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24 July 2024
Rochester Man Sentenced to 84 Months in Federal Prison for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A man distributing methamphetamine in Rochester was sentenced today in federal court to 7 years imprisonment, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Felix Urrutia, 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Paul J. Barbadoro to 84 months in prison and three years of supervised release. On May 28, 2024, Mr. Urrutia pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and four counts of distribution of methamphetamine. The defendant’s co-conspirator, Haley Cahill, pled guilty on May 31, 2024. She is scheduled for sentencing on September 10, 2024.
“The defendant was a large-volume methamphetamine dealer in the Rochester area. His disregard for the welfare of others by pumping poison into the community was exacerbated by his possession of a firearm,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “Today’s sentence sends a clear message to drug dealers that conduct like the defendant’s will result in significant incarceration.”
“Like other drug traffickers, Felix Urrutia had no regard for the harm he caused in his community,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Getting dangerous drugs like methamphetamine off the street, and illegal firearms out of criminals’ hands, is a step toward making New Hampshire safer. The FBI’s Major Offender Task Force will continue to work on behalf of all the good, law-abiding folks who live here.”
On four occasions between July and October 2023, Ms. Cahill supplied methamphetamine to Mr. Urrutia, who then sold the methamphetamine to a confidential source. The total amount of the methamphetamine sold by the defendant was approximately 238 grams. Investigators uncovered the conspiracy through surveillance of Ms. Cahill, who left her home and met with Mr. Urrutia prior to drug transactions between Mr. Urrutia and the confidential source. In November 2023, investigators executed a search warrant of Mr. Urrutia’s motel room and recovered a firearm. Mr. Urrutia sold the methamphetamine from that motel room during the investigation.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Major Offender Task Force led the investigation. The Major Offender Task Force is comprised of federal agents partnered with law enforcement officers from police departments state-wide. Valuable assistance was provided by the Dover and Rochester Police Departments, the Strafford County Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Heather A. Cherniske prosecuted the case.
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Readout of the Pardon Attorney’s FCI Thomson VisitRead the Press Release
On July 23, Pardon Attorney Elizabeth Oyer and members of her team visited Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) Thomson, a low security Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) facility for male inmates with an adjacent minimum security satellite camp, located in Thomson, Illinois. The Pardon Attorney and her team hosted a series of educational sessions about the federal clemency process and answered questions from FBOP staff and incarcerated individuals.
During their visit, the Pardon Attorney and her team worked with FCI Thomson staff to make the Office of the Pardon Attorney’s commutation instructions and form available on TruLincs, a secure email service for inmates and their contacts.
The visit to FCI Thomson is the ninth in a series of educational events conducted by the Pardon Attorney for incarcerated individuals and staff at various FBOP locations.
These educational sessions within the FBOP are part of the initiative by the Office of the Pardon Attorney to increase the accessibility and transparency of the clemency process through education and community engagement.
Reading Man Sentenced to 45 Years in Prison for the Attempted Murder of Three FBI AgentsRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Rafael Vega-Rodriguez, 42, of Reading, PA, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Joseph F. Leeson, Jr., to 540 months’ imprisonment, five years of supervised release, a $4,500 fine, and an $800 special assessment for shooting at and attempting to kill three FBI special agents.
In February of this year, Vega was convicted at trial of three counts of attempted murder of a federal law enforcement officer, three counts of assault on a federal officer with a deadly weapon, and two related firearms charges.
On March 1, 2020, in Reading, FBI agents were conducting surveillance while looking for the defendant, who was the subject of an active state arrest warrant for a parole violation. At approximately 11:45 p.m., the agents observed the defendant walking with a second individual. When the agents attempted to stop and arrest him pursuant to the warrant, Vega-Rodriguez drew a handgun from under his sweatshirt and fired at the agents. Vega-Rodriguez continued to shoot as he and the second individual fled from the scene. In total, Vega-Rodriguez fired four rounds at the agents.
After an intense manhunt, investigators discovered that Vega-Rodriguez had fled to Leola, Pennsylvania, approximately 30 miles southwest of Reading. In the early morning hours of March 3, 2020, FBI agents and Pennsylvania State Police Troopers located Vega-Rodriguez, who was hiding in a residence in Leola, and arrested him.
“Rafael Vega-Rodriguez tried to murder three FBI agents doing their job, which, on that day, was to effect his lawful arrest,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “He’s proven himself to be a violent, dangerous man, a threat not just to law enforcement, but the community, as well. We’re all safer with him behind bars and today’s sentence ensures that’s exactly where he’ll spend the next several decades of his life.”
“The FBI does not tolerate acts of violence against anyone, let alone against our own,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Each and every day, FBI agents place themselves in harm’s way to protect their fellow citizens. Today’s sentencing makes it clear that we will stop at nothing to bring to justice those who commit an act of violence against federal agents.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Timothy M. Stengel and Everett Witherell and former Assistant United States Attorney Mary Futcher.
Providence Man Arrested, Detained on Federal Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Providence man arrested early Wednesday has been ordered detained in federal custody on child pornography charges, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
James Moses, 30, is charged by way of a federal criminal complaint with distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography. A federal criminal complaint is merely an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
It is alleged in charging documents that Moses uploaded sexually explicit videos involving prepubescent males and adult males during online communications on multiple platforms, and that he allegedly was found to have stored videos of child pornography on personal digital devices.
In May 2024, an FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force Officer assigned to the FBI Washington, D.C. Field Office established online accounts posing as a person interested in the sexual exploitation of children. It is alleged that in mid-May Moses responded to the undercover officer’s posting and began a series of discussions about his interest in having sexual contact with minors. During the discussion, which lasted for more than two weeks, Moses allegedly sent the undercover officer explicit videos of illicit sexual contact involving adult males and prepubescent males.
On July 15, 2024, as part of their investigation of Moses, FBI Providence contacted the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. Agents learned that the ICAC Task Force was in the midst of a separate investigation into Moses allegedly being in possession of child pornography. On July 17, 2024, members of the ICAC Task Force executed a state court authorized search of Moses residence. During a brief forensic review of Moses’ electronic devices, a member of ICAC Task Force allegedly identified more than 100 videos of child pornography. Moses was arrested on a Rhode Island state charge of possession of child pornography and was released on $2,500 bail with surety following his arraignment in Rhode Island state court.
Moses was arrested today by the FBI on the federal criminal complaint charging him with distribution of child pornography and possession of child pornography. He was ordered detained in federal custody at his initial appearance in U.S. District Court.
This Project Safe Childhood case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ronald R. Gendron.
Project Safe Childhood is 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
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Philadelphia Man Sentenced to 188 Months’ Imprisonment for Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Terrell Watson, age 35, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to 188 months’ imprisonment by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani for two drug trafficking offenses.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Watson previously pled guilty to conspiring to distribute and posses with the intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine as well as a quantity of fentanyl within Luzerne County between July of 2021 and April of 2022. Watson further pled guilty distributing over 50 grams of methamphetamine in Luzerne County in April of 2022.
The matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Luzerne County Drug Task Force, the Kingston Police Department, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Wilkes-Barre Police Department, and the Luzerne County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney James M. Buchanan prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Peggs Resident Sentenced for Voluntary Manslaughter in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Wanda Kay Friday, age 53, of Peggs, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 36 months in prison for Voluntary Manslaughter in Indian Country.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On December 15, 2023, Friday pleaded guilty to one count of Voluntary Manslaughter in Indian Country. According to investigators, on November 25, 2022, Friday and the victim argued. During the argument, Friday retrieved a 9mm handgun and fatally shot the victim. The crime occurred in Cherokee County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma presided over the hearing in Muskogee. Friday will report to a designated Bureau of Prisons facility on August 23, 2024, to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Satter represented the United States.
Orlando Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl DistributionRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Dontrell Deshawn McCaskill (33, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to three counts of fentanyl distribution and one count of possession of fentanyl with the intent to distribute it. McCaskill faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison. A sentencing hearing is set for October 15, 2024.
According to court documents, the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office used an undercover agent to conduct multiple controlled purchases of fentanyl from McCaskill throughout 2023. During three controlled purchases, McCaskill sold the undercover agent a total of about 250 grams of fentanyl. In December 2023, the undercover agent arranged for another fentanyl transaction with McCaskill in connection with his arrest on an unrelated state case. At the time of that arrest, McCaskill was in possession of more than 290 grams of fentanyl that he intended to sell the undercover agent.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.
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.
Orlando Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Sebastian Gabriel Lugo-Lugo (20, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Lugo-Lugo faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, up to life, in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Lugo-Lugo sold counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl to an undercover agent multiple times between November 2023 and February 2024. During some of those transactions, the undercover agent observed a handgun next to Lugo-Lugo inside his vehicle. Additionally, on February 14, 2024, Lugo-Lugo sold the undercover agent a Ruger 9 mm handgun along with 50 fentanyl pills.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office City-County Investigative Bureau, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Megan Testerman.
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.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Investigation Leads to Conviction of Broussard Man for Possession of CocaineRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – Morris James, 52, of Broussard, Louisiana, has been sentenced on drug related charges, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. James was sentenced by United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 42 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for possession with the intent to distribute cocaine.
This charge was the result of a traffic stop conducted by the Lafayette Police Department of the vehicle being driven by James at approximately 2:20 a.m. on June 22, 2021. James was the sole occupant of the vehicle and during the traffic stop gave officers consent to search his vehicle. During the search, officers recovered approximately 1.6 kilograms of suspected cocaine from a duffel bag located in the trunk of the vehicle.
The suspected narcotics were sent to the DEA Southeast Laboratory for testing and the results confirmed that the substance was cocaine with a net weight of 1503.5 grams. James pleaded guilty to the charge of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine on September 12, 2023.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and Department of Homeland Security Investigations and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jamilla A. Bynog.
The investigation and conviction of Morris is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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.
