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19 July 2024
U.S. Attorney Secures 19 Year Sentence for Attempted Murder of Border Patrol AgentRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An El Paso man was sentenced to 19 years in federal prison for attempting to murder a U.S. Border Patrol agent during a routine immigration stop in New Mexico.
According to court documents, on January 5, 2023, Roberto Esquivel, 25, was pulled over by a Border Patrol agent on a rural section of New Mexico Highway 146 for a routine immigration inspection. When the agent approached the vehicle, he observed individuals inside whom he suspected of being undocumented immigrants. The agent asked Esquivel to exit the vehicle. Instead, Esquivel produced a firearm and shot the agent, striking him twice in the torso area.
After shooting the agent, Esquivel fled the scene but lost control of the vehicle and rolled it multiple times. He ran from the crash site and threw the gun into the desert. Law enforcement officers subsequently apprehended Esquivel and recovered the discarded firearm.
The Border Patrol agent survived the shooting, largely due to his ballistic vest. One of the passengers required airlift to a hospital but has since recovered from injuries sustained during the incident.
Upon his release from prison, Esquivel will be subject to 3 years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez, Jason T. Stevens, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations - El Paso, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher S. McNair is prosecuting the case.
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Suburban Chicago Man Sentenced to 27 Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Detonate Explosive Device in Downtown ChicagoRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A suburban Chicago man was sentenced today to 27 years in federal prison for attempting to detonate an explosive device at a bar in downtown Chicago.
ADEL DAOUD, 30, of Hillside, Ill., attempted to detonate what he thought was a 1,000-pound car bomb at a bar in the downtown Loop neighborhood of Chicago on Sept. 14, 2012. Prior to the attack, Daoud advocated for violent jihad and expressed an interest in working with operational terrorists. He researched and created a list of potential Chicago-area targets, which included movie theaters, bars, a suburban Chicago mall, and military recruiting centers. Unbeknownst to Daoud, the explosive device at the Loop bar was inert and had been constructed by the FBI, which was investigating Daoud in an undercover capacity. Daoud was arrested outside the bar after twice attempting to detonate the purported bomb.
Daoud was originally sentenced in 2019 to 16 years in federal prison. The U.S. Attorney’s Office successfully appealed the original sentence to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals, which ordered the new sentencing hearing. Today, U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly sentenced Daoud to 27 years in prison and ordered that it be followed by a lifetime of court-supervised release.
The new sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General for National Security at the Justice Department, and Lucas Rothaar, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Barry Jonas and Tiffany Ardam of the Northern District of Illinois, and Trial Attorneys Bridget Behling and Kevin Nunnally of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
The attempted bombing was one of three cases against Daoud to be resolved today as part of the new sentencing order. While he was jailed for attempting to detonate the bomb, Daoud solicited his cellmate to arrange for a violent gang member to murder the FBI agent who had worked undercover to investigate Daoud. The murder-for-hire plot was not carried out, and the FBI agent was not injured. The third case against Daoud involved a violent assault on a fellow jail inmate in 2015. While incarcerated at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in Chicago, Daoud attacked an inmate who had drawn what Daoud felt was an insulting picture of the prophet Mohammad. The inmate suffered lacerations on his head and a bite mark on an arm.
Stockton Woman Indicted for PIBCOA Franchise Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A Stockton woman has been indicted for mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering after defrauding business owners of nearly $1 million through a multi-year sophisticated fraud scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, Tammy Schultz Wadsworth, 62, is the founder and owner of the Pain, Injury and Brain Centers of America (“PIBCOA”), a national franchise organization headquartered at Wadsworth’s residence, that purports to provide a microcurrent therapy called A.I. Myoneurvascular Therapy, to treat virtually any disease or condition, including Lupus, Crohn’s Disease, Depression, Infertility, Parkinson’s Disease, Alzheimer’s, Multiple Sclerosis, and Autism. Wadsworth trained franchise participants on use of PIBCOA’s equipment and treatment and claimed that the devices could treat the specific diseases themselves, and not merely the underlying conditions. Wadsworth also promised the franchise owners a “great source of revenue” in return for their franchise investments. In reliance on Wadsworth’s representations, the franchise owners paid Wadsworth approximately $60,000 to $250,000 each to open PIBCOA franchises.
As alleged, from May 2017 through January 2024, Wadsworth trained franchise participants on the use of the Myoneurvascular Therapy equipment and treatment, while claiming the devices treated the specific diseases themselves. On the contrary, the treatment was not only unsuccessful in treating the diseases as promised by Wadsworth, it caused additional injuries such as burns, scars, and severe nausea to the patients and franchise owners.
In total, Wadsworth knowingly and willfully obtained $950,579.88 from PIBCOA franchise owners, and then attempted to conceal her scheme by laundering significant portions of the money she fraudulently obtained.
The indictment charges Wadsworth with one count of mail fraud, one count of wire fraud, and one count of money laundering. She made her initial appearance today in U.S. District Court before Magistrate Judge David T. Schultz.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration – Criminal Investigations with assistance from the Winona County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Chelsea A. Walcker is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Singer Sean Kingston and his Mother Charged with Wire FraudRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Kisean Anderson a/k/a “Sean Kingston,” 34, and Janice Turner, 61, both from Southwest Ranches, FL, made their first appearance in federal court to face conspiracy to commit wire fraud and wire fraud charges stemming from their involvement in a scheme to defraud victim sellers of high-end specialty vehicles, jewelry, and other goods purchased by the defendants through the use of fraudulent documents.
A grand jury sitting in Miami, Florida charged Anderson and Turner each with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349, and five counts of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343. If convicted, each defendant faces up to 20 years in prison on each count.
According to allegations in the indictment, the defendants unjustly enriched themselves by falsely representing that they had executed bank wire or other monetary payment transfers as payment for vehicles, jewelry, and other goods purchased by the defendants, when in fact no such bank wire or other monetary payment transfers had been executed by the purported banks, and thereafter the defendants retained or attempted to retain the vehicles, jewelry and other goods despite non-payment. Through the execution of this scheme, the defendants obtained in excess of $1 million in property.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida; Special Agent in Charge Rafael Barros, United States Secret Service, Miami Field Office; and Sheriff Dr. Gregory Tony of the Broward Sheriff’s Office (BSO), made the announcement.
The United States Secret Service and the Broward Sheriff’s Office investigated this case. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Marc Anton and Trevor Jones.
An indictment and criminal complaint contain mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at https://www.flsd.uscourts.gov/ or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 24-cr-60126.
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Sells Man Sentenced to 235 Months in Prison for Sexual Abuse of a MinorRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Roy Samuel Paredes, 64, of Tucson, was sentenced by United States District Judge James A. Soto on June 24, 2024, to 235 months in prison, followed by a lifetime term of supervised release. Paredes pleaded guilty to Sexual Abuse of a Minor on November 8, 2023.
In the summer of 2021, Paredes, an enrolled member of the Tohono O’odham Nation, molested a young girl on the Tohono O’odham Nation in Sells, Arizona.
The Tohono O’odham Nation Police Department and Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew C. Cassell, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-1914-TUC-JAS
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-098_Paredes# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Sapulpa Man Sentenced for Stabbing Man to DeathRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge John F. Heil, III, sentenced Arnold Dean Howell, Jr., 31, of Sapulpa, to 360 months imprisonment for Second Degree Murder in Indian Country. Howell is ordered to serve five years of supervised release following release from the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
“Howell will serve 30 years in prison for the harm he has caused,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “My office remains steadfast in its commitment to seek justice for victims affected by criminal violence.”
According to court documents, in April 2015, Howell was at the home of Michael Mondier, Sr. In a fit of rage, Howell stabbed Michael more than 90 times using two separate knives. After brutally killing Michael, Howell took Michael’s vehicle and several valuable possessions.
Howell is a citizen of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. He will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The FBI, Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, and Creek County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron Jolly and Timothy L. Faerber prosecuted the case.
San Francisco Man Sentenced to 11 Years for Shooting at U.S. Postal WorkerRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Vo Nguyen was sentenced yesterday to 132 months in prison for assault on a federal employee with a deadly weapon and discharging a firearm in the course of the assault, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and United States Postal Inspection Service, San Francisco Division Inspector in Charge Stephen Sherwood. The sentence was handed down by United States District Judge William H. Orrick.
Nguyen, 38, a resident of San Francisco, pleaded guilty on May 2, 2024. According to his plea agreement, a United States Postal Service (USPS) employee, engaged in mail delivery and dressed in a postal uniform, was delivering mail to Nguyen’s residence on April 1, 2023. Nguyen came out of the house and yelled at the USPS employee, who Nguyen did not know. Nguyen admitted he aggressively approached the USPS employee and acted like he wanted to fight. The USPS employee backed up, then turned and ran. The USPS employee fled a couple of houses away but Nguyen followed, and the USPS employee pepper sprayed Nguyen. Nguyen admitted he then went home, grabbed a 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol, got into his car, and went looking for the USPS employee. Nguyen admitted that he shortly found the USPS employee and fired approximately five to six shots at him. Nguyen stated he paused briefly, then fired approximately five more shots at the USPS employee who was then running away. The USPS employee ran in the opposite direction that Nguyen was driving, so Nguyen made a U-turn and again drove towards the USPS employee. Nguyen stopped in front of a parked SUV that the USPS employee had crouched behind to hide. Nguyen saw the USPS employee and fired three more shots at the USPS employee. Nguyen drove away briefly before returning and chasing the USPS employee on foot until the USPS employee pepper sprayed him again.
A federal grand jury indicted Nguyen on May 2, 2023. He was charged with, among other charges, assault upon a federal employee with a deadly or dangerous weapon, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 111(a) and (b), and discharging a firearm in connection with a crime of violence, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 924(c). He pleaded guilty to both of these charges.
Nguyen has remained in custody since his arrest on April 1, 2023.
