18, 2023, a search of Lethal Eye’s principal place of business resulted in the recovery of 327 items classified by ATF as illegal firearm silencers. At no time, was KBC an FFL and at no time did KBC pay the appropriate tax to manufacture a single silencer.
The charge of transferring a firearm in violation of the NFA, when charged against a business entity, provides for the maximum penalty of $10,000 per violation, probation of three years and a mandatory special assessment of $400 per count.
Acting United States Attorney Levy; ATF SAC Ferguson; HSI SAC Krol; USPIS INC Larco-Ward; and DEA Acting SAC Belleau made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by Nashua and Hollis Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan Panich of the Criminal Division is prosecuting the case.
17.5-Year Sentence in Spree of Dozens of Gunpoint ‘Hobbs Act’ Robberies and Attempted Robberies in the District and MarylandRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Stephon Harrigan, 31, was sentenced today to 210 months in prison for a 2022 spree of approximately three dozen armed robberies and attempted robberies of various commercial business. The robbed establishments included gas stations, convenience stores, fast-food restaurants, check cashers, and liquor stores in the District and suburban Maryland. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Harrigan pleaded guilty on March 25, 2024, to conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery (also known as Hobbs Act robbery) and possession of a firearm during and in furtherance of a crime of violence before U.S. District Judge Reggie Walton in Washington D.C.
Harrigan’s co-defendant and brother, Aaron Harrigan, 28, pleaded guilty on October 3, 2023, to a charge of conspiracy to interfere with interstate commerce by robbery for his participation in four of the robberies. Aaron Harrigan was sentenced to 87 months in prison on September 25, 2023. Co-defendant Tavarus Thompson pleaded guilty on March 29, 2024, and is awaiting sentencing.
According to court documents, the spree began on January 12, 2022, with the gunpoint robbery of a gas station on 18th Street, NE, Washington, D.C. It ended on March 6, 2022, when law enforcement stopped a stolen car at the intersection of 1st Street and Gallatin Street, NW, and its occupants fled on foot. Stephon Harrigan forced his way into a woman’s vehicle and ordered her to drive him away, but the car collided with an unmarked MPD vehicle. Law enforcement then arrested him.
During the first three months of 2022, Stephon Harrigan and/or Tavarus Thompson, along with, at times, other individuals, entered an additional approximately 34 establishments while armed with at least one firearm. In general, they brandished at least one gun and demanded money. They generally obtained cash or other property of the establishments, as well as, at times, property belonging to individuals in the establishments.
On March 6, 2022, law enforcement captured Stephon Harrigan. Tavarus Thompson was arrested in South Carolina on March 18, 2022, and Aaron Harrigan was arrested on March 29, 2022.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Violent Crime Task Force and the Metropolitan Police Department’s Carjacking Task Force. Valuable assistance was provided by the FBI’s Columbia, South Carolina Field Office, and the Mount Rainier, Md., Prince George’s County, Md., and Montgomery County, Md. Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Solomon Eppel of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. Valuable assistance was provided by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew Kinskey and Andrea Duvall, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Rachel Fletcher.
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31 July 2024
“Hot shot” smuggling organization heading to prison for illegally transporting thousandsRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – Four men involved in a large-scale smuggling conspiracy have been sentenced for “inhumanely” transporting individuals into the United States, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Mission residents Diego Flores, 29, Gerardo Villarreal, 34, and Gilberto Rios, 35, all previously pleaded guilty along with Antonio Cuevas-Lozano, 46, Mexico, to conspiracy to transport or harbor undocumented individuals within the United States. Villarreal also admitted to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Diego Flores to serve 156 months in federal prison. Villarreal received 120 months for the smuggling conspiracy and 70 months for the firearms conviction to be served concurrently, along with 24 months on a supervised release violation to be served consecutively for a total 144-month sentence. Rios and Cuevas-Lozano were sentenced to 63 and 30 months, respectively. Flores, Rios and Villarreal must also serve three years of supervised release, while Cuevos-Lozano is expected to face removal proceedings following his imprisonment.
