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Wednesday 5 June 2024
Bissonnet sex trafficker “Glizzy” imprisoned for forcing teenage girls to engage in sex actsRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 23-year-old man has been sentenced for conspiring to traffic a minor for commercial sex, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar Hamdani.
Javon Yaw Opoku aka “Glizzy” pleaded guilty June 7, 2023.
U.S. District Judge George C. Hanks Jr has now sentenced Opoku to 365 months in federal prison. In handing down the prison term, the court noted the duty to the people Opoku harmed and that he had forfeited the right to be around other members of society for a very long time. Restitution will be determined at a later date. Opoku will serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Opoku will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.
“Opoku spent years exploiting and victimizing little girls and other vulnerable members of our community,” said Hamdani. “Opoku will now spend the next 30+ years away from our community, unable to continue his exploitation and victimization of our daughters and neighbors.
From April 2019 to February 2020, Opoku and co-conspirators recruited young teenage girls and forced them to engage in sex acts with clients for money in cars and hotels around the Bissonnet “blade.”
The blade or “track” is an area near 59 Southwest Freeway and Bissonnet Street in Houston where traffickers commonly place their victims to engage in commercial sex.
Opoku and co-conspirators passed around or reassigned victims amongst one another, taught each other “the pimp game,” forced the young girls to walk the blade while Opoku and others kept the proceeds.
The young girls were required to pay an exit fee or get “beat out” to switch between pimps. Some traffickers required daily quotas each night from their victims. If the victims failed to meet their daily quotas, they were severely punished through beatings and humiliation.
Co-conspirator Jerreck Michael Hilliard aka “Jmoney” was sentenced April 12 to 292 months in federal prison.
Opoku will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Houston Police Department initiated the investigation with the assistance of Homeland Security Investigations and the Harris County District Attorney’s Office as a part of the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance (HTRA). Established in 2004, the U.S. Attorney’s office in Houston formed HTRA to combine resources with federal, state and local enforcement agencies and prosecutors, as well as non-governmental service organizations to target human traffickers while providing necessary services to those that the traffickers victimized. Since its inception, HTRA has been recognized as both a national and international model in identifying and assisting victims of human trafficking and prosecuting those engaged in trafficking offenses.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys (AUSA) Kate Suh and Anthony Franklyn prosecuted the case along with former AUSA Richard Bennett.
Auburn, Washington man charged federally for drug distribution and illegal firearms possessionRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 33-year-old Auburn, Washington, man was arrested last night on a federal criminal complaint charging firearms and drug distribution crimes, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Andy Peter Vongdala was charged by criminal complaint after he was caught with large quantities of controlled substances and multiple firearms on April 26, 2024. At the time of his arrest, Vongdala was booked on outstanding warrants and subsequently posted bail. Vongdala will be detained on the federal charges pending additional hearings.
According to the criminal complaint, Vongdala was a suspect in a series of commercial burglaries in Renton, Washington. Renton Police worked with King County prosecutors and obtained a search warrant for Vongdala’s residence to search for distinctive clothing from the burglary investigation.
When police served the search warrant, they encountered Vongdala leaving his two-bedroom apartment. In a backpack he carried, police found a stolen Glock firearm and more than two kilograms of MDMA. Some of the drugs were in smaller bags inside a larger zip lock bag labeled “sample.”
A search of Vongdala’s residence revealed an additional firearm and firearm parts along with ammunition and body armor. In his bedroom, police recovered 61 kilograms of MDMA, more than 2300 fentanyl pills, nearly a kilogram of methamphetamine, and smaller amounts of suspected heroin, cocaine, and alprazolam.
Law enforcement seized a rifle with a casing catcher – a device that keeps shell casings from being left on the ground after the gun is fired. There were also numerous firearm magazines including extended magazines and a drum magazine. Suspected armor piercing bullets were seized as well.
Vongdala is charged with two counts of possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Due to the quantity of drugs seized in this case, the penalties include a mandatory minimum ten years in prison. Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime is punishable by an additional five years in prison which runs consecutive to any other sentence imposed in the case.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the Renton Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Celia Lee.
Tuesday 4 June 2024
White Supremacist Sentenced for Federal Hate Crimes for Conspiracy Targeting Black and Jewish People and Desecrating Michigan Synagogue with Neo-Nazi SymbolsRead the Press Release
A Michigan man was sentenced today to 26 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release for conspiring with other members of a white supremacist group, The Base, to victimize Black and Jewish people, and for defacing Temple Jacob, a Jewish synagogue in Hancock, Michigan, using swastikas and symbols associated with The Base.
Nathan Weeden, 24, of Houghton, was convicted at trial in January of one count of conspiring to injure, oppress, threaten or intimidate any person in the exercise of their rights and one count of intentionally defacing, damaging or destroying religious property because of the race or ethnic characteristics of individuals associated with that property. Weeden's co-conspirators, Richard Tobin, of New Jersey, and Yousef Barasneh, of Wisconsin, both previously pleaded guilty to federal conspiracy charges related to the incident.
“This sentence sends a strong message that threatening and intimidating people because of their religion, race or ethnic characteristics will not be tolerated in this country,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “White supremacist-fueled violence is a stain on our history and perpetrators of such violence will be held accountable. No one should live in fear because of who they are, what they believe or where they worship. The Justice Department will continue to investigate and prosecute those who desecrate houses of worship and who conspire to intimidate people seeking to exercise the legal rights guaranteed to all Americans.”