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Omaha Man Sentenced to 16 Months for Offutt AFB Incursion with a FirearmRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan T. Lehr announced that Jason E. Shadden, age 42, of Omaha, Nebraska was sentenced on July 24, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for being an unlawful user of a controlled substance in possession of a firearm. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Shadden to 16 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Shadden will be required to complete a 2-year term of supervised release.
On November 19, 2022, Shadden drove to the Kenney Gate at Offutt Air Force Base in his pickup truck. Though he initially stopped at the gate, Shadden drove without authorization on to the base at a high rate of speed and almost struck an U.S. Air Force Security Forces patrol vehicle. Shadden drove in circles in a parking lot and continued to drive recklessly at high speed to other locations on the installation. He was diverted onto the grass and was challenged by Security Forces members with firearms drawn when he made it as far as a vehicle fueling location on base. Shadden stopped, got out of the truck, and surrendered there.
Shadden was detained and his pickup truck was searched. Officers found a Ruger .40c caliber handgun, marijuana, and paraphernalia including a marijuana pipe, a vaping device, and a vape cartridge. Shadden was interviewed and said he smoked marijuana before driving to Offutt from Springfield, Nebraska.
Laboratory testing of suspected marijuana from a glass pipe seized from defendant’s truck confirmed the substance as marijuana and liquid obtained from vape cartridges was confirmed to contain Delta-9-tetrahydrocannibinol. Shadden’s urine was also tested, and marijuana metabolite was identified in the sample.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Air Force Office of Special Investigations, U.S. Air Force Security Forces, and the Sarpy County Sheriff’s Office.
Ohio Resident Pleads Guilty to Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Peter Williams was convicted of cocaine trafficking, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Williams, age 57 of Northfield, Ohio, pled guilty before United States District Judge Joy Flowers Conti. He pled guilty to possessing with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base on January 5, 2021. Judge Conti scheduled sentencing to occur on December 4, 2024, at 2:00 p.m.
Assistant United States Attorney Craig W. Haller is prosecuting this case on behalf of the United States.
The Pennsylvania State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the conviction in this case.
Ohio Man Sentenced for Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act Violation, Communicating Interstate Threats and ConspiracyRead the Press Release
An Ohio man was sentenced today for threatening to destroy a reproductive health services facility in Columbus, Ohio, and for conspiring to commit money laundering.
Mohamed Waes, 33, was sentenced to 66 months in prison, three years of supervised release and was ordered to pay $273,982.08 in restitution.
“This defendant threatened to burn down a reproductive health clinic in order to intimidate its employees from providing care to patients,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Using threats of violence to obstruct access to reproductive health care is simply unlawful. The Justice Department will continue to protect both patients seeking reproductive health services and providers offering those services, wherever and whenever these criminal violations occur.”
“Threats of violence against healthcare providers and deception against our financial system are acts that must be punished in our courts of justice,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth Parker for the Southern District of Ohio. “We will continue our unified vigilance against such actions and remain prepared to hold accountable those who commit them.”
“IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) enforces the nation's tax laws, but also takes particular interest in cases where someone, for their own personal benefit, has taken what belonged to others. With both law enforcement and financial investigation expertise, our agents are uniquely qualified to assist state and federal law agencies with these types of cases by following the money,” said Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of IRS-CI’s Cincinnati Field Office. “Today’s sentencing is a reminder that there are real and damaging consequences for not only stealing money from small businesses, the lifeblood of the American economy, but also trying to hide the proceeds of the crime.”
Waes pleaded guilty on Feb. 9 to a misdemeanor charge under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which prohibits a person from intentionally interfering with or intimidating any person because that person is providing reproductive health services, and to a felony charge of communicating interstate threats. According to court documents and statements made in court, on July 5, 2022, Waes intentionally interfered with and intimidated employees of Planned Parenthood of Greater Ohio by threatening over the phone to burn down their building because they were providing reproductive health services.
Waes also previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to court documents, Waes attempted to launder a total of $1,972,792.84 in business email compromise fraud schemes proceeds, of which he successfully laundered $273,982.08. As part of this conspiracy, scammers created fake email domains which mimicked legitimate email domains and then sent emails to various companies impersonating vendors and asking that payments be made on actual invoices to bank accounts controlled by Waes and others.
The FBI Cincinnati Field Office and IRS-CI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Rausch and Peter K. Glenn-Applegate for the Southern District of Ohio and Trial Attorney Daniel Grunert of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
North Port Registered Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Attempting to Transfer Obscene Materials to A MinorRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Imran Siddiqi (40, North Port) has pleaded guilty to attempting to transfer obscene material to a minor and committing a felony offense involving a minor as a registered sex offender. Siddiqi faces a maximum penalty 10 years’ imprisonment on the first count, to be followed by a minimum mandatory 10-year sentence on the second count. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the court documents, between January 31 and March 6, 2024, Siddiqi engaged in a conversation with an undercover law enforcement officer who was posing online as a 13-year-old girl. During the conversation, Siddiqi repeatedly described his desire to have sex with the child, sending multiple explicit photographs of himself along with images of adult pornography to the undercover officer. Siddiqi, a registered sex offender, was convicted in state court of traveling to meet a parent to solicit/entice a child to commit a sex act in 2016.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Nineteen Alleged Members of Human Smuggling Organization Charged for Illegally Bringing Migrants into the U.S. via Personal WatercraftRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – July 24, 2024
SAN DIEGO – Nineteen alleged members of a human smuggling organization have been criminally charged for coordinating the smuggling of dozens of unauthorized migrants into the U.S. from Mexico, mostly aboard personal watercraft via the Pacific Ocean. Nine of the 19 are in custody. A grand jury returned an indictment against fourteen members of the organization, and a complaint was filed against an additional five.
“The Justice Department is committed to dismantling transnational human smuggling operations that prey on migrants and threaten our national security,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Nefarious organizations like the one charged in this case can expect to answer for their alleged crimes in American courtrooms.”
“Human smuggling cases are a top priority because lives are at stake,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Whether racing a jet ski up the coast without lifejackets or hauling a tractor trailer packed with people, smugglers expose vulnerable migrants to extreme danger and prioritize profit over human life.”
The nine arrested defendants were taken into custody at ports of entry or elsewhere in San Diego during a multi-agency enforcement effort last week; the remaining defendants are fugitives. Federal agents served court-authorized search warrants at suspected stash houses in San Diego and in Los Angeles. Among other things, agents seized over $100,000 in U.S. currency and two boxes of ammunition during the enforcement operations. Agents previously seized more than $120,000 during the investigation.
According to the indictment and complaint, the defendants participated in a long-running conspiracy to illegally bring people from Mexico into the U.S. by land and sea. The organization arranged for transport from Mexico by personal watercraft to coastal areas such as Sunset Cliffs, Bird Rock in La Jolla, and Imperial Beach, often at night and in dangerous conditions. Smugglers favor personal watercraft for their speed and ability to approach shore quickly, allowing rapid drop-offs and evasion of authorities.
The charging documents allege the defendants were also responsible for transporting the migrants further within the U.S., whether driving themselves or coordinating with other drivers, including to Los Angeles, Santa Barbara and Las Vegas. The organization allegedly charged between approximately $7,000 and $16,000 per smuggled person and transported tens of thousands of dollars in profits from San Diego to Mexico.
“Every aspect of human smuggling - whether it be by land, sea or aircraft - puts lives at risk,” said Christopher Davis, acting special agent in charge for HSI San Diego. “HSI and our partner agencies are committed to curbing this illegal activity that’s solely designed to enrich greedy smugglers’ financial pockets.”
“This indictment serves as notice to those transnational criminal organizations operating along our coastal border that it is only a matter of time before they are brought to justice,” said San Diego Sector Chief Border Patrol Agent Patricia McGurk-Daniel. “Our focus continues to be on protecting our nation, and we will leverage all available resources to hold these criminals accountable for their actions.”
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter Horn, David Fawcett (who is detailed to Joint Task Force Alpha, a partnership between the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division and the Department of Homeland Security) and Lawrence Casper for the Southern District of California are prosecuting the case.
The 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.
These actions are also the result of coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). Attorney General Merrick B. Garland established JTFA in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Department of Justice, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to combat the rise in prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. JTFA comprises detailees from U.S. attorneys’ offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of California, the District of Arizona, the District of New Mexico, and the Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, and supported by the Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance and Training; the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section; the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; the Office of Enforcement Operations; the Office of International Affairs; and the Violent Crime and Racketeering Section. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 310 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of human smuggling; more than 250 U.S. convictions; more than 185 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
DEFENDANTS IN CUSTODY
Case Number 24-CR-1448-AJB
Edgar Jimenez Macias Age: 33 Tijuana, Mexico
Alex Ceja Guzman, aka “Alejandro, aka “Gordo” Age: 30 Tijuana, Mexico
Tobias Julian Burgara Gonzalez Age: 32 Tijuana, Mexico
Junior Zavala Ramirez, aka “JR” Age: 34 Tecate, Mexico
Case Number 24-MJ-2728-SBC
Ivan Pulido Jauregui Age: 49 Nayarit, Mexico
Manuel Gonzalez Lopez, aka “Tortillero” Age: 26 Nayarit, Mexico
Jesus Misael Molina Flores Age: 20 Nayarit, Mexico
Alexis Adrian Villela Inda Age: 29 Nayarit, Mexico
Mateo Adrian Alduenda Gutierrez Age: 26 Nayarit, Mexico
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Case Number 24-CR-1448-AJB
Conspiracy To Bring in Aliens for Financial Gain – Title 8, U.S.C., Section 1324(a)(2)(B)(ii); Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371
Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain and Aiding and Abetting – Title 8, U.S.C., Section 1324(a)(2)(B)(ii); Title 18, U.S.C., Section 2
Penalties (for bringing in aliens for financial gain and aiding and abetting): Mandatory minimum of five years and maximum of 15 years in prison, and up to a $250,000 fine
Case Number 24-MJ-2728-SBC
Conspiracy To Bring in Aliens for Financial Gain – Title 8, U.S.C., Section 1324(a)(2)(B)(ii); Title 18, U.S.C., Section 371
Penalties: Maximum of five years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine
*The names of the remaining defendants have not been publicly released.