At the hearing, the court heard how the organization moved thousands of undocumented aliens in groups of at least 70 by placing them inside containers and drilling them closed from the outside, loading them onto trailers and transporting them on the highway in the hot Texas climate. Diego Flores acted in a leadership capacity within the smuggling organization and had a prior smuggling conviction. The court also considered how the organization utilized multiple firearms to threaten the individuals. Judge Crane noted the complete disregard for the safety of the undocumented people the organization exhibited, expressing that the means and methods of transportation were “inhumane.”
“Human smugglers ply their trade preying on the vulnerable,” said Hamdani. “These smugglers cramped dozens of migrants into wooden crates and then bolted those crates shut, leaving the migrants to the mercy of South Texas’s brutal heat. Such conduct was not just predatory; it also demonstrated a total disregard for the value of human life. Today’s sentences reflect how my office will not rest until we disrupt and dismantle the deadly human smuggling operations that cause so much sorrow along the Southwest border.”
Beginning in April 2022, Diego Flores hired “hot shot” drivers to transport various containers, including wooden boxes, sheds and hay bales on flat-bed trailers further north. If ever intercepted at the Falfurrias Border Patrol (BP) checkpoint, the drivers would minimize culpability on those within the smuggling organization as the drivers were unaware of what they were transporting.
On April 26, 2022, law enforcement intercepted a load of 40 undocumented individuals within wooden boxes. Authorities also found 69 people in compartments in the roofs of two sheds strapped onto flat-bed trailers July 19, 2023. Another interception occurred Aug. 18, 2023, when law enforcement located a load of 28 undocumented aliens hidden in a compartment surrounded by hay bales. Authorities also discovered 36 more hidden within wooden crates loaded on a trailer 11 days later. Then, on Sept. 1, 2023, law enforcement found eight people hidden in a compartment underneath a trailer, between it and the road.
On each occasion, authorities spoke to those recovered and uncovered the large-scale smuggling organization.
Those in the conspiracy utilized a ranch property in Mission to build the compartments in which to transport undocumented individuals. On every occasion, the conspirators instructed the aliens to get inside and drilled the containers closed, offering them no means of escape. The conspirators then drove the trailer loaded with containers to meet the “hot shot” driver who would further transport the trailer north. Authorities executed a search warrant on Sept. 5, 2023, on the ranch property and recovered three firearms.
Once in custody, law enforcement discovered Villarreal had a pistol in his possession. As a convicted felon, federal law prohibits him from possessing firearms or ammunition.
On Feb. 1, Noe Vasquez received 144 months in federal prison as part of this conspiracy. At that time, the court heard testimony of how the smuggling organization moved approximately 3000 non-U.S. citizens and used firearms to control them.
All will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
BP conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Devin V. Walker prosecuted the case.
“Host Ukraine” Executive Director Ordered to Pay $172,158 in Restitution for Fraudulently Obtaining Visas, Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A Kentucky woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for conspiracy to commit visa fraud and tax evasion.
U.S. District Judge John A. Woodcock, Jr. ordered Colleen Holt-Thompson, 58, to pay $172,158.79 in restitution and sentenced her to probation for three years. Holt-Thompson pleaded guilty on January 29, 2024.
According to court records, Holt-Thompson founded Host Ukraine in 2015 in Newport, Kentucky and served as the non-profit’s executive director. The organization brought children living in orphanages in Ukraine to stay with American families for short periods over the summer or winter holidays. As part of the program, Host Ukraine was required to have the permission of the Ministry of Social Policy in Ukraine to transport each child, and the name and address of a hosting family was required before permission would be granted. Once permission was granted, the U.S. Embassy in Kyiv, Ukraine would issue a non-immigrant visa to the child. The Ministry’s approval was a prerequisite to the issuance of the visas.
Between 2015 and 2019, Thompson applied for and received Ministry hosting permission for 828 U.S. non-immigrant visas for Ukrainian children. To obtain the visas, Holt-Thompson would provide placeholder names – names and addresses of American families who had not actually agreed to serve as hosts – when she submitted names of Ukrainian children to the Ministry. Before the children traveled to the U.S., she would find actual host families for each child. During the period of the conspiracy, a coconspirator who lived in Maine and was the Northeast contact for Host Ukraine was responsible for identifying placeholder families in Maine and recruiting families to serve as actual host families for the Ukrainian children who traveled to the U.S. on fraudulently obtained visas.
