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26 July 2024
Missouri Church Officials, Others Accused of $1.2 Million Pandemic Loan FraudRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A Monroe County, Missouri church official was arrested Friday after having been indicted and accused of participating in a more than $1.2 million pandemic loan fraud scheme.
Kenneth C. Sparks III, 54, was arrested by the U.S. Marshals Service in Florida. A grand jury indicted Sparks on July 17 with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, eight counts of wire fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft.
The indictment says at the time of the allegations, Sparks worked as a visiting minister at Faith Walk Ministry, a church in Paris, Missouri. Harold G. Long was the lead minister and chief executive officer of the church, Mya M. McClain was administrative assistant and Javonte D. Long was a member. Jeffrey C. Oboite lived in Maryland, and operated businesses called Angel's Management Group LLC, Emerald Score LLC and O&S Construction LLC.
Oboite and McClain were indicted on one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and seven counts of wire fraud. Harold Long faces one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and two counts of wire fraud. Javonte Long faces one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of wire fraud.
The indictment says Oboite taught Sparks and McClain how to submit fraudulent applications for Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. Oboite and Sparks both submitted or caused to be submitted fraudulent loan applications in their own names, and received at least $200,000, the indictment says. Included among those fraudulently-obtained loans was $147,900 from the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program, the indictment says. The EIDL program was another Small Business Administration program intended to help struggling business owners during the pandemic.
The conspirators also obtained more than $1 million in PPP loans in the names of others, the indictment says. Sparks abused his position of authority as a minister by obtaining the trust of church members, and then obtained their personal and financial information so he could seek loans in their name, the indictment says. Harold Long assured church members that Sparks could be trusted with that information, the indictment says. Sparks also claimed that he was an "Apostle" of God, whose decisions and decrees could not be questioned, it says. Sparks sometimes told church members that they needed to provide their personal and financial information so he and others could fix their credit scores, the indictment says, or that their information would be used to secure funding for the church. Sparks told McClain to create email addresses in the name of church members and told parishioners to open new accounts at a credit union, it says. Sparks also commissioned the creation of false and fraudulent tax documents, the indictment says.
Sparks and Oboite also told McClain and Harold Long to submit fraudulent PPP loan applications for businesses purportedly owned by Long, the indictment says.
When suspicious credit union officials froze some of the parishioners’ accounts, Sparks and Oboite coached church members on the lies they should tell bank officials to free the funds, the indictment says.
Sparks reaped hundreds of thousands of dollars from the scheme, the indictment says, and used the money for luxury vehicles, clothing and merchandise.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. Each aggravated identity theft count carries a mandatory, consecutive two-year prison sentence.
The U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Derek Wiseman is prosecuting the case.
“This arrest proves the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s commitment to stopping those who perpetrate mail fraud schemes,” said Acting Inspector in Charge, John Jackman, who leads the United States Postal Inspection Service, St. Louis Field Office. “The Postal Inspection Service and its law enforcement partners will continue to aggressively pursue fraudsters who are driven by greed.”
“We all know the pandemic relief loan programs were created for those whose businesses were negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The American public is tired of hearing about fraudsters using the programs to enrich themselves and they want to know that those responsible are being investigated and held accountable,” said IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge Thomas F. Murdock, St. Louis Field Office. “IRS CI is committed to investigating these crimes and doing our part to achieve justice for all victims and taxpayers.”
Anyone with information about pandemic fraud should call the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or report via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Minnesota Man Sentenced to 6 Years for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Yoshi R. Walker, 26, New Brighton, Minnesota, was sentenced yesterday by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 6 years in federal prison for attempting to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl. The prison term will be followed by 3 years of supervised release. Walker pleaded guilty to this charge on April 12, 2024.
The government’s investigation revealed a large-scale drug trafficking organization that was responsible for bringing over 4 kilograms of fentanyl pills into Madison from Arizona. Law enforcement began investigating the organization in January 2022, following the seizure of two mail packages that each contained one kilogram of fentanyl pills (almost 20,000 pills in total). The packages had been mailed by the same individual in Arizona to addresses in Madison. Between March and October 2022, undercover officers purchased fentanyl pills from members of the organization on twenty-three occasions in the Madison area.
In early October, Walker was identified as an out of state source of fentanyl pills for the Madison-based organization. On October 18, 2022, as part of the larger investigation, law enforcement agents intercepted a package mailed from Arizona to an address in Madison and obtained a search warrant to open the package. U.S. Postal inspectors found 1.75 kilograms of fentanyl pills (almost 16,000 pills) inside. Investigators identified Walker as the individual who had mailed the package from Arizona the day before. After the package was intercepted, Walker spoke with Lloyd McKire-Bennett, the leader of the Madison organization, about the lost drug shipment.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson highlighted that the crime was very serious as it involved a large quantity of a very dangerous drug, fentanyl. He said that Walker was a supplier to the drug organization, making fentanyl available for them to distribute.
Three co-defendants were previously sentenced by Judge Peterson for their roles in the fentanyl pill trafficking organization. Dejon C. Glover was sentenced on May 16, 2024, to 4 ½ years in federal prison for attempting to possess fentanyl intended for distribution. Lloyd M. McKire-Bennett was sentenced on May 17, 2024, to more than 13 ½ years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and possessing firearms and ammunition as a felon. Deshawn P. Davis was sentenced on May 22, 2024, to 5 ½ years in federal prison for conspiring to distribute fentanyl.
Three others were charged in connection with this trafficking organization: Jessica E. Leyvas, Dantrell T. Stevenson, and Christopher S. Wilson. Leyvas and Wilson have both pleaded guilty. Wilson is scheduled to be sentenced on July 29, 2024, and Leyvas’ sentencing hearing is yet to be scheduled. Stevenson’s case is scheduled for trial, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The charge against Walker is the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, and the Dane County Narcotics Task Force. The investigation was conducted and funded by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a multi-agency task force that coordinates long-term narcotics trafficking investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven P. Anderson prosecuted this case.
Maryland Man Found Guilty of Killing a Mother and Daughter Inside Southeast D.C. ApartmentRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Today, a D.C. Superior Court jury returned a guilty verdict against Keanan Turner, 34, of Clinton, Maryland, for the murders of Wanda Wright and Ebony Wright on April 12, 2021, in the 2300 block of Good Hope Court SE, Washington D.C. The verdict was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Turner was found guilty of two counts of first-degree murder while armed with aggravated circumstances, assault with intent to kill while armed, aggravated assault while armed, attempted first degree murder of a minor, second degree cruelty to children, arson, destruction of property. In addition to these charges, Turner was found guilty of four counts of possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime of violence and carrying a pistol without a license.
A sentencing hearing is scheduled for October 14, 2024, in front of Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan. Because of the aggravated circumstances, Turner faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Ebony Wright had been in a prior relationship with the defendant when she became pregnant. The defendant asked her to terminate the pregnancy and when she declined, he stopped speaking to her. After giving birth, Ebony Wright filed a custody and child support lawsuit against the defendant in the Superior Court for the District of Columbia.
After the lawsuit was served against the defendant, he reached out to Ebony Wright to meet his child for the first time. On April 12, 2021, the defendant went over to Ebony Wright’s apartment. Present at the meeting were Ebony Wright, her mother Wanda Wright, her sister, the child, and the defendant.
After meeting with the family for nearly an hour, the defendant took out a gun and shot Ebony Wright in the head. He then shot Wanda Wright in the back of the head. He then went into the back bedroom, where the sister was located, and shot her once in the face. Prior to leaving the apartment, the defendant lit the custody paperwork on fire in an attempt to kill the child. As he was running out of the apartment, the defendant attempted to remove a Ring camera on the front door and, in doing so, exposed a unique tattoo on his arm.
As the sister lay wounded in the back bedroom, she heard the child crying in the living room. Despite suffering a gunshot wound to the face, she rescued the child and carried him out of the apartment and called 911.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Korba who investigated and indicted the case and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Miles Janssen and Emma McArthur who prosecuted the case.
Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison for Transporting a Woman for ProstitutionRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Maco Jacome-Jacome, 30 of Guatemala, was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to one count of aiding and abetting the transportation of another for prostitution and one count of illegal reentry of an alien after removal.
Evidence presented to the Court showed that Jacome-Jacome was previously deported on two prior occasions before returning illegally. Upon his return, he recruited another individual, a citizen of Mexico also illegally present in the United States, to travel from Atlanta, Georgia, to North Charleston to engage in prostitution. Evidence established that Jacome-Jacome exploited the individual by controlling her appointments, advertising her to customers and other pimps as “carne,” and transporting her to numerous hotels, motels, and trailer parks for purposes of engaging in commercial sex activity. Jacome-Jacome further exploited the individual by providing her with only 25% of the proceeds.
United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel sentenced Jacome-Jacome to a total sentence of 3o months’ imprisonment, to be followed by a 3-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. Originally, Jacome-Jacome’s advisory Sentencing Guidelines called for a term of imprisonment ranging from 8 to 14 months. However, the Court agreed with the Government’s request that it vary above this range and impose a greater sentence to account for the seriousness of Jacome-Jacome’s offense, adequately deter him from further criminal activity, and ensure the public’s protection.
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Charleston County Sheriff’s Office, and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amy F. Bower and W. Cole Shannon prosecuted the case.
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Lockport man sentenced for his role in drug conspiracy that led to overdose deathRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that James White, 32, of Lockport, who was convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute, and to distribute, heroin, fentanyl, and butyryl fentanyl, was sentenced to serve 84 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey E. Intravatola, who handled the case, stated that between March 2017, and March 2019, White conspired with Bruno Haney, II, and others, to sell heroin and butyryl fentanyl. On March 24, 2017, White sold heroin that he received from Bruno to an individual identified as W.S. Later that same day, W.S. was found dead after ingesting the heroin purchased from White. Text messages between White and W.S. on the evening of March 24, 2017, were recovered from W.S.’s cell phone. In the text messages, W.S. requested a “half bun” (5 doses) of heroin from White.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Niagara County Drug Task Force and the Niagara County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Michael Filicetti, the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force, under the direction of Sheriff Christopher Bourke, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino, New York Field Division, and the Lockport Police Department, under the direction of Chief Steven Abbott. Additional assistance was provided by the Niagara County and Orleans County District Attorneys’ Offices.
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Lewis County Man Admits to Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – James Matthew Miller, 49, of Camden, West Virginia, has admitted to the unlawful possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, Miller was on federal supervised release for a wire fraud conviction in the Northern District of West Virginia. United States Probation Officers visited Miller and found a .22 caliber pistol and a rifle. Miller is prohibited from having firearms because of his prior conviction.
Miller faces up to 15 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the U.S. Probation Office.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Lancaster Man Sentenced to 30 Months’ Imprisonment for Passport Forgery and Related ChargesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that David Romero, 68, of Lancaster, PA, was sentenced by United States District Judge Joseph F. Leeson, Jr. to a term of 30 months’ imprisonment and three years of supervised release for his convictions on four counts each of passport forgery and possession of counterfeit passports, as well as one count of possession of 15 or more counterfeit access devices.
Romero was indicted on those charges in July 2023 and pleaded guilty to all counts in February of this year.
According to information presented to the court, special agents of the Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service, executed a search warrant at Romero’s home and recovered fraudulent U.S. passport cards, fraudulent driver’s licenses and identification cards, and counterfeit bank, debit, and credit cards. While the fraudulent passport cards and identification cards utilized the personal identifiers of other people, these items all contained a photograph of Romero. In addition, agents recovered a notebook which Romero had used to practice forging the signatures of other individuals.
The case was investigated by the Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service, and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys John Boscia and Timothy Lanni.