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Homeland Security Investigations – San Diego Marine Task Force
United States Border Patrol
United States Coast Guard
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Nineteen Alleged Members of Human Smuggling Organization Charged for Illegally Bringing Migrants into United StatesRead the Press Release
Nineteen alleged members of a human smuggling organization were charged for coordinating the smuggling of dozens of unauthorized migrants into the United States from Mexico, mostly aboard personal watercraft via the Pacific Ocean. Nine of the 19 are in custody. A grand jury returned an indictment against 14 members of the organization, and a complaint was filed against an additional five.
“The Justice Department is committed to dismantling transnational human smuggling operations that prey on migrants and threaten our national security,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Nefarious organizations like the one charged in this case can expect to answer for their alleged crimes in American courtrooms.”
The nine arrested defendants have been arrested at ports of entry or elsewhere in San Diego during a multi-agency enforcement effort last week; the remaining defendants are fugitives. Federal agents served court-authorized search warrants at suspected stash houses in San Diego and Los Angeles. Among other things, agents seized over $100,000 in U.S. currency and two boxes of ammunition during the enforcement operations. Agents previously seized more than $120,000 during the investigation.
According to the indictment and complaint, the defendants participated in a long-running conspiracy to illegally bring people from Mexico into the United States by land and sea. The organization arranged for transport from Mexico by personal watercraft to coastal areas such as Sunset Cliffs, Bird Rock in La Jolla, and Imperial Beach, California, often at night and in dangerous conditions. Smugglers favor personal watercraft for their speed and ability to approach shore quickly, allowing rapid drop-offs and evasion of authorities.
The charging documents allege the defendants were also responsible for transporting the migrants further within the United States, whether driving themselves or coordinating with other drivers, including to Los Angeles; Santa Barbara, California; and Las Vegas. The organization allegedly charged between approximately $7,000 and $16,000 per smuggled person and transported tens of thousands of dollars in profits from San Diego to Mexico.
“Human smuggling cases are a top priority because lives are at stake,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath for the Southern District of California. “Whether racing a jet ski up the coast without lifejackets or hauling a tractor trailer packed with people, smugglers expose vulnerable migrants to extreme danger and prioritize profit over human life.”
“Every aspect of human smuggling – whether it be by land, sea, or aircraft – puts lives at risk,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Davis of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Diego. “HSI and our partner agencies are committed to curbing this illegal activity that’s solely designed to enrich greedy smugglers’ financial pockets.”
“This indictment serves as notice to those transnational criminal organizations operating along our coastal border that it is only a matter of time before they are brought to justice,” said San Diego Sector Chief Border Patrol Agent Patricia McGurk-Daniel. “Our focus continues to be on protecting our nation, and we will leverage all available resources to hold these criminals accountable for their actions.”
Defendants Edgar Jiminez Macias, 33; Alex Ceja Guzman, 30, also known as Alejandro and Gordo; and Tobias Julian Burgara Gonzalez, 32, all of Tijuana, Mexico, and Junior Zavala Ramirez, 34, also known as JR, of Tecate, Mexico, are currently in custody. They are charged with conspiracy to bring in aliens for financial gain and bringing in aliens for financial gain and aiding and abetting. If convicted, they each face a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine. Additional defendants Ivan Pulido Jauregui, 49; Manuel Gonzalez Lopez, 26, also known as Tortillero; Jesus Misael Molina Flores, 20; Alexis Adrian Villela Inda, 29; and Mateo Adrian Alduenda Gutierrez, 26, all of Nayarit, Mexico, are also in custody and are charged with conspiracy to bring in aliens for financial gain. If convicted, they each face a maximum penalty of five years in prison and up to a $250,000 fine.
The names of the remaining defendants have not been publicly released.
The HSI San Diego Marine Task Force, U.S. Border Patrol, and U.S. Coast Guard investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Fawcett (who is detailed to Joint Task Force Alpha, a partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and the Department of Homeland Security), Peter Horn, and Lawrence Casper for the Southern District of California are prosecuting the case.
The 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.
These actions are also the result of coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). Attorney General Merrick B. Garland established JTFA in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Justice Department, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to combat the rise in prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. JTFA comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of California, District of Arizona, District of New Mexico, and Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, and supported by the Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training; Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section; Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; Office of Enforcement Operations; Office of International Affairs; and Violent Crime and Racketeering Section. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 310 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of human smuggling; more than 250 U.S. convictions; more than 185 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
An indictment or complaint are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
New York Man Sentenced to 30 Years for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Buffalo, New York, man convicted of Production of Child Pornography. The sentencing took place on July 22, 2024.
Timothy Raymond Myers, a/k/a C.J. Mikowski, a/k/a Colin James, age 39, was sentenced to 30 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100. This federal sentence is to be served concurrently to a 20-year federal sentence from New York he received in 2020.
Myers was indicted by a federal grand jury in South Dakota in July of 2023. He pleaded guilty on April 30, 2024.
The conviction stemmed from incidents between July 4, 2016, and July 2, 2017, when Myers impersonated a teenage male on Facebook and contacted a teenage minor female in South Dakota. After Myers persuaded the teenage girl to send him sexually explicit photos, he threatened to publicly post the photos unless she sent more of them. Law enforcement officers investigating the case found multiple teenage girls throughout the United States that Myers had victimized with the same methods.
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.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Clapper prosecuted the case.
Myers was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
New Jersey man charged with terrorism offenses relating to his attempted murder of Salman RushdieRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, NY – A grand jury returned a three-count indictment charging Hadi Matar, 26, of Fairview, New Jersey, with attempting to provide material support to Hizbollah, a designated foreign terrorist organization, engaging in an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries and providing material support to terrorists.
“We allege that in attempting to murder Salman Rushdie in New York in 2022, Hadi Matar committed an act of terrorism in the name of Hizbollah, a designated terrorist organization aligned with the Iranian regime,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will prosecute those who perpetrate violence in the name of terrorist groups and undermine the basic freedoms enshrined in our Constitution.”
“This defendant put time and effort into traveling to the Western District of New York with the intent of taking the life of another,” stated U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross. “Only because of the brave efforts of those who were present that day, the defendant was prevented from completing his murderous intention. This indictment is a result of the collaborative efforts of our investigative partners in law enforcement, which is one step towards ensuring that the defendant be held accountable for his actions.”
“Today’s indictment demonstrates the FBI’s steadfast commitment to investigate and seek justice against individuals who jeopardize American lives and freedoms,” said FBI Buffalo Field Office Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia. “This case reflects the dangerous spread of violent radicalization which threatens our communities. It’s a challenge; but one the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force and law enforcement partners will never stop working.”
According to the court documents and statements made by the government in court, between September 2020 and August 2022, Matar, attempted to provide material support and resources to Hizbollah, a designated foreign terrorist organization. Matar did this by attempting to carry out a fatwa calling for the execution of Salman Rushdie, which Matar understood was endorsed by Hizbollah.
The indictment further alleges that Matar attempted to kill and did in fact assault Rushdie. Matar was motivated, in part, by a 2006 speech given by Hizbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, in which Nasrallah endorsed the fatwa calling for Rushdie’s death, which was originally issued in 1989.
Matar was arraigned this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jeremiah J. McCarthy and was held pending a detention hearing on August 7, 2024, at 10:00 a.m.
If convicted, Matar faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy C. Lynch and Charles M. Kruly for the Western District of New York and Trial Attorney Frank Russo of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the District of New Jersey.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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New Jersey Man Charged with Terrorism Offenses Relating to His Attempted Murder of Salman RushdieRead the Press Release
Note: View the indictment here.
Hadi Matar, 26, of Fairview, New Jersey, was arraigned today in federal court in connection with attempting to provide material support to Hizballah, a designated foreign terrorist organization; engaging in an act of terrorism transcending national boundaries; and providing material support to terrorists.
“We allege that in attempting to murder Salman Rushdie in New York in 2022, Hadi Matar committed an act of terrorism in the name of Hizballah, a designated terrorist organization aligned with the Iranian regime,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department will prosecute those who perpetrate violence in the name of terrorist groups and undermine the basic freedoms enshrined in our Constitution.”
“The defendant attempted to carry out a fatwa endorsed by Hizballah that called for the death of Salman Rushdie — a fatwa issued in 1989 by Iran’s Ayatollah Khomeini,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Violence directed at Americans for exercising their First Amendment rights will never be tolerated. The FBI will work with our partners to pursue and hold accountable those who resort to violence.”
“This defendant put time and effort into traveling to the Western District of New York with the intent of taking the life of another,” said U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross for the Western District of New York. “Only because of the brave efforts of those who were present that day, the defendant was prevented from completing his murderous intention. This indictment is a result of the collaborative efforts of our investigative partners in law enforcement, which is one step towards ensuring that the defendant be held accountable for his actions.”
According to the court documents and statements made by the government in court, between September 2020 and August 2022, Matar attempted to provide material support and resources to Hizballah. Matar did this by attempting to carry out a fatwa calling for the execution of Salman Rushdie, which Matar understood was endorsed by Hizballah.
The indictment further alleges that Matar attempted to kill and did in fact assault Rushdie. Matar was motivated, in part, by a 2006 speech given by Hizballah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah, in which Nasrallah endorsed the fatwa calling for Rushdie’s death, which was originally issued in 1989.