Host families were charged a $3,000 fee to host a child, and Host Ukraine also collected donations. In 2016, Holt-Thompson spent approximately $127,610 in personal expenses and paid for those expenses from Host Ukraine’s checking account or paid personal credit card bills using Host Ukraine’s checking account. The money spent on personal expenses was not reported as income on the tax return Holt-Thompson and her husband filed. Holt-Thompson reported her taxable income for that year as only $47,226. In addition, Holt-Thompson failed to file a tax return for Host Ukraine.
The U.S. Department of State’s Bureau of Diplomatic Security and IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
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Wiggins Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute 96 Grams of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Gulfport, MS – A Wiggins man pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute 96 grams of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, on February 16, 2024, an investigation revealed that Daniel Daughdrill, 42, was selling methamphetamine from his Wiggins residence. A search of his residence yielded 96 grams of methamphetamine as well as a firearm.
Daughdrill will be sentenced on October 30, 2024 and faces up to twenty years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Acting Special Agent in Charge Eric DeLaune of Homeland Security Investigations made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations and Stone County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erica Rose is prosecuting the case.
Weston Man Sentenced to 21 Months in Federal Prison for $890K Embezzlement SchemeRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CHARLES M. AMEER, 65, of Weston, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 21 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for embezzling $890,000. Judge Underhill ordered Ameer to perform 150 hours of community service while on supervised release.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2017 through 2022, Ameer was the Chief Financial Officer at Indeco North America, a wholly owned subsidiary of Indeco Ind. S.P.A, headquartered in Milford. From 2014 until February 2018, Ameer served as the treasurer of the Weston Soccer Club (“WSC”), located in Weston. Beginning in 2016, Ameer misappropriated at least $38,500 from the WSC and used the funds for personal expenses. In October 2017, Ameer created a $40,000 check, which was drafted on Indeco’s bank account and made payable to the order of “WSC,” and used the check to reimburse the WSC for the funds he had taken. Ameer subsequently opened a line of credit at a bank in WSC’s name, without WSC’s authorization or knowledge, and transferred funds into the WSC account that he had stolen from to further conceal his theft.
Between October 2018 and July 2022, Ameer created 14 additional checks, in the total amount of $850,000, which were drafted on Indeco’s bank account and made payable to him. He deposited the checks into bank accounts he controlled and used the funds for his own benefit.
Judge Underhill ordered Ameer to make full restitution.
Ameer was arrested on August 31, 2023. On March 28, 2024, he pleaded guilty to wire fraud.
Ameer, who is released on a $500,000 bond, is required to report to prison on October 9.
This investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather Cherry.
Virginia Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Introducing Misbranded Drugs into Interstate CommerceRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Jonathan Corbett Cosie (56, Chesterfield, Virginia) to two years in federal prison for introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce with the intent to defraud or mislead. Cosie pleaded guilty on May 30, 2023.
According to court documents, from approximately 2017 through 2020, Cosie owned and operated HCGRX, a Florida corporation that he used to distribute misbranded drugs via the internet. Among others, Cosie distributed multiple varieties of injectable drugs containing human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG), a hormone produced by the placenta during pregnancy. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved certain prescription drugs containing HCG for the treatment of female infertility and other medical conditions but has repeatedly warned consumers against the use of illicit products containing HCG for unapproved purposes such as weight loss.
Cosie obtained his products containing HCG from companies in India, China, and elsewhere, which did not have the required approvals of the FDA for distribution in the United States. Cosie marketed the HCG products on his website explicitly for weight loss and made fraudulent claims to consumers that HCGRX could allow customers to avoid having to obtain a prescription to purchase the drugs and that it was cooperating with “international pharmacies” to ship out the products. In reality, Cosie was obtaining the drugs from foreign and domestic suppliers, creating counterfeit labels and re-labeling the products at a residence in Jacksonville, and shipping the drugs along with syringes to customers directly. Law enforcement executed a search warrant at the Jacksonville residence and recovered numerous vials of products containing HCG, boxes of misbranded erectile dysfunction drugs, syringes, empty vials, product labels, and other items related to the HCGRX business.