Kern County Man Sentenced for Distributing ExplosivesRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Joseph Roy Vigneault, 21, of Lake Isabella, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for distributing explosives to a non‑licensed person, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in May 2023, Vigneault and his co-defendant, Michael Roy Anglin, 22, of Wofford Heights, sold and delivered six full boxes and one partial box of Hydromite 880 weighing approximately 350 pounds to a non-licensed person. Vigneault knew or had reason to believe that the Hydromite 880 had been stolen. The boxes containing the explosives were labeled “Explosive, Blasting, Type E” and “Blasting Agent.” The sticks of Hydromite 880 were also individually labeled “Danger” and “Explosive.” Hydromite 880 is one and a half times more powerful than dynamite. Austin Powder West LLC, a licensed explosive distributor, confirmed that 295 sticks of Hydromite 880 went missing from its Lake Isabella storage facility sometime between May 6 and May 11, 2023. The missing explosives included the boxes that Vigneault sold. The value of the unrecovered explosives is $7,603. Vigneault agreed to make restitution to Austin Powder in that amount.
Anglin has pleaded guilty and is scheduled for sentencing on Oct. 21, 2024. He faces a maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Kern County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar is prosecuting the case.
Kansas Man Sentenced to 235 Months in Federal Prison for Transportation of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DES MOINES, Iowa – A Kansas man was sentenced yesterday to 235 months in federal prison for transportation of child pornography.
According to public documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Derek Levi Hendrickson, 33, transported three internet capable computer devices across state lines in September 2022 when he moved to Waukee, Iowa. Those devices – two cell phones and a laptop computer – contained thousands of images and videos of child pornography. At the time of his offense, Hendrickson was a registered sex offender due to a 2015 Kansas state conviction for possession of child pornography.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Hendrickson will be required to serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Hendrickson was also ordered to pay $38,000 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, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Nebraska State Patrol.
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.
Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission to Host First Public Strike Force on Unfair and Illegal Pricing MeetingRead the Press Release
The Justice Department and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) will virtually cohost the first public meeting of the Strike Force on Unfair and Illegal Pricing (Strike Force) on Thursday, Aug. 1, to discuss Strike Force enforcement actions taken to lower prices for Americans.
The meeting will convene with an open-press session with remarks by Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer, Assistant Attorney General Jonathan Kanter of the Antitrust Division, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Civil Division and FTC Chair Lina M. Khan. Senior officials from other agencies will then offer remarks as well. The remainder of the meeting will move to a closed-door, private discussion of enforcement-related matters.
The Strike Force meeting’s open session will begin at 3:30 p.m. ET. The agenda for the public portion of the event will be posted on the FTC’s website prior to the event. A link to view the open virtual meeting will be posted on the FTC’s website the day of the event.
In March, at the sixth meeting of the White House Competition Council, President Biden announced the launch of the Strike Force to strengthen interagency efforts to root out and stop illegal corporate behavior that hikes prices on American families through anti-competitive, unfair, deceptive or fraudulent business practices.
The Strike Force’s membership also includes the Department of Agriculture, Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Transportation, Securities and Exchange Commission, Federal Communications Commission and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau.
Justice Department Publishes Final Rule to Improve Access to Medical Care for People with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
On the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), Attorney General Merrick B. Garland signed a final rule under Title II of the ADA to improve access to medical diagnostic equipment (MDE) for people with disabilities. MDE includes equipment like medical examination tables, weight scales, dental chairs, x-ray machines and mammography machines. Accessible MDE is essential for people with disabilities to have equal access to medical care.
The final rule is available for review on the Federal Register’s website at www.federalregister.gov. A fact sheet that provides information about the final rule is available on ada.gov.
“Thirty-four years after passage of the ADA, people with disabilities should not have to forgo needed medical care due to inaccessible medical diagnostic equipment,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Civil Rights Division. “This rule marks a significant milestone in our ongoing efforts to ensure that people with disabilities can get the medical treatment they need. Whether you are talking about access to mammograms or access to general OB/GYN services, it is critical that hospitals and doctors’ offices provide equipment that is accessible to patients with disabilities.”
The rule clarifies how public entities that use MDE, such as hospitals and health care clinics operated by state or local governments, can meet their obligations to ensure accessibility under the ADA. The department has heard from many individuals with disabilities who have been denied basic, critically important health care services because medical providers lacked accessible MDE. For example, patients with disabilities reported receiving only a cursory physical examination in their wheelchair because they could not be transferred to the examination table for a full examination. Other patients reported forgoing basic preventative health care, such as dental examinations and mammograms, because providers did not have accessible MDE.
The rule adopts a technical standard for accessible MDE. The rule also establishes requirements that will help make accessible examination tables and weight scales more available. This will make it easier for people with disabilities — especially people who use wheelchairs — to receive medical care.
For more information on the Civil Rights Division, please visit the department’s website at www.justice.gov/crt. For inquiries regarding the ADA, please contact the department’s toll-free ADA Information Line at 800-514-0301 (voice) or 833-610-1264 (TTY) or visit the ADA website at www.ada.gov.
Jury Finds District Man Guilty of Carjacking, Robbery, Burglary and Related ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Kenneth Phillips, 24, of Washington, D.C., was found guilty today by a jury of carjacking and other charges in an evening attack on a district driver that took place in Northeast Washington in November of 2021, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Phillips also was found guilty of robbery, assault, burglary, first degree theft, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, and driving without a permit. The verdict followed a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Robert Salerno scheduled sentencing for October 4, 2024. Phillips faces a mandatory minimum of seven years’ incarceration on the charge of carjacking.
According to the government’s evidence, on November 15, 2021, at approximately 9:00 PM, Phillips was in the 2000 block of fourth street Northeast when he approached the victim from behind, striking him in the back of the head and taking his car and house keys. Phillips crossed the street with the victim’s keys before returning to the victim, striking the victim in the face and fish-hooking him in the mouth. Phillips then fled the area in the victim’s Toyota Sienna van.
On November 16, 2021, at approximately 4:00 AM, officers with the Metropolitan Police Department located the Defendant in the 700 block of K Street NE. The Defendant was sitting in the driver’s seat of the victim’s Toyota Van wearing a jacket that belonged to one of the victim’s family members. Police also recovered a key fob and a college graduation ring from the Defendant’s pockets. The key fob belonged to the victim of the carjacking and the college graduation ring was later determined to have been stolen from the victim’s house. In the trunk of the victim’s Toyota van, police recovered a television in an unopened box that had been taken from the victim’s home.
At 7:00 AM on November 16, 2021, the victim’s family reported to police that their home had been burglarized. Specifically, the front and rear doors had been left open and unlocked, interior lights and doors were on, and bedrooms had been ransacked. Several of the belongings reported missing by the victim’s family were found by police on Phillips’s person and in the car he was driving at the time of his arrest.
Detectives with the Metropolitan Police Department recovered surveillance video from the area around the carjacking that captured the suspect before and during the carjacking. At the time of Phillips’s arrest, he was wearing clothing that matched that worn by the carjacking suspect in the surveillance video.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney’s Benjamin Helfand and Sara Matar of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Judge Gives 18 Year Sentence to Carjacker Who Shot DriverRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Tayvon Owens, 31, of Washington, D.C., has been sentenced to 216 months of incarceration after a jury convicted him in March 2024 of armed carjacking, assault with significant bodily injury while armed, and associated firearms crimes for shooting and carjacking a woman on Newton Street NW, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
According to the evidence presented at trial, in the middle of the afternoon of December 12, 2022, Owens approached the victim, who was sitting in the driver’s seat of her parked car on Newton St NW. Owens flung the car door open, pointed his firearm at the victim, and ordered her out of the car. The victim started to comply, but then tried to use the car door to shield herself from Owens and the firearm. Owens pivoted around the car door, shot the victim in the knee, and then pulled her out of the car onto the sidewalk before jumping into her car and driving off.
MPD officers arrived almost immediately, and with the assistance of patrol officers on the ground and MPD’s Falcon helicopter in the sky, MPD tracked Owens through the city to the 1400 block of Bangor St SE. There, Owens jumped out of the victim’s car while it was still moving, causing it to crash into a tree, and stashed his firearm behind a home before being apprehended by MPD officers.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Bromwich and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Forgie, who prosecuted the case.
Jonesboro Man Who Instructed Young Girls to Self-Harm, Drink Toilet Water, and Film Child Pornography Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Justin Lee Palmer, who “coached” young girls who were anorexic and encouraged them to self-harm and film child pornography, will spend 30 years in federal prison for production of child pornography. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down on Thursday by Chief United States District Judge Kristine G. Baker0.
“A vile, disgusting, reprobate has finally received his due, the maximum sentence under the law,” said Ross. “We are thankful for the tireless work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the bravery of the victims and their families to bring a stop to his crimes. Parents everywhere should heed this case as reason to monitor and engage with your children’s use of social media.”
An investigation revealed that in March 2020, FBI agents in New Jersey identified a user on KIK messenger who had sexually abused a 9-year-old girl and distributed videos of the abuse to other KIK users. One of the users who received the child pornography was identified by the username “skipdinnergetmethin.” Agents were able to connect the IP addresses associated with that username to Palmer, of Jonesboro, Arkansas. A search of one of Palmer’s cell phones revealed numerous images and videos that contained child pornography.
The investigation further revealed that Palmer, 44, would pose as a 15-year-old girl, befriend teen and preteen girls, and “coach” them on how to be anorexic. He would instruct the victims to film themselves pulling on their fat areas while nude to make them feel disgusted and motivated to lose weight. Agents discovered that Palmer also directed victims to film themselves performing other humiliating and harmful acts, such as cutting demeaning words into their skin, drinking toilet water and their own urine, and engaging in sexually explicit activities.
In April 2020, Palmer asked a young female on KIK messenger, “what are your stats?” to which the female responded, “cw [current weight] 93 pounds. Five feet one inch. Female. 13 years old. Goal weight 75.” Palmer instructed the minor female to “suck in your belly so I can see your ribs.” This minor victim appears in 89 photographs and videos sent to Palmer, 71 of which depict her engaging in sexual, humiliating, or self-harming acts.
“Mr. Palmer's actions were revolting and deplorable,” said FBI Little Rock Special Agent in Charge Alicia D. Corder. “Today’s sentence showcases FBI Little Rock’s commitment to utilizing all available resources to protect innocent children from predators who seem to harm them.”
On October 8, 2020, Palmer was indicted by a federal grand jury for two counts of production of child pornography and one count of attempted production of child pornography. He pleaded guilty to production of child pornography on August 4, 2023. Chief Judge Baker also sentenced Palmer to a lifetime of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Eldridge prosecuted the case.
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This news release, as well as additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
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@USAO_EDAR
Jefferson Parish Man Sentenced for Possessing Unregistered SilencerRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – JOSEPH METZLER, III (“METZLER”), age 44, of Gretna, Louisiana, was sentenced on July 23, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Brandon S. Long for violating the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Act, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans.
According to court records, federal agents received information that METZLER was the recipient of unlawfully imported firearm parts from China. Special Agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and officers from the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, executed a search warrant at METZLER’s residence. As a result, they discovered that he possessed a silencer that was not registered to him, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 5861(d).
Judge Long sentenced METZLER to 27 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release after imprisonment, along with a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of Homeland Security Investigations, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Maestri of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Inmate at the Federal Schuylkill Correctional Institution Sentenced to an Additional 30 Months in Prison for Assault on A Corrections OfficerRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Carlos Rodriguez-Cruz, age 33, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution, Schuylkill, in Minersville, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on July 25, 2024, by U.S. District Court Judge Julia K. Munley, to serve an additional 30 months in prison for assaulting a federal corrections officer.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Rodriguez-Cruz, formerly of Puerto Rico, previously pleaded guilty and admitted to assaulting a corrections officer. The charge stems from an incident on October 6, 2023, in which Rodriguez-Cruz engaged in a physical confrontation with a corrections officer and punched the officer.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Bureau of Prisons Special Investigative Service. Assistant United States Attorney Robert J. O’Hara prosecuted the case.