If convicted, Matar faces a maximum penalty of life in prison.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy C. Lynch and Charles M. Kruly for the Western District of New York and Trial Attorney Frank Russo of the Justice Department’s National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
New Hampshire Man Pleads Guilty to Stalking JournalistRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A New Hampshire man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston for his role in two conspiracies to harass and intimidate two journalists employed by New Hampshire Public Radio (NHPR). The harassment and intimidation of the victims included the vandalism – on five separate occasions – of the victims’ homes and the home of one of the victims’ parents with bricks, large rocks and red spray paint.
Eric Labarge, 46, of Nashua, N.H., pleaded guilty to a five-count superseding Information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit stalking through interstate travel and using a facility of interstate commerce; one count of conspiracy to commit stalking using a facility of interstate commerce; one count of stalking using a facility of interstate commerce and aiding and abetting; and two counts of stalking through interstate travel and aiding and abetting. U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani scheduled sentencing for Oct. 18, 2024. Labarge was arrested and charged in September 2023 along with co-conspirators Tucker Cockerline, Michael Waselchuck and Keenan Saniatan.
In March 2022, an NHPR journalist (Victim 1) published an article detailing allegations of sexual and other misconduct by a former New Hampshire businessperson, identified in the charging document as Subject 1. Another NHPR journalist (Victim 2) also contributed to the article, which appeared on NHPR’s website during and after March 2022. In response to this reporting, Labarge – who is a close personal associate of Subject 1 – conspired with Cockerline, Waselchuck and, allegedly Saniatan, to harass and intimidate Victims 1 and 2 and their immediate family members. Among other things, the indictment alleges that:
- On or about April 22, 2022, Labarge solicited Cockerline to vandalize Victim 1’s former residence in Hanover, N.H., using a brick and red spray paint. On the evening of April 24, 2022, Cockerline spraypainted the word “C*NT” in large red letters on the front door and threw a brick through an exterior window of the home;
- On or about April 22, 2022, in a conspiracy with Labarge, Saniatan allegedly agreed to vandalize Victim 2’s home in Concord, N.H. and Victim 1’s parents’ home in Hampstead, N.H., using large rocks and red spray paint. On the evening of April 24, 2022, Saniatan allegedly spraypainted the word “C*NT” in large red letters on the front door and threw a large rock at the exterior of Victim 2’s home; and he allegedly threw a softball-sized rock through a front exterior window and spraypainted the word “C*NT” in large red letters on one of the garage doors of Victim 1’s parents’ home;
- On or about May 18, 2022, Labarge solicited Cockerline to vandalize Victim 1’s parents’ home in Hampstead, N.H., and Victim 1’s home in Melrose, Mass., using bricks and red spray paint. Cockerline, in turn, recruited Waselchuck to vandalize Victim 1’s residence; and
- Thereafter, on the evening of May 20, 2022, Cockerline spraypainted the word “C*NT” in large red letters on one of the garage doors of Victim 1’s parents’ home, and left a brick on the ground near the front door. Several hours later, Waselchuck threw a brick through an exterior window of Victim 1’s home and painted the phrase “JUST THE BEGINNING” in large red letters on the front of the house.
Cockerline and Waselchuck have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing. Saniatan is scheduled for trial on Sept. 9, 2024.
Each charge carries a maximum sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release, a $250,000 fine and restitution. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Concord, Hampstead and Hanover, New Hampshire Police Departments, the Melrose, Massachusetts Police Department and the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of New Hampshire. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jason A. Casey and Torey B. Cummings of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Monroe County Man Sentenced to 151 Months’ Imprisonment for Narcotics DistributionRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that on July 23, 2024, United States District Court Judge Julia K. Munley sentenced Rodney Wilcox, age 56, of East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania, to 151 months’ imprisonment to be followed by three years on supervised release for distribution of cocaine and fentanyl.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, during the spring of 2023, Wilcox sold cocaine and fentanyl during several controlled purchase operations conducted by law enforcement agents. Wilcox was armed with a handgun during some of these controlled purchases. A search warrant was also served on Wilcox’s residence, which resulted in the seizure of additional narcotics and two firearms. In all, 6.5 grams of pure fentanyl were seized from Wilcox, which is 3,250 doses of potentially fatal fentanyl.
The matter was a joint investigation by the FBI and the Pennsylvania State Police. Assistant United States Attorney Todd K. Hinkley prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Missouri Man Sentenced to 405 Months in Federal Prison for Production of Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Missouri man was sentenced today to 405 months in federal prison for production of child pornography.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, John Daniel Kopp Jr., 65, requested Abigail Margarete Knight produce child pornography with two minor victims and send it to him for a period of several years, between at least July 2020 through May 2023. Knight would produce such images and send them to Kopp via text message. Kopp continued to ask for more images, even paying Knight to produce some of the images.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Kopp will be required to serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Kopp was also ordered to pay $6,000 in restitution.
In June 2024, Knight, 36 of Riverside, was sentenced to 600 months in federal prison, following her plea to two counts of production of child pornography.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Washington County Sherriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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.
Mission Man Sentenced for Possession of an Unregistered FirearmRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of an Unregistered Firearm. The sentencing took place on July 22, 2024.
Mikel Swift Hawk, a/k/a Mikal Swift Hawk, age 25, was sentenced to three years and six months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Swift Hawk was indicted by a federal grand jury in February of 2023. He pleaded guilty on April 4, 2024.
The conviction stems from an incident that occurred on November 26, 2022, in Mission, South Dakota, within the boundaries of the Rosebud Sioux Indian Reservation. On that date, Swift Hawk was a passenger in a vehicle that was involved in a traffic stop. Law enforcement officers located a short shotgun in the vehicle, which Swift Hawk admitted to possessing. The short shotgun had a barrel of less than eighteen inches in length and was not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Swift Hawk will forfeit ownership of the firearm to the United States.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Swift Hawk was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Mexican National Sentenced to 18 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine ChargeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan T. Lehr announced that German Aguilar Beltran, age 46, of Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico, was sentenced on July 24, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska after having pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. United States District Court Brian C. Buescher sentenced Aguilar Beltran to 216 months’ imprisonment. After completing his term of imprisonment Aguilar Beltran will be deported to Mexico as he is not a United States citizen.
On June 22, 2021, a cooperating defendant was arrested after agents executed a search warrant on his Omaha residence revealing 28 one-pound packages of crystal meth, and $18,754 in narcotics proceeds. In a post-arrest interview, the cooperator admitted to his involvement in distributing meth and identified co-defendant Emeterio Sepulveda-Moreno as the person who delivered the meth found in his residence. The cooperator said Sepulveda-Moreno was responsible for delivering hundreds of pounds of meth, and twice delivered meth to him in Omaha, including the 28 pounds he was caught with.
The investigation revealed that another co-defendant, Victor Gabriel Gonzalez-Garcia, would drive vehicles loaded with meth along with and Emeterio Sepulveda-Moreno, who were both working for German Aguilar Beltran since October of 2017. Agents confirmed that Aguilar Beltran’s phone was present during multiple documented drug transactions, and a vehicle known to have transported multiple loads of meth was registered in Aguilar Beltran’s name. During the course of the conspiracy, Aguilar Beltran was stopped and identified as the driver of the drug load vehicle.
United States District Court Brian C. Buescher sentenced Sepulveda-Moreno to 135 months’ imprisonment on May 8, 2024, and sentenced Gonzalez-Garcia to 168 months’ imprisonment on July 27, 2023. The $18,754 seized on June 22, 2021, was previously forfeited to the United States as proceeds from narcotics trafficking, and the cooperator defendant was previously sentenced to 151 months’ imprisonment.
This case was the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations.
Mental health services providers pay over a million to settle false claims liabilityRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – Two mental health care providers in the South Texas area have agreed to pay $1,083,000 to resolve False Claims Act (FCA) allegations regarding the submission of claims to Medicare, TRICARE and Medicaid that non-physician personnel rendered, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
From 2017 through 2020, Texas Behavioral Health PLLC (TBH) and United Psychiatry Institute LLC (UPI) allegedly engaged in a pattern and practice of falsely billing Medicare Part B.
According to the allegations, TBH and UPI would submit claims for mental health services that physicians had not rendered or not directly supervised as Medicare regulations require. Some services occurred on dates when the physicians were traveling outside of the United States and thus unable to provide the services. Others allegedly occurred at times when it was not logistically possible for the physicians to have rendered them or directly supervised the services themselves due to the sheer volume of patients at multiple office locations located in and around the Houston area.
Certain non-physician practitioners can provide mental health services but must have their own benefit categories and must bill the government programs directly using their own provider numbers. This did not happen in this case, according to the allegations. As a result of the alleged improper billing, Medicare, TRICARE and Medicaid reimbursed TBH and UPI at the higher physician rate.
“For a system to provide affordable mental health services, it’s important for healthcare providers to give accurate information about who is providing the services - not supply misinformation in an attempt to fleece that system,” said Hamdani. “My office will continue to hold healthcare providers accountable when they get reimbursed at a higher rate due to alleged improper or fraudulent billing practices.”
“As evidenced by recent settlements and indictments, healthcare fraud and abuse of our federally funded healthcare system is rampant,” said Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams of the FBI Houston Field Office. “Too many providers are taking advantage of the mental health crisis and patient beneficiaries to bilk the system for millions of dollars. Ultimately, we all pay the price for their deceit in the form of higher premiums and out-of-pocket expenses. We encourage anyone who has information about healthcare fraud to please speak up and report it to the FBI.”
“Our federal health care system relies on the fundamental principle that providers bill correctly and adhere to the rules. Taxpayers who fund these programs deserve nothing less,” said Special Agent in Charge Jason E. Meadows of the Department of Health and Human Services - Office of Inspector General (DHHS-OIG). “We will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners and prosecutors to ensure that those who submit false claims to Medicare are held accountable and that the Medicare trust fund is restored.”
The settlement stems from a qui tam or whistleblower complaint filed under the FCA, which permits a party to file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recover. The qui tam case is United States ex rel. Gonzalez v. Texas Behavioral Health PLLC et al. The whistleblower will receive 17% of the proceeds from the settlement.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas and FBI conducted the investigation with assistance from DHHS – OIG and Texas Attorney General’s Office – Civil Medicaid Fraud Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Green handled the matter.