Over the course of the scheme, Cosie obtained approximately $626,000 from the distribution of misbranded drugs.
This case was investigated by the FDA - Office of Criminal Investigation, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office – Pharmaceutical Diversion & Designer Drug Unit – North Florida HIDTA, and the Virginia State Police. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David B. Mesrobian.
Vale Woman Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Vale, South Dakota, woman convicted of Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. The sentencing took place on July 25, 2024.
Leslie Marie White, 26, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, followed by 10 years of supervised released, and order to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund and $29,424.20 in restitution. White will also be required to register as a sex offender under the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act.
White was indicted for Production of Child Pornography by a Parent by a federal grand jury in January of 2023. She pleaded guilty on May 1, 2024.
On December 13, 2022, the FBI received a tip that a married couple was producing child pornography using their minor daughter. The pornographic images were located by an overseas partner on the social media platform “Wickr.” Through the investigation it was determined that White and her husband were trading images and videos containing child pornography involving their daughter to other individuals using Wickr.
On December 19, 2022, law enforcement seized 33 devices, from White’s home in Vale. A forensic examiner with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force reviewed the devices and determined that there was child pornography on 12 of the 33 devices, including 169 videos, 443 images, and eight live videos of child pornography.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Timothy White was sentenced on February 5, 2024, to 45 years in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the FBI, and the Butte County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Poppen prosecuted the case.
White was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
United States Attorney Recognizes World Day Against Trafficking in PersonsRead the Press Release
OXFORD, MS – The United Nations General Assembly has declared July 30 as “World Day Against Trafficking in Persons,” and urges accelerated action to end child trafficking. Clay Joyner, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Mississippi, has committed efforts to raise awareness and combat this growing epidemic. “Human trafficking, particularly the trafficking of children, is an outrage that cannot be tolerated,” remarked Joyner. “This office will do everything in our power to root out this evil and protect vulnerable victims.”
What is human trafficking?
The most common forms of human trafficking are sexual exploitation and forced labor. Human trafficking occurs when a trafficker uses force, fraud or coercion to control another person for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex acts or soliciting labor or services against his/her will. Any commercial sex act involving someone under the age of 18 is human trafficking.
Traffickers can be organized groups but also the victim’s own family. One in three victims of human trafficking globally is a child, with girls being disproportionately affected. Often, child exploitation cases meet the definition of trafficking if the crime involves a sex act in exchange for something of value, including money, food, shelter, clothing, or other items.
Identification and protection of child victims remain challenging due to underreporting and lack of awareness. Traffickers often employ coercion, deception, and threats to maintain control over their victims, making it difficult for authorities to intervene. Citizens should be aware of the signs to assist in recognizing and reporting trafficking.
What are the signs?
- Lack of identifying documents such as a driver's license or passport. Traffickers seize these from their victims to restrict their freedom of movement and limit their actions.
- Lack of control of their own money. Traffickers withhold or deny wages, and limit access to cash in order to control their victims.
- Signs of physical abuse such as bruises or scars.
- Unusual fearfulness. Victims may be working under threats to themselves, their family, their property or their freedom.
- Unwillingness to communicate or socialize. Victims may be fearful to communicate with their friends, family or authorities.
- Lack of food, sleep or proper care. Victims may be subject to very poor living conditions and treatment.
- Being underage for their work, especially if it involves commercial sex.
Resources are available for trafficking victims and includes response by local, state, and Federal law enforcement. If you or someone you know is a victim of human trafficking, assistance is available 24/7 immediately from local law enforcement and through the National Human Trafficking Hotline. A confidential report can be made by visiting https://humantraffickinghotline.org/, calling 1-888-373-7888, or sending a text to BeFree (233733).
Though this a crime occurring globally, trafficking is present at the local level. The U.S. Attorney’s Office urges citizens in the Northern District of Mississippi to report suspected trafficking.