At the time of the incident at FCI Schuylkill, Rodriguez-Cruz was serving a sentence from Puerto Rico for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. That sentence does not expire until March 2027. The sentence imposed by Judge Munley for the charge of assault on a corrections officer will run consecutively to the sentence from Puerto Rico.
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Houston tax preparer pleads guilty to filing false tax returns resulting in over $100,000 in lossesRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A tax preparer has admitted to aiding or assisting in the preparation of a false 2017 income tax return, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
As part of his plea, Christopher J. Guevara admitted that from at least 2018 to 2020, he owned and operated Chris Tax Service in Houston. He admitted to often placing false Schedule A deductions, residential energy credits, and Schedule C businesses on the returns he prepared, generating larger refunds to which his clients were not entitled. He also admitted to making money through preparation fees he would make money by charging preparation fees.
Guevara admitted to placing $26,857 in false business losses that were listed on the 2017 Schedule C. As a result, the tax loss to the United States on that return was approximately $13,390.
Guevara took responsibility for $123,458 in losses to the IRS and has agreed to pay that amount in restitution.
U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett will impose sentencing Oct. 31. At that time, Guevara faces up to three years in prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
He was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.
IRS Criminal Investigation conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brad Gray is prosecuting the case.
Fugitive "Queen of the South" Returned to United States to Face Drug Trafficking and Money Laundering ChargesRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Amanda Rachelle Miller, 33, of Tucson, was apprehended in Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico and deported to the United States on May 30, 2024, to face three felony indictments in the District of Arizona. Miller is a U.S. citizen and had been a fugitive for approximately three-and-a-half years at the time of her arrest in Mexico. Miller made her initial court appearance before United States Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Rateau on July 3, 2024, and was ordered detained in custody.
Federal agents first encountered Miller in late 2020, at the culmination of an investigation into narcotics distribution occurring out of various Tucson-area motels. As alleged in court filings, on November 12, 2020, agents conducted a final enforcement operation at a downtown Tucson motel and apprehended Miller as she ran from the scene. In one of the rooms, agents discovered evidence of Miller’s involvement in drug trafficking, including quantities of suspected methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl; a vacuum-sealing device; a digital scale; over $25,000 in cash; and two suspected drug distribution ledgers, one of which had Miller’s first name written on the back cover. Miller was charged in federal court by complaint on November 13, 2020, and later indicted on December 1, 2021. She absconded after being placed on pre-trial release and fled to Mexico.
In late September 2021, an undercover officer, posing as a bulk purchaser of narcotics, established contact with Miller over social media. Miller was using the alias, “Reina Sur,” or “Queen of the South.” As alleged in court documents, Miller represented to the undercover officer that she was “direct from [the] [S]inaloa [C]artel.” Over the ensuing months, while in communication with the undercover officer, she is alleged to have orchestrated multiple narcotics sales, which revealed the network of criminal associates conducting business on her behalf in southern Arizona. During their investigation, agents also were able to link Miller, through recorded communications, to two historical drug seizures, in April and August 2021.
Miller has been indicted in three federal criminal cases in the District of Arizona on the following charges:
In case number 21-CR-03072-TUC-SHR, Miller was charged with Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Heroin and Methamphetamine, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Heroin and Methamphetamine. This indictment relates to the incident that allegedly occurred on November 12, 2020.
In case number 21-CR-02360-TUC-JGZ, Miller was charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl and Methamphetamine, and Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and Methamphetamine. This indictment relates to drug transactions that allegedly occurred in April and August 2021, while Miller was a fugitive.
In case number 22-CR-02454-TUC-RCC, Miller was charged with Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, Cocaine, Heroin, and Marijuana, Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl and Methamphetamine, Conspiracy to Launder Monetary Instruments, and Money Laundering. This indictment relates to drug transactions and money laundering activity that allegedly occurred from September 2021 through the end of 2022, again while Miller was a fugitive from justice.
The maximum penalties for the numerous charges range from 20 years in prison to life in prison and fines ranging from $500,000 to $10,000,000.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
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.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, and the Arizona Department of Public Safety are conducting the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael R. Lizano, Ashley Culver, and David Petermann, District of Arizona, Tucson, are handling the prosecution.
CASE NUMBERS: CR-21-03072-TUC-SHR
CR-21-02360-TUC-JGZ
CR-22-02454-TUC-RCCRELEASE NUMBER: 2024-103_Miller
Fresno County Methamphetamine Dealer SentencedRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Ivan Sigmond, 47, of Clovis, was sentenced today to 11 years in prison for possessing with intent to distribute methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on Aug. 28, 2020, after identifying Sigmond as a source of methamphetamine supply in the Clovis area, law enforcement officers obtained and executed a search warrant at Sigmond’s residence where they found nearly 30 pounds of pure methamphetamine, along with two handguns and an assault firearm.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Clovis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Escobar prosecuted the case.
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.
Fourteen Members of the Traveling Vice Lords/Junk Yard Dogs Street Gang Sentenced in Federal CourtRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – The last of fourteen members of the Traveling Vice Lords/Junk Yard Dogs (TVL/JYD) street gang, convicted of crimes under the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, has been sentenced in federal court. Kevin G. Ritz, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentences today.
According to information presented in court, the TVL/JYD is a violent criminal street gang that operates throughout the Western District of Tennessee. A subset of Chicago’s Almighty Vice Lord Nation, the gang participated in a series of attempted murders and murders of rival gang members during a gang war in the summer of 2020. The shootings spanned five different crime scenes across Fayette and Hardeman Counties.
“These defendants were members of a violent gang who threatened the safety and security of communities throughout West Tennessee,” said United States Attorney Ritz. “Now they will be serving significant time—in some cases, life—in federal prison. This office will continue to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to bring gang members and trigger-pullers to justice.”
Tennessee Bureau of Investigation Director David Rausch stated, “Our agency is dedicated to investigating and pursuing violent gang members and restoring safety and peace. I want to commend the justice system’s commitment to curbing gang violence by sending a strong message that such heinous acts won’t be tolerated. We will continue to work tirelessly with our partners to combat violent crime across the great State of Tennessee.”
Three of the gang members, Tomarcus Baskerville, Courtland Springfield, and Thomas Smith, were convicted by a federal jury of RICO offenses on February 9, 2024. Eleven other TVL/JYD members pled guilty to RICO offenses in 2023. United States District Court Judge Sheryl H. Lipman sentenced the defendants as follows:
Defendant
Age
Sentence
Tomarcus “TC” Baskerville
35
960 months to be followed by life imprisonment
Courtland “Hotbox” Springfield
32
480 months to be followed by life imprisonment
Montaveen “CGE Tay” Taylor
26
420 months
Martivus “Tavis” Baskerville
30
324 months
Deandra “Dre” Rivers
28
262 months
Thomas “TJ” Smith
25
255 months
Trevin “Scooter” Hullom
31
216 months
Bianca Jackson
23
188 months
Curtis “CB” Baskerville
38
180 months
Mardarius McNeal
26
135 months
Christopher “Lil Chris” Peeler
32
120 months
Davaius “Mighty Shun” Worrles
31
66 months
Deonte “Tez” Walker
32
41 months
Torrance “Phat” Fitzpatrick
29
31 months
There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Fayette County Sheriff’s Office; Hardeman County Sheriff’s Office; Whiteville Police Department; and Somerville Police Department.
United States Attorney Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Neal Oldham, William Bateman, Beth Boswell, and Special Assistant United States Attorney Raven Icaza, who prosecuted this case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case. Additionally, he thanked District Attorney General Mark Davidson and the 25th Judicial District for their assistance in the prosecution.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Former U.S. Postal Service Maintenance Manager Sentenced in Federal Court for Stealing Cash from the Mail at Indianapolis Distribution CenterRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Barry Gallon, 54, of McCordsville, has been sentenced to one year of probation after pleading guilty to theft of mail matter by officer or employee, a felony criminal offense.
According to court documents, Gallon was employed as a Maintenance Manager at the United States Postal Service’s Indianapolis Processing and Distribution Center for seven years. Between August 31, 2023, and September 20, 2023, Gallon stole cash from letters, packages, bags, and mail within the mainstream at the distribution center. The total amount of money stolen by the defendant was found to be no more than $6,500.
“Since the founding of our country, the U.S. Postal Service has been a vital resource for all Americans—a resource that requires that Americans are able to trust that their mail will reach its intended destination,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “When public servants criminally exploit their positions for their own gain, they must be held accountable. The felony criminal conviction here will ensure that the defendant will never again be in a similar position of trust.”
The United States Postal Service, Office of Inspector General investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge Matthew P. Brookman.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Corbin D. Houston, who prosecuted this case.
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Former Postal Service Letter Carrier Sentenced for Stealing MailRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that TIMOTHY MCMILLAN, JR. (“MCMILLAN”), age 43, of New Orleans, was sentenced on July 23, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Brandon S. Long, for stealing items from the mail that he had been entrusted to handle as a postal letter carrier.
According to court documents, the U.S. Postal Service, Office of Inspector General (“USPS-OIG”) received complaints regarding opened parcels that were delivered by the New Orleans Main Office Delivery Unit. On October 11, 2023, USPS-OIG Special Agents placed a greeting card containing $100 in the mail to be processed and delivered by MCMILLIAN while on his route. The card was addressed to a fictitious person and address from another fictitious person and address. While on his route, MCMILLAN opened the package. Shortly after, USPS-OIG Special Agents stopped his vehicle and observed the opened card in the rear of his vehicle. The marked bills were found on his person.
MCMILLAN was sentenced to 2 years probation, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service, Office of the Inspector General in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon M. Maestri of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Former Office of Emergency Medical Services Associate Director pleads guilty to embezzling $4 million from the Virginia Department of HealthRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Midlothian man pled guilty yesterday to mail fraud, federal program theft, and tax evasion in connection with a scheme to misappropriate millions of dollars from the Virginia Department of Health (VDH).
According to court documents, beginning on Aug. 10, 2013, Adam Lamar Harrell, 41, was an employee of VDH and on Sept. 10, 2019, became the Associate Director of the Office of Emergency Medical Services (OEMS). As OEMS’s Associate Director, Harrell was responsible for managing Virginia’s emergency response programs, epidemiology research, and the information technology systems that Virginia’s emergency medical service providers rely on, among other responsibilities.
Harrell used his position to direct payments from VDH to a company he registered and controlled, Strategic Tech Innovations, LLC. Harrell concealed his ownership of and affiliation with Strategic Tech from VDH and OEMS, and used this entity to embezzle funds from his employer through two separate means.
From January 2021 through May 2023, Harrell created 15 fraudulent invoices for services and technology that Strategic Tech would purportedly provide to OEMS. Harrell set exorbitant and non-market prices for the various line items on the invoices, knowing the vast majority of those items would not be provided by Strategic Tech. Without OEMS’s knowledge or approval, Harrell would submit these fraudulent invoices to the Western Virginia EMS Council (WVEMS), a regional emergency medical services council that serves as a pass-through for OEMS payments to vendors. Each of these invoices were paid by WVEMS with OEMS funds. By directing the invoices to WVEMS instead of Accounts Payable at OEMS, Harrell circumvented the requirement that Strategic Tech be approved as a vendor to VDH and OEMS and evaded scrutiny by the Accounts Payable department. As the Associate Director of OEMS, Harrell was able to unilaterally approve the same fraudulent Strategic Tech invoices he drafted.
Harrell deposited each of the checks he illegally received from WVEMS into the Strategic Tech checking account he controlled and used the funds for personal expenses, including the purchase of real estate, luxury vehicles, dozens of firearms, and jewelry. In total, Harrell received $4,337,395 in OEMS funds.
On March 9, 2021, Harrell filed a joint federal income tax return with his spouse for tax year 2020. On the IRS Form Schedule C, Profit or Loss from Business, Harrell reported being the sole proprietor of Strategic Tech, reporting $193,076 in gross receipts. He falsely reported expenses for Strategic Tech of $200,340, for a net loss of $7,264, fraudulently lowering his taxable income and generating a refund of $934. Harrell then ceased reporting any income from Strategic Tech on the federal income tax returns he filed for tax years 2021, 2022, and 2023. From November 2020 through March 2024, Harrell evaded a total of $1,880,287.34 in income taxes.