“Today’s sentencing sends a strong message that hate will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten for the Western District of Michigan. “No one should be the target of hate because of their race, ethnicity, religion, or any other status. When hateful words become hateful acts, my office will use every tool we have to protect the public and secure justice like we did in this case.”
“The impact of the defendant’s crimes extend far beyond destruction of property,” said Executive Assistant Director Larissa L. Knapp of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “The FBI will not accept hate-driven threats of violence intended to emotionally and/or physically harm victims and will rigorously investigate anyone conspiring to vandalize houses of worship and intimidate other from safely practicing their religion.”
“Accountability matters. Today’s sentence is representative of our community's views on hate crime-inspired violence. People who engage in this behavior will be identified and fully prosecuted by the law,” said Special Agent in Charge James Deir of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Detroit Field Division. “ATF is steadfast in its commitment to protecting everyone across this great state against violent criminals fueled by hatred and intolerance.”
The evidence at trial established that, in September 2019, Weeden, Tobin and Barasneh, all members of The Base, used an encrypted messaging platform to discuss vandalizing property associated with Black and Jewish Americans. Weeden and his co-conspirators dubbed their plan, "Operation Kristallnacht” — a term that means "Night of Broken Glass,” and refers to events that took place on Nov. 9 and 10, 1938, when Nazis murdered Jews and burned and destroyed their homes, synagogues, schools and places of business. Weeden carried out this plan on Sept. 21, 2019, when he spray-painted swastikas and symbols associated with The Base on the outside walls of Temple Jacob.
The FBI Detroit Field Office investigated the case, with assistance from the ATF and Hancock Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nils Kessler for the Western District of Michigan and Trial Attorney Eric Peffley of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section prosecuted the case.
Waltham Man Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Waltham man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston to receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
Robert Daigle, 47 pleaded guilty to one count of receipt of child pornography. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for Sept. 11, 2024. In February 2022, Daigle was indicted by a federal grand jury.
On Jan. 11, 2022, approximately 10 electronic devices belonging to the Daigle were seized during a search of his residence. The majority of those devices were located in Daigle’s bedroom. Daigle admitted to downloading hundreds to thousands of CSAM for approximately 20 years. A forensic examination of one device was found to have approximately 1,100 child pornography images and approximately 900 child pornography videos. A second device was found to have approximately 380 child pornography images.
The charge of receipt of child pornography provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the United States Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Waltham Police Chief Kevin O’Connell made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The case is brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Vanderwagon Man Charged with Federal Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Vangerwagon man was charged by indictment with multiple federal firearms offenses and attempted murder.
Perris Jeremiah Arthur, 35, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, appeared before a federal judge today and will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been scheduled.
According to the indictment, on May 1, 2023, Arthur assaulted John Doe with a rifle with the intent to commit murder.
If convicted of the current charges, Arthur faces up to 20 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Department of Investigation and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.
View the IndictmentAn indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Vallejo Felon Pleads Guilty to Being a Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Jacob Harding-Abeyta, 31, of Vallejo, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a firearm and to possession of cocaine for sale, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on Oct. 7, 2020, a parole search of Harding-Abeyta’s residence resulted in the discovery of a loaded .45-caliber Springfield XDS firearm in his bedroom. Harding-Abeyta is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he was previously convicted in Solano County for attempted murder in 2014. Officers also discovered 39 grams of powder cocaine, a digital scale, plastic baggies, and other drug paraphernalia. A search of his phone revealed that he was selling this and other cocaine. Additionally, Harding-Abeyta also admitted in his plea agreement that he committed obstruction of justice by attempting to suborn perjury of a witness during a prior evidentiary hearing in this case.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Solano County Sheriff’s Office, the Solano County District Attorney’s Office, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the FBI’s Solano County Violent Crimes Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Haddy Abouzeid, Jason Hitt and Adrian T. Kinsella are prosecuting the case.
Harding-Abeyta is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez on Sept. 10, 2024. He faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for the firearm charge and a maximum sentence of 20 year in prison and a fine of up to $1 million for the drug charge. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case is 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 U.S. Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces S.A.F.F.E.R. Initiative to Confront Violent Crime in the Fargo AreaRead the Press Release
FARGO – Joined by federal and local law enforcement partners, United States Attorney Mac Schneider today announced an office initiative, Strategic Assistance for Fargo through Federal Enforcement and Resources (S.A.F.F.E.R.), aimed at aggressively confronting violent crime in the Fargo area through the application of federal resources and prosecutions.
“This initiative is all about using new federal resources as a force multiplier to assist our local law enforcement partners in targeting the relatively few individuals who drive violent crime in Fargo and Cass County,” Schneider said. “With a forceful prosecution strategy that is focused on felons in possession of firearms and dismantling gangs and other criminal organizations before they take root in the community, we can help keep the Fargo area safe as it continues to grow. Being a safe community is special, and it should not be taken for granted.”
The announcement of the initiative, which is already underway, comes on the heels of statistics showing an approximate 45% increase in violent crime in Fargo since 2019. To assist local law enforcement as they work on the front lines of public safety to address violent crime in the Fargo area, the S.A.F.F.E.R. initiative has a three-part focus:
1) Using local intelligence information and federal resources to identify, investigate, and prosecute the individuals responsible for violent crime:
The placement of National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN) equipment in Fargo, together with ongoing intelligence-led policing and information sharing by local law enforcement, will allow the United States Attorney’s Office and its partners to precisely target the drivers of violent crime in the community.