In Mississippi, you can make a report to the statewide human trafficking coordinator by emailing [email protected] or calling 601-987-1671. Any report involving a victim under 18 being trafficked must be reported to the Mississippi Department of Child Protection Services online at https://reportabuse.mdcps.ms.gov/ or by calling 1-800-222-8000.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Takes Part in “National Night Out” Aug. 6Read the Press Release
CLEVELAND - The U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the Northern District of Ohio will join dozens of community organizers and law enforcement partners to participate in “National Night Out” on Tuesday, Aug. 6, 2024, from 5-8 p.m. at Halloran Park, 3550 West 117th Street, Cleveland, 44111. The family-friendly event is free and open to the public. The event is held on the first Tuesday of August each year and is an opportunity for community members to meet and talk with those who keep our communities safe. Visitors to this outdoor event may take part in games and activities, pick up giveaways and snacks, and learn about the importance of safety in the community.
USAO personnel will be on hand to interact with and answer questions from members of the community and to highlight awareness about law enforcement initiatives such as Elder Financial Abuse scams.
“National Night Out has rallied neighborhood residents, law enforcement, and community leaders in the common goal of strengthening relationships to help prevent, deter, and address crime in our local community,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “Our Office is proud to stand alongside our law enforcement colleagues to engage with our community members, support safer homes and streets, and work together to drive out crime.”
As the chief federal law enforcement official in the Northern District Ohio, it is the U.S. Attorney’s job to help coordinate a comprehensive law enforcement and crime prevention strategy for Northern Ohio. The office works with federal, state and local partners on wide-ranging investigations of groups and people that span county, state, and international boundaries.
National Night Out was established in 1984 by the Bureau of Justice Assistance through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Justice Programs. The program is administered by the National Association of Town Watch, a nationwide non-profit organization.
Coordinated by local law enforcement and trained volunteers, National Night Out provides communities from coast to coast the chance to bring police and neighbors together under positive circumstances such as cookouts, festivals, parades, safety demonstrations, youth events, visits from emergency personnel, and more. National Night Out sends a message that neighbors are united and working together to keep their communities and each other safe.
For more information about law enforcement initiatives and programs, contact District Law Enforcement Coordinator Tom Weldon at 216-622-3600, or [email protected].
U.S. Attorney Charges Haverstraw Man with Sexual Exploitation and Enticement of Three MinorsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the unsealing of a Complaint charging OSCAR LEMUS with sexual exploitation and enticement of a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity. LEMUS was presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Judith C. McCarthy in White Plains federal court and detained.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “This case underlines the urgent need for law enforcement to continue its efforts to protect children from those who prey on them. As today’s arrest shows, we will use every tool available to law enforcement to investigate and prosecute those alleged to have sexually exploited children.”
As alleged in the Complaint:[1]
From at least on or about April 20, 2024, up to and including April 23, 2024, LEMUS, who used the screen name “lemus.xp,” met a 14-year-old minor on social media and persuaded her to meet him in Rockland County, New York, to engage in sexual activity.
On or about March 16, 2024, LEMUS engaged in sexual activity with a 14-year-old minor in the Bronx, New York, and video-recorded the sexual activity using a cellphone.
On or about August 20, 2023, LEMUS persuaded a 16-year-old minor in Mississippi to engage in sexual activity during a live video chat with LEMUS.
Anyone who may have encountered LEMUS or whose child may have had any communications with LEMUS is asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324).
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LEMUS, 23, of Haverstraw, New York, is charged with one count of enticing a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity, which carries a maximum sentence of life in prison. He is also charged with two counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the efforts of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Ramapo Police Department, the Rockland County District Attorney’s Office, and the Rockland County Sheriff’s Department in connection with this investigation.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marcia S. Cohen is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Two Stockton Men Plead Guilty in a Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Pill Trafficking Criminal EnterpriseRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. —Jamaine Dontae Barnes, 42, of Stockton, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to running a continuing criminal enterprise, multiple counts of manufacturing and distributing pills laced with fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other drugs, illegal firearms possession, and international money laundering, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
One of Barnes’ subordinates, Kavieo Daeshaun Lee Wiley, 28, of Stockton, also pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, and U-47700 (a synthetic opioid), and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
According to court documents, from at least September 2015 through May 2019, Barnes led a Stockton-based pill-trafficking operation that regularly made and sold thousands of drug-laced pills. Barnes and his subordinates made the pills using pill presses, which are machines that compress powders into pills of various shapes and sizes. Barnes made pills that appeared to be legitimate prescription pills but in fact contained fentanyl, furanyl fentanyl, heroin, and other synthetic opioids that Barnes mixed into them. Barnes also made pills that appeared to be traditional Ecstasy pills, but in fact contained methamphetamine and other illegal stimulants. For years, Barnes obtained pill pressing equipment, materials, and illegal drugs from China, and at his direction, his subordinates made illegal international money transfers to purchase these materials.