In addition to the 132 month term of imprisonment, U.S. District Judge Orrick further sentenced the defendant to a three year period of supervision following his release from prison and scheduled a hearing on October 10, 2024, to determine the amount of restitution to be paid by the defendant.
Kelsey Davidson is the Assistant U.S. Attorney who is prosecuting the case, with the assistance of Veronica Hernandez, Marina Ponomarchuk, and Victim Specialist Janice Pagsanjan. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the San Francisco Police Department.
Rutland Man Charged with Unlawful Firearm Possession and Maintaining a Drug PremisesRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office stated that on July 18, 2024 the federal Grand Jury in Burlington returned an indictment charging Daniel McSwiggan, 51, of Rutland, Vermont, with drug and gun offenses. The two-count indictment alleges that, between late June and early July 2024, McSwiggan possessed two firearms as an unlawful drug user and made his residence available for drug use and distribution. McSwiggan will be arraigned in the coming days.
According to court records, in late June and early July of this year, McSwiggan possessed two firearms, knowing that he was an unlawful user of cocaine base, and made his residence in Rutland available for use and distribution of cocaine base. Court records also allege that, in the early morning hours of June 24, 2024, McSwiggan shot a rifle at a suspected drug distributor outside of his residence. On July 2, 2024, law enforcement executed a search warrant at McSwiggan’s residence and recovered a Savage Model 10 .308 caliber rifle, a Ruger 10/22 .22 caliber rifle, 282 rounds of ammunition, cocaine base, and drug paraphernalia.
The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charges in the indictment are accusations only and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, McSwiggan faces maximum penalties of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the unlawful firearm possession, and 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine for making his residence available for drug use and distribution. Any sentence will be determined by the U.S. District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory and collaborative efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the Rutland City Police Department, the Rutland Town Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Vermont State Police.
The United States is represented in this matter by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corinne M. Smith. McSwiggan is represented by Federal Public Defender Michael Desautels.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Registered Sex Offender Sentenced for Sextorting Numerous MinorsRead the Press Release
A Nevada man was sentenced today to 65 years in prison, to be followed by lifetime supervised release, for sexually exploiting multiple minors and advertising and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that he coerced these minors into producing.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between 2018 and 2021, James Patrick Burns, 55, of Sparks, “sextorted” multiple minors online, via Omegle, Snapchat, Tiktok, and Mega, by threatening these minors into producing CSAM and then posting the CSAM on dark web forums. During this period, Burns was the most prolific creator of illegal content on these forums. He victimized over 100 children, many of whom have yet to be identified. Burns’s offenses came to the attention of law enforcement when the mother of one of his victims saw threats on the victim’s phone and reported what she saw to the police.
Burns was also ordered to pay $82,655.92 in restitution and $21,000 in assessments under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act.
On March 5, a federal jury convicted Burns of eight counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, eight counts of coercion and enticement of a minor, and one count each of advertising, receiving, distributing, and possessing child pornography. At the time of these offenses, Burns was already a registered sex offender, and the jury also convicted Burns of committing certain specified felony offenses while required to register as a sex offender.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada; Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans of the FBI Las Vegas Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Miller of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Las Vegas made the announcement.
The FBI-led Northern Nevada Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which is comprised of detectives and investigators from the Sparks Police Department, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Nevada Attorney General’s Office, and HSI, investigated the case. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office, HSI Chicago Field Office, and local law enforcement around the country provided substantial assistance.
Trial Attorney Rachel L. Rothberg of the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Andolyn R. Johnson for the District of Nevada prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. 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 www.justice.gov/psc.
Registered Sex Offender Sentenced for Sextorting Numerous MinorsRead the Press Release
RENO - A Nevada man was sentenced today to 65 years in prison, to be followed by lifetime supervised release, for sexually exploiting multiple minors and advertising and distributing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that he coerced these minors into producing.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, between 2018 and 2021, James Patrick Burns, 55, of Sparks, “sextorted” multiple minors online, via Omegle, Snapchat, Tiktok, and Mega, by threatening these minors into producing CSAM and then posting the CSAM on dark web forums. During this period, Burns was the most prolific creator of illegal content on these forums. He victimized over 100 children, many of whom have yet to be identified. Burns’s offenses came to the attention of law enforcement when the mother of one of his victims saw threats on the victim’s phone and reported what she saw to the police.
Burns was also ordered to pay $82,655.92 in restitution and $21,000 in assessments under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act.
On March 5, a federal jury convicted Burns of eight counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, eight counts of coercion and enticement of a minor, and one count each of advertising, receiving, distributing, and possessing child pornography. At the time of these offenses, Burns was already a registered sex offender, and the jury also convicted Burns of committing certain specified felony offenses while required to register as a sex offender.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada; Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans of the FBI Las Vegas Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Christopher Miller of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Las Vegas made the announcement.
The FBI-led Northern Nevada Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which is comprised of detectives and investigators from the Sparks Police Department, Washoe County Sheriff’s Office, Nevada Attorney General’s Office, and HSI, investigated the case. The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office, HSI Chicago Field Office, and local law enforcement around the country provided substantial assistance.
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Randolph postal employee charged with stealing gift cards from the mailRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Melissa Olson, 45, of Randolph, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with theft of mail by officer or employee, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who is handling the case, stated Olson was hired by the United States Postal Service (USPS) in 2020 as a rural carrier associate assigned to the Randolph Post Office. According to the complaint, in May 2023, the USPS Office of Inspector General received information that a $200.00 Visa gift card was stolen from the mail. At the time, USPS management believed Olson could be involved in the theft of the card, which was used at retail locations in the Randolph area. Subsequent investigation determined that Olson did in fact use the gift card to make purchases at the retail locations. The complaint further states that in June 2023, Olson stole Walmart and Target gift cards included in a greeting card sent through the mail.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Matthew Modafferi, Special Agent-in-Charge Northeast Field Office.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
Queens, New York Man Appears on Federal Drug ChargeRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced that Jamonty Brister, 29, of Queens, New York, appeared yesterday in United States District Court in Burlington on a complaint charging him with a federal drug offense. U.S. Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle ordered that Brister be detained without bail pending trial, which has not been scheduled at this time.
According to the criminal complaint filed on July 18, 2024, in June 2024, Burlington Police Department drug investigators and DEA Task Force officers made three controlled purchases of fentanyl from Brister utilizing a confidential source. Earlier this week, officers obtained a state court warrant to search the Burlington residence where Brister had been living. They executed the warrant on the morning of July 17 and arrested Brister, who was alone in a locked bedroom. During the search of Brister’s bedroom, officers recovered about 900 grams of cocaine base, about 130 grams of fentanyl, about $10,000 in cash, and a handgun. The complaint charges Brister with possessing the seized narcotics with intent to distribute.
The United States Attorney emphasizes that the charges in the complaint are accusations only and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until he is proven guilty.
If convicted, Brister faces up to 20 years of imprisonment and a fine of up to $1,000,000. The actual sentence will be determined by the U.S. District Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
This case was investigated by the Burlington Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Brister is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Sara Puls. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Previously Convicted Man Sentenced to 40 Month Prison Term for Strangulation and Attempted KidnappingRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Jamari Jackson, 19, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 40 months in prison for felony strangulation and the attempted kidnapping of a victim in the Washington, D.C. area, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Jackson pleaded guilty on April 10, 2024, to one count of attempted kidnapping, one count of strangulation and one count of simple assault. In addition to the prison term, Superior Court Judge Lynn Leibovitz ordered Jackson to serve three years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence regarding the attempted kidnapping and strangulation charges, on July 24, 2023, at approximately 10:00 p.m., Jackson approached the victim as she was walking down the street in the Columbia Heights neighborhood in Northwest Washington D.C. Jackson grabbed the victim by the throat, indicated he had a gun, ordered the victim to “shut up” and follow him, and forced her to walk in the direction of the 3300 block of Holmead Place, NW. Jackson then held the victim against a car. Fearing for her life, the victim struck the defendant in the face and tried to fight him off while shouting repeatedly for help. Jackson assaulted the victim on her torso and ribs and grabbed her by her throat again, choking her. After throwing the victim on the ground and continuing to choke her, the defendant attempted to pull off the victim’s pants in an attempt to sexually assault her. As the victim began to lose consciousness, nearby homeowners came out, and Jackson walked away from the scene.
According to the government’s evidence regarding the simple assault, on June 20, 2023, while at St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Washington, D.C., Jackson threatened to throw a cup of urine on hospital staff. Jackson was then placed in a wheelchair and staff took Jackson over to a different room to be placed in seclusion. When a staff nurse asked Jackson to return the wheelchair, Jackson, without provocation, punched the victim in face causing him to bleed.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Roessler and LaVater Massie-Banks, of the Sex Offense and Domestic Violence Unit, who investigated and prosecuted the strangulation and attempt kidnapping case; and the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Rana Wahdan, of the General Crimes Section, who investigated and prosecuted the simple assault case.
Pain Management Physician and Former Member of Kentucky’s Medical Board Convicted of Unlawfully Prescribing OpioidsRead the Press Release
A federal judge convicted a medical doctor and former member of the Kentucky Board of Medical Licensure (KBML) today for unlawfully distributing opioids.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Michael Fletcher, 61, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was a physician at Interventional Pain Specialists (IPS) in Crestview Hills, Kentucky, and a board member of the KBML. In his role at the KBML, Fletcher oversaw disciplinary proceedings against physicians, including those who improperly prescribed controlled substances. However, Fletcher was also illegally prescribing opioids to IPS patients, including some who had tested positive for hard street drugs like cocaine and heroin, in part so he could perform and bill for lucrative and often medically unnecessary procedures on the same patients. Trial evidence showed that seven IPS patients died of drug-related complications shortly after being prescribed opioids by Fletcher.