As first announced during a visit to Fargo last year by Steven Dettelbach, the Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Fargo Police Department will soon receive NIBIN equipment that will allow for the analysis of spent shell casings recovered from shooting incidents. NIBIN is a database of digital images that law enforcement agencies use to compare ballistic evidence from crime scenes and firearms to find investigative leads on an interstate basis. The ATF oversees the program, provides the equipment, and maintains the network of interconnected computer systems and terminals.
When utilizing NIBIN, firearms examiners or technicians enter cartridge casing evidence into the system, allowing law enforcement to search against evidence from their jurisdiction, neighboring ones, and others across the country. As noted by Director Dettelbach in his 2023 visit to Fargo, the network was used several years ago to help solve a drive-by shooting in the community.
In-house access to NIBIN equipment will dovetail with the efforts of the Metro Street Crimes Unit and FPD’s Intelligence and Analysis Unit, which identify and interdict individuals committing violent crimes in the Fargo area, as well as the Cass County Sheriff’s Office’s Threat Assessment Threat Management Team, which aims to divert individuals before violent acts occur.
2) Relentlessly prosecuting felons in possession of firearms, straw purchasers, and those who possess illegal weapons:
As a key part of the effort to assist local partners in addressing violent crime in the Fargo area, the United States Attorney’s Office will utilize new prosecutorial resources and recently-enacted federal statutes to forcefully prosecute felons in possession of firearms, straw purchasers, and those who possess illegal weapons like machinegun conversion devices.
Last year, the United States Attorney’s Office was successful in securing an additional Assistant United States Attorney for the purpose of prosecuting violent crime cases in eastern North Dakota. That position, which was filled by AUSA Jake Rodenbiker, is in addition to several career prosecutors who routinely prosecute violent crime cases in the Fargo area and beyond. Those additional prosecutorial resources provide the office with the capacity to vigorously bring prosecutions under the felon in possession statute as well as federal laws enacted as part of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act in 2022, including 18 U.S.C. § 932, which prohibits the straw purchasing of firearms.
The office will also continue to prioritize prosecutions of those who possess illegal firearms. Schneider highlighted a recent case, United States v. Opdahl, in which a Fargo man was found guilty of possession of a machinegun and an unregistered silencer after a three-day trial in April. The defendant, Patrick Opdahl, was previously involved in a standoff with the Fargo Police Department and Red River Valley Regional SWAT team in February of 2023.
3) Confronting gangs and organized criminals before they take hold in the community:
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is also utilizing new prosecutorial resources from the Department of Justice to disrupt gangs and criminal groups before they put down roots in the Fargo area. Earlier this year, the United States Attorney’s Office and the Fargo Police Department began working with the Department’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section (VCRS), which has assigned a trial attorney to work with the United States Attorney’s Office in Fargo and its local partners to bring cases against organized criminal groups operating in the community. Kim Dammers, the Principal Deputy of VCRS, also recently provided in-person training to the office’s career AUSAs and their law enforcement partners on the Racketeer Influenced Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and Violent Crimes in Aid of Racketeering (VICAR) statute. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General David Rody, who oversees VCRS, joined the office in the announcement, discussing VCRS’ role in the initiative.
“Today’s launch of the S.A.F.F.E.R. initiative is a pivotal moment for Fargo,” Fargo Chief of Police Dave Zibolski said. “With the additional federal resources and support, we are better equipped to target and reduce violent crime in our community. This partnership underscores our commitment to ensuring the safety and well-being of all Fargo residents. By combining local efforts with federal expertise and technology, we can create a safer environment for everyone and proactively address the challenges we face.”
“The Cass County Sheriff’s Office is excited to collaborate with the US Attorney’s Office and other federal partners to reduce criminal activity and, more importantly, violent activity in our communities,” said Cass County Sheriff Jesse Jahner. “Taking a multifaceted approach, utilizing available resources, and concentrating those efforts on local, state, and federal levels will have a profound impact. The launch of the SAFFER Initiative will provide the necessary tools and partnerships needed to bring justice to our citizens and victims while holding those responsible accountable for their actions.”
“Our office looks forward to continued partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and Fargo-area law enforcement on this initiative,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Travis Riddle of the St. Paul Field Division. “These federal tools have helped advance federal firearms cases across the country and will help make an impact in the violent crime experienced here locally. We appreciate U.S. Attorney Schneider’s forward-leaning approach to violent crime with this initiative, and we look forward to working collectively to ensure the area’s violent offenders remain accountable for their actions.”
“The DEA stands ready to assist our fellow law enforcement partners in Fargo,” Drug Enforcement Administration Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Steven T. Bell said. “History has shown that drug trafficking and violent crime work in tandem and we are committed to joining forces and utilizing our arsenal of resources to push back against those looking to cause harm in our communities.”
“The FBI is steadfast in its commitment to reducing violent crime and enhancing community safety,” said Special Agent in Charge Alvin M. Winston Sr. of FBI Minneapolis. “Together with our local law enforcement partners and the U.S. Attorney’s Office of North Dakota, we are dedicated to fostering environments where residents can live, work, and play without fear. Our joint efforts aim to build stronger, more secure communities.”