Maryland Woman Sentenced to 30 Months for A Series of Fraud Schemes, Including Passport Fraud, Wire Fraud, and Bankruptcy FraudRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang sentenced Charmaine Miesha Brown, age 45, of Lusby, Maryland, to 30 months in federal prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release for conspiracies to commit passport fraud and wire fraud, as well as bankruptcy fraud, and making a false statement in bankruptcy proceeding. Brown was also ordered to pay $128,201.22 in restitution.
The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland; Special Agent in Charge Karen L. Brown Cleveland of the U.S. Department of the State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Washington Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Colleen Lawlor of the Social Security Administration - Office of Inspector General, Philadelphia Field Division; and Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari of the Department of Homeland Security.
As detailed in trial testimony, in January 2014, Charmaine Miesha Brown, a United States citizen, married Andrews Oduro Brown, a/k/a “Andrews Oduro,” a Ghanaian national who entered the United States in May 2013. In 2021, Oduro obtained legal permanent resident status in the United States through his marriage to Brown.
According to trial testimony, including testimony from Brown, and court documents, from December 2014 through April 2021, Brown and Oduro conspired to obtain United States passports for Oduro’s children, who were non-United States citizens, through false statements and fraudulent identity documents.
For example, the evidence established that on December 1, 2014, Brown submitted an application for a passport in the name of Brown’s child, Child C, who is a U.S. citizen, but bearing the photograph of Oduro’s child, Child A, who was born in Ghana and is not a U.S. citizen. After the application was approved, Child A traveled from Ghana into the United States using the fraudulently obtained U.S. passport. On March 16, 2015, Brown and Oduro applied for a passport in Child A’s own name and submitted a fraudulent Ghanaian birth certificate in support of the application, falsely stating that Brown was Child A’s birth mother. As detailed at trial, on March 17, 2020, Brown and Oduro applied for a passport in the name of Child B, Oduro’s non-U.S. citizen child, and again submitted a fraudulent Ghanaian birth certificate in support of the application, falsely stating that Brown was Child B’s birth mother. After the application was approved, Child B used the fraudulently obtained U.S. passport to travel into the United States.
Further, the evidence proved that from August 2016 through April 2021, Brown and Oduro conspired to receive payments from the state of Maryland’s Child Care Scholarship Program to which they were not entitled. The Child Care Scholarship Program, formerly known as the Child Care Subsidy Program, provides direct payments for childcare services to providers of childcare to low-income families. Brown falsely reported to the state of Maryland that a friend, Individual 1, was watching her children. Brown also falsely represented that Oduro was an “absent parent,” when in fact Oduro lived in the same home. The trial evidence, however, established that Individual 1 visited the United States in 2011 to 2012 before returning to Ghana and could not have provided the childcare services. Instead, Oduro posed as Individual 1 and obtained payments from the state of Maryland between 2016 and 2021 to provide childcare to his and Brown’s own children.
Finally, according to trial testimony and court documents, in 2018, Brown and Oduro defrauded creditors and the bankruptcy trustee by filing a fraudulent Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland. Brown and Oduro filed the petition using the name and partial social security number of Individual 1, seeking the discharge of tens of thousands of dollars in debts and tax obligations to the state of Maryland that Oduro incurred using the name and PII of Individual 1. Court records show that Brown filled out the petition documents. In addition, Oduro appeared at the discharge hearing in the bankruptcy court and identified himself as Individual 1, presenting a Pennsylvania identification that Brown and Oduro had fraudulently obtained in the name of Individual 1. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, as a result of the fraudulent bankruptcy petition in the name of Individual 1, Brown and Oduro caused the entry of an order in June 2018 discharging debt that Oduro incurred in the name of Individual 1.
Andrews Oduro Brown previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit passport fraud, aggravated identity theft, and bankruptcy fraud. Judge Chuang sentenced Oduro to 28 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and further ordered Oduro to pay restitution of $127,951.22.
U.S. Attorney Barron commended the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Homeland Security - Office of Inspector General for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked the Office of the U.S. Trustee for the District of Maryland, the Maryland State Department of Education, the Maryland Office of the Attorney General, the Office of the Comptroller of Maryland, the Pennsylvania Department of Health, the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, and the Dauphin County Staff for their significant assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Coreen Mao and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Gustavo Ruiz, who prosecuted the 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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Manlius Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – William Gladney, age 41, of Manlius, New York, was sentenced today to 120 months of imprisonment, to be followed by 35 years of supervised release, for possessing child pornography. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, 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.
As part of his previous guilty plea, Gladney admitted that he possessed thousands of videos and images of child pornography on several of his personal devices. Gladney has a previous conviction for possession of child pornography in Texas.
In addition to the imprisonment and supervised release terms, Gladney was ordered to pay a total of $44,000 in restitution to child victims depicted in the files he possessed, and will be required to continue to register as a sex offender upon his release from imprisonment.
HSI, the NYSP Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the NYSP Troop D Computer Crime Unit, and the Auburn Police Department investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul Tuck and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tamara Thomson prosecuted Gladney 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.
Man Sentenced to 19 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking CrimesRead the Press Release
FLORENCE, S.C. — Raul Perales Guzman, 38, of San Luis, Mexico, was sentenced to more than 19 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, and distribution of fentanyl.
Evidence presented to the court showed that in June 2023, agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration observed Guzman and a co-defendant distribute one kilogram of fentanyl. Agents then obtained a search warrant for a residence in Conway, South Carolina, where Guzman was staying. During the execution of the search warrant, agents seized 43 kilograms of fentanyl, 23 kilograms of cocaine, 15 firearms, and approximately $407,000 in cash.
United States District Judge Joseph Dawson, III sentenced Guzman to concurrent sentences of 230 months' imprisonment, to be followed by a five-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Assistant U.S. Attorney Whit Sowards is prosecuting the case.
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Leader of a Drug Trafficking Organization Which Operated Out of the Former Victory Inn Was Sentenced to 28 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
DETROIT – Darrick Bell, the leader of a large-scale drug conspiracy that operated out of the former Victory Inn hotel in Dearborn, Michigan, was sentenced today to 28 years in prison based on his conviction on drug trafficking charges, announced United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Joining Ison in the announcement was Jared Murphey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, Detroit, Charles Miller, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Detroit Field Office and Chief James White, Detroit Police Department.
Bell, age 55, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Mark A. Goldsmith.
The charges on which Bell was convicted stemmed from the operation of a large-scale drug operation Bell created utilizing the Victory Inn, a motel formerly located next to the main drag for prostitution on Michigan Avenue.
The trial, which began on April 12, 2022, and concluded on June 2, 2022, involved more than 20 witnesses, including several of Bell’s co-conspirators and victims, along with hundreds of exhibits. The jury convicted Bell on three drug-related counts. The jury acquitted Bell on one count involving sex trafficking and was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on the remaining four counts involving sex trafficking.
The evidence presented at trial showed that as a part of the drug conspiracy, Bell sold drugs to vulnerable women to control them and used them to keep drug customers coming to the Victory Inn. Bell turned the Victory Inn into his own drug distribution business by gaining control of rooms at the hotel and moving his drug-dealing co-conspirators onto the premises. According to witness testimony, Bell employed drug dealers and enforcers to use manipulation, drugs, and violence to control the Victory Inn. There was often no vacancy at the Victory Inn because the rooms were full of women and victims living in unspeakable conditions as severe drug addicts. Bell would supply drugs to these women. The women would use the drugs, engage in commercial sex acts, and then would use the money from their dates to purchase more drugs. The women were trapped in a vicious cycle of addiction, which Bell exploited for financial gain. Bell and his co-conspirators would use violence or the threat of violence to ensure that the women continuously paid their ever-growing drug debt. This would include physically striking them or withholding drugs so they would go through excruciating withdrawal symptoms. In one instance, Bell shaved the head of one of the women.
“Today’s sentencing closes a chapter on the house of horrors that was the Victory Inn. Just as the motel was demolished, so too was the drug network Bell had organized and led for nearly a year. Bell’s rein and control over the women living at the Victory Inn was nothing short of abhorrent,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “Bell’s attempt at evading justice for over two and a half years failed, and he will now spend the next 28 years in prison for his actions.”
“This sentencing is the culmination of years of hard work from the men and women of HSI Detroit,” said HSI Detroit acting Special Agent in Charge Jared Murphey. “I commend the HSI special agents, law enforcement partners, prosecutors, and support personnel who were relentless in their pursuit of justice. We must remain vigilant moving forward and ensure that similar trafficking organizations are promptly reported and dismantled before they can take root in our communities. Lastly and most importantly, it is my hope that this sentence brings some measure of comfort and resolution to the victims in this case.”
“Today’s sentencing shows the power that law enforcement collaboration has to protect victims by stopping violent criminals who believe they can commit heinous acts without consequence,” said Chief James E. White. “The hardworking women and men of the Detroit Police Department remain committed to working with our partners to root out violence and make Detroit a safer place for all.”
This investigation resulted in 9 individuals being charged with various drug and sex trafficking offenses. The remaining defendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
The investigation was conducted by agents of Homeland Security Investigations.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Jerome Gorgon, Matthew Roth, Blake Hatlem, and Lisandra Fernandez-Silber.
Las Vegas Man Arrested and Indicted for Threatening to Murder Federal Officials and State EmployeesRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A federal grand jury returned a 22-count indictment charging a Las Vegas man with threatening to assault and murder federal officials, including federal judges, and state employees in Washington, D.C., New York, New Jersey, and Montana.
According to court documents, between November 30, 2023, and July 7, 2024, Spencer Christjencody Gear, 32, made threatening phone calls and sent a threatening email to assault and murder eight federal officials with intent to impede, intimidate, and interfere with the officials while engaged in the performance of official duties, and with intent to retaliate against the officials on account of the performance of official duties. Gear also threatened three state employees.