Fletcher was convicted of three counts of unlawful distribution of a controlled substance. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 17 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Executive Assistant Director Michael A. Nordwall of the FBI Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch; Special Agent in Charge Orville O. Greene of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Detroit Division; Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Tamala Miles of the Department of Health and Human Service Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Regional Director Joseph Rivers of the Department of Labor Employee Benefits Security Administration (DOL-EBSA); and Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman made the announcement.
The DEA, FBI, HHS-OIG, DOL-EBSA, and Kentucky Medicaid Fraud Control Unit investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Dermot Lynch and Natalie Kanerva of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.
The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit.
Owner of Blue Ridge Bookkeeping Sentenced for Wire and Tax FraudRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – The owner of Blue Ridge Bookkeeping, a Roanoke-based payroll processing and tax preparation business, was sentenced today in federal court to 36 months in prison for wire fraud and filing a false tax return.
Brian Hoeppner, 66, of Roanoke, Virginia, previously pled guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of willfully making and subscribing a false tax return.
According to court documents, Hoeppner owned and operated Blue Ridge Bookkeeping and had several clients for whom he was hired to do various financial-related work. One client hired Hoeppner to handle her company’s payroll, file the company’s employment tax returns, and submit all related paperwork and payments to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) that her company owed.
From at least September 2012 through December 2019, Hoeppner billed this client for her company’s employment taxes, however, rather than pay these taxes to the IRS, he spent the money on personal expenses. As a result, her company’s employment taxes went unpaid.
When the IRS sent notices to this client about her company’s failure to pay its employment taxes, Hoeppner falsely assured this client that “he had a guy at the IRS” who was sorting things out.
After several years of IRS notices, this client demanded that she accompany Hoeppner to a meeting he had set up with the IRS, and just before the time of the scheduled meeting, Hoeppner admitted to her that he had been stealing her company’s payments. In all, Hoeppner stole over $125,000 from this client’s company.
As of December 2019, this client was still responsible for paying over $240,500 in taxes, penalties, interest, and costs, and nearly had to shutter her business in order to be able to come into compliance with the IRS.
In addition to his prison sentence, Hoeppner was ordered to pay $58,361 in restitution to this client and $218,445.32 in restitution to the IRS.
This investigation also uncovered that, from 2009 through 2013, Hoeppner stole employment taxes from at least one other client. In addition to accruing a debt to the IRS of over $10,000, the owners also discovered that Hoeppner stole a $14,112 tax refund check the IRS had issued to the company.
Hoeppner filed his own false personal income tax returns by failing to report his embezzlement income on his tax returns and by falsely overreporting the amount of tax withholdings that he had paid over to the IRS.
United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh, and Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Washington, D.C. Field Office Kareem Carter made the announcement.
The Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason M. Scheff prosecuted the case.
Ossining Man Arrested for Threatening to Kill USPS Employees and Burn Down U.S. Post OfficesRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Daniel B. Brubaker, the Inspector in Charge of the New York Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (“USPIS”), announced today that ANTHONY ALFANO was arrested after he made a series of graphic and violent threats to kill U.S. Postal Service (“USPS”) employees and burn down U.S. post offices in Ossining, New York. ALFANO was arrested in Yorktown Heights, New York, this morning and is expected to appear this afternoon in White Plains federal court before U.S. Magistrate Judge Victoria Reznik.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “The charges against the defendant underscore this Office’s unwavering commitment to swiftly collaborate with our law enforcement partners to neutralize threats against the U.S. mail system. Any individual who dares to cross the line and threaten our postal employees and facilities with violence and destruction will be stopped in their tracks, and we will ensure they are held accountable for their actions.”
USPIS Inspector in Charge Daniel B. Brubaker said: “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service does not take lightly any threats of violence against USPS employees. This behavior will never be tolerated, and we will work with our local and federal law enforcement partners to maintain a safe working environment for the postal employees we protect. That is our mission, and that is our unwavering commitment to the people we serve.”
As alleged in the Complaint:[1]
On Saturday, June 22, 2024, ANTHONY ALFANO was awaiting the delivery of a parcel that had been mailed out via USPS from Florida the evening before. According to ALFANO, the parcel contained cremated remains. In a series of phone calls with USPS call center representatives before the package was scheduled to arrive, ALFANO threatened to kill USPS employees and burn down U.S. post offices because he apparently believed the parcel was not going to arrive when he wanted it to. ALFANO’s threats included the following:
- ALFANO threatened, “I am gonna start killing you guys one by one.” He also said, “people are going to die,” and that there would be “a lot of dead bodies,” “hurt people,” and people who would “not be returning home.” ALFANO also swore to kill his local mail carrier, stating that he would “walk up to him” and “blow his brains out.” Referencing a notorious “massacre,” ALFANO warned that it would not “have shit on what I’m about to do” and that his actions would go down “in history.”
- ALFANO also made threats to kill members of the postal police by using incendiary ammunition, as well as threats to burn down U.S. post offices. For example, he welcomed the arrival of the postal police and said, “as soon as they show up at my door they’re gonna catch a hot one,” referring to shooting them with a “napalm round” from his 12-gauge shotgun. “I’m going to kill every one of those motherfuckers,” he said. He further threatened, “I’m gonna burn all the post offices down to the ground” and said he would go to his local post office and “burn it down to the fucking ground.”
Underscoring his commitment to carry out his threats, ALFANO said several times, “I don’t make threats, I make promises.” He also expressly swore to carry out his threats and said, “I really don’t care if I go to jail or not.”
On Monday, June 24, 2024, ALFANO received his parcel on the next business day after it had been mailed out on the Friday before.
ALFANO has a history of encounters with law enforcement because of prior threats he has made against others, including local police officers, delivery persons, and customer service representatives.
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ANTHONY ALFANO, 46, of Ossining, New York, is charged with threatening interstate communications, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, and willfully making a threat involving fire, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the USPIS in investigating the threats charged in the Complaint and undertaking security measures to protect USPS employees and facilities. Mr. Williams also thanked the Village of Ossining Police Department and City of Peekskill Police Department for their assistance in this case.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Reyhan Watson is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Orangeburg Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Drug and Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Chad Lavell Williams, Jr., 30, of Orangeburg, was sentenced to 84 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and dipentylone.
On Feb. 25, 2023, officers with the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety initiated a traffic stop on a vehicle with a defective taillight. Williams provided a fake name when asked for identification. Officers subsequently deployed a drug detection dog in the vicinity of the car and after a positive K9 alert, searched the vehicle. The search resulted in the recovery of a Glock 22 pistol equipped with a machinegun conversion device, and an extended magazine. Machinegun conversion devices, commonly known as “Glock Switches,” allow Glock pistols to function as fully automatic machineguns.
The Glock was found in a bookbag along with Williams’ South Carolina ID, ammunition, brass knuckles, and plastic bags of methamphetamine and dipentylone intended for distribution. Post-Miranda, Williams admitted the gun and drugs belonged to him.
Federal law prohibits Williams from possessing firearms and ammunition based on his prior convictions for strong arm robbery, grand larceny, burglary 3rd degree, and burglary 2nd degree. he also has a pending charge for burglary 1st degree.
United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon sentenced Williams to 84 months imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system.
This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and 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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariyana N. Gore is prosecuting the case.
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Omaha Woman Sentenced for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Shelby English, 42, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced July 17, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for distributing methamphetamine. United States District Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced English to 130 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After English’s release from prison, she will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On May 24, 2023, a confidential source coordinated a controlled purchase of 111 grams of meth from English. To make the purchase, the confidential source drove to the residence at 45th block of N. 41st Street, Omaha, and entered the residence with English. Inside the residence, the confidential source and English encountered a Hispanic female later identified as codefendant, Alondra Rebolledo, who is alleged to have provided the meth to English, who then gave it to the confidential source. Forensic laboratory testing confirmed the substance as meth with a purity level of 94.2%.
Rebelledo is presumed innocent and is scheduled for trial on August 20, 2024.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.
Omaha Man Sentenced to more than 3 Years’ Imprisonment for Possessing CocaineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Brian Chaidez, 27, of Omaha, Nebraska was sentenced July 19, 2024, in federal court in Omaha after having pled guilty to possessing with the intent to distribute cocaine. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Chaidez to 37 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Chaidez’s release from prison, he will begin a 4-year term of supervised release.
On June 13, 2023, a DEA cooperating witness ordered one pound of cocaine from Chaidez. While enroute to the meet location, the Omaha police department conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle Chaidez was driving. A search of his vehicle revealed more than 500 grams of cocaine. During a post arrest statement, Chaidez admitted to his involvement in distributing cocaine in the Omaha area.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Omaha Man Sentenced to 9 Years’ Imprisonment for Receipt and Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Dominick Ryne, 30, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on July 19, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for receipt and distribution of child pornography. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Ryne to 108 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Ryne’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. Ryne was also ordered to pay $3,000.00 in restitution to each of two known victims.
On April 15, 2023, a Nebraska State Patrol investigator (NSP) was conducting an online investigation of offenders sharing child pornography. Using a computer running investigative software, the investigator was able to obtain over 1,800 files from a peer-to-peer network from a device at Ryne’s address.
On May 16, 2023, NSP served a search warrant at Ryne’s residence and seized his devices for forensic examination. During the search of Ryne’s residence, he confessed to downloading and possessing child pornography.
Investigators completed data extractions from Ryne’s devices, which yielded evidence of over 700 files (both videos and images) of child pornography, including 418 files from a known set of victims of child pornography maintained by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The forensic examination of Ryne’s devices yielded evidence that he possessed at least 617 child pornography image files and 170 video files. The files included pornographic images and videos involving prepubescent children, adults having sex with children, and children being bound with handcuffs and ligatures.
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 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol.
Oklahoma Man Sentenced to 45 Months in Prison for Committing Bank Fraud and Aggravated Identity Theft in Springfield, IllinoisRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – An Oklahoma City, Oklahoma man, Gerald Duran, 49, was sentenced on July 18, 2024, to 45 months in prison for bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. After he completes his prison sentence, he will serve three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay $4,500 in restitution.