Schneider also highlighted several recent cases as examples of the office’s efforts to aggressively utilize new federal resources to bring prosecutions aimed at reducing violent crime in the Fargo area:
United States v. Berry: An indictment unsealed on June 3, 2024, alleges that Marvin Berry, Jr. possessed a Smith & Wesson 9 mm pistol despite having been previously convicted of seven drug-related felonies in North Dakota state court from 2016 to 2023. The indictment also charges Berry with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
United States v. Gray et al.: An indictment unsealed last month alleges that defendants Markell Gray, Janelle Jackson, and Robert Leake knowingly possessed firearms as convicted felons. The indictment also charges possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute a controlled substance, and possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance. As noted in court filings, Gray was previously convicted of conspiracy to possess with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance in state court in Cass County in July of 2023.
United States v. Jellah, et al.: As noted in court documents, Leo Jellah, a.k.a. “Chapo,” was charged via indictment with alleged conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribute a controlled substance and money laundering. Public records indicate that in 2023, Jellah pled guilty to robbery in North Dakota state court under section 12.1-22-01(1) of the North Dakota Century Code, which makes it a felony to menace or inflict serious bodily injury in the course of committing a theft.An indictment is not evidence of guilt. The defendants are presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
###U.S. Attorney's Office Participates in Walk for Awareness Event to Highlight Elder Abuse Awareness DayRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – In advance of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day on June 15, 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office joined Age-Friendly Mecklenburg and AARP-Charlotte to co-host a Walk for Awareness at Freedom Park in Charlotte. Community leaders, elected officials, Mecklenburg County personnel, federal and state prosecutors and staff, law enforcement partners, AARP volunteers, community organizations and private citizens joined this important event to increase awareness and support efforts to prevent the exploitation, neglect and abuse of older adults in our community.
First recognized on June 15, 2006, by the International Network for the Prevention of Elder Abuse and the World Health Organization at the United Nations, World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) seeks to promote a better understanding of the abuse and neglect suffered by millions of older adults – crimes that are often overlooked or unreported. WEAAD brings attention to the cultural, social, economic, and demographic factors that contribute to elder abuse.
“Elder abuse can manifest in various forms, including physical, emotional, and financial abuse, as well as neglect and exploitation. It’s a growing concern that demands our immediate attention and action,” said U.S. Attorney King, who also serves on the Attorney General’s subcommittee on elder justice. “Participating in community events that shine a light on this important topic is crucial in our fight to protect vulnerable older adults. Whether it’s to support a loved one, to advocate for the rights of older adults, or to raise awareness in the community, these events not only educate the public on recognizing and preventing crimes involving the elderly, but also foster a sense of collective responsibility. By coming together, we can create a safer, more supportive environment for our older population and ensure that older adults receive the respect and protection they deserve from all of us.”
“Protecting those in our community who have come before us, and helping them live their golden years to their fullest, is something we in Mecklenburg County are dedicated to continuing to hold up to the highest degree,” said Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners Chairman George Dunlap. “Our employees who work with our elders each and every day are part of that protection, and continuing to provide resources for them to continue to thrive today and in the future is one of our top priorities.”
“Although fraud and scams impact people of all ages, when older adults are scammed, they tend to lose more money. Fraud targeting elders remains a pervasive and growing problem. The Federal Trade Commission reported a record number of money lost to scams in 2023. AARP and North Carolina partners are doing more to help people spot, prevent, and report fraud. This week, a new on demand “scam jam” will be available on YouTube @AARPNC1, where members of the NC Senior Fraud Taskforce share important information about pervasive scams and how to find help,” said AARP Associate State Director Rebecca Gilbert.
According to the FBI’s 2023 Internet Crimes Report, the agency’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received a record number of complaints from the American public with potential financial losses exceeding $12.5 billion, a 22% increase compared to 2022. The report also indicates that North Carolina is ranked 13th both in the number of complaints filed with the FBI and in financial losses sustained due to online schemes and financial fraud. Individuals 60 and above filed the most complaints (101,068) and sustained $3.4 billion in losses, the highest among all groups. The report further indicates that tech support scams continue to impact older adults disproportionately, accounting for half of all the financial losses of online schemes. In addition, government impersonation, phishing, romance scams, and non-delivery schemes continue to cost millions in losses for the 60+ population.
Through prosecutions, the U.S. Attorney’s Office continues to combat elder fraud involving domestic and transnational perpetrators. Major strides have already been made to that end:
- In April 2024, two men were indicted for allegedly laundering millions of dollars in fraud proceeds in the United States and Nigeria, stemming from romance scams targeting elderly victims and other online schemes. A third defendant has pleaded guilty for his role in the conspiracy.
- In November 2023, a Conover, N.C., woman pleaded guilty after she was charged with stealing more than $300,000 from an elderly couple.
- In August 2023, a Jamaican national pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges in connection with a fraudulent lottery scheme that targeted elderly Americans.
- In April 2023, a Charlotte man was indicted for an international multi-million dollar tech support fraud scam that allegedly defrauded thousands of victims throughout the United States, some of whom were elderly, of more than $7 million.
In addition to prosecuting elder fraud cases, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, through its Elder Justice Initiative, partners with law enforcement agencies, government entities, and community organizations to ensure that older adults, caretakers, and those who come in frequent contact with the elderly are educated on how to detect, prevent, and report elder fraud, neglect, and abuse.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office continues its efforts to educate the public by distributing the latest trends in schemes targeting older adults and sharing tips on how to be protected from scammers.