In April and May 2019, investigators obtained a court-authorization for a federal wiretap and intercepted communications over Barnes cellphone. During this wiretap investigation, law enforcement seized thousands of methamphetamine-laced pills. On May 16, 2019, during search warrants executed at multiple locations across Stockton that Barnes and his subordinates used to manufacture, store, and distribute pills, investigators seized two pill press machines and other pill manufacturing equipment and materials; thousands of fentanyl-laced and methamphetamine-laced pills; powders containing fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other illegal drugs; and three firearms possessed by Barnes.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the California Highway Patrol, the San Joaquin METRO Narcotics Task Force, the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT) Task Force, the Stockton Police Department, the Sacramento County High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, and the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David W. Spencer and Emily G. Sauvageau are prosecuting the case.
Seven other defendants have pleaded guilty:
- Vincent Isaiah Patterson pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 24, 2024.
- Johnesha Denae Thompson pleaded guilty; sentencing is set for Nov. 12, 2024.
- Kadrena Latrice Watts pleaded guilty; sentencing is set for Nov. 5, 2024.
- Jeremy Jerome Barnett pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 57 months in prison.
- Chevele Bernard Richardson pleaded guilty; sentencing is set for Nov. 5, 2024.
- Tashawn Terrell Dickerson pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 46 months in prison.
- Lamont Montez Thibodeaux pleaded guilty; sentencing is set for Nov. 12, 2024.
Charges are pending against Jamar Deontae Barnes, who is scheduled for a jury trial on Dec. 2, 2024. The charges are only allegations; he is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Jamaine Barnes is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dale A. Drozd on Dec. 3, 2024. Jamaine Barnes faces a minimum of 25 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison. Wiley is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Drozd on Nov. 12, 2024. Wiley faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison. The actual sentences, 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.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about OCDETF, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
Two Men Arrested for Drug DistributionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Two Indian nationals were arrested on July 29, 2024, in connection with the distribution of controlled substances.
Simranjit Singh, 28, and Gusimrat Singh, 19, of Fresno, Calif. were each charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Both men made initial appearances yesterday in federal court in Boston and remain in federal custody at this time.
According to the charging documents, investigators became aware of a California-based drug-trafficking organization (“DTO”) interested in transporting methamphetamine and other drugs to Boston. Investigators acting in an undercover capacity, began communicating with a member of the DTO who agreed to sell 65 pounds (approximately 32 kilograms) of methamphetamine to the undercover agents.
On July 29, 2024, att approximately 10:15 p.m., a white tractor trailer arrived at a planned Andover address to deliver methamphetamine to the undercover agents. The driver and passenger of that tractor trailer, later identified as Gusimrat Singh and Simranjit Singh, allegedly handed off 65 pounds of suspected methamphetamine to the undercover agents. The men were immediately taken into custody.
According to court documents, while searching the cab of the tractor trailer, over 400-kilogram bricks of suspected cocaine was discovered, worth more than $10.5 million.
“The sheer amount of drugs seized in this one case is disturbing and dangerous. These defendants allegedly took a cross-country trip to distribute illicit narcotics into Massachusetts communities,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy. “I am grateful for our dedicated law enforcement partners who have worked so diligently to prevent harmful drugs from reaching our streets. Drug traffickers should beware: we will find you, and we will prosecute you to the fullest extent of federal law.”“Seizures of this magnitude have a significant public health and safety impact on our local communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol for Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “These investigations are difficult and dangerous, yet it remains imperative that HSI continue to work with our partners to disrupt the flow of dangerous drugs into New England.”
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, at least three years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $1,000,000. 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 United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, in New England made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by U.S. Customs and Border Protection, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Andover Police Department, Milton Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steve Hassink of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit is prosecuting the case.