Duran was arrested on December 29, 2023, by Springfield Police Officers at a Springfield branch location of a national bank attempting to cash a cashier’s check he had fraudulently obtained, according to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing in front of Senior U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough. Earlier that same day Duran had secured two cashier’s checks made out to two different individuals, along with cash totaling $13,500, from a different branch location of the same bank. Duran received the money by providing false identity documents and purporting to be an individual with an account at the bank. Duran also correctly answered personal security questions to include providing the social security number of the account holder. When Duran was arrested at the second branch location, he possessed identification cards for three separate victims. Each of the false identity documents contained Duran’s picture with the name and information of real people. Duran has pending charges for similar conduct in Lee County, Florida.
Duran has been in custody since his arrest and pleaded guilty on March 19, 2024.
The statutory penalties for bank fraud are up to thirty years in prison, up to five years of supervised release, and up to a $1,000,000 fine. The statutory penalties for aggravated identity theft committed in relation to another felony are a mandatory 24-month sentence, to be served consecutive to the sentence for the underlying crime, up to one year of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine.
The Springfield Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Springfield Field Office, investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sierra Senor-Moore represented the government in the prosecution.
Ohio Medical Doctor Sentenced to Prison for Health Care Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
TOLEDO – Ankita Singh, 42, formerly of Maumee, Ohio, was sentenced to 26 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary, for her role in a durable medical equipment (DME) scheme that defrauded the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Medicare Program. She was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $4,470,931.02, serve two years of supervised release, and pay a special assessment fee of $600.
On Feb. 29, 2024, a jury found Singh guilty of six counts of health care fraud for signing false orders for orthotic braces, that patients never requested and did not need, as part of a DME scheme.
Beginning in 2019, Singh worked as an independent contractor for at least two companies, to purportedly provide “telehealth services,” and was paid a fee to conduct patient consultations. The consultations never took place. Telemarketers would cold call Medicare beneficiaries and tell them that orthotic braces would be provided to them at no cost. The beneficiaries were not previously Singh’s patients and she never spoke to them. Singh never saw them in person and did not conduct a telehealth visit. The telemarketers would prepare orders with the beneficiaries’ names, Medicare numbers, and purported diagnosis to support a false diagnosis that the braces were medically necessary. Orders were then electronically sent to Singh to affix her signature and certify that she was treating the Medicare beneficiary and affirm that the brace was medically necessary. Singh signed more than 11,000 prescriptions for orthotic braces for approximately 3,000 Medicare beneficiaries with whom she had no patient-physician relationship, and frequently ordered multiple braces for each patient, without ever having examined them.
As a result of Singh’s false orders, more than $8 million was billed to Medicare for orthotic devices that were not medically necessary. In all, Medicare paid approximately $4.47 million in claims for the fraudulent prescriptions that Singh signed.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gene Crawford and Angelita Cruz Bridges for the Northern District of Ohio. The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) - Office of Inspector General, and the FBI.
To report suspected health care fraud, waste, abuse, or mismanagement of HHS programs, visit https://oig.hhs.gov/fraud/report-fraud/contact/ or call 1-800-447-8477.
North Chesterfield drug trafficker returning to prison for 15 years for drug trafficking and firearms convictionsRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A North Chesterfield man was sentenced today to 15 years in prison for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and fentanyl and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
According to court documents, in 2020, law enforcement agencies began investigating a drug trafficking organization operating in the Richmond and Petersburg areas. Law enforcement conducted controlled purchases of cocaine, fentanyl, and heroin from conspirators who were charged and convicted of narcotics trafficking. Those conspirators, and others, identified Curtis James Dickerson, 55, as the narcotics supplier for the organization.
Dickerson was the leader of this large-scale drug trafficking organization and was responsible for conspiring to distribute and distributing 40 kilograms of heroin, 40 kilograms of fentanyl, and 10 kilograms of cocaine in the two-years leading up to his arrest. He also maintained premises for drug packaging and distribution.
In September 2022, investigators searched one of Dickerson’s residences. In addition to finding distribution quantities of fentanyl and heroin, investigators recovered industrial mixers with cocaine residue, digital scales, money counters, respirators that are worn while packaging fentanyl, a hydraulic press used to repackage narcotics, gloves with fentanyl residue, seven cellphones, a satellite phone, jewelry, and multiple high-end vehicles.
Investigators also recovered a .223 caliber semiautomatic handgun along with two 30-round magazines, a 45-round magazine, and assorted ammunition from a safe hidden inside a wall in Dickerson’s bedroom. Dickerson has two prior drug trafficking convictions, including a prior federal conviction in the Eastern District of Virginia for conspiracy to distribute cocaine. As a previously convicted felon, Dickerson cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Henry E. Hudson.
The Virginia State Police assisted in the investigation of this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angela Mastandrea and Patrick J. McGorman prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-37.
New Orleans Man Sentenced After Trial Conviction for Carjacking and Federal Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - SHAMPAIN POOLE (“POOLE”), age 23, of New Orleans, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey on July 15, 2024, to 147 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, along with a mandatory $300 special assessment fee, after previously being found guilty by a jury of carjacking, brandishing a weapon during a crime of violence, and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court records, POOLE carjacked a car at gunpoint from an eighty-year-old woman, in front of her home. She immediately reported the crime. Soon after the carjacking, POOLE was spotted driving the car the wrong way down a one-way street by New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officers in a marked police car. POOLE abandoned the car, ran from the scene and went to the nearby home of a relative. NOPD officers saw POOLE outside the relative’s home but he again fled and attempted to hide the gun used in the carjacking in the crawl space of another house. NOPD officers retrieved the home security video of that homeowner and recovered the gun, a Smith & Wesson Model M&P 40 Shield, .40 caliber semi-automatic pistol, which was fully loaded with one bullet in the chamber. POOLE had previously been convicted of two felony offenses, including illegal use of a weapon, and is prohibited from possessing a firearm.
United States Attorney Duane A Evans praised the work of the NOPD in this matter, for identifying POOLE as the perpetrator of this carjacking within 15 minutes of the offense.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit and Mark A. Miller of the Narcotics Unit conducted the trial of this matter.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that JOY JOSEPH BANERJEE (“BANERJEE”), age 57, of New Orleans, pled guilty on July 18, 2024 to possession of prepubescent child pornography, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2252(a)(4)(b). BANERJEE faces a maximum sentence of twenty (20) years imprisonment, and/or a fine of up to $250,000.00, or the greater of twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to any person of the offense, under Title 18, United States Code, Section 3571. In addition, BANERJEE faces a term of supervised release of no less than five (5) years and up to life after his release from prison, as well as a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
According to court documents, the case against BANERJEE began with an online child sexual abuse material investigation by the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office. Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”), utilizing its special agents, then assumed the investigation and executed a federal search warrant at BANERJEE’s New Orleans home in April of 2023. HSI’s investigation determined BANERJEE knowingly possessed images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of prepubescent minors.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 15, 2024 before United States District Judge Susie Morgan.
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 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 www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations; the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Office; and the Louisiana Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator and Chief of Financial Crimes Unit.
Nashville Man Charged with Unlawful Possession of Ammunition Following Shooting at WEGO Bus StationRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE –Kenneth Dewayne Johnson, 31, of Nashville, Tennessee, has been charged by a federal grand jury with the unlawful possession of ammunition related to a May 2024 shooting at a downtown Nashville bus station, announced Henry C. Leventis, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Johnson, who was previously charged by federal criminal complaint, has now been federally indicted for the unlawful possession of ammunition following the May 16, 2024, shooting at the WEGO Station located at 400 MLK Jr. Boulevard in Nashville. According to the indictment, a Metropolitan Nashville Police Department officer was in the area when the shooting occurred. Shortly after hearing the gunshots, the officer saw a man, later identified as Johnson, holding a pistol and running away from the area. The officer gave chase and witnessed Johnson throw the pistol to the ground as he continued to run. A short distance later, Johnson laid down on the ground and was arrested. Officers recovered the pistol which was loaded with five rounds of ammunition and a high-capacity magazine which contained forty-nine rounds of ammunition.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Metro Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Juliet Aldridge is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint and an indictment are merely allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Narcotics Trafficker Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Reynaldo Parra-Villagrana, 27, of Tucson, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Rosemary Márquez to 33 months in federal prison, followed by 60 months of supervised release, for his role in a cross-border narcotics distribution conspiracy. Parra-Villagrana pleaded guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine on December 18, 2023.
In May 2019, during a multi-year investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”), Parra-Villagrana delivered 878.8 grams of pure methamphetamine to an undercover officer in the parking lot of a sporting goods store in Tucson. Parra-Villagrana was acting on behalf of a Mexico-based drug supplier when he delivered the methamphetamine to the undercover officer.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (“OCDETF”) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force Tucson, conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant United States Attorney Michael R. Lizano, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-02352-TUC-RM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-097_Parra-Villagrana# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Naples Man Charged with Federal Drug Trafficking and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Jadyn Howard Loman (21, Naples) has been charged with possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted on all counts, Loman faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 5 years, up to life, in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Loman that the United States intends to forfeit two firearms traceable to the offense.
According to the indictment, on September 29, 2023, Loman possessed methamphetamine and fentanyl with the intent to distribute it. In furtherance of that crime, he also possessed two Smith & Wesson firearms.
Loman was indicted on February 22, 2024. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick L. Darcey.
This case is part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence for occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Murfreesboro Man Charged with Unlawful Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition Following Easter Sunday ShootingRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Anton Rucker, 47, of Murfreesboro, Tennessee, has been indicted by a federal grand jury for the unlawful possession of ammunition and unlawful possession of a firearm related to two separate incidents, announced Henry C. Leventis, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
As a previously convicted felon, Rucker was charged for unlawfully possessing ammunition stemming from his involvement in the March 31, 2024, shooting at Roasted restaurant in Salemtown. One man was killed and several others were injured during the Easter Sunday shooting. Rucker has also been charged by the State of Tennessee with Criminal Homicide in connection with that incident.