In April 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office shared a scam alert issued by the Social Security Administration (SSA) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) about alarming reports of fraudsters impersonating SSA OIG agents. In this latest iteration of government imposter scams, fraudsters request victims to meet them in person to hand off cash. Variations of the scam include fraudsters posing as IRS agents demanding money for unpaid taxes, as sheriff’s office deputies threatening arrest for purported outstanding fines, and as prosecutors or court personnel threatening prosecution or jail time for failing to comply with jury duty service.
Additional financial schemes targeting older Americans are:
- Tech Support Scams – Convince victims to pay for non-existent problems with their computers.
- Non-Delivery Scams – Induce victims to pay for goods or services online, but never receive them. A variation of this scheme is victims receiving emails or texts messages that appear to be from legitimate shipping companies (e.g., UPS, FedEx) with fake non-delivery notifications, claiming that payment or additional personal information is required to complete a package delivery.
- Romance Scams – Lull victims into believing they are in an online romantic relationship and their paramour needs money to pay for a visit to the U.S. or for some other purpose.
- Grandparent Scams – Dupe victims into thinking that their grandchildren or other relatives are in trouble and need money right away for bail or another emergency.
- Charity Scams – Solicit donations for fake charities, or by altering or “spoofing” caller IDs to show the name of a real charity on the phone.
- Lottery Scams – Scammers use phone calls, letters, or emails to convince victims that a large fee or taxes must be paid before they can receive lottery winnings.
- Debt Collection Scams – Victims are threatened with arrest and jail time if payment for a fake debt is not made immediately.
- Money Mule/Money Laundering Scams – Convince victims to use their existing or new bank accounts to quickly move funds in and out of those accounts. Generally, the transferred funds are proceeds of other criminal schemes (such as romance schemes) and victims are unwittingly being used to launder the ill-gotten funds.
- Timeshare Scams – Fraudsters target timeshare owners with false promises of resale and exit from their timeshares for a fee.
- Sham Business Opportunities – Convince victims to invest in lucrative business opportunities or fake investments.
Here are some tips on how to avoid falling victim to a financial scam:
- Don’t share personal or financial information with anyone you don’t know.
- If the person asking the information claims to be a relative, a friend, someone you know, or a representative of a financial institution or government agency, do not respond right away. Instead, contact the person/entity independently or ask a trusted family member or friend for help.
- Don’t pay a fee for a prize or lottery winning.
- Don’t click on pop-up ads, messages, or virus warnings.
- Delete phishing emails and ignore harassing phone calls.
- Don’t send gift cards, checks, money orders, wire money, or give your bank account information to a stranger or someone who claims to be a relative without verifying the person’s identity.
- Don’t fall for a high-pressure sales pitch or lucrative business deals.
- If you suspect fraud, take the time to talk to a trusted friend or family member.
- It’s not rude to say, “NO.”
- Keep in mind that if you send money once, you’ll be a target for life.
- A good rule of thumb is, if it’s too good to be true, it’s likely a scam.
- And remember, there is no shame in falling prey to an online scammer. These are professional criminals that use tried-and-true tactics to perpetrate fraud.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office urges the public to report suspected elder fraud by calling the Justice Department’s Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 (833-372-8311) or visiting the Elder Justice Initiative at Justice.gov/elderjustice for additional information and resources.
U.S. Attorney Avery Announces New First Assistant U.S. Attorney, other Criminal Division AppointmentsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Vanessa Roberts Avery today announced new supervisory appointments within the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the office’s Criminal Division, which were necessitated by the departure of First Assistant U.S. Attorney Alfred U. Pavlis last month.
Marc H. Silverman has been named First Assistant U.S. Attorney, the second-ranking position within the office. Since 2022, Mr. Silverman has served as Chief of the Criminal Division. Mr. Silverman joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2010 and, from 2014 to 2022, served as Deputy Chief of the Office’s Appellate Division. Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Mr. Silverman was an Arthur Liman Public Interest Fellow at Advocates for Children of New York, Inc.; an associate at Morvillo Abramowitz Grand Iason & Anello PC; and a law clerk for Judge Kimba M. Wood of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York and Judge Dennis Jacobs of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. Mr. Silverman is a 2003 graduate of Yale University and a 2006 graduate of Yale Law School.
“For years, Marc Silverman has served as a trusted advisor on complex legal and administrative issues facing the office, and he has been a highly valued member of our senior management team,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “Marc shares a commitment to ensuring that we continue to uphold the highest professional and ethical standards in this district and he takes great care to ensure that our policies and practices comport with the rule of law, fairness, and the ends of justice.”
Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis has been named Chief of the Criminal Division, which is responsible for enforcing federal criminal laws in Connecticut. Ms. Kaoutzanis joined the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2017 and, since 2022, has served as Chief of the Violent Crimes and Narcotics Unit (VCN), leading the implementation of the office’s four-city VCN strategy that focuses on reducing the number of homicides and other violent crime in our major cities. She also has been a leader in the office’s community engagement efforts related to violent crime reduction, most notably, the creation several years ago of the multi-disciplinary anti-violence Fed-Up program for younger students.