This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces 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.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Tompkinsville Man Sentenced to over 12 Years in Federal Prison for Attempted Online Enticement of a MinorRead the Press Release
Bowling Green, KY – A Tompkinsville, Kentucky, man was sentenced this week to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison for attempted online enticement of a minor.
U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge Robert Holman of the United States Secret Service, and Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of the Homeland Security Investigations Nashville made the announcement.
“I commend the work of AUSA Rabold during the prosecution of this case as well as the outstanding investigative effort by the Secret Service and HSI,” stated U.S. Attorney Bennett. “Removing would be predators from our communities is key to keeping them safe for our most vulnerable citizens.”
According to court documents, Matthew Warren Burkhard, 36, was sentenced to 12 years and 7 months in federal prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release, for one count of attempted online enticement of a minor. Burkhard communicated with an undercover law enforcement agent he believed to be a 14-year-old female, and, during those communications, he knowingly attempted to entice the minor to engage in criminal sexual activity by exchanging sexually explicit images and making plans to meet in person for sexual contact.
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the USSS and HSI Bowling Green.
Assistant U.S. Attorney R. Nicholas Rabold, of the U.S. Attorney’s Bowling Green Branch Office, prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc. For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab “resources.”
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Texas Man Pleads Guilty to Armed CarjackingRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Texas man has pleaded guilty to an armed carjacking, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to his plea agreement and court documents, on June 30, 2023, Sean Ryan Kincaid, 29, approached an individual who was waiting in their vehicle in a parking lot near River Road in Dakota County. Kincaid opened the passenger door of the vehicle, climbed inside, and told the victim he was stealing the car while brandishing a firearm in his waistband. The victim fled the vehicle and Kincaid climbed into the driver’s seat and drove away. A bystander called 911 and officers from multiple agencies were dispatched to the area to find Kincaid. When officers located him, Kincaid ignored police commands and attempted to lose the officers by driving over 100 miles per hour on the interstate and driving onto incoming lanes of traffic. Officers were able to eventually stop Kincaid with stop sticks and took him into custody. Officers found a Heritage Rough Rider .22 caliber revolver with an obliterated serial number in Kincaid’s waistband.
Kincaid pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Katherine M. Menendez to one count of carjacking. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Inver Grove Heights Police Department, the Mendota Heights Police Department, the Minnesota State Patrol, and the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Evan B. Gilead is prosecuting the case.
Tampa Man Charged with Sex Trafficking A MinorRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Jessie Thomas Taylor (42, Tampa) with sex trafficking of a minor. If convicted, Taylor faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.
According to the indictment, Taylor advertised and transported a minor victim and caused the minor victim to engage in a commercial sex act.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Tampa Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Syracuse Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearms CrimesRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Mergim Ademi, age 24, of Syracuse, pled guilty today to firearms offenses including Dealing in Firearms Without a License, Sale of Firearms and Ammunition to a Prohibited Person, and Possession of a Firearm in a School Zone.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
As part of his guilty plea, Ademi admitted that between approximately January 2023 and March 2024, he obtained firearms and firearm parts, advertised them for sale through Facebook and other means, then sold them to customers in exchange for cash, knowing that he did not hold a license as a firearms dealer. Ademi further admitted that in 7 transactions between December 19, 2023 and March 28, 2024, he sold a rifle, 9 handguns (including some that were privately made firearms, and some that had been reported stolen), a forced reset trigger, and multiple rounds of ammunition. Ademi acknowledged that he sold firearms and ammunition to an individual whom he had reasonable cause to believe was a felon. Ademi also admitted that he sold firearms to a customer at a location that was within approximately 260 feet of the grounds of a charter high school in Syracuse, New York.
At sentencing scheduled for November 27, 2024, before United States District Judge David N. Hurd, Ademi faces a combined maximum sentence of 25 years’ imprisonment and a criminal fine of up to $750,000. Additionally, Ademi may be required to serve a post-imprisonment term of supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant violated, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
ATF and the Syracuse Police Department investigated the case, with the assistance of the New York State Police Community Stabilization Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew J. McCrobie is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.