Rucker was also charged in the indictment with unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon following an August 26, 2023, road rage incident in Murfreesboro. According to the indictment, Rucker passed another driver on a double yellow line and then pulled in front of him, cutting the driver off and causing him to slam on his brakes to prevent an accident. Rucker then stopped his car, walked to the other driver’s car and started arguing with him before brandishing a firearm. Murfreesboro Police detectives later searched Rucker’s residence and found several firearms.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Murfreesboro Police Department, the Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office, and the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Zachary T. Hinkle is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint and an indictment are merely allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Mexican National Sentenced to Federal Prison for Smuggling Goods into MexicoRead the Press Release
DEL RIO, Texas – A Mexican national who had been living in Houston was sentenced in a federal court in Del Rio to 51 months in prison for smuggling firearms and other goods from the United States into Mexico.
According to court documents, Gustavo Belmudez-Ramirez, 36, gave negative declarations for weapons, ammunition, and currency over $10,000 while attempting to drive through the Del Rio Port of Entry into Mexico Oct. 20, 2021. Customs and Border Protection officers searched his vehicle and the attached trailer, revealing two rifles and a revolver, as well as rifle magazines, scopes, bipods and $10,319 in undeclared cash.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations and CBP investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Izaak Bruce prosecuted the case.
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Member of Violent Online Child Pornography Network Pleads Guilty to Sexually Exploiting A ChildRead the Press Release
Richard Anthony Reyna Densmore (a/k/a “Rabid”), Of Kaleva, Is A Member of 764, A Decentralized Network Of Online Groups That Target Children To Engage In Violent Self-Harm And Pornographic Activity
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Richard Anthony Reyna Densmore, 47, of Kaleva, known by his online alias “Rabid,” pleaded guilty to sexually exploiting a child. Sexual exploitation of a child carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years and a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison.
“The guilty plea of Richard Densmore is an important step forward in our efforts to protect kids from the rising threat of sadistic online predators,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “This case is a flashing red light to the dangers of devices. Parents, guardians, and users can protect themselves and their loved ones, but they have to be aware and they have to act.”
As part of his guilty plea, Densmore admitted that in September 2022, as “Rabid#7997” on the social media platform Discord, he sent another user, a minor, a form of Discord currency (Nitro) to persuade her to send a picture of her chest area with “Rabid” written on them. When the minor expressed reservations about sending the picture, Densmore contacted another Discord user with whom the minor had an online relationship and told that user to get a nude photo of the minor with “Rabid” written on her chest. Densmore also sent that user Nitro to persuade him to get the requested image. Densmore’s efforts were successful and the minor, whom the other Discord user persuaded to send sexually explicit content, sent Densmore and that user a nude video of herself with “Rabid” written on her chest.
Evidence presented at a February 2024 detention hearing in this case established that Densmore operated online servers (including “Sewer”) as part of a decentralized network, known as 764, that targets, induces, and extorts children into engaging in violent acts, self-harm, and sexually explicit activities. The evidence at Densmore’s detention hearing revealed that, in addition to the prepubescent child pornography that Densmore collected, for which he was charged in the indictment, Densmore kept violent images and videos on his phones, including images of people cutting symbols and names into their skin. The evidence established that after Densmore’s phones were seized in an initial search warrant, Densmore continued to collect such material on new devices, including a photo with a bloody “R” carved into a person’s skin.
The FBI issued a public service announcement regarding these groups in September 2023. The Washington Post and Wired.com also published articles in March 2024 that describe a coordinated journalistic investigation into the groups’ activities. According to the FBI announcement, 764 and its affiliated groups target minors; particularly, marginalized children and children experiencing mental health challenges. Prospective members gain access to associated online platforms by livestreaming or uploading videos of minor victims engaging in self-harm and sexually explicit conduct, among other things. Group members use that content to extort additional self-harm and sexually explicit content from victims.
“It’s frightening that individuals like Mr. Densmore seek access to our children through online platforms to exploit for gratification sexually,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “We must educate and equip our children and parents with the resources to navigate the internet cautiously, thus reducing the risk of child exploitation activities like this from occurring again. It is a priority of the FBI to prevent predators like Mr. Densmore from victimizing our most innocent and impressionable youth. This plea should warn others that we will continue working tirelessly with our law enforcement partners to rid our communities of predators and safeguard our children.”
U.S. Attorney Mark Totten reiterated that parents should look for unexpected packages, as members of these abuse and extortion networks are known to send children razor blades, sexual devices, and other materials to use in creating online content. The FBI further advised the public to take a number of precautionary steps, including:
- Looking for fresh cuts, bruises, wounds, and scars in unusual patterns;
- Looking for sudden behavior and appearance changes;
- Being attentive to children wearing long sleeves or pants in unusual circumstances;
- Monitoring children’s online activity and discussing the risks of sharing information and content; and
- Running frequent online searches of family and children’s information to help identify and prevent the spread of personal information on the internet.
If you are worried about someone who might be self-harming or is at risk of suicide, please consult a health care professional or call 9-1-1 in the event of an immediate, life-threatening emergency.
The FBI is investigating this case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam Townshend is prosecuting it.
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Maryland Man Sentenced to Seven Consecutive Life Sentences for the Murder of Three People including a Federal WitnessRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Christopher Van Johnson, age 36, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced on July 17, 2024, to 7 consecutive life sentences for his role in the June 25, 2016 murders of three individuals in Mercersburg, Franklin County, one of whom was cooperating with state and federal drug investigators. The sentence was imposed by United States District Court Judge Christopher C. Conner, who also sentenced to concurrent 10, 20, and 30-year terms of imprisonment on companion robbery, firearms, and conspiracy charges.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Johnson’s conviction was the result of a seven-year investigation into three murders that occurred on June 25, 2016, on a property along Welsh Run Road in Mercersburg, Franklin County. When Pennsylvania State Police officers were called to the scene, they found the bodies of Wendy Ann Chaney, 39, Hagerstown, Md, Brandon Cole, 47, Fayetteville, PA, and Phillip Matthew Jackson, 36, Mercersburg, PA, in a barn on victim Jackson’s property. All were shot. The three victims had their hands zipped-tied behind their backs and had been set on fire. Jackson and Cole were shot once in the head. Chaney was shot twice, once in the back and once in the back of her neck. Wendy Chaney and Brandon Cole were already dead when the police responded to the scene. Phillip Jackson was transported to York Hospital where he died shortly after arrival.
The evidence previously presented at the guilty plea proceeding on November 21, 2019, established that Wendy Chaney was in a relationship with co-defendants Kevin Coles and Torey White and had been previously assisting both with their drug distribution operations. Co-defendant Kenyatta Corbett was likewise a heroin trafficker in Hagerstown and areas of Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Corbett, Coles, White and co-defendant Devin Dickerson learned that Chaney was cooperating with federal authorities and contracted for her to be murdered. Corbett, and co-defendant Jerell Adgebesan who worked for Corbett recruited Johnson, who was a member of a Baltimore based gang known as the Black Guerilla Family (BGF), and other members of BGF from Baltimore, to travel to the Jackson property to kill Wendy Chaney. Adgebesan knew these individuals from Baltimore. Johnson and the killers were promised that they could take as payment for Chaney’s murder $20,000 that was to be in a safe in the barn and any drugs and firearms that they could locate on the Jackson property. Once there, the killers encountered not only Wendy Chaney but also Brandon Cole and Phillip Jackson. The victims had their hands bound behind their backs with zip-ties. Chaney and Cole were shot execution style and their bodies set on fire. Jackson was shot when he charged Johnson and was likewise set on fire although he was still alive. Chaney was killed to protect the drug trafficking activities of Corbett, Coles, White, Dickerson, and others. Jackson and Cole were murdered to prevent them from being witnesses to the crimes of violence that were committed at the Jackson property. The killers never found any money on the property but stole some drugs and firearms.
The following individuals were charged along with Corbett as a result of the investigation:
- Devin Dickerson, age 31, Hagerstown, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and crack cocaine and was sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment;
- Torey White, age 32, Waynesboro, PA, was convicted by a federal jury in May of 2023 of three counts of first-degree murder and his case is on appeal;
- Michael Buck, age 30, Hagerstown, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and to being an accomplice to the use of a firearm during Hobbs Act robbery and is awaiting sentencing;
- Nicholas Preddy, age 29, Baltimore, pleaded guilty to attempting to kill a witness and was sentenced to 30 years’ imprisonment;
- Johnnie Jenkins-Armstrong, age 22, Baltimore, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and to being an accomplice to the use of a firearm during Hobbs Act robbery and was sentenced to life imprisonment;
- Terrance Lawson, age 31, Baltimore, sentenced to time served for attempting to intimidate a witness;
- Tyrone Armstrong, age 30, Baltimore, sentenced to time served for attempting to intimidate a witness;
- Kenyatta Corbett, age 41, Hagerstown and Baltimore, Maryland, pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and to being an accomplice to the use of a firearm during Hobbs Act robbery and was sentenced to life imprisonment;
- Mark Johnson, 35, Baltimore, Maryland, pled guilty to obstructing the grand jury’s investigation and was sentenced to 110 months’ imprisonment;
- Llesenia Woodard, 46, Hagerstown, Maryland, pled guilty to providing false testimony to the grand jury investigating the murders and is awaiting sentencing;
- Kevin Coles, age 36, of New York, NY and Hagerstown, Maryland, was found guilty in April 2022 of multiple crimes, including murder for hire, robbery, and drug trafficking, and was sentenced to multiple consecutive life sentences;
- Yolanda Diaz, 31, Hagerstown, Md, indicted on multiple counts of perjury and obstruction of justice based upon her testimony at the Coles trial, recently pled guilty before Judge Conner and is awaiting sentencing;
- Joshua Davis, age 30, pled guilty to participating in the conspiracy to locate and kill an individual believed to be cooperating with federal authorities in the investigation of the triple murders and was sentenced to serve 100 months’ imprisonment.