John T. Pierpont, Jr., has been named Chief of the VCN unit, which includes Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) prosecutions, the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), and violent crime, gangs and narcotics investigations. AUSA Pierpont joined the office in 2016, and previously served as Deputy Chief of the VCN unit and as PSN Coordinator.
Geoffrey M. Stone continues in his role as Deputy Chief of the VCN unit and as OCDETF Coordinator, which targets major drug trafficking operations responsible for the distribution of large quantities of narcotics by major drug trafficking organizations.
Lauren C. Clark, who has been an AUSA since 2017, is a new Deputy Chief of the VCN Unit and PSN Coordinator, overseeing firearms prosecutions that seek to deter the illegal possession of guns and reduce gun and gang violence.
“I am fortunate to lead an office of extremely talented individuals who are committed to the cause of justice, and I thank all who have agreed to serve in these important roles,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “I am confident that our office will continue to make Connecticut a safer place to live, and have a tremendous impact in our communities.”
The Criminal Division comprises three program-based units: Violent Crimes and Narcotics, Financial Fraud and Public Corruption, and Major Crimes and National Security. More information about the office’s Criminal Division is available at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ct/criminal-division.
The District is composed of approximately 68 Assistant U.S. Attorneys and approximately 57 staff members at offices in New Haven, Hartford and Bridgeport. Please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-ct for more information about the office.
Two Men Sentenced to 185 and 220 Months in Prison for Murder of Rival Drug Dealer in 2002Read the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that TERRIS OLIVER, a/k/a “T-Bird,” and RICARDO AYALA, a/k/a “Richie,” were sentenced to 185 and 220 months in prison, respectively, for their roles in the March 27, 2002, shooting death of 19-year-old Atari Felton. OLIVER and AYALA were participants in a drug conspiracy, members of which shot and killed Felton after a feud broke out between their group and Felton’s own drug business. OLIVER was sentenced this afternoon, and AYALA was sentenced on May 6, 2024, both by U.S. District Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein after pleading guilty to conspiring to distribute controlled substances. During their pleas, they admitted to participating in the Felton murder.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “This case is yet another reminder that no matter how much time passes, this Office will prosecute, and seek significant sentences for, any drug dealers and gang members who shoot and kill another person. There is absolutely no excuse for the taking of another life. Atari Felton has been dead for longer than he lived — a tragedy brought about by gun violence that this Office and City should never abide.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment and Information and statements made in public court proceedings:
OLIVER and AYALA were members of a drug crew that conducted open-air drug sales around 240 East 175th Street in the Bronx, near Monroe Avenue. The group had planned to merge operations with Felton, but when that failed, Felton attempted to shoot at members of OLIVER’s and AYALA’s group. Later that night, OLIVER, AYALA, and several other men traveled to the area of 1665 Topping Avenue, where at least four men, including OLIVER, fired shots at Felton as Felton exited a corner store.[1] One bullet struck Felton in the back, causing lethal injuries.
Following the murder, both OLIVER and AYALA incurred arrests and periods of incarceration on state charges of, among other things, gun possession, to which OLIVER pled guilty in 2006, and continued drug distribution, to which AYALA pled guilty in 2004.
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OLIVER, 42, of Bridgewater, Massachusetts, and AYALA, 43, of the Bronx, New York, previously pled guilty to conspiring to distribute crack cocaine, heroin, and marijuana, and both admitted to participating in the Felton murder. In addition to the prison term, OLIVER and AYALA were sentenced to three years of supervised release.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of Special Agents from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and the New York City Police Department’s Cold Case Squad. He also thanked the New York/New Jersey High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Intelligence Analysts for their support and assistance in this matter.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Balsamello, Andrew K. Chan, and Mathew Andrews are in charge of the prosecution.
[1] The Court accepted for purposes of sentencing that AYALA had acted as a lookout during the shooting.
Thoreau Woman Charged with Involutory ManslaughterRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Thoreau woman was charged by indictment with involuntary manslaughter.
Nora Abeita, 49, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, appeared before a federal judge today and will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not been scheduled.
According to the indictment, on May 28, 2023, Abeita was driving without due caution when she killed John Doe.
If convicted of the current charges, Abeita faces up to eight years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today.
The Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office. Assistant United States Attorney Nicholas J. Marshall is prosecuting the case.
View the IndictmentAn indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Tampa Man Sentenced to More Than 24 Years for Possession and Distribution of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – U.S. District Judge Steven Merryday has sentenced Christian Perez-Seda (38, Tampa) to 24 years and 4 months in federal prison for distributing and possessing with the intent to distribute methamphetamine. Perez-Seda pleaded guilty in March 2024.
According to court documents, on July 24, 2021, Perez Seda distributed 987 grams of methamphetamine to an undercover officer in exchange for $7,000. Perez-Seda then also “fronted” approximately 1 kilogram of methamphetamine to an individual working as a confidential informant. Later that day, Perez Seda was driving to sell more methamphetamine to the undercover officer when he was stopped by law enforcement. Law enforcement searched his vehicle and found approximately 2 kilograms of methamphetamine, $3,686 in cash, and a Phoenix Arms .22 pistol.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Samantha Newman and Charlie Connally. The forfeiture is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Suzanne Nebesky.
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.