Harrell is scheduled to be sentenced on Nov. 20. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Stanley M. Meador, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Richmond Field Office; and Kareem A. Carter, IRS Criminal Investigation Special Agent in Charge of the Washington D.C. Field Office, made the announcement after U.S. Magistrate Judge Summer L. Speight accepted the plea.
The Virginia State Police and the Office of the State Inspector General provided significant assistance in the investigation of this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas A. Garnett and Kashan Pathan are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-92.
Former Fiscal Manager for the Children’s Advocacy Center of Northeastern Pennsylvania Charged with Wire FraudRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Angela Saar, age 51, of Olyphant, Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, was charged on July 25, 2024, in a Criminal Information with wire fraud.
The Criminal Information charges that from November 2018 to June 2022, while employed as the fiscal manager for the Children’s Advocacy Center of Northeastern Pennsylvania (CAC/NEPA), Saar engaged in a scheme to defraud the CAC/NEPA. The Criminal Information alleges that Saar diverted fraudulent payments of various kinds from CAC/NEPA bank accounts into her own personal bank accounts for her personal benefit. Some of the diverted payments involved fraudulent mileage reimbursements, while others involved Saar inflating her bi-weekly paychecks by thousands of dollars. The total amount of fraudulent diversions as alleged in the criminal information is $411,940.11.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) – Scranton Resident Office of the Philadelphia Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michelle Olshefski and Luisa Berti prosecuted the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 20 years in prison, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a maximum fine of $250,000. 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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Former Federal Correctional Officer Faces Additional Charges Involving Sexual Abuse of Inmates and a Federal Civil Rights ViolationRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury issued a superseding indictment yesterday charging former correctional officer Darrell Wayne Smith with 15 counts of sexual abuse, including a civil rights violation, against five female victims who were inmates under his custody and control at Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin (FCI Dublin).
“As alleged, Officer Daryl Smith engaged in appalling criminal acts when he sexually abused those in his care and custody,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “This superseding indictment is the latest product of the Department’s ongoing work to seek justice for victims of sexual assault at FCI Dublin. We remain steadfast in our commitment to root out sexual assault within the BOP and hold to account those who so egregiously violate their duty.”
The initial federal indictment against Darrell Wayne Smith, 55, now residing in Florida, was filed April 13, 2023, and charged him with engaging in illegal sexual acts with three female inmates while he was employed at FCI Dublin as a correctional officer. That initial indictment charged 12 counts that alleged 12 acts occurring between May 2019 and May 2021 in which Smith engaged in separate sexual conduct with each of the three inmate victims.
The superseding indictment issued yesterday, which supplants the initial indictment, identifies two additional victims and charges 15 counts against Smith. It charges all 12 counts of sexual abuse that were charged in the initial indictment, and adds two new counts of sexual abuse, each involving one of the two additional victims. Each additional victim is described as being an inmate at FCI Dublin who suffered abusive sexual conduct by Smith while under his custodial and disciplinary control. Smith’s charged sexual conduct is now alleged to have begun as early as August 2016.
The superseding indictment also adds a third new count that alleges a federal civil rights violation by Smith. The civil rights violation arises from aggravated sexual abuse that Smith is alleged to have engaged in against one of the female inmates.
“Federal prison guards must treat prisoners humanely,” said U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey for the Northern District of California. “Victimizing inmates sexually and denying them basic civil rights must end. Yesterday’s superseding indictment demonstrates my office’s commitment to root out such misconduct and prosecute officers who allegedly perpetrate such abuse.”
“Yesterday’s superseding indictment includes three new allegations of sexual assault by Smith, a Correctional Officer at FCI Dublin,” said Justice Department Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz. “The 15 charges against Smith allege he sexually abused multiple inmates over several years, including brazen and violent acts. The Justice Department’s Office of the Inspector General (DOJ OIG) is committed to aggressively investigating allegations of abuse at FCI Dublin and across the Federal Bureau of Prisons.”
“The defendant's alleged actions are some of the most shocking and disturbing charges we've seen for a former federal corrections officer,” said Executive Assistant Director Michael D. Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch. “Sexual abuse scars everyone who survives it, but can be particularly traumatizing when it's perpetrated by someone in a position of trust or authority. The FBI is steadfast in our commitment to defending the civil rights of everyone and investigating anyone who allegedly violates this fundamental protection.”
“These allegations of sexual abuse are deeply troubling,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp of the FBI San Francisco Field Office. “We are committed to enforcing civil rights statutes and holding accountable those who abuse their positions.”
Each of the alleged victims is identified in the superseding indictment by initials only and is alleged to have been in official detention and under Smith’s custodial, supervisory, and disciplinary authority at the time of the charged conduct. Each count in the superseding indictment corresponds with one encounter during which Smith allegedly engaged in unlawful sexual acts or contact with one of the victims, except for the newly charged civil rights violation which arises from alleged aggravated sexual abuse also charged in another count.
Smith is now charged with six counts of sexual abuse of a ward, seven counts of abusive sexual contact, one count of aggravated sexual abuse, and one count of deprivation of rights under color of law.
Smith’s arraignment on the superseding indictment has not yet been set. However, Smith is currently set to begin jury trial on March 17, 2025, in front of U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers for the Northern District of California. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison for each count of aggravated sexual abuse and deprivation of rights under color of law. Additionally, Smith faces a statutory maximum penalty of 15 years in prison for each count of sexual abuse of a ward and a maximum penalty of two years in prison for each count of abusive sexual contact. In addition, as part of any sentence, the court may order a term of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000 for each count, restitution, and additional assessments. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI and DOJ OIG are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Molly Priedeman and Andrew Paulson for the Northern District of California are prosecuting the case, with the assistance of Kay Konopaske.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Federal Correctional Officer Faces Additional Charges Involving Sexual Abuse of Inmates and A Federal Civil Rights ViolationRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – A federal grand jury issued a superseding indictment yesterday charging former correctional officer Darrell Wayne Smith with 15 counts of sexual abuse, including a civil rights violation, against five female victims who were inmates under his custody and control at Federal Correctional Institution, Dublin (FCI Dublin).
“As alleged, Officer Daryl Smith engaged in appalling criminal acts when he sexually abused those in his care and custody,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “This superseding indictment is the latest product of the Department’s ongoing work to seek justice for victims of sexual assault at FCI Dublin. We remain steadfast in our commitment to root out sexual assault within the BOP and hold to account those who so egregiously violate their duty.”
“Federal prison guards must treat prisoners humanely,” said U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey. “Victimizing inmates sexually and denying them basic civil rights must end. Today’s superseding indictment demonstrates my office’s commitment to uncover such misconduct and prosecute officers who allegedly perpetrate such abuse.”
“Today’s superseding indictment includes three new allegations of sexual assault by Smith, a Correctional Officer at FCI Dublin. The 15 charges against Smith allege he sexually abused multiple inmates over several years, including brazen and violent acts. The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General is committed to aggressively investigating allegations of abuse at FCI Dublin and across the Federal Bureau of Prisons,” said Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz.
“The defendant's alleged actions are some of the most disturbing charges we’ve seen for a former federal corrections officer,” said Executive Assistant Director Michael D. Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch. “Sexual abuse scars everyone who survives it but can be particularly traumatizing when it’s perpetrated by someone in a position of trust or authority. The FBI is steadfast in our commitment to defending the civil rights of everyone and investigating anyone who allegedly violates this fundamental protection.”
“These allegations of sexual abuse are deeply troubling,” said FBI San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp. “We are committed to enforcing civil rights statutes and holding accountable those who abuse their positions.”
The initial federal indictment against Darrell Wayne Smith, 55, now residing in Florida, was filed April 13, 2023, and charged him with engaging in illegal sexual acts with three female inmates while he was employed at FCI Dublin as a correctional officer. The initial indictment charged 12 counts that alleged 12 acts occurring between May 2019 and May 2021 in which Smith engaged in separate sexual conduct with each of the three inmate victims.
The superseding indictment issued yesterday, which supplants the initial indictment, identifies two additional victims and charges 15 counts against Smith. It charges all 12 counts of sexual abuse that were charged in the initial indictment and adds two new counts of sexual abuse, each involving one of the two additional victims. Each additional victim is described as being an inmate at FCI Dublin who suffered abusive sexual conduct by Smith while under his custodial and disciplinary control. Smith’s charged sexual conduct is now alleged to have begun as early as August 2016.
The superseding indictment also charges a third new count that alleges a federal civil rights violation by Smith. The civil rights violation arises from aggravated sexual abuse that Smith is alleged to have perpetrated against one of the female inmates.
Each alleged victim is identified in the superseding indictment by initials only and is alleged to have been in official detention and under Smith’s custodial, supervisory, and disciplinary authority at the time of the charged conduct. Each count in the superseding indictment corresponds with one encounter during which Smith allegedly engaged in unlawful sexual acts or contact with one of the victims, except for the newly charged civil rights violation which is based upon alleged aggravated sexual abuse also charged in another count.
Smith is now charged with six counts of sexual abuse of a ward, seven counts of abusive sexual contact, one count of aggravated sexual abuse, and one count of deprivation of rights under color of law.
The charges presented in the superseding indictment are merely allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Smith’s arraignment on the superseding indictment has not yet been set. However, Smith is currently set to begin jury trial on March 17, 2025, in front of U.S. District Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers for the Northern District of California.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of life in prison for each count of aggravated sexual abuse and deprivation of rights under color of law. Additionally, Smith faces a statutory maximum penalty of 15 years in prison for each count of sexual abuse of a ward and a maximum penalty of two years in prison for each count of abusive sexual contact. In addition, as part of any sentence the court will order a term of supervised release and may order a fine of up to $250,000 for each count, restitution and additional assessments. A federal district court judge will determine a sentence only after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Molly Priedeman and Andrew Paulson for the Northern District of California are prosecuting the case, with the assistance of Kay Konopaske. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and DOJ-OIG.
Former Assistant Dean and Two Other Former Employees of Essex County Graduate School Admit Million-Dollar EmbezzlementRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A former assistant dean and two other former employees of an Essex County graduate school pleaded guilty to defrauding their former employer of more than $1.3 million, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Teresina DeAlmeida, 59, of Warren, New Jersey and Rose Martins, 44, of East Hanover, New Jersey, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud conspiracy, before U.S. District Judge Julien Xavier Neals in Newark federal court. Silvia Cardoso, 61, of Warren, pleaded guilty to the same charge on July 25, 2024, before Judge Neals.
“Through an elaborate, years-long embezzlement scheme, these defendants violated their obligation to the students and exploited their role at this institution of higher learning to line their own pockets. Through forgery, fraudulent invoices, unauthorized transactions and phony shell companies, they stole money intended to benefit the school and its student body and abused their positions. These arrests are yet another example of this office’s commitment to holding accountable those who commit financial fraud.”
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger
“As employees of a higher learning institution, the defendants in this investigation had an obligation to act in the best interest of the students they served, but instead they prioritized enriching themselves,” Jenifer L. Piovesan, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office, said. “IRS Criminal Investigation is dedicated to investigating individuals who commit financial crimes and fostering confidence in the legal system.”
“The genesis of most fraud schemes happens when people have access to money, they believe they are entitled to, and no one will notice it’s gone,” FBI Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “However, these three subjects fell into the same trap other criminals do - the money wasn’t theirs, and the Essex County graduate school went in search of the missing $1.3 million. FBI Newark and our law enforcement partners who worked on this investigation excel at following the paper trail and evidence left behind by almost every fraudster.”