The following federal, state and local law enforcement agencies participated in the investigation: Drug Enforcement Administration Harrisburg Resident Office; Pennsylvania State Police, Chambersburg; Pennsylvania State Police, Troop H; Franklin County Drug Task Force; Franklin County Adult Probation; Pennsylvania State Probation and Parole; Hagerstown Police Department, Criminal Investigation Division; Drug Enforcement Administration, Hagerstown Resident Office; Washington County Narcotics Task Force; Drug Enforcement Administration, Baltimore District Office, Strike Force Group 1; Maryland State Police Homicide Unit; Baltimore Police Department Narcotics, Fugitive And Homicide Units; Baltimore County Police Department Narcotics and Gang Unit; Federal Bureau of Investigation Evidence Management Unit, Quantico, VA; US Marshal’s Service Harrisburg, PA and Phoenix, AZ; Franklin County District Attorney’s Office; United States Attorney’s Office, District Of Maryland; and the Washington County State’s Attorney’s Office.
Judy Fernandez, Manager of Analytic Services at LexisNexis Special Services, Inc., (LNSSI) provided expert assistance to investigators and the prosecutors in the areas of analysis, support, and the rendering of her expert opinion.
Assistant United States Attorney William A. Behe, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, and Senior Litigation Counsel Michael Consiglio 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.
This case was also brought as part of a district wide initiative to combat the nationwide epidemic regarding the use and distribution of heroin. Led by the United States Attorney’s Office, the Heroin Initiative targets heroin traffickers operating in the Middle District of Pennsylvania and is part of a coordinated effort among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who commit heroin related offenses.
This prosecution is also part of an extensive investigation by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) identified as “Retribution for Welsh Run”. OCDETF is a joint federal, state, and local cooperative approach to combat drug trafficking and is the nation’s primary tool for disrupting and dismantling major drug trafficking organizations, targeting national and regional level drug trafficking organizations and coordinating the necessary law enforcement entities and resources to disrupt or dismantle the targeted criminal organization and seize their assets.
# # #Man Pleads Guilty to Shooting at Louisville, Kentucky, MayorRead the Press Release
A Kentucky man pleaded guilty today to firing gun shots at current Louisville, Kentucky, Mayor Craig Greenberg during Greenberg’s 2022 campaign.
According to court documents, on the morning of Feb. 14, 2022, Quintez Brown, 23, of Louisville, walked into Greenberg’s campaign office, where Greenberg was having a meeting with four staffers. Brown fired multiple shots at Greenberg before staffers were able to close and barricade the door. Brown was apprehended several blocks from the shooting, carrying the firearm that he had used in the shooting in a backpack. As part of his guilty plea, Brown admitted that he shot at Greenberg because Greenberg was running for mayor.
Brown pleaded guilty to interfering with a federally protected activity and using and discharging a firearm in relation with a crime of violence. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 21. If the court accepts the terms of the plea agreement, Brown faces a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 18 years and one month in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett for the Western District of Kentucky; Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Shawn Morrow of the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives (ATF) Louisville Division made the announcement.
The FBI Louisville Field Office, ATF Louisville Division, and Louisville Metro Police Department investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Alexander Gottfried of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Gregory for the Western District of Kentucky are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Barry Disney of the Criminal Division’s Mental Health Litigation Unit.
This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys' Offices throughout the country. The task force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the task force has begun.
The task force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General memo.
To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.
Man Pleads Guilty to Shooting at Louisville, Kentucky, MayorRead the Press Release
A Kentucky man pleaded guilty today to firing gun shots at current Louisville, Kentucky, Mayor Craig Greenberg during Greenberg’s 2022 campaign.
According to court documents, on the morning of Feb. 14, 2022, Quintez Brown, 23, of Louisville, walked into Greenberg’s campaign office, where Greenberg was having a meeting with four staffers. Brown fired multiple shots at Greenberg before staffers were able to close and barricade the door. Brown was apprehended several blocks from the shooting, carrying the firearm that he had used in the shooting in a backpack. As part of his guilty plea, Brown admitted that he shot at Greenberg because Greenberg was running for mayor.
Brown pleaded guilty to interfering with a federally protected activity and using and discharging a firearm in relation with a crime of violence. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 21. If the court accepts the terms of the plea agreement, Brown faces a minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a maximum penalty of 18 years and one month in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett for the Western District of Kentucky; Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Stansbury of the FBI Louisville Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Shawn Morrow of the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco and Explosives (ATF) Louisville Division made the announcement.
The FBI Louisville Field Office, ATF Louisville Division, and Louisville Metro Police Department investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Alexander Gottfried of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Amanda Gregory for the Western District of Kentucky are prosecuting the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Barry Disney of the Criminal Division’s Mental Health Litigation Unit.
This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers — whether elected, appointed, or volunteer — are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys' Offices throughout the country. The task force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys' Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the task force has begun.
The task force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General memo.
To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.
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Leaders of Methamphetamine Ring Each Receive 200-Month Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—The two leaders of a large-scale methamphetamine organization have been sentenced to a combined 400 months in federal prison. Adan Mendoza, 36, of Dallas, Texas, and Brian I. Wilson, 37, of Little Rock, each received 200-month prison sentences — which equals 16 years, 8 months — from United States District Judge James M. Moody, Jr. Judge Moody sentenced Mendoza today, and Wilson on July 12, 2024. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentences.
Wilson and Mendoza were the two lead defendants in a 20-count, nine-defendant indictment that was returned by a federal grand jury on September 8, 2022. Both Wilson and Mendoza pleaded guilty in March 2024 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute methamphetamine. In their plea agreements, each defendant was held responsible for distribution of between 5-15 kilograms of methamphetamine, a range which carried a 10-year minimum sentence.
In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Moody sentenced each defendant to five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
All nine defendants have pleaded guilty in the case. In addition to the sentences handed out to Wilson and Mendoza, Judge Moody sentenced David Chad Lane, 47, of North Little Rock, to 96 months in prison, and Samuel L. Johnson, 37, of Little Rock, to 65 months in prison. Judge Moody will sentence the remaining defendants at a later date.
In this case, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) began investigating a methamphetamine trafficking ring in central Arkansas in late 2021. The ring was headed locally Wilson, and supplied by Mendoza, out of Dallas. Wilson acquired methamphetamine from Mendoza in Texas and either personally transported it by car, or had associates transport it for him, to central Arkansas weekly. Wilson and others then distributed the methamphetamine to numerous people in Arkansas.
On two different occasions, the DEA used a confidential informant to purchase a kilogram of methamphetamine directly from Wilson. Also, in February 2022, the DEA seized approximately five kilograms of methamphetamine and one kilogram of cocaine from Wilson following a traffic stop when Wilson was returning from a trip to Dallas.
Mendoza is also implicated in a separate federal conspiracy in Texas that began in 2019. While DEA was conducting surveillance on Mendoza in Dallas, agents observed Wilson meeting with him. During additional surveillance operations in Dallas, DEA agents observed an associate of Wilson (co-defendant Michael Odom) arrive at Mendoza’s house in a Corvette, meet with Mendoza, and then leave with a large bag. Following a high-speed chase with police, local law enforcement eventually arrested Odom and recovered 2.8 kilograms of methamphetamine that Odom received from Mendoza.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA, with assistance from the Arkansas State Police, North Little Rock Police Department, Little Rock Police Department, Lonoke Sheriff’s Office, and Arkansas Community Correction. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Chris Givens.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
X (formerly known as Twitter):
@USAO_EDAR
Leader of Lockport drug trafficking organization going to prisonRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Bruno J. Haney, II, 35, of Niagara Falls, NY, who was convicted of conspiring to possess with intent to distribute, and distributing, heroin, fentanyl, and butyryl fentanyl, was sentenced to serve 184 months in prison by U.S. District Judge John L. Sinatra, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who handled the case, stated that between April 2017 and March 2019, Haney organized and led a drug trafficking organization. In June 2017, the Niagara County Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at Haney’s residence, during which investigators seized several bags containing butyryl fentanyl, hydrocodone, acetaminophen, and alprazolam pills, $515 in cash, and drug paraphernalia. In January 2019, Haney was arrested, and a search warrant was executed at a second residence. During that search, investigators recovered quantities of fentanyl, a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, marijuana, $978 in cash, and drug paraphernalia. In February 2019, Haney was released from custody on various conditions, which included that he not commit any offense in violation of federal, state, or local law. On March 7, 2019, another search warrant was executed at Haney’s residence, during which a bag containing a mixture of heroin and fentanyl, $373 in cash, and a digital scale were recovered.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Niagara County Drug Task Force and the Niagara County Sheriff’s Department, under the direction of Sheriff Michael Filicetti, the Orleans County Major Felony Crime Task Force, under the direction of Sheriff Christopher Bourke, Homeland Security Investigations, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Scarpino, the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino, New York Field Division, and the Lockport Police Department, under the direction of Chief Steven Abbott. Additional assistance was provided by the Niagara County and Orleans County District Attorneys Offices.
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Lake County Man Indicted for Producing Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging John Don Bannister, Jr. (30, Clermont) with two counts of production of child sex abuse material. If convicted, Bannister faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 15 years, up to 30 years, in federal prison on each count. Bannister is currently detained pending the resolution of the case.
According to the indictment, on April 26 and May 4, 2023, Bannister employed, used, persuaded, induced, enticed, and coerced a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction.
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 Homeland Security Investigations, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Mascotte Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Lackawanna County Man Charged with Committing over $1,500,000 in COVID-19 Pandemic FraudRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that James G. Miller, Jr., age 53, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, was charged in a criminal information with wire fraud.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the information alleges that Miller and his coconspirators fraudulently obtained in excess of $1,500,000 by filing fraudulent applications for pandemic stimulus funds, including Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) benefits, Lost Wage Assistance (LWA) payments, and Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. The PUA, LWA, and PPP applications allegedly submitted by Miller and his confederates were filed in the names of victims of identity theft, and bore false representations. For instance, the PUA applications contained false information about the identity theft victims’ demographics, employment statuses, and availability to work. Likewise, the PPP applications were filed on behalf of fabricated businesses, and bore false financial information and forged federal tax documentation.