Stamford Man Admits Robbing 3 Banks in 2020Read the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that FRANCESCO PENSIERO, also known as Frank Pensiero, 51, of Stamford, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to bank robbery.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on October 13, 2020, Pensiero and an associate robbed the Chase Bank located at 2855 Main Street in Stratford. During the robbery, Pensiero’s associate displayed a handgun on the teller counter and presented the teller with a note that read “this is a robbery give me all your money.” The teller provided Pensiero’s associate with approximately $1,000 and Pensiero and his associate exited the bank.
Later on October 13, 2020, Pensiero robbed the People’s United Bank located at 1160 Kings Highway Cutoff in Fairfield. During the robbery, he pulled out a handgun and presented the teller a note that stated “This is a robbery.” The teller provided Pensiero with $5,458 and Pensiero exited the bank.
On October 28, 2020, Pensiero and his associate robbed the People’s United Bank located at 95 Main Street in New Canaan. Pensiero displayed a handgun, provided the teller with a note demanding money, verbally threatened to kill the teller and other employees, and ordered the bank employees to lie on the floor. Pensiero and his associate stole $9,130 during the robbery, and fled from the bank in a red Chevrolet Monte Carlo SS. The following day, the car was set on fire on Green Avenue in New Canaan.
Pensiero was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on January 27, 2023.
At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Pensiero faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. He is released on a $100,000 bond.
Pensiero’s criminal history includes convictions for bank robbery and other offenses.
Pensiero’s associate was charged with, and convicted of, related state offenses stemming from these robberies.
This investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Stratford, Fairfield, and New Canaan Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel E. Cummings and Amanda S. Oakes.
Springfield Man Sentenced to 30 months in Prison for Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
Springfield, Ill. – On June 3, 2024, a Springfield man, Kyle W. Harris, 29, of the 1700 block of East Watch Avenue was sentenced to 30 months imprisonment for bank robbery. Harris will serve a two-year term of supervised release following his imprisonment.
At the sentencing hearing, the government showed that on December 15, 2021, Harris robbed a Marine Bank branch in Springfield of just over $6,000 after passing a teller a note indicating he would shoot everyone in the bank. No firearm was brandished. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Sue Myerscough noted that the bank employees and patrons were terrorized by the actions of the defendant.
Harris pled guilty on December 1, 2023. He has remained in the custody of the United States Marshal since the guilty plea.
The statutory penalties for bank robbery are not more than 20 years of imprisonment, up to 3 years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine.
The Springfield Police Department investigated the case with assistance from the Sangamon County State’s Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah E. Seberger represented the government in the prosecution.
The case against Harris 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.
Sin City Deciples Member Sentenced to 204 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND- Herman Troy Jefferson a/k/a “G-Rilla,” age 51, of Jacksonville, Arkansas, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after being found guilty of racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine following an 18-day jury trial, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Jefferson was sentenced to 204 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to the Second Superseding Indictment, the Sin City Deciples, originally formed in 1967 in Gary, Indiana, is an outlaw motorcycle organization in which its members and associates engaged in acts of violence, extortion, and narcotics distribution in the Northern District of Indiana and elsewhere. Jefferson served as a National President of the entire club and conspiracy between 2017-2021. As National President Jefferson was 2nd in command behind the founder of the club. Jefferson utilized another motorcycle club to sell and traffic cocaine and marijuana for him. Additionally, he attempted to create a “pyramid scheme” of narcotics trafficking by asking members to contribute $10-$30 K of narcotics to be trafficked across the U.S. and promised a 20 percent return. At trial, individuals testified that Jefferson was confronted because this return on investment never occurred. Finally, as National President, multiple acts of extortion and violence took place under his leadership.
The agencies involved in this prosecution were: the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the East Chicago Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Gary Police Department, the Griffith Police Department, the Hammond Police Department, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area officers and agents, the Merrillville Police Department, the Munster Police Department, and the Schererville Police Department. Also providing assistance were the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of Arkansas, the Northern District of Illinois, the Southern District of Indiana, the Western District of Kentucky, and the Western District of Pennsylvania.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David J. Nozick, Michael J. Toth, and Kimberly L. Schultz.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case was also 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.
Sequoyah County Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Robert Carl Ward, age 68, of Vian, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Indictment alleged that on January 2, 2024, Ward knowingly and intentionally possessed methamphetamine with the intent to distribute the same. According to investigators, Ward possessed and intended to distribute over 575 grams of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, Magistrate Judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Ward was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal Service pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Edith Singer represented the United States.
Sequoyah County Resident Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Beau Don Morton, age 41, of Muldrow, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to two separate counts of an Indictment.
The Government indictment alleged that from March 24, 2022, to April 6, 2022, Morton knowingly maintained a premises for the purpose of distributing and using a controlled substance. The indictment also alleged that on April 6, 2022, Morton knowingly possessed a firearm and ammunition as an unlawful user of a controlled substance.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The Honorable Gerald L. Jackson, Magistrate Judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Morton was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal Service pending sentencing.
Assistant United States Attorney Edith Singer represented the United States.
Roswell Man Sentenced for Sexually Exploiting Two Minors After Grooming Them on SnapchatRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A child predator who used the messaging app Snapchat to groom and sexually exploit young girls was sentenced to 235 months in prison after pleading guilty to criminal sexual acts against minors.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, between September 2022, and November 18, 2022, Juan Rodriguez, 40, engaged in a sexual act with Jane Doe 1, a 12-year-old minor female on three occasions. Prior to engaging in sexual activity with Jane Doe 1, Rodriguez communicated with Jane Doe 1 on the instant messaging app Snapchat.