“Today’s action shows that these individuals knowingly and willfully abused their positions for personal gain and will now be held accountable for their criminal actions,” Andrew Balceniuk, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Education Office of Inspector General Eastern Regional Office, said. “The OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to aggressively pursue those who misappropriate Federal education funds for their own selfish purposes.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Between 2009 and July 2022, DeAlmeida, Martins, and Cardoso conspired to fraudulently misappropriate more than $1.3 million from their former employer, a graduate school of a university in Essex County, New Jersey. DeAlmeida was an assistant dean responsible for financial functions, and Martins served as her assistant. Cardoso, DeAlmeida’s sister, was also employed by the graduate school in a support staff role.
The defendants used a variety of methods to defraud the university:
- Beginning in 2009, DeAlmeida directed a graduate school vendor to pay Martins and Cardoso as though they worked for the vendor, even though they did not perform any services. DeAlmeida and Martins then caused the vendor to submit false invoices to the graduate school over the course of approximately four years in order to reimburse the vendor for the amounts fraudulently paid to Martins and Cardoso.
- From 2010 through 2022, DeAlmeida and Martins directed graduate school vendors to order hundreds of thousands of dollars of gift cards and prepaid debit cards the conspirators used for their personal benefit, and then to submit fraudulent invoices to the school purporting to be for goods and services that were never provided. The conspirators also misused DeAlmeida’s school-issued credit card to purchase hundreds of thousands of dollars of gift cards and prepaid debit cards from the school’s bookstore. DeAlmeida routinely fraudulently approved these charges and Martins forged the signatures of other employees on internal approvals.
- In 2015, Martins opened a shell entity called CMS Content Management Specialist LLC. Although CMS never rendered any services to the graduate school, Martins submitted, and DeAlmeida approved, fraudulent invoices totaling more than $208,000.
- The conspirators also used DeAlmeida’s school-issued credit card to make tens of thousands of dollars in unauthorized personal purchases. DeAlmeida and Martins used the card to make over $70,000 in purchases at an online retailer shipped directly to their homes, including woman’s shoes, smart watches, and bed linens. DeAlmeida and Martins fraudulently altered certain receipts before submitting them to the school for payment.
The wire fraud conspiracy charge carries a maximum potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a fine equal to the greater of $250,000 or twice the gain or loss resulting from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing for Cardoso is scheduled for Nov. 26, 2024; for DeAlmeida, Dec. 2, 2024; and for Martins, Dec. 3, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark; special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; and special agents of the Department of Education Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Andrew Balceniuk, with the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Silane of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark.
martins.information.pdf dealmeida.information.pdf cardoso.information.pdfFinancial fraudster and gang member sentenced after shooting led to discoveryRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Portsmouth man was sentenced yesterday to four years and nine months in prison for aggravated identity theft, being a felon in possession of a firearm, and defrauding a COVID relief program.
According to court documents, in May 2021, Marquell Lamont Moon, 31, who is a member of the Crips gang, fired approximately 27 rounds at a victim while the victim’s 3-year-old child was with him. At least one of the rounds struck the victim’s left hand. Law enforcement in Chesapeake later pursued Moon, who attempted to flee in a vehicle at high speed but crashed into a residence, fled the vehicle, and discarded a black backpack and other objects as he ran. Law enforcement recovered $8,275.66 and a stolen .45 semiautomatic handgun from Moon’s vehicle.
Moon was previously convicted of carrying a concealed weapon, reckless driving, resisting arrest, and forging credit cards. As a previously convicted felon, Moon cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.
Law enforcement also recovered evidence that Moon was engaged in a financial fraud scheme. Among the items recovered from Moon’s vehicle and backpack were credit and bank cards, a card embossing machine, a notebook detailing the fraudulent scheme, and correspondence with the Virginia Employment Commission (VEC). A total of 34 cards were either in another person’s name or there was no name associated with the card. There were also 28 blank debit/credit cards with no identifying information on the magnetic strip.
Moon fraudulently obtained unemployment benefits that had been expanded and initiated due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Moon unlawfully obtained the personally identifiable information (PII) of 10 individuals and used that information to fraudulently apply to VEC for unemployment insurance benefits totaling $112,633. The notebook detailed the steps for committing fraudulent requests and documenting the PII of the individuals whose identities Moon used to apply for the funds. Federal agents across several states located and interviewed the PII victims and determined that they did not know Moon and had not filed for unemployment insurance in Virginia. One victim was deceased. Another victim was too apprehensive to even comply with law enforcement.
In addition to applying for benefits in the victims’ names, Moon used VEC's online portal to enter weekly re-certifications attesting that the applicants were ready and willing to work during the week and actively seeking employment. One of the identity theft victims could not have been willing to work during the week and actively seeking employment because he was deceased. Another victim was not willing to work during the week and actively seeking employment because he was retired.
Moon is currently incarcerated for malicious wounding.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Arenda Wright Allen.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Clayton D. LaForge and Amanda L. Cheney prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:22-cr-35.
Felon with History of Violence and Drug Trafficking Sentenced to 8 Years in Federal Prison for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
A Sioux City man who previously served time for possession of a firearm in violation of federal law, was sentenced today to another 8 years in federal prison.
Anthony Goodshield, age 41, of Sioux City, received the prison term after a March 6, 2024, guilty plea to possession of a firearm by a felon and drug user.
Evidence in the case revealed Goodshield, who was taken into custody on an outstanding state warrant, was found to be in possession of several items of drug paraphernalia, as well as the firearm that he attempted to stash in an air duct vent.
Goodshield’s criminal history includes burglary, going armed with intent, eluding, possession with intent to distribute controlled substance, as well a previous federal felon in possession of a firearm conviction.
Goodshield was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand to 96 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 3-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
Goodshield is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by Sioux City, Iowa Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Forde Fairchild.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-4056.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Federal Jury Finds Previously Convicted Sex Offender Guilty of Additional Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A federal jury recently returned a guilty verdict in the case of a previously-convicted sex offender accused of child pornography offenses. Jarrod Sanford, 43, of Covington, was found guilty of production of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and committing a felony offense against a minor while required to register as a sex offender. Kevin G. Ritz, United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the verdict today.
According to information presented at trial, between July and November of 2023, Jarrod Sanford used a cell phone to take photographs of himself raping a 13-year-old child. On November 19, 2023, deputies with the Tipton County Sheriff’s Office responded to a report about the rape of a child and recovered a phone from Sanford’s residence.
Agents with the FBI Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force were able to bypass the phone’s encryption and discovered photographs that Sanford had taken during a prior rape of the child. Sanford’s DNA matched DNA samples taken from the child victim after the November rape. Sanford had previously been convicted of a sex offense, and he was on federal supervised release and the Tennessee sex offender registry at the time he committed the charged offenses.
A federal grand jury indicted Sanford for the child pornography and registry offenses in February 2024. On July 25, 2024, after a four-day trial, federal jurors convicted Jarrod Sanford as charged.
As a result of this conviction, Sanford is facing a sentence of 35 to 70 years imprisonment. Sanford faces an additional sentence of up to five years imprisonment for violation of his supervised release. A sentencing hearing before United States District Court Judge Thomas L. Parker is set for Thursday, October 31, 2024. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the United States Probation Office for the Western District of Tennessee, and the Tipton County Sheriff’s Office.
United States Attorney Kevin Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Delery and Lynn Crum, who prosecuted this case, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated the case.
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For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Federal Jury Convicts Sean Christopher Williams of EscapeRead the Press Release
GREENEVILLE, Tenn. – Today, following a four-day trial in United States District Court, Greeneville, Tenn, a federal jury convicted Sean Christopher Williams, 52, of Johnson City, Tennessee, of Escape, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §751(a).
Sentencing is set for November 18, 2024, at 1:30 p.m., in front of the Honorable J. Ronnie Greer, United States District Judge, in United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee in Greeneville. Williams faces a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The evidence presented at trial highlighted the multi-state manhunt that led to the capture of Williams in Pinellas County, Florida, on November 21, 2023, after he escaped from a transport van en route to the Greeneville Federal Courthouse on October 18, 2023.
United States Attorney Francis M. Hamilton, III, of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.
Law enforcement agencies participating in the joint investigation which led to the apprehension, indictment and subsequent conviction of Williams included the Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Marshals Service, Homeland Security Investigations, Tennessee Bureau of Investigation, First Judicial District Attorney’s Office, Jackson County Sherriff’s Department, Sylva Police Department, and Pinellas County Sheriff’s Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meghan L. Gomez and J. Gregory Bowman represented the United States at trial.
Williams is facing additional federal charges in the Eastern District of Tennessee and that trial is currently set for August 27, 2024, in front of Judge Greer.
The public is reminded that every person is presumed innocent until their guilt has been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
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Essex County Man Convicted for Sex Trafficking Minor, Transportation to Engage in Prostitution, and Other OffensesRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was convicted on charges of sex trafficking and prostitution-related offenses, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Amin Sharif, 49, of Newark, was convicted on July 25, 2024, of one count of attempted transportation of a victim with intent to engage in prostitution, one count of sex trafficking of a minor, one count of use of an interstate facility to promote unlawful activity, one count of transporting a victim with intent to engage in prostitution, and one count of persuading a victim to travel to engage in prostitution. Sharif was convicted following a seven-day jury trial before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
In January 2021, the FBI began investigating Sharif for transporting and attempting to transport women and minors from various states to New Jersey and elsewhere for the purpose of engaging in commercial sex acts. Sharif recruited four females from New York, Pennsylvania, Idaho, and Utah. Sharif used five social media accounts on Instagram and Facebook to recruit and entice victims, creating personas, and calling himself different names: Dallas Love, Chance, Razzile Dazzile, Truman Peterman, and “Daddy.” He promised certain victims housing, payment of bills and expenses, and the potential to earn up to thousands of dollars a day. Sharif advertised the minor victim online offering her for 32 sexual services.
When Sharif committed these offenses, he was on supervised release for a prior conviction for conspiracy to transport a minor to engage in prostitution, for which he was sentenced to a 10-year prison term.
The sex trafficking of a minor charge carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison. The transportation of a victim with intent to engage in prostitution charges each carry a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison, and the persuading a victim to travel to engage in prostitution charge carries a maximum penalty of 60 years in prison. The use of an interstate facility to promote unlawful activity charge carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Each count also carries a potential fine of up to $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 5, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, with the investigation leading to the conviction. He also thanked the FBI’s Offices in Rochester, New York; Houston, Texas; and Salt Lake City, Utah; and the Dansville Police Department for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Farhana C. Melo and Chelsea D. Coleman of the Criminal Division in Newark.
El Departamento de Justicia publicará una norma final para mejorar el acceso a la atención médica para personas con discapacidadesRead the Press Release
En el 34º aniversario de la ley de Estadounidenses con Discapacidades (ADA, por sus siglas en inglés), el Fiscal General Merrick B. Garland firmó una norma final bajo el Título II de la ADA para mejorar el acceso a equipos de diagnóstico médico (MDE, por sus siglas en inglés) para personas con discapacidades. Los MDE incluyen equipos como mesas de reconocimiento médico, básculas, sillas dentales, máquinas de rayos X y máquinas de mamografía. Es primordial que los MDE sean accesibles para que las personas con discapacidades tengan el mismo acceso a la atención médica.
La norma final está disponible para su revisión en el sitio web del Registro Federal en www.federalregister.gov. Una hoja informativa que detalle la información sobre la norma final está disponible en ada.gov.
“Treinta y cuatro años después de la aprobación de la ADA, las personas con discapacidades no deberían renunciar a la atención médica necesaria debido a equipos de diagnóstico médico inaccesibles”, dijo Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles. “Esta regla marca un hito significativo en nuestros esfuerzos continuos para garantizar que las personas con discapacidades puedan recibir el tratamiento médico que necesitan. Ya sea el acceso a mamografías o acceso a servicios generales de obstetricia/ginecología, es fundamental que los hospitales y los consultorios médicos proporcionen equipos accesibles para los pacientes con discapacidades”.