The PUA program was created by the March 2020 CARES Act, as part of the United States government’s efforts to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the public’s health and economic well-being. The PUA program was designed to provide unemployment benefits to individuals not eligible for regular unemployment compensation or extended unemployment benefits. The LWA program was funded by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, pursuant to the President’s authority under the Robert T. Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act. LWA payments were designed to supplement unemployment payments during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The PPP program, funded by the CARES Act, was designed to help small businesses facing financial difficulties during the COVID-19 pandemic. PPP funds were offered in forgivable loans, provided that certain criteria are met, including use of the funds for employee payroll, mortgage interest, lease, and utilities expenses.
Today, James G. Miller, Jr. is being held accountable for stealing over $1.5 million from three different COVID relief funds,” said Christopher Nielsen, Inspector in Charge of the Philadelphia Division for the Postal Inspection Service. “Congress set these funds aside to help people and businesses survive the pandemic of 2020 and 2021, not for Mr. Miller and his coconspirators’ personal profit. The Postal Inspection Service has a long history investigating fraud schemes and will continue to do so to protect the American people. I want to thank the special agents of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General and Department of Labor Office of Inspector General for partnering with us on this investigation. I also want to thank the United States Attorney’s Office in Scranton, PA for supporting the investigation and prosecuting the case.”
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
"The Department of Homeland Security Inspector General, Joseph V. Cuffari, Ph.D, said, "Exploiting pandemic relief programs for personal enrichment is unconscionable. DHS OIG will continue to prioritize these investigations, and together with our law enforcement partners, we will hold these individuals accountable for their actions."
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General, the Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Phillip J. Caraballo is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalties under federal law for the charge of wire fraud is 20 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
# # #Justice Department and Federal Trade Commission Extend Public Comment on Request for Information Targeting Serial Acquisitions, Roll-Up Strategies Across U.S. EconomyRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) are extending the deadline for the public to comment on serial acquisitions and roll-up strategies that harm competition by 60 days. The joint request for information (RFI) seeks to learn more about how corporate actors, including private equity owned businesses, become larger — and potentially dominant — through acquisitions of several smaller firms in the same or related business sectors or industries. The new deadline to submit comments is Sept. 20.
Businesses do not have to report every deal to the federal antitrust agencies, but some non-reportable deals still allow firms to amass significant control over key products, services or labor markets without government scrutiny. These types of transactions can harm competition to the detriment of consumers, workers and innovation across an entire industry or business sector.
The agencies’ RFI seeks to understand more about these deals and strategies, and invites a wide range of stakeholders including consumers, workers, businesses and others to submit their comments. Comments can be submitted via Regulations.gov. Once submitted, comments will be posted to Regulations.gov.
Jury Convicts Phoenix Man of Assault on a Federal Officer and Alien SmugglingRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Michael Leroy Witt, 55, of Phoenix, was convicted by a federal jury last week of Assault on a Federal Officer Causing Bodily Injury, Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens for Profit, and Transportation of Illegal Aliens for Profit. The jury also found that Witt placed human life in jeopardy during and in relation to his alien smuggling offenses.
The guilty verdicts came after a three-day trial before United States District Judge John C. Hinderaker. Witt’s sentencing is set for October 8, 2024.
On February 20, 2023, a U.S. Border Patrol agent stopped Witt near Sonoita, on suspicion that Witt was transporting undocumented noncitizens. After Witt stopped and tried to wave the agent past him, the agent approached the driver’s side window and told Witt to turn off the vehicle. Witt did not comply with the agent’s instruction so the agent attempted to turn off the engine by reaching through the window. Witt then hit the gas pedal, leaving the agent hanging from the car window. The acceleration caused the agent to be dragged alongside the vehicle as it veered into the oncoming lane of traffic. The agent was able to turn the vehicle off and bring it to a stop on the opposite side of the road. In the backseat of the vehicle, Witt had concealed two undocumented noncitizens who were being illegally transported further into the United States.
Customs and Border Protection’s United States Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer H. Berman and Ryan P. DeJoe, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-00389-TUC-JCH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-099_Witt# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Jamestown woman sentenced on drug chargeRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Brandi M. Whitford, 28, of Jamestown, NY, who was convicted of maintaining a drug-involved premises, was sentenced to time served and three years’ probation by U.S. District Judge Lawrence J. Vilardo.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who handled the case, stated that between September 2019 and October 23, 2019, Whitford, and co-defendant Richard E. Kinsey Jr., used a residence on Newland Avenue in Jamestown, to manufacture, distribute, and use methamphetamine. On September 6, 2019, investigators executed a search warrant at the residence, recovering three firearms. A fourth firearm was thrown from the residence during the execution of the search warrant. Investigators also recovered methamphetamine, approximately $12,045 in cash, assorted ammunition, and drug paraphernalia.
Co-defendant Richard Kinsey was previously convicted.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino, New York Field Division; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan Miller, New York Field Division; and the Jamestown Metro Drug Task Force, under the direction of Jamestown Police Chief Timothy Jackson.
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Jamestown man arrested on multiple drug and gun chargesRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Richard Pearson, 47, of Jamestown, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession with intent to distribute acetyl fentanyl, cocaine, crack cocaine, and methamphetamine, being a felon in possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and aiding and abetting. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, and a maximum penalty of life.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua A. Violanti, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, late in the evening on June 25, 2024, investigators executed a search warrant on Newland Avenue in Jamestown, during which Pearson was present. During the search, they seized suboxone strips, $200 in cash, a digital scale, quantities of acetyl fentanyl, crack cocaine, cocaine, methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and a firearm and ammunition. Pearson was previously convicted of three felony crimes and is legally prohibited from possessing firearms.
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.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Jamestown Police Department, under the direction of Chief Timothy Jackson and the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino, New York Field Division.
The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared this week before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt:
Appearing in Missoula before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto and pleading not guilty on July 18 was:
Michael James Merzlak, 37, of Butte, on charges of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute meth and fentanyl. If convicted of the most serious crime, Merzlak faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and five years to life of supervised release. Merzlak was detained pending further proceedings. The Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, Beaverhead County Sheriff’s Office, Butte Silver Bow Law Enforcement, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, Montana Forensic Science Division and Idaho State Police conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-19.
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan and pleading not guilty on July 16 was:
Kadin Hawkeye Lewis, 22, of Pray, on charges of possession of an unregistered destructive device. If convicted of the most serious crime, Lewis faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Lewis was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI and Park County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. PACER case reference. 23-143.
Kristopher Mikal Wright, 36, of Cody, Wyoming, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, assault on a federal officer, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. If convicted of the most serous crime, Wright faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and five years of supervised release on the conspiracy charge and a mandatory minimum of five years to life in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the charge of possessing a firearm in a drug trafficking crime. Wright was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and Montana Highway Patrol investigated the case. PACER case reference. 24-93.
Jessie Craig Iverson, 37, of Billings, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and possession with intent to distribute meth and fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. If convicted of the most serious crime, Iverson faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release on the drug charge and a mandatory minimum of five years to life in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the charge of possessing a firearm charge. Iverson was detained pending further proceedings. The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the investigation. PACER case reference. 24-90.
Lindsey Whitewolf, 35, of Billings, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth and possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Whitewolf faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Whitewolf was detained pending further proceedings. The U.S. Postal Inspection and Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force investigated the case. PACER case reference. 24-34.
Jacob Charles Berger, 27, of Billings, on charges of possession of a stolen firearm, possession of a firearm while under indictment and possession of an unregistered firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Berger faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $10,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Berger was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Billings Police Department investigated the case. PACER case reference. 24-82.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Immokalee Felon Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug and Gun OffensesRead the Press Release
Fort Myers, Florida – U.S. District Judge Thomas P. Barber today sentenced Javier Joel Perez (46, Immokalee) to 8 years in federal prison for possession of a controlled substance with the intent to distribute it, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. The court also ordered Perez to forfeit the firearm involved in the offense. Perez entered a guilty plea on February 21, 2024.
According to court documents, during the execution of a search warrant at Perez’s residence, deputies from the Collier County Sheriff’s Office located marijuana, cocaine, and methamphetamine packaged for distribution in addition to a loaded firearm. Perez told deputies that the items located in his home belonged to him. Perez is a nine-time convicted felon and is therefore prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition.
This case was investigated by the Collier County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Morgan.
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 out 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 first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Hendersonville Business Owner Sentenced for Bank Fraud, Wire Fraud and Tax ChargesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – Scotty Thomas Lumley, 56, of Hendersonville, Tennessee was sentenced to serve 47 months in federal prison and to pay $1,198,833.62 in restitution earlier today, announced Henry C. Leventis, United States Attorney for the Middle District of Tennessee.
Lumley previously pleaded guilty to federal wire fraud and money laundering charges in 2015. The charges on which Lumley was sentenced today are based on additional federal crimes that he committed between 2015 and 2021. For example, beginning shortly after he was sentenced in 2015, Lumley kept taxes he withheld from his employees’ paychecks, rather than paying those funds over to the IRS.
Court documents also show that in 2017, in an effort to avoid a tax debt, Lumley told the IRS that the only vehicle he owned was a GMC 3500 with a negative value. In truth, however, he also owned a 2012 Ferrari 458 Spider which he sold the following year for $187,000.
In 2017 and 2018, Lumley also obtained a series of loans in connection with commercial real estate-related businesses he owned. To obtain those loans, he provided lenders with documents which falsely claimed that his personal net worth was more than $30 million, including cash-on-hand in the amount of approximately $630,000. Lumley also did not disclose that he had an outstanding tax liability of more than $119,000. In total, he tricked lenders into providing more than $3.5 million in loans. Lumley later provided one bank with additional false personal financial statements purporting to show that his net worth had risen to more than $42 million.