Gear was arrested and made his initial court appearance this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Brenda Weksler. He is charged with 10-counts of threatening a federal official and 12-counts of transmitting a communication containing a threat to injure. A jury trial has been scheduled for September 24, 2024 before United States District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey.
If convicted, Gear faces a maximum penalty of 10 years for each count of threatening a federal official and 5 years for each count of transmitting a threat to injure.
United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada, Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI Las Vegas Field Office, Marshal Gary Schofield for the U.S. Marshals Service, and Chief J. Thomas Manger, Chief of the U.S. Capitol Police made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, United States Marshals Service, United States Capitol Police, New York State Courts Department of Public Safety, New York County District Attorney’s Office – Investigations Bureau, and the Montana Highway Patrol investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Jacob Operskalski is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Kailua Man Found Guilty of Racketeering Conspiracy, Murder, and 11 Related ChargesRead the Press Release
HONOLULU – After a 99-day jury trial before Chief United States District Judge Derrick K. Watson, a federal jury found Michael J. Miske, Jr., 50, of Kailua, Oahu, guilty of racketeering conspiracy, murder, and 11 other felony charges on July 18, 2024, and today determined that as a result of his conviction of the racketeering conspiracy, he should forfeit a variety of assets to the federal government. Sentencing is scheduled for November 26, 2024. Ten other defendants originally charged with Miske and several others charged in other cases related to this one previously pled guilty to various offenses.
According to the evidence presented at trial, during at least the late 1990s and through June 2020, Miske and other codefendants conspired to conduct and participate in the conduct of the affairs of a racketeering enterprise, the “Miske Enterprise,” through a pattern of racketeering activity. The racketeering activity included acts involving murder, kidnapping, and robbery. It also included acts relating to murder-for-hire, chemical weapons, interference with commerce through robbery and extortion, wire fraud, fraud in connection with identification documents, financial institution fraud, the Currency and Foreign Transactions Reporting Act, and obstruction of justice.
During the trial, evidence was produced that from about March 2016 and continuing to about July 30, 2016, Miske conspired with others to kidnap and murder 21-year-old Johnathan Fraser in the belief that Fraser was responsible for Miske’s son’s death as a result of an automobile crash. In March 2016, Miske instructed a co-conspirator to develop a plan for kidnapping and murdering Fraser and told that co-conspirator that he/she could name the price for carrying out the murder. On or about July 30, 2016, Fraser was kidnapped and killed. On that same day, another of Miske’s co-conspirators took Fraser’s significant other on a “spa day,” thereby ensuring that Fraser and his significant other would be separated from each other when Fraser was kidnapped.
In or about March 2017, Miske and others conspired to release a chemical weapon, namely, chloropicrin, into nightclubs in Honolulu, Hawaii. As part of this conspiracy, chloropicrin was released into two different nightclubs. Miske was also convicted of obstructing justice for the submission of false character letters to the court in support of Miske’s request for pretrial release while this case was pending.
The maximum penalties for the charges on which Miske was found guilty are set forth below. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress. The actual sentence imposed will be determined by the judge.
COUNTCHARGEMAXIMUM PRISON TERM1Racketeering ConspiracyLife (mandatory minimum)2Murder in Aid of RacketeeringLife (mandatory minimum)3Conspiracy to Commit Murder in Aid of Racketeering10 years5Kidnapping Resulting in DeathLife (mandatory minimum)6Conspiracy to Commit KidnappingLife7Murder-for-Hire Conspiracy10 years10Conspiracy to Commit Assaults in Aid of RacketeeringThree years11Conspiracy to Commit KidnappingLife12Conspiracy to Use a Chemical WeaponLife13Use of a Chemical WeaponLife14Use of a Chemical WeaponLife21Obstruction of Justice20 years22Obstruction of Justice20 yearsAfter approximately one-and-a-half days of proceedings, the same jury determined that as a result of the conviction of racketeering conspiracy, Miske must forfeit specifically identified property, which included two pieces of real property and $611,123.60 in proceeds from the sale of real property, a Boston Whaler vessel, a fishing vessel, a 2017 Ferrari, $2,521.784.32 in cash from various financial institution accounts, and a cashier’s check for $1,162,826.76.
This conviction is the result of an investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Criminal Investigation Division of the Environmental Protection Agency, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, with assistance from the Honolulu Police Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Coast Guard Investigative Service, the United States Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force, the Cybercrime Lab of the Department of Justice Criminal Division Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center, the Honolulu Fire Department, the Hawaii National Guard, 93rd Civil Support Team, the Office of Investigations–Office of the Inspector General for the Social Security Administration, and the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mark Inciong, Michael Nammar, KeAupuni Akina, and Aislinn Affinito prosecuted the case and presented it in court.
Joplin Man, Woman Plead Guilty to Bank Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Joplin, Mo., man and woman have pleaded guilty to stealing mail from Joplin residents as part of a conspiracy to commit bank and wire fraud.
Emily Anna-Lee Sturgis, 31, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool on Monday, July 22, to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and wire fraud and to one count of bank fraud.
Co-defendant Aaron M. Blake, 28, pleaded guilty on Feb. 13, 2024, to the same charges, as well as to one count of aggravated identity theft.
Sturgis and Blake admitted they conspired from December 2022 to Jan. 26, 2023, to steal mail out of residential mailboxes and off porches in Joplin. The stolen mail included credit cards, debit cards, checks, cash, jewelry, and documents that contained personal identifying information (such as names, dates of birth, Social Security numbers, and bank account information). They stole Pandora jewelry from one victim’s mailbox, and a Christmas card that contained a $500 check from another victim’s mailbox. They used the stolen credit cards to unlawfully make purchases.
Blake, with the knowledge and assistance of Sturgis, used the stolen personal information to open credit card accounts and bank accounts under those stolen names. He then used these fraudulently created credit and bank accounts to make unlawful purchases.
Sturgis and Blake attempted to obtain at least $13,845 from their victims and did obtain at least $12,482 from their victims.
Under federal statutes, Sturgis and Blake each is subject to a sentence of up to 60 years in federal prison without parole. Blake is also subject to a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Clark. It was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Carthage, Mo., Police Department and the Jasper County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Johnstown Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl, Methamphetamine, and Heroin ChargesRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Joshua Edmonds, 31, pleaded guilty to Count One of the Superseding Indictment before United States Senior District Judge Kim R. Gibson on July 23, 2024.
In connection with the guilty plea, the Court was advised that, from in and around February 2021 to in and around April 2021, in the Western District of Pennsylvania, Edmonds conspired with others to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and a quantity of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin. Edmonds was intercepted on a federal wiretap obtaining quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin that he distributed to others.
Judge Gibson scheduled sentencing for November 26, 2024. The law provides for a total maximum sentence of at least five years and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $5 million, 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 Maureen Sheehan-Balchon is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Laurel Highlands Resident Agency, and Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Edmonds. Additional agencies participating in this investigation include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, United States Postal Inspection Service, Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General, Pennsylvania State Police, Cambria County District Attorney’s Office, Indiana County District Attorney’s Office, Cambria County Sheriff’s Office, Cambria Township Police Department, Indiana Borough Police Department, Johnstown Police Department, Upper Yoder Township Police Department, Richland Police Department, Ferndale Police Department, and other local law enforcement agencies.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
John Bragg Sentenced to Six Years for Wire FraudRead the Press Release
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – On July 24, 2024, John Bragg, II, 47, formerly of West Virginia, was sentenced to 72 months by the Honorable Curtis L. Collier, United States District Judge, in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Following his release from imprisonment, Bragg will be on supervised release for three years.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Bragg agreed to plead guilty to one count of an indictment charging him with wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1343. As a component of his sentence, Bragg was ordered to pay a money judgment of $79,500 and over $300,000 in restitution to his victims.
According to court documents, Bragg owned a business involved in the restoration and sale of classic and rare Volkswagen vehicles. The business – known as “JB Bugs Trick Truck N Rod” – maintained operations in various locations, including Tennessee and Indiana. Bragg held himself and his business out to be specialists in Volkswagen restoration, including by participating in online communities of Volkswagen enthusiasts and appearing at functions such as automobile conventions. Using that presence, he became acquainted with his victims and defrauded them. As identified in his plea agreement, one instance of such fraud included “selling” a vintage 23-window Volkswagen Microbus to various investors, despite the fact that another person owned the vehicle and Bragg was never entitled to offer it for sale.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee made the announcement.
The criminal indictment was the result of an investigation led by the United States Secret Service in conjunction with state and local law enforcement partners in Indiana and Tennessee.
Assistant United States Attorney Kyle J. Wilson represented the United States.
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Jeanerette Man Sentenced in Bank Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – Cameron Michael Marks, 26, of Jeanerette, Louisiana, has been sentenced for committing bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. sentenced Marks to 54 months in prison, followed by 1 year of supervised release.
On July 12, 2022, officers with the Jeanerette Police Department in Iberia Parish, Louisiana, stopped the vehicle driven by Marks for a traffic violation. Marks stopped his vehicle in his mother’s driveway. He was unable to provide a driver’s license or proof of insurance to law enforcement officers. Subsequently, a vehicle search was conducted of Marks’ vehicle and officers located 13 counterfeit/forged Western Union money orders. Marks’ mother gave officers consent to search the residence and inside officers located numerous fraudulent checks written on third party businesses and individuals, along with account opening documents and checkbooks bearing the names of these third parties but bearing Marks’ physical address.
The United States Secret Service began an investigation into this fraudulent activity. Marks admitted to law enforcement agents that he had obtained account information for the third party business fraudulently and ordered checks with that account information. He further admitted that he used other third party individuals’ identities to open bank accounts in order to deposit the fraudulent checks into accounts without using his own identity. Marks admitted that he issued fraudulent checks written on a third party business account in the amount of $240,275.71.