La norma aclara cómo las entidades públicas que utilizan MDE, tales como hospitales y clínicas de atención médica operadas por gobiernos estatales o locales, pueden cumplir con sus obligaciones de garantizar la accesibilidad en virtud de la ADA. El Departamento ha escuchado de muchas personas con discapacidades a las que se les han denegado servicios de atención médica básicos y de importancia crítica porque los proveedores médicos carecían de MDE accesibles. Por ejemplo, pacientes con discapacidades dijeron que habían recibido solo un reconocimiento físico superficial en su silla de ruedas porque no podían ser transferidos a la mesa de reconocimiento para un reconocimiento completo. Otros pacientes indicaron que no habían recibido atención médica preventiva básica, como exámenes dentales y mamografías, porque los proveedores no tenían MDE accesibles.
La norma adopta un estándar técnico para MDE accesibles. La norma también establece requisitos que ayudarán a que las mesas de reconocimiento y las básculas sean más accesibles. Esto hará que sea más fácil para las personas con discapacidades, especialmente las que usan sillas de ruedas, recibir atención médica.
Para obtener más información sobre la División de Derechos Civiles, visite el sitio web del Departamento en www.justice.gov/crt. Para consultas relacionadas con la ADA, comuníquese con la línea gratuita del Departamento para información sobre la ADA al 800-514-0301 (voz) o al 833-610-1264 (TTY) o bien visite el sitio web de la ADA en www.ada.gov.
Eight defendants indicted in drug trafficking ringRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Kansas City, Kansas, returned an indictment for eight men on charges related to a drug trafficking ring in the Kansas City metropolitan area.
According to court documents, between July 2022 and June 2024, the defendants allegedly took part in a conspiracy to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Jackson County Drug Task Force (JCDTF), the Kansas City, Kansas Police Department, the Kansas City, Missouri Police Department, and the Kansas Highway Patrol are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Trent Krug and David Zabel are prosecuting the case.
OCDETF Strike Force Cases
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the OCDETF Kansas City Metro Strike Force is to disrupt and dismantle major criminal organizations and subsidiary organizations, including criminal gangs, transnational drug cartels, racketeering organizations, and other groups engaged in illicit activities that present a threat to public safety and national security and are related to the illegal smuggling and trafficking of narcotics or other controlled substances, weapons, humans, or the illegal concealment or transfer of proceeds derived from such illicit activities in the Western District of Missouri and District of Kansas. The OCDETF Kansas City Metro Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Kansas City, Missouri, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the United States Marshal Service (USMS), the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Missouri (USAO-WDMO), the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas (USAO-KS), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Internal Revenue Service/Criminal Investigation Division (IRS/CID), the United States Secret Service (USSS), and the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Kansas.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###East Bay Man Faces Federal Charges for Firebombing A University Police VehicleRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – A federal grand jury has returned an indictment charging an East Bay man with firebombing a University of California Police Department (UCPD) patrol car, announced U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey for the Northern District of California and FBI San Francisco Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp.
According to the indictment, on June 1, 2024, Casey Robert Goonan, 34, of Oakland and Pleasant Hill, went to the campus of the University of California, Berkeley. He was carrying a reusable shopping bag that contained six explosive devices commonly known as “Molotov cocktails.”
Goonan then kicked the shopping bag underneath the fuel tank of a marked UCPD patrol vehicle and ignited the Molotov cocktails, as depicted below:
The patrol vehicle caught on fire, as depicted below:
In part due to the rapid response of UCPD officers, the patrol vehicle did not explode. It did, however, suffer significant damage to its rear seats, fuel port, and trunk, and was deemed a total loss.
Goonan stands charged with one count of Maliciously Damaging or Destroying Property Belonging to an Institution Receiving Federal Financial Assistance by Means of Fire or an Explosive, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 844(f)(1); one count of Maliciously Damaging or Destroying Property Used in or Affecting Interstate Commerce by Means of Fire or an Explosive, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 844(i); and one count of Possession of an Unregistered Firearm, in violation of 26 U.S.C. § 5861(d).
An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Goonan faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a minimum sentence of five years in prison as to each count of Maliciously Damaging or Destroying Property by Means of Fire or an Explosive, and a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison as to the Possession of an Unregistered Firearm count. However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Goonan was arraigned on the Indictment this morning before Chief United States Magistrate Judge Donna M. Ryu. He pleaded not guilty to the charges. Judge Ryu previously ordered Goonan detained pending trial, and he remains in federal custody.
Goonan’s next court appearance is scheduled for September 17, 2024, before Senior United States District Judge Jeffrey S. White in Oakland.
The National Security and Cyber Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California is prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); the California Office of the State Fire Marshal (CalFire); and the University of California Police Department.
Defendants with Ties to White Supremacy Sentenced in Connection with Plot to Destroy Energy FacilitiesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON, DC – Three men were sentenced on Thursday for various conspiracy and firearms offenses in connection with a racially-motivated scheme to destroy an energy facility.
Paul James Kryscuk, 38, of Boise, Idaho, was sentenced Thursday to six years and six months in prison for conspiracy to destroy an energy facility. Liam Collins, 25, of Johnston, Rhode Island, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for aiding and abetting the interstate transportation of unregistered firearms. Justin Wade Hermanson, 25, of Swansboro, North Carolina, was sentenced to one year and nine months in prison for conspiracy to manufacture firearms and ship interstate.
“As part a self-described ‘modern day SS,’ these defendants conspired, prepared, and trained to attack America’s power grid in order to advance their violent white supremacist ideology,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “These sentences reflect both the depravity of their plot and the Justice Department’s commitment to holding accountable those who seek to use violence to undermine our democracy.”
According to court documents and other information presented in court, Kryscuk, Collins, and Hermanson researched, discussed and reviewed at length a previous attack on the power grid by an unknown group. The group depicted in the attack used assault-style rifles in an attempt to explode a power substation. Between 2017 and 2020, Kryscuk manufactured firearms while Collins stole military gear, including magazines for assault-style rifles, and had them delivered to the other defendants. During that time, co-defendant Jordan Duncan gathered a library of information – some military-owned – regarding firearms, explosives, and nerve toxins and shared that information with Kryscuk and Collins. In October 2020, a handwritten list of approximately one dozen intersections and places in Idaho and surrounding states was discovered in Kryscuk’s possession, including intersections and places containing a transformer, substation, or other component of the power grid for the northwest United States.
Previously filed charges alleged that Collins and Kryscuk were members of and made multiple posts on the “Iron March” forum, a gathering point for young neo-Nazis to organize and recruit for extremist organizations, until the forum was closed in late 2017. Collins and Kryscuk met through the forum and expanded their group using an encrypted messaging application as an alternate means of communication outside of the forum. Collins and Kryscuk recruited additional members, including Duncan, Hermanson, and co-defendant Joseph Maurino, and conducted training, including a live-fire training in the desert near Boise, Idaho. From video footage recorded by the members during the training, Kryscuk, Duncan and others produced a montage video of their training. In the video, the participants are seen firing short barrel rifles and other assault-type rifles, and the end of the propaganda video shows the four participants outfitted in Atomwaffen masks giving the “Heil Hitler” sign, beneath the image of a black sun, a Nazi symbol. The last frame bears the phrase, “Come home white man.” Prior to their arrests, Collins and Duncan had relocated to Idaho from North Carolina and Texas, respectively, to be near Kryscuk.
The FBI, Naval Criminal Investigative Service, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case.
Trial Attorney John Cella of the National Security Division's Counterterrorism Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barbara Kocher and Gabriel Diaz for the Eastern District of North Carolina are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Assistant United States Attorneys for the District of Idaho, District of New Jersey, Eastern District of New York, and the District of Rhode Island.
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D.C. Felon Sentenced to 32 Months for Illegal Possession of a Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Noah Jackson, 23, a previously convicted felon from Washington, D.C., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 32 months in prison for illegally possessing a Glock 23 .40 semi-automatic handgun that had been converted with a “giggle switch” to fire as a fully automatic weapon.
The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; Special Agent in Charge Craig B. Kailimai of the Washington Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Jackson pleaded guilty on November 17, 2023, to unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon before U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson. In addition to the prison term, Judge Berman Jackson ordered the defendant to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on August 17, 2022, Jackson was a passenger in an SUV when the vehicle failed to stop at two consecutive stop signs in Northwest. MPD officers in an unmarked cruiser initiated a traffic stop on the 900 block of Spring Road, NW. Officers conducted a pat down of the two occupants and searched the passenger compartment. Under the passenger’s seat where Jackson had been sitting, police discovered a Glock 23 .40 caliber semi-automatic handgun on the floorboard under the seat. The weapon had a large capacity magazine, one round in the chamber, and 19 rounds in a 22-round capacity magazine. In addition, the firearm had been outfitted with a visible Glock “giggle switch,” which rendered the gun fully automatic. Jackson knew the switch converted the weapon into a machine gun. Jackson previously had rapped about having such a switch in several videos he had posted to YouTube.
Jackson previously was convicted in April 2018 in D.C. Superior Court on felony charges of assault with significant bodily injury, attempted robbery, and carrying a pistol without a weapon.
This case was investigated by the MPD and ATF and is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared English of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, and former AUSAs Anna Forgie and Connor Mullin.
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Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to Thirty Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation of Multiple MinorsRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – Today, U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Matthew Molnar, age 47, of Hagerstown, Maryland to thirty years in federal prison, followed by fifteen years of supervised release, for sexual exploitation of a child. He is ordered to pay $18,000 in restitution. Judge Chuang also ordered that, upon his release from prison, Molnar must continue to register as a sex offender in the places where he resides and where he is an employee pursuant to the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (“SORNA”).
The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Michael McCarthy of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Baltimore, and Chief Malik Aziz of the Prince George’s County Police Department.
According to the guilty plea, in 2015, Molnar was convicted of possession of child pornography. In 2020 and 2021, Molnar communicated with a Florida-based minor victim and coerced the minor victim to produce sexually explicit videos. In May 2021, Molnar traveled to visit the minor victim, telling the victim, falsely, that he was 17-years-old and was studying pre-law. In February 2022, Molnar started communicating with a Maryland-based minor victim, exchanging sexually explicit messages with her. Also, in February 2022, Molnar had sexual intercourse with the minor on multiple occasions. During a subsequent search warrant at Molnar’s house, law enforcement found multiple sexually explicit files that included the minor victim. In reviewing Molnar’s electronic devices seized during the search warrant, law enforcement also determined that Molnar had distributed numerous files containing child pornography.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative established by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the “Resources” tab on the left of the page.
U.S. Attorney Barron commended the FBI, HSI and Prince George’s County Police Department for their work in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Sarma is leading the prosecution of this federal case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Clearwater Co-Defendants Plead Guilty to Possessing Firearms and Ammunition as Convicted FelonsRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Robert Pugh (33, Clearwater), and Leon Williams (35, Clearwater), have pleaded guilty to an indictment charging Pugh with possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon, and Williams with possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. Pugh faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. Williams faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years, up to life imprisonment, under the Armed Career Criminal Act.
According to court records, on or about January 3, 2024, a search warrant was executed at a residence located in Clearwater, Florida. Both Pugh and Williams lived at the residence. During the search, a loaded handgun was located in Pugh’s bedroom, and live rounds of ammunition were located Williams’ bedroom. An additional loaded handgun was located in the shared living room. Interviews were conducted with both defendants. Pugh admitted to ownership of the handgun in his bedroom and having access to the handgun in the living room, and Williams admitted to ownership of the ammunition in his bedroom. DNA evidence was later obtained connecting Pugh to the handgun in his bedroom and Williams to the handgun in the living room.
Both defendants are convicted felons and prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. Prior to the offense, Pugh had been convicted of multiple felonies including felonious possession of firearm or ammunition, aggravated battery, and the sale of cocaine. Williams had been convicted of multiple felonies, including multiple counts of selling cocaine.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and the Clearwater Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jeff Chang.