In November 2020, after becoming aware of a federal criminal investigation into the above conduct, Lumley flew to Morocco and did not return until he was extradited in February 2023.
While in Morocco, Lumley used a fabricated purchase order to defraud a Utah company of more than $500,000. In December 2021, a grand jury in the District of Utah charged him with wire fraud for this conduct, and that indictment was transferred to the Middle District of Tennessee for plea and sentencing.
“Today’s sentence ensures that this serial fraudster will finally be held accountable for his numerous crimes and kept far away from other potential victims,” said United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis. “It is also a testament to the outstanding work and tenacity of the investigators and prosecutors who handled this case. I am particularly grateful for the assistance received by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs to secure the defendant’s extradition from Morocco.”
“Failure to remit employment taxes withheld from employee wages is a serious criminal offense. Today’s sentencing sends a message to those who scheme to conceal and reduce federal income and payroll tax liability,” said Donald “Trey” Eakins, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS CI) Charlotte Field Office. “IRS Criminal Investigation will continue to pursue anyone who collects these taxes and uses the funds for their own personal gain.”
The Tennessee case was investigated by the IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor J. Phillips is prosecuting the case for the Middle District of Tennessee. The Utah case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Williams and Tyler Murray prosecuted the case for the District of Utah before it was transferred to the Middle District of Tennessee. The extradition was handled by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs with the cooperation of the Moroccan government and assistance from the U.S. Embassy in Morocco.
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Forney Man Who Used Hidden Cameras, Molested Toddler Sentenced to 120 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
A Forney man who filmed himself molesting a toddler and used concealed cameras to capture nude images of preteens was sentenced Thursday to 120 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Leslie Michael Alt, 40, was indicted in September 2022 and pleaded guilty in September 2023 to two counts of production of child pornography and three counts of transportation of child pornography. He was sentenced Thursday to 1,440 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Ada Brown.According to court documents, Mr. Alt admitted to using concealed cameras to surreptitiously record sexually explicit videos of two preteen girls.
At Thursday's sentencing hearing, prosecutors noted that sexually explicit videos were found on a computer recovered from Mr. Alt’s home in late August 2022.
During a subsequent search of Mr. Alt’s residence, an FBI electronic detection canine alerted to a safe in Mr. Alt’s closet. The safe was open and appeared to be empty, but the canine insistently continued to alert on the safe. Agents removed the carpeted flooring of the safe and found SD cards and a concealed camera.
On one of the SD cards, they found videos of Mr. Alt sexually abusing a toddler.
“Seeing the images he had of my daughter as a toddler shattered me. Unable to voice she was uncomfortable, unable to communicate to me, her mother, that any of this was happening to her,” the victim’s mother testified at sentencing. “She currently does not have a conscious memory of what has happened. One day, I will have to tell her.”
One of the teenage victims also spoke, saying the news of the defendant’s crimes “shattered me.”
“My trust had been used against me, and I would never fully recover,” she said. “It makes me sick to my stomach.”
The Texas Department of Public Safety’s Criminal Investigations Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Grand Prairie Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit. FBI Electronics Detection Canine “Iris” played an important role in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandie Wade and Camille Sparks (ret.) prosecuted the case.
Former Slidell Resident Pleads Guilty to False Statements and Theft of over $350,000.00 in Covid-19 BenefitsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that RACQUEL PICHON (“PICHON”), age 40, formerly of Slidell, Louisiana, plead guilty on July 15, 2024 to false statements and theft of government funds, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1001 and 641. If convicted, PICHON faces a maximum sentence of ten (10) years imprisonment, and/or a fine of $250,000.00, or the greater of twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to any person of the offense under Title 18, United States Code, Section 3571. In addition, PICHON faces a term of supervised release of no more than three (3) years after her release from prison, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
According to court documents, PICHON applied for multiple Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act) loans under the business Exotica Beauty LLC (“Exotica”). PICHON was the registered agent for Exotica. On June 12, 2020, PICHON completed a Small Business Administration (SBA) backed Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan application for Exotica. As a result of the PPP application, on June 19, 2020, PICHON received an SBA backed PPP loan of approximately $194,642.50.
According to the indictment, on June 23, 2020, PICHON also completed and submitted an Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) loan application for Exotica. As a result, on June 25, 2020, PICHON received an EIDL advance grant of $10,000.00. Then, on June 29, 2020, PICHON received an EIDL loan of $149,900.00 as a business loan.
On or about July 2, through July 7, 2020, PICHON spent, in total, $8,074.00 in EIDL loan proceeds at a high-end retail store in New Orleans. On July 15, 2020, PICHON spent $921.00 in EIDL loan proceeds for tickets to an amusement park in Florida. PICHON also spent $3,303.00 in EIDL loan proceeds at an additional high-end retail store in New Orleans.
In total, PICHON received $354,542.50 in COVID-19 funds.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 15, 2024 before United States District Judge Susie Morgan.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. The Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of the Inspector General, is an active member of the PRAC Fraud Task Force.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Department of Veteran Affairs, Office of the Inspector General, and the United States Secret Service in investigating this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of Financial Crimes Unit.
Former NOPD Officer, Member of Executive Protection Unit, Charged Federally with Wire Fraud and Making False StatementsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JEFFREY PAUL VAPPIE, II (“VAPPIE”), age 52, a resident of New Orleans, was indicted today on seven (7) counts of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, for perpetrating a scheme to defraud the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD). VAPPIE was additionally indicted for making false statements to agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001(a)(2).
According to the indictment, VAPPIE was a New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) officer from April 1997 until his resignation in June 2024. VAPPIE was assigned to serve as a member of the Executive Protection Unit (EPU) responsible for providing personal protection for the Mayor of the City of New Orleans. At least as early as November 2021, VAPPIE and Public Official 1 developed and carried on a personal and romantic relationship. VAPPIE attempted to disguise this relationship by making his interactions with Public Official 1 appear related to VAPPIE’s duties and responsibilities as a member of EPU. In doing so, VAPPIE submitted false timecards to NOPD in which he claimed to be working when, in fact, he was engaged in personal activities, including carrying on a personal and romantic relationship with Public Official 1.
VAPPIE took other steps to further and conceal the scheme to defraud. For example, among these personal activities, VAPPIE spent substantial time inside an apartment owned by the City of New Orleans to which Public Official 1 had access. Additionally, he ate meals and consumed alcohol with Public Official 1, all while being paid to work as a member of EPU. VAPPIE also traveled on purported work-related trips with Public Official 1, paid for by the City of New Orleans. VAPPIE and Public Official 1 exchanged personal and romantic messages and photographs via an encrypted instant messaging application, to avoid detection and continue their relationship. This exchange of messages and photographs occurred as VAPPIE continued to claim only a professional relationship with Public Official 1 and continued to serve as a member of EPU. Near the conclusion of an NOPD administrative investigation into his alleged wrongdoing, VAPPIE attempted to influence the Interim Superintendent of the New Orleans Police Department into exonerating him. During an interview with FBI agents at VAPPIE’s residence on July 14, 2023, VAPPIE made several false statements, including that VAPPIE did not have, and had never had, a physical or romantic relationship with Public Official 1, that VAPPIE had never kissed Public Official 1, and that VAPPIE had never told Public Official 1 that VAPPIE loved Public Official 1.
For each count of wire fraud, VAPPIE faces up to twenty (20) years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. For the false statements count, VAPPIE faces up to five (5) years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that an indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter and expressed appreciation for the support provided by the City of New Orleans Office of Inspector General and the Metropolitan Crime Commission. Assistant United States Attorneys Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, and Nicholas D. Moses, of the Financial Crimes Unit and Health Care Coordinator, are in charge of the prosecution.
Former Manchester Business Owner Sentenced for Trafficking Fentanyl and Crack CocaineRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Manchester man was sentenced today in federal court for distribution of fentanyl and crack cocaine, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Walter Velez, 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante to 48 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised released. On April 2, 2024, Velez pleaded guilty to four counts of distribution of controlled substances, namely fentanyl and crack cocaine.
In April 2023, Velez sold fentanyl and crack cocaine to a confidential informant on four occasions at his then business, Velez Alignment & Auto Services, LLC, located at 416 Lake Avenue in Manchester. The four sales totaled over 200 grams of fentanyl and over 20 grams of crack cocaine.
“The defendant distributed a significant amount of drugs from his business, which was located in a densely populated neighborhood,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “Law enforcement in the Granite State remains committed to thwarting out drug dealers at every level in the supply chain to hold them accountable for selling dangerous narcotics and to eradicate drug trafficking in our neighborhoods.”
“Velez was caught selling crack cocaine and fentanyl, two deadly drugs that have caused havoc and destruction for too many families in New Hampshire. Today’s sentence puts an end to Velez’s drug dealing. HSI continues to work with our partners in New Hampshire to stop the trafficking and distribution of drugs into our communities,” said HSI New England Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Krol.
The Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Ward prosecuted the case.
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Former Kissimmee Police Officer Arrested for Knowingly Receiving Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Dariel Javier Quiles-Davila (25, Kissimmee) pursuant to a criminal complaint charging him with knowingly receiving child sex abuse material. If convicted, Quiles-Davila faces a minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison.
According to court documents, Quiles-Davila was an officer with the Kissimmee Police Department in October 2023. At that time, Quiles-Davila met a child victim while on duty. After receiving the child victim’s contact information, Quiles-Davila began to communicate directly with the child victim, sent the child victim money, and solicited and received sexually explicit photographs and videos of the child-victim.
Kissimmee Police Chief Betty Holland stated, “Our Department is aware of the charges and arrest and we are cooperating fully with the Department of Justice.”
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation that a defendant has committed a federal offense, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Nate.
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.