The case was investigated by the United States Secret Service and Jeanerette Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Craig R. Bordelon.
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Jacksonville Man Indicted on Federal Drug Distribution ChargesRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Robert Howard, III (22, Jacksonville), also known as “Kenny Kapps,” with two counts of distribution of 50 grams or more of pure or actual methamphetamine. If convicted on all counts, Howard faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Howard that the United States intends to forfeit $2,250 in U.S. currency, which is alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Aakash Singh and Kirwinn Mike.
This indictment is a result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigations. The OCDETF mission is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States, using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency task force approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program may be found at www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Indiana Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Sending Violent Antisemitic Threats to Anti-Defamation League Offices Across the CountryRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Andrezj Boryga (An-dre-g Bor-egg-ah), 67, of Indianapolis, has been sentenced to two years in federal prison, followed by two years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to willfully transmitting in interstate commerce threats to injure other people and for choosing his victims because of their religion.
According to court documents, between July 9 and Dec. 14, 2022, Boryga left voicemails at Anti-Defamation League offices located in New York, Texas, Colorado, and Nevada. Boryga used antisemitic slurs on eight voicemails as he threatened to assault or kill Jewish people.
“Hate-fueled threats of violence seek to fracture our society and isolate communities from one another,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “This defendant made heinous, repeated violent threats targeting Jewish people and organizations. His actions were not just heinous, they were unlawful. This case represents the latest effort by the Justice Department to combat the disturbing increase in threats against Jews and Jewish institutions across the United States that we have seen in the wake of October 7th. We will continue to aggressively investigate and prosecute threats and acts of violence motivated by antisemitism and by hatred of any kind.”
“The defendant’s vile and graphic threats demonstrated his hate-filled mindset, and the death threats levied caused genuine fear for the people who received them,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This type of antisemitic, hate-fueled conduct offends our most basic values and has no place in our society. This sentence should send a clear message to perpetrators and would-be perpetrators of hate crimes that we will not hesitate to prosecute those who threaten violence against the Jewish community.”
“Everyone in our country should be able to sit in safety regardless of how they worship, free from bigoted threats meant to make them afraid,” said U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers for the Southern District of Indiana. “This criminal’s horrific threats sought to put fear into Jewish communities. Violent antisemitism and bigotry must be given no sanction in this country. Our office will continue to work closely with our partners at the Civil Rights Division and the FBI to hold criminals accountable for hate-based threats and violence.”
The FBI Indianapolis Field Office investigated the case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James R. Sweeney II.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Peter A. Blackett for the Southern District of Indiana and Trial Attorney Anita Channapati of Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
If you have concerns regarding Civil Rights violations in the Southern District of Indiana, you can now report them to our office via email [email protected] or using our online form.
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Indiana Man Sentenced to 288 Months in Prison for Multiple Sex OffensesRead the Press Release
TRENTON, N.J. – A Lebanon, Indiana, man was sentenced today to 288 months in prison for his conviction on four counts of sex offenses, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Randal Wise, 45, was previously convicted of attempted online enticement of a minor, transportation of child pornography, possession of child pornography, and attempted transfer of obscenity to a minor following a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp, who imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.
According to documents in this case, and the evidence at trial:
On Oct. 24, 2019, Wise traveled into New Jersey, approached an individual he believed was a 14-year-old boy on an internet dating application, and started a sexual dialogue. The individual was actually an undercover officer posing as a minor. Wise sent the undercover officer multiple photographs of his genitalia and requested similar photographs from him. The following day, Wise approached another individual that he believed was a minor boy on the same application. Unbeknownst to Wise, this individual was a second undercover officer posing as a minor. Wise engaged the second undercover officer in a highly sexual dialogue over the ensuing 24-hour period, sending sexually explicit photographs, questioning the second undercover officer about his sexual preferences and interests, and inviting the individual to his hotel for sex. On Oct. 26, 2019, Wise traveled to the second undercover officer’s location to engage in sexual activity with a minor, at which time he was arrested.
Law enforcement seized Wise’s phone and subsequently discovered multiple items of child pornography embedded in a sexually graphic conversation.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Shipp sentenced Wise to 10 years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited the Newark Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task force special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor Thomas J. Chirichella, detectives with the Bayonne Police Department, and detectives with the Indianapolis Police Department.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ray Mateo of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Criminal Division in Newark.
Indian National Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Attempting to Entice a Minor to Engage in Illegal Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - An Indian national has been sentenced in federal court to 12 years in jail and 10 years supervised release on his conviction of attempting to entice a minor to engage in illegal sexual activity, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter imposed the sentence on Upendra Aduru, 32.
According to information presented to the court, from September 20, 2022, to October 6, 2022, Aduru, an Indian national in the United States on a student visa, communicated via social media with a detective posing as a thirteen-year-old girl. During the communication, Aduru repeatedly expressed his desire to engage in sexual activity with the purported thirteen-year-old and even sent the undercover detective several images of adult pornography. Aduru also repeatedly sought to meet with the girl and eventually traveled to a park in Millcreek Township after setting up a meeting with the girl. He was arrested after his arrival and a search of his phone revealed the social media communications between Aduru and the undercover detective.
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.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, the Pennsylvania State Police, the Erie Police Department, the Millcreek Police Department, the Erie County Detectives, the Shaler Township Police Department and the Allegheny County Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Aduru.
Illegal firearms trafficker sentenced to over 10 years in prisonRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO – A Guilford County man was sentenced today for the illegal possession and trafficking of firearms after a months-long investigation into the sale of 20 firearms in Greensboro, announced United States Attorney Sandra J. Hairston of the Middle District of North Carolina.
MARCUS DEVON DALTON, age 30, was sentenced today after pleading guilty to illegal possession and trafficking firearms in May 2024. According to court records, in April 2022, a confidential informant (CI) contacted an agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) regarding an illegal firearms dealer who was supplying both firearms and machinegun conversion devices in Greensboro. The ATF agent coordinated multiple controlled purchases with the CI wherein DALTON illegally sold 20 firearms, including AR-15s, from May 2022 to September 2023. At the time of these events, DALTON was also a previously convicted felon and was therefore barred from possessing firearms.
DALTON was sentenced to a 121-month term of imprisonment by the Honorable William L. Osteen, United States District Judge in the United States District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina. At the conclusion of his active term of imprisonment, DALTON will be subject to supervised release for 3 years.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Greensboro Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole DuPré.
This case was prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.
A copy of this press release will be posted on our website. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for case number 1:24CR81-1.
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Hyannis Man Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Hyannis man pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Ryan Diefenbach, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm before U.S. Senior District Judge William G. Young who scheduled sentencing for Oct. 16, 2024. In November 2022, Diefenbach, along with co-defendant Donnell Pina, was indicted by a federal grand jury.
In September 2021, Diefenbach, and allegedly Pina, possessed a Chinese SKS .762 caliber rifle when they sold it to a confidential informant in Hyannis. Due to previous felony convictions, including prior convictions for carrying a firearm without a license, unlawfully possessing a firearm, possessing a firearm with a defaced serial number and assault with a dangerous weapon, Diefenbach was prohibited from possessing firearms.
At the time Diefenbach committed the offense, the charge of being a felon in possession provided for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant United States Attorney Elianna J. Nuzum of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Henryetta Resident Pleads Guilty to Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Damon Lee West, age 45, of Henryetta, Oklahoma, pleaded guilty to one count of distributing methamphetamine.
The Indictment alleged that on September 20, 2023, West knowingly and intentionally distributed 27.92 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, a Schedule II controlled substance.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation.
The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. West was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal Service pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Joshua Satter represented the United States.
Grand Jury Returns IndictmentsRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. - A federal grand jury in the Western District of Wisconsin, sitting in Madison, returned the following indictments today. You are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and a person named as defendant in an indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Federal Inmate Charged with Possessing Contraband
Marco Cota-Tamaura, 44, formerly of Lakewood, Colorado, is charged with possessing a prohibited object while an inmate at a Federal Correctional Institution in Oxford, Wisconsin. The indictment alleges that on March 22, 2024, Cota-Tamaura possessed methamphetamine.
If convicted, Cota-Tamaura faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. The charge against him is the result of an investigation by the Bureau of Prisons and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Steven Ayala is handling the prosecution.
Madison Man Charged with Gun and Drug Crimes
James Stevens, 41, Madison, Wisconsin, is charged with distributing cocaine and fentanyl, possessing cocaine intended for distribution, possessing a firearm and ammunition as a felon, and possessing a loaded firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The indictment alleges that Stevens distributed cocaine and fentanyl on November 16, 2023, and distributed fentanyl on November 21, 2023. The indictment further alleges that Stevens possessed cocaine intended for distribution on November 29, 2023, along with a loaded Smith and Wesson .40 caliber handgun in furtherance of the drug trafficking crime.
If convicted, Stevens faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the drug charges. If convicted of the felon in possession charge, he faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. The charge of possessing a weapon in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a minimum penalty of 5 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison.
The charges against Stevens are the result of an investigation by the Wisconsin Department of Justice Division of Criminal Investigation, Madison Police Department, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Louie Glinzak is handling the case.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
Janesville Man Charged with Gun and Drug Crimes
Cedric Sanders, 25, Janesville, Wisconsin, is charged with distributing fentanyl, possessing 40 grams of more of fentanyl intended for distribution, possessing a firearm as a felon, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. The indictment alleges that Sanders distributed fentanyl on four occasions between November 3, 2023, and November 28, 2023. The indictment further alleges that on December 11, 2023, Sanders possessed 40 grams or more of fentanyl intended for distribution as well as two handguns and ammunition despite being a convicted felon. Finally, the indictment alleges one of the firearms he possessed on December 11, 2023, was possessed in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
If convicted, Sanders faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each of the drug distribution charges. If convicted of the charge involving possessing 40 grams or more of fentanyl intended for distribution, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years in federal prison and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison. If convicted of the felon in possession charge, he faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. The charge of possessing a weapon in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a minimum penalty of 5 years and a maximum penalty of life in prison.