This case is part of the 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 for occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Buffalo man pleads guilty to sex trafficking minorsRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Steven Gonzalez a/k/a Steven Hernandez, a/k/a Steve, a/k/a Stevie, a/k/a Unc, 48, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr. to sex trafficking by coercion, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum of life, and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joel L. Violanti and Caitlin M. Higgins, who are handling the case, stated that between 2012 and March 2015, Gonzalez coerced a minor, identified as A.N., to engage in commercial sex acts. Gonzalez provided A.N. with cocaine in exchange for sex knowing that A.N. was physically addicted to cocaine. Gonzalez used A.N.’s addiction to cocaine and other drugs to keep A.N. dependent on himself and to coerce A.N. to engage in commercial sex acts with him directly.
In addition, between 2012 and 2013, Gonzalez coerced another minor identified as B.E. to engage in commercial sex acts. Gonzalez provided B.E. with heroin in exchange for sex, knowing that B.E. was physically addicted to heroin. Gonzalez used B.E.’s addiction to keep B.E. dependent on himself and to coerce B.E. to engage in commercial sex acts with him directly.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
Sentencing is scheduled for November 26, 2024, before Judge Sinatra.
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Brockton Man Convicted of Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brockton man was convicted by a federal jury yesterday in Boston in connection with a wide-ranging drug trafficking conspiracy that that involved dozens of parcels containing kilograms of cocaine sent from Puerto Rico to various addresses throughout Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Investigators intercepted 10 parcels and seized more than 20 kilograms of cocaine from the mail stream.
Robert Monteiro, 40, was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for Oct. 24, 2024. In July 2021, Monteiro was indicted alongside 10 co-defendants.
“Mr. Monteiro’s behaviors were dangerous and deceitful. These packages arriving from Puerto Rico were disguised as air fryers and cash boxes to pass though security checks, but they were filled with lethal drugs. The defendant and his co-conspirators failed to account for the capabilities of our federal, state and local investigators,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy “Thanks to our law enforcement partners, we determined what was actually inside all those the packages. This case demonstrates our commitment to keeping illegal drugs off our streets in any and all forms.”
“Robert Monteiro was part of a drug trafficking organization that coordinated a cocaine pipeline from Puerto Rico to Massachusetts through the U.S. Mail. His conviction highlights how committed the U.S. Postal Inspection Service is to dismantling drug trafficking organizations that threaten the safety of our employees and the American people. We would like to thank our extraordinary law enforcement partners at the Massachusetts State Police Department and the Boston Police Department for their invaluable involvement in this case. Together we will continue to be vigilant in disrupting criminal organizations who illegally utilize the U.S. Postal Service,” said Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division.
"I applaud the tireless effort and the dedication of the investigators in this case. The MSP is grateful for our partnership with the United States Postal Inspectors Service, the DEA and the Boston Police Department." said Colonel John Mawn, Massachusetts State Police. "The results of this collaboration are reflected in the significant and positive impact that dismantling this Drug Trafficking Organization has had in making our communities safer.”
Beginning in February 2020, law enforcement investigated a drug trafficking organization operated by Patrick Joseph. Based on a wiretap investigation, Joseph coordinated the transportation of 10-20 kilograms of cocaine at a time from the Dominican Republic to Puerto Rico, and eventually to Massachusetts and Rhode Island via the U.S. Mail. During the investigation, cocaine was found concealed in two-kilogram quantities inside air fryers and cash boxes before being sent through the mail. Various firearms, 21 kilograms of cocaine and over $100,000 cash was also seized. Monteiro served as a member of Joseph’s drug trafficking organization, collecting packages and redistributing kilograms of cocaine that came in through the mail.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy; USPIS Inspector Larco-Ward; MSP Interim Colonel Mawn; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division and Homeland Security Investigations, in New England. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip C. Cheng and Howard Locker of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Baton Rouge Man Sentenced to 160 Months in Federal Prison for Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Ronald C. Gathe, Jr. announced the sentencing of Timothy Franklin, age 40, a resident of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, by U.S. District Judge John W. deGravelles as the result of an extensive federal, state, and local investigation by the Middle District Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) aimed at a drug trafficking network based and operating in East Baton Rouge Parish.
Franklin, a career offender, was sentenced to 160 months imprisonment in federal prison following his conviction for four counts of distribution of heroin. The Court further sentenced Franklin to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment.
According to admissions made as part of his guilty plea, on February 25, 2019, during controlled calls with a confidential source (“CS”), the CS requested to meet for a drug transaction that the two had previously discussed. The CS was fitted with an audio and video recording device and travelled to meet Franklin. When the CS arrived at the location, he entered the front passenger side of Franklin’s vehicle, provided $10,000 to Franklin, and received a plastic bag containing 112.2 grams of heroin. The CS later identified Franklin to be the lone occupant of the vehicle. Agents conducted surveillance and confirmed Franklin’s identity.
On April 24, 2019, the CS participated in four controlled calls with Franklin to arrange the purchase of two ounces of heroin for $4,800. The CS requested “two” and for Franklin to “make it good.” Franklin agreed he’d make it strong and requested “24,” which referred to $2,400 per ounce. They met in Baton Rouge where the CS entered the front passenger seat of Franklin’s vehicle and tendered $4,800 to him in exchange for a plastic bag containing 53.96 grams of heroin.
On May 30, 2019, the CS participated in three controlled calls with Franklin to arrange the purchase of two ounces of heroin for $5,000. Franklin arrived at the gas station, and the CS entered the front passenger seat of the vehicle and tendered $5,000 to him in exchange for a plastic bag containing 56 grams of heroin.
After the three initial controlled buys, agents obtained court authorization to intercept calls and text messages occurring to and from Franklin’s cell phone. On July 30, 2019, while wiretapping the telephone, the CS placed a controlled call to Franklin asking for “3” for his customers; Franklin said he needed about two hours. Several hours later, the CS called Franklin, and they discussed the CS paying “34” for the drugs.
Franklin arrived at the gas station, and the CS entered the front passenger seat of the vehicle and tendered $5,000 to him in exchange for a plastic bag containing 51.18 grams of heroin. Agents conducted aerial surveillance, which showed Franklin meet with the CS.
This investigation was led by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with the assistance of Livingston Parish Sheriff’s Office, Baton Rouge Police Department, Ascension Parish Sheriff’s Office, West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s Office, and Denham Springs Police Department. This matter was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jessica Jarreau, who also serves as Deputy Chief of the Organized and Violent Crime Unit of the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Barbados First in Caribbean to Implement Project Terminus Solutions, Boosting Security in the RegionRead the Press Release
INTERPOL Washington's Project Terminus team, with support from the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Implementation Agency for Crime and Security (IMPACS), has deployed advanced technology, hardware, and software solutions in Barbados, significantly boosting the island nation's capabilities to detect and intercept transnational criminals and terrorists.
The newly installed software applications, the Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) Workbench and the Stolen Motor Vehicles (SMV) Workbench, enable Barbados to seamlessly share, manage, and extend critical information from INTERPOL databases and its 196 member countries. Barbados is now CARICOM's first INTERPOL partner nation to implement these solutions.
“Barbados has just made history in CARICOM by implementing these innovative solutions, significantly advancing the safety and security of its citizens, the region, and the world,” said INTERPOL Washington Acting Director Jeffrey Grimming. “More nations are recognizing the benefits of leveraging INTERPOL resources in the fight against crime and terrorism. By enabling other governments to detect threats before they reach our borders, Project Terminus simultaneously protects partner nations and communities across America.”
The applications include 11,000 test records and 41 live records that have already been successfully uploaded to the INTERPOL SLTD database. INTERPOL National Central Bureau Barbados, which facilitated the partnership, also provided assistance for this initiative.
Lt. Col. Michael Jones, Executive Director of CARICOM IMPACS, stated that this is just one example of the Agency partnering to secure the region’s Member States from criminal elements and regional and international terrorism threats. “CARICOM IMPACS has been working and will continue to work assiduously to secure our nation’s borders,” he added.
INTERPOL Washington’s Project Terminus, a collaborative effort with the U.S. Department of State, aims to enhance INTERPOL screening and record submission by member countries by providing cutting-edge computer hardware and custom software solutions. These initiatives are designed to streamline service adoption and maximize data usability and effectiveness.
Beyond its primary goal of capacity-building, Project Terminus is pivotal in supporting the broader U.S. government law enforcement mission. By fostering connections between U.S. government law enforcement agencies and partner nation entities, this project enhances the law enforcement capabilities of partner nations and helps build a safer world.
Apopka Man Pleads Guilty to Trafficking FirearmsRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Yessen Vasquez Tolentino (37, Apopka) has pleaded guilty to one count of smuggling goods from the United States. Vasquez Tolentino faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Vasquez Tolentino arranged for a freight forwarding company to pick up a refrigerator that he knew contained multiple firearms, firearms parts, and rounds of ammunition concealed inside the refrigerator’s main door and freezer door, and to ship the refrigerator to the Dominican Republic.
The defendant agreed to forfeit the 17 firearms, 33 firearms parts, and over 140 rounds of ammunition that were found inside the refrigerator.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diane Hu.
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.
Analyst Indicted for Alleged Scheme to Manipulate Stock Market via Media Campaigns Then Trading Contrary to His Public PositionsRead the Press Release
INDICTMENTLOS ANGELES – A stock analyst and frequent guest on business television news channels has been charged in a 19-count indictment alleging he used his public platform to illicitly profit by manipulating stock market activity and trading contrary to the position he presented to the public, the Justice Department announced today.
Andrew Left, 54, formerly of Beverly Hills but who now resides in Boca Raton, Florida, is charged with one count of engaging in a securities fraud scheme, 17 counts of securities fraud, and one count of making false statements to federal investigators.
Left is expected to be arraigned in the coming weeks in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles.
“This defendant allegedly used his platform as a securities commentator to manipulate the markets and enrich himself in the process,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “The integrity of our securities markets is essential to the health of our financial system, and those who undermine that integrity imperil the savings of hard-working people. My office’s Corporate and Securities Fraud Strike Force will continue to protect the public by rooting out malfeasance by corporate insiders who believe they are above the law.”
“Mr. Left’s presence on financial television networks and his significant online following provided him with a credible platform to allegedly disguise his intentions and manipulate the investing public for personal gain,” said Akil Davis, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The FBI and our partners at the SEC and the U.S. Attorney’s Office are committed to holding accountable individuals who manipulate stocks for personal benefit at the expense of others.”
“Mr. Left allegedly used his influence and platform to manipulate the market for his own gain, while lying to investors and the public to maintain his clout in front of his viewing audience and unsuspecting followers,” said Inspector in Charge Eric Shen, Criminal Investigations Group, United States Postal Inspection Service. “Postal Inspectors believe the market should be fair and equal for all investors, based on truth, and not fiction; when it is not, we will spare no resource to bring those to justice who violate the public trust placed in advisors in the financial field.”
According to the indictment returned on Thursday, Left is a securities analyst, trader, and frequent guest commentator on business cable news channels such as CNBC, Fox Business, and Bloomberg Television. He also conducted business under the name “Citron Research,” an online moniker he created as a vehicle for publishing investment recommendations. Citron’s online presence included a website and a social media account on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Using Citron’s online platform, Left commented on publicly traded companies and asserted that the market incorrectly valued the companies’ stock, advocating that the current price was too high or too low. Left’s recommendations often included an explicit or implicit representation about Citron’s trading position and a “target price,” which he represented as his own view of the security’s true future value. As alleged in the indictment, Left used his social media following and public platform to earn at least $16 million in quick profits by fraudulently manipulating the stock market from at least March 2018 to October 2023.
Knowing that Citron’s reputation with investors had the power to move markets, Left allegedly selected a publicly traded company about which he intended to publish commentary with the intention of manipulating its share price. Left prepared commentary about the company for dissemination through Citron. Sometimes, the commentary represented Left’s own work. Other times, Left disseminated as his own the commentary of third parties. The commentary routinely included sensationalized headlines and inflammatory language to maximize the immediate impact their publication would have on the stock market.