The charges against Sanders are the result of an investigation by the Janesville Police Department, Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Remington is handling the case.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
Franklin County Man Sentenced to Prison for Producing Counterfeit U.S. CurrencyRead the Press Release
EAST ST. LOUIS, Ill. – A federal district judge sentenced a man from Christopher, Illinois, to 24 months’ imprisonment after he admitted to printing counterfeit money.
Michael A. Eskew, 38, pleaded guilty to one count of manufacture of counterfeit obligations of the U.S., one count of possession of counterfeit obligations of the U.S., and one count of possessing digital image of U.S. currency for counterfeiting.
“Making, using and possessing fake U.S. currency with fraudulent intent is punishable under federal law, and Michael Eskew was maintaining a full-scale, counterfeiting enterprise,” said U.S. Attorney Rachelle Aud Crowe. “He schemed to defraud local businesses and enrich himself with the fake currency, thus warranting this sentence to federal prison.”
According to court documents, Eskew used printers and electronic images of dollar bills to produce counterfeit U.S. Currency at his home. Following a search warrant of Eskew’s residence in July 2019, law enforcement recovered $33,826 in counterfeit bills.
Eskew distributed the counterfeit bills to at least five individuals within his community. In addition to imprisonment, Eskew was ordered to pay a $600 fine and serve three years of supervised release.
The U.S. Secret Service led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zoe Gross and Kathleen Howard contributed to the prosecution.
Four Tampa Men Arrested for Armed Robberies of Convenience StoresRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrests and filing of a criminal complaint charging E’Barous Harris (25, Tampa), Ronald Brown (23, Riverview), Tra-Vontae Watson (30, Tampa), and Jermaine Dawes (32, Tampa) with two counts of Hobbs Act robbery. If convicted, each faces up to 40 years in federal prison.
According to the complaint, on July 14, 2024, Harris, Brown, Watson, and Dawes robbed a convenience store in Tampa. One of the individuals carried a rifle, and another one forced a customer to the ground before stepping on the customer’s back and stealing money from the customer. The defendants also stole money from the store’s cash register.
On July 16, 2024, Harris, Brown, Watson, and Dawes robbed a second convenience store. Again, one of the individuals carried a rifle and another carried a pistol. The pistol was pointed at the store clerk’s head and the clerk was struck as the defendants demanded money. The individuals stole money and tobacco products from the store.
The robberies were linked, and the defendants identified based in part on surveillance videos from inside and outside the stores, as well as data from the Tampa Hillsborough Expressway Authority and license plate reader data. In addition, surveillance footage from a location where the defendants were residing helped to confirm the defendant’s identities and their participation in the robberies.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Tampa Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Samantha Newman.
A complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case is 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.
Four Individuals Indicted for Violating Federal Firearms and Narcotics LawsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of McKeesport, PA, a resident of Monroeville, PA, a resident of Penn Hills, PA, and a resident of Murrysville, PA have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh on charges of violating federal firearms laws, and federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
The eight-count Indictment names the following four individuals as defendants:
- Derrick Lyman, 58, of McKeesport, PA.
- Kenneth Hamlin, Jr., 59, of Murrysville, PA.
- Daniel Jackson, 47, of Penn Hills, PA.
- Devlin Clifford, 46, of Monroeville, PA.According to the Indictment, on or about June 27, 2024, Lyman is alleged to have unlawfully possessed with the intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine, 400 grams or more of fentanyl, and 100 grams or more of heroin. Further, on June 27, 2024, Lyman, Hamlin, Jackson, and Clifford are alleged to have unlawfully possessed a firearm as convicted felons. Hamlin and Jackson are further alleged to have possessed with the intent to distribute 5 kilograms or more of cocaine and Clifford possessed with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine on the same date.
The law provides for a maximum total sentence of life in prison, a fine of $20,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Katherine C. Jordan is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case.
The conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment in this case. 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.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Former Tampa Resident Pleads Guilty to Charges Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Tampa, Florida pleaded guilty in federal court to charges of transportation with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity and sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Thomas Edward Grossman, 49, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that Grossman transported a minor female from Pennsylvania to West Virginia with the intent to engage in criminal sexual activity. Grossman also persuaded a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of that conduct and enticing a minor to engage in criminal sexual activity. The Court was also advised that the parties agreed as part of the plea agreement that the appropriate sentence in this case is a twenty-year term of imprisonment, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release.
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.
Judge Baxter scheduled sentencing for December 17, 2024, at 1:30 p.m. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of not less than ten years and not more than life, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, the West Virginia State Police and the Summersville, West Virginia Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Grossman.
Former Grantham Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Stealing Almost $240,000 from a Charity and Gambling the Money AwayRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A former Grantham man and current resident of Holly Springs, North Carolina, was sentenced today in Concord for embezzling almost $240,000 from LISTEN Community Services (LISTEN), an Upper Valley charity that offers multiple services for vulnerable individuals, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Kyle Fisher, 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Paul J. Barbadoro to 21 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. The defendant was ordered to pay $239,297.09 in restitution. On February 17, 2024, Fisher pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud.
“The defendant stole almost a quarter million dollars from a charity that provides services for vulnerable people,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “Every dollar the defendant stole was a dollar denied to those in need of food, shelter, or education. The defendant’s gambling away the money he so brazenly stole at a casino only compounded his reprehensible conduct. I hope today’s sentence helps LISTEN and the community it serves begin the first step in their healing process.”
“Kyle Fisher not only cheated the charity he worked for by stealing almost a quarter-million dollars, but he also tried to conceal his criminal cash flow before gambling it away. There’s no question what Mr. Fisher did deprived our neighbors in the Upper Valley of much needed assistance with food, housing, heating, and education,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Embezzlement schemes like this can be simply devastating for the victims which is why the FBI is committed to bringing financial fraud to light and perpetrators like Mr. Fisher to justice.”
Fisher was the Executive Director of LISTEN from approximately August 2016 - October 2022. As Executive Director, Fisher had full access to LISTEN’s finances, including its bank account and PayPal account, which it used to collect donations. Fisher made unauthorized transfers from LISTEN’s bank accounts and PayPal to accounts he controlled. He also wrote eight unauthorized checks payable to himself. Fisher then spent the stolen funds on personal expenses, primarily gambling at a casino in Springfield, Massachusetts.
For example, on January 24, 2022, Fisher withdrew $4,787 from LISTEN’s PayPal account and transferred the funds to his personal bank account. Later that same day, Fisher made multiple withdrawals from his bank account, including at ATMs at the casino. He then deposited a substantial amount of cash into his personal casino account that day. The casino records showed that Fisher continuously gambled on January 24, 2022 and January 25, 2022, and lost a combined $6,719 over those two days.
Fisher also took steps to conceal his embezzlement from LISTEN. For example, he created a fake PayPal statement that showed over $94,000 in payments to Dell. Fisher also provided fraudulent invoices to LISTEN.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lebanon Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander S. Chen prosecuted the case.
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Former Franklin Resident Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Receipt and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
ERIE, Pa. - A former resident of Franklin, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 7 years in jail, 5 years supervised release and ordered to pay $3,000 in restitution on his conviction of receipt and possession of material depicting the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter imposed the sentence on Aaron Ray McClelland, 29.According to information presented to the court, in and around October 2020 and July 2021, McClelland received images depicting prepubescent minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.
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.
Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania State Police, and Indiana County District Attorney’s Office for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of McClelland.
Former Family Crisis and Counseling Center Manager Sentenced for Bank Fraud and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Deanna Rachel Long, 59, to serve twelve months and one day in prison for Bank Fraud and Tax Evasion. Judge Hill further ordered Long to three years of supervised release and to pay $278,257.54 in restitution to FCCC and $96,622 to the IRS.
In 2012, the Family Crisis and Counseling Center (FCCC) in Bartlesville hired Long as a manager. She was entrusted to handle many aspects of FCCC’s accounting and finance functions, including record-keeping for the financial books, paying bills, and preparing checks for business expenses. Within two years of being hired, Long began embezzling money to fund personal expenses and fuel her gambling addiction. Court documents show that Long embezzled more than $278k from FCCC. Additionally, Long failed to report the illegal income and failed to file tax returns for tax years 2014 through 2022 with the IRS. After leaving FCCC, Long further filed false tax forms with her new employer claiming numerous exemptions to which she was not entitled to avoid any personal income taxes being deducted from her paychecks.
State court records show Long has been arrested numerous times for passing bogus checks, pled guilty to bogus check charges, and pled guilty twice for embezzling from two prior employers.
Long was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
IRS Criminal Investigations, the U.S. Secret Service, and the U.S. Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney David D. Whipple prosecuted the case.
Former Colorado Springs Area Man Convicted of Sex Assault on a MinorRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Mitchel Crow, 32, was found guilty on three counts of sexual abuse of a minor.
According to facts established at trial, between May of 2020 and mid-December of 2020, Crow engaged in a sexual acts with a minor within a residence located on Fort Carson, an Army post near Colorado Springs.
“Sexual assault involving a minor victim is one of the more despicable crimes in our society,” said Acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch. “Protecting the most vulnerable in our state, including our children, remains one of our top priorities.”
“These cases are devastating for the victim and difficult for the supportive friends and family as well as the investigators,” said FBI Denver Special Agent in Charge Mark Michalek. “A violent crime like this against a juvenile is heart-breaking, and the FBI will continue to support survivors and bring perpetrators to justice. “
United States Senior District Court Judge Raymond P. Moore presided over the trial. The FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Tom Minser and Al Buchman handled the prosecution.
Sentencing will be held at a later date.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the "Resources" tab on the left of the page.