In the leadup to publication of Citron’s commentary, Left allegedly established long or short positions in a company in his trading accounts, so he profited by taking advantage of the intended short-term movement in the company’s share price caused by his commentary. To exploit his advance knowledge of the timing and subject of the forthcoming commentary on the company, Left allegedly often built his positions using inexpensive, short-dated options contracts that expired the same day that he published his commentary.
According to the indictment, he also submitted limit orders to close his positions as soon as the company’s shares reached a certain price – often at prices vastly different from the target prices Citron’s commentary touted. Though Left represented to the public that his recommendations were to be trusted, behind the scenes, Left allegedly took contrary trading positions to reap quick profits off the stocks he either promoted or pilloried through Citron.
To maintain the illusion of Citron’s independence and the credibility of its commentary, Left allegedly concealed Citron’s financial relationships with hedge funds. According to the indictment, for example, Left lied to law enforcement that Citron “never” exchanged compensation with a hedge fund or coordinated trading with a hedge fund in advance of the issuance of its commentary.
For example, in November 2018, Left allegedly wrote a portfolio manager about Nvidia Corp., a publicly traded technology company based in Santa Clara, California. In the message, Left wrote, “Do you want to make some fast money[.] Put together a thesis why nvda is oversold . . . We can destroy it . . . Just read the analyst notes from this past quarter and assemble the best of the ideas.”
Later that morning, Left took financial positions in Nvidia, including short-dated call options that expired three days later. Short-dated options can offer quick profits if a stock suddenly moves in the narrow timeframe before expiration.
Left then promoted Nvidia as a favorable investment on Citron’s Twitter account, stating, “Citron buys $NVDA. This is the first time in 2 years stock offers an appealing risk-reward to investors . . . We see $165 before we see $120.” At the time, Nvidia’s stock was trading at approximately $143.64. The tweet was reported on by major media outlets.
Despite his representation that he expected Nvidia’s share price to rise to $165, less than two hours after announcing “Citron buys $NVDA,” Left sold all his pre-tweet positions Nvidia was trading within a range of approximately $150 – $151, for a profit of at least than $960,000. Nvidia closed at a high of $154 on the day of Left’s tweet and fell to $144 the next day.
According to the indictment, Left also furthered his scheme by misrepresented his trading positions during public appearances on news programs. After denouncing one company as a “fraud” on CNBC’s “Fast Money,” for example, Left allegedly falsely claimed to have covered only a “small size” of his position in the company’s stock when, earlier that same day, he had already closed out the majority of his position following the publication of commentary through Citron.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, Left would face a statutory maximum sentence of 25 years in federal prison for the securities fraud scheme count, up to 20 years in federal prison for each count of securities fraud, and up to five years in federal prison for the false statements count.
The FBI and the United States Postal Inspection Service are investigating this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander B. Schwab and Brett A. Sagel of the Corporate and Securities Fraud Strike Force, and Trial Attorneys Lauren Archer and Matthew Reilly of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting this case.
The Justice Department's Criminal Division's Fraud Section uses the Victim Notification System (VNS) to provide victims with case information and updates related to this case. Victims with questions may contact the Fraud Section’s Victim Assistance Unit by calling the Victim Assistance phone line at 1-888-549-3945 or by emailing [email protected]. To learn more about victims’ rights, please visit www.justice.gov/criminal-vns/victim-rights-derechos-de-las-v-ctimas.
Activist Short Seller Charged for $16M Stock Market Manipulation SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal grand jury in the Central District of California returned an indictment yesterday charging a prominent activist short seller with multiple counts of securities fraud for a long-running market manipulation scheme reaping profits of at least $16 million.
According to the indictment, Andrew Left, 54, formerly of Beverly Hills, California, and now a resident of Boca Raton, Florida, was a securities analyst, trader, and frequent guest commentator on cable news channels such as CNBC, Fox Business, and Bloomberg Television. Left conducted business under the name “Citron Research” (Citron), an online moniker he created as a vehicle for publishing investment recommendations. Citron’s online presence included a website and a social media account on X, formerly known as Twitter.
As alleged in the indictment, Left commented on publicly traded companies, asserting that the market incorrectly valued a company’s stock and advocating that the current price was too high or too low. Left’s recommendations often included an explicit or implicit representation about Citron’s trading position—which created the false pretense that Left’s economic incentives aligned with his public recommendation—and a “target price,” which Left represented as his valuation of the company’s stock. Sometimes, the commentary represented Left’s own work. Other times, Left disseminated the commentary of third parties as his own. The commentary routinely included sensationalized headlines and exaggerated language to maximize the reaction it would get from the stock market. As alleged, Left knowingly exploited his ability to move stock prices by targeting stocks popular with retail investors and posting recommendations on social media to manipulate the market and make fast, easy money.
As further alleged in the indictment, in the leadup to publication of Citron’s commentary, Left established long or short positions in the public company on which he was commenting in his trading accounts and prepared to quickly close those positions post-publication and take profits on the short-term price movement caused by his commentary. Left allegedly used his advance knowledge and control over the timing of a market-moving event to build his positions using inexpensive, short-dated options contracts that expired from the same day that he published his commentary to within five days. Left also allegedly submitted limit orders, often prior to publication of his commentary, to close his positions as soon as the company’s shares reached a certain price and at prices vastly different from the target prices that Left recommended to the public. While Left made false representations to the public to bolster his credibility, behind the scenes, Left allegedly took contrary trading positions to reap quick profits off the stocks he either promoted or pilloried through Citron.
To further the scheme, Left allegedly advanced the false pretense that his investment recommendations were credible because he was independent and free from any financial conflicts of interest. However, Left allegedly concealed Citron’s financial relationships with a hedge fund by fabricating invoices, wiring payments through a third party, and making false and misleading statements to the public about Citron’s relationship with hedge funds. In addition, Left allegedly lied to law enforcement, stating that Citron “never” exchanged compensation with a hedge fund or coordinated trading with a hedge fund in advance of the issuance of its commentary.
Through his publishing of research reports, Left gained influence and a public platform on social media and through regular appearances on podcasts and cable news programs. Left allegedly furthered his scheme by misrepresenting his trading positions during media appearances. For example, after denouncing one company as a “fraud” on CNBC’s “Fast Money,” Left allegedly falsely claimed to have covered only a “small size” of his position in the company’s stock when, earlier that same day, he allegedly closed out more than sixty percent of his position.
Left is charged with one count of engaging in a securities fraud scheme, 17 counts of securities fraud, and one count of making false statements to federal investigators. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison on the securities fraud scheme count, 20 years in prison on each securities fraud count, and five years in prison on the false statements count.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California; Executive Assistant Director Michael A. Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch; Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office; and Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group made the announcement.
The FBI Los Angeles Field Office and USPIS are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Lauren Archer and Matthew Reilly of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brett Sagel and Alexander Schwab for the Central District of California are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section uses the Victim Notification System (VNS) to provide victims with case information and updates related to this case. Victims with questions may contact the Fraud Section’s Victim Assistance Unit by calling the Victim Assistance phone line at 1-888-549-3945 or by emailing [email protected]. To learn more about victims’ rights, please visit www.justice.gov/criminal-vns/victim-rights-derechos-de-las-v-ctimas.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
25 July 2024
Worcester Man Indicted on Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Worcester man was indicted today by a federal grand jury in Worcester for possessing and receipt of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Charlton Pasley, 48, was charged with receipt and possession of child pornography. Pasley was arrested and charged by complaint on July 1, 2024. Pasley will be arraigned in federal court in Worcester at a later date.
According to the charging documents, a search was executed at Pasley’s home in June 2024. Pasley was in possession of numerous electronic devices that allegedly contained child sexual abuse material. Pasley allegedly admitted to law enforcement that he used numerous social medial platforms to view and download CSAM.
The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison. The charge of possession of child pornography provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison. Both charges carry at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England and Interim Worcester Police Chief Paul B. Saucier made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristen M. Noto of the criminal division is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Wampum Resident Indicted for Producing and Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Wampum, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of Production of Material Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor and Possession of Material Depicting the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
The three-count Indictment named Thomas Hyatt-Baney, 21, formerly of Wampum, Pennsylvania, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, Hyatt-Baney, on or about May 28, 2023, and June 25, 2023, produced visual depictions of the sexual exploitation of a minor. The Indictment also charges Hyatt-Baney with possessing, on or about September 9, 2023, videos and still images depicting the sexual exploitation of minors, some of whom were prepubescent and under the age of 12 years.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than 15 years or more than 30 years in prison, a fine of $750,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Carolyn J. Bloch is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Pennsylvania State Police and Homeland Security Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this 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 (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.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Utica Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Distributing, Receiving and Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Dustin Smith, age 30, of Utica, New York, pled guilty yesterday to a four-count indictment charging him with distributing, receiving, and possessing child pornography. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Buffalo Field Office, and New York State Police (NYSP) Superintendent Steven G. James made the announcement.
In pleading guilty, Smith admitted that he has a 2013 conviction for Sexual Abuse in the First Degree in Oneida County Court, and that in 2022, while under parole supervision for that conviction, he possessed a cell phone which he used to send, receive, and possess thousands of images and videos of child pornography. Specifically, Smith admitted that he used the cell phone to exchange videos of child pornography with at least two identified minor children.
At sentencing scheduled for November 20, 2024, Smith faces a statutory minimum term of imprisonment of at least 15 years, and a maximum of 40 years on each of the receipt and distribution counts, and a term of at least 10 years, with a maximum of 20 years imprisonment on the possession count. Additionally, Smith will be required to serve a post-imprisonment term of supervised release of between 5 years and life, must register as a sex offender upon release, pay restitution to the victims of his offenses, and forfeit the device he used to commit the crimes. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the statute the defendant violated, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
HSI investigated this case with assistance from the New York State Police Computer Crimes Unit, New York State Parole, and Oneida County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney Jessica N. Carbone is prosecuting this case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Upstate Pharmacist Sentenced for Unlawfully Compounding Radioactive DrugsRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, S.C. —Richard A. Sheriff, 73, of Easley, has pleaded guilty to adulteration of a drug and been sentenced to two years of probation. Sheriff also forfeited $166,000 in revenues.
Evidence obtained in the investigation revealed that Sheriff was the owner and pharmacist-in-charge of Shertech, a pharmacy providing nuclear and radiopharmaceutical drugs to medical facilities in the Greenville area. From January 2018-June 2019, Sheriff and pharmacists under his direction, would “fractionate” or “split” the active ingredient of Technescan MAG3, without ensuring the pieces were equal in size, purity or strength. This compounding was done without proper protective gear, testing, or quality assurance. The resulting diluted product was used in procedures such as renal scans to diagnose various illnesses, such as kidney disease.
Sheriff did not notify his customers when he dispensed radioactive MAG3 that the amount of active ingredient was diluted. As such, Shertech created a risk of poor-quality patient scans and potential repeated scans that would expose patients to additional radiation.
“Patients and healthcare facilities must be able to trust the quality of the pharmaceuticals they receive from providers like Shertech,” said Adair F. Boroughs, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina. “Adhering to sanitary standards when formulating these drugs is not only the lawful thing to do, but also the ethical thing to do.”
“Adulterating a drug under insanitary conditions threatens the health and safety of U.S. consumers. In this case, the adulterated product potentially contained only a portion of the full dosage needed for renal imaging, causing a direct risk to adult and pediatric patients of poor-quality and potential repeat scans with additional radiation exposure,” said Special Agent in Charge Justin Fielder, FDA Office of Criminal Investigations, Miami Field Office. “We will continue to investigate and bring to justice those who threaten the health of consumers by evading FDA requirements.”
United States District Judge Kevin McDonald accepted the guilty plea and sentenced Sheriff to two years of probation and imposed a fine of $2,000. Sheriff previously agreed to forfeit over $166,000 in revenues.
This case was investigated by the Food and Drug Administration’s Office of Criminal Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Winston Holliday and Amy F. Bower are prosecuting the case.
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