During the summer of 2021, Rodriguez engaged in a sexual act with Jane Doe 2, an 11-year-old minor female. Prior to engaging in sexual activity with Jane Doe 2, Rodriguez communicated with her on the instant messaging app Snapchat.
In his plea agreement, Rodriguez admitted that he knew Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 were minors when he communicated with them.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Roriguez will be required to serve 10 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today.
This case was investigated by the Roswell Police Department and the FBI’s Albuquerque Division Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force.
Assistant United States Attorney Joni Autrey Stahl is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc/.
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Romanian Man Extradited to Puerto Rico to Face Charges for Aggravated Identity Theft and Bank FraudRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A citizen from the country of Romania was extradited from the United Kingdom to Puerto Rico to face charges of identity theft and fraud. On September 21, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a 12-count indictment charging Vlad Terebes with conspiracy to commit identity theft; aggravated identity theft; conspiracy to commit access device trafficking in a counterfeit access device; trafficking in device-making equipment; and bank fraud. Terebes was extradited on Friday, May 31, 2024.
According to court documents, defendant Vlad Terebes and other co-conspirators acquired and then installed access device skimming equipment in the form of a card reader used to obtain information from credit and debit card transactions at several large retail stores in Manatí, Canóvanas, Caguas, and Carolina, Puerto Rico.
From on or about March 8, 2022, to on or about March 13, 2022, defendant Vlad Terebes and other co-conspirators obtained credit and debit card numbers, names, and personal identifying information of approximately 1,215 customers from the large retail stores in Manatí, Caguas, Canóvanas, and Carolina, and attempted to obtain approximately $20,421 in funds from the unsuspecting customers’ bank accounts held by a financial institution in Puerto Rico. As a result of the investigation conducted by the United States Secret Service, Terebes was identified and ultimately apprehended in the United Kingdom on February 2, 2024 at the request of the United States.
“Financial fraud is one of the largest challenges facing American citizens and businesses today. Prevention and prosecution of crimes of this nature will remain a top priority for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and we will not be deterred by individuals who attempt to flee from prosecution. In coordination with the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, we remain committed to the arrest and extradition of those who commit crimes in Puerto Rico,” said W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney for the District of Puerto Rico.
The defendant made his initial court appearance yesterday, June 3, 2024, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marcos E. López for the District of Puerto Rico and was ordered detained. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 30 years in prison and a mandatory consecutive sentence of at least two years for each aggravated identity theft charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Terebes from the United Kingdom. The United States also thanks United Kingdom law enforcement authorities for their valuable assistance in securing Terebes’ extradition. Assistant U.S. Attorney Marie Christine Amy is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Rochester man pleads guilty to drug chargeRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Arcides Castillo-Dieguez, 59, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. The charge carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life imprisonment and a $10,000,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew T. McGrath, who is handling the case, stated that over the course of a long-term narcotics investigation, law enforcement identified Castillo-Dieguez as a bulk supply source of fentanyl for other Rochester drug dealers. Investigators identified several locations from which Castillo-Dieguez either sold or stashed fentanyl for future distribution. In May 2023, multiple search warrants were executed at three of these locations on Avenue A, East Main Street, and Durnan Street. One of the locations was used as a day care facility. Investigators seized over four kilograms of fentanyl, fentanyl analogue and heroin. Drug paraphernalia was also seized during the searches. This is Castillo-Dieguez’s sixth felony conviction for an offense involving the illegal distribution of controlled substances.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Frank Tarentino, III, New York Field Division, the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith, and the Greater Rochester Area Narcotics Enforcement Team (GRANET).
Sentencing is scheduled for September 18, 2024, at 3:00 p.m. before Judge Geraci.
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Readout of U.S. Attorney Waldref’s Remarks Addressing the Opioid Crisis in Spokane, WashingtonRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Waldref met with state, local, federal, and community stakeholders at Spokane Fire Station No. 1 on June 4, 2024, as part of the City’s emergency declaration for implementing an integrated response to address the opioid crisis in the City of Spokane. In her remarks at the press conference in which Mayor Lisa Brown made the emergency declaration, U.S. Attorney Waldref expressed her gratitude to the many partners and stakeholders, who gathered together to implement ideas for improving public safety in the downtown corridor.
U.S. Attorney Waldref explained how she was born and raised in Spokane and how she and her husband proudly raise their two kids here. U.S. Attorney Waldref expressed how deeply she cares for everyone’s safety here in Eastern Washington, especially given how the Spokane community is facing an extraordinary challenge with the growing and continued influx of deadly fentanyl and other drugs. As U.S. Attorney Waldref put it, “The fentanyl crisis is the new face of the opioid epidemic and the death and tragedy that we are witnessing are staggering. The downtown area has been hit particularly hard.”
U.S. Attorney Waldref further remarked that the mission of her office is to build a safe and strong Eastern Washington community, which starts with building critical partnerships to have both (1) law enforcement strategies with our key partners at the Spokane Police Department and Spokane County Sheriff’s Office; and (2) proactive engagement to empower our community to protect our loved ones. U.S. Attorney Waldref further explained, “My job as the chief federal prosecutor is to set strategic enforcement priorities to identify and prosecute the most significant drivers of violent crime. Drug trafficking and violent crime are closely linked. My team works closely with DEA and all our law enforcement partners, and we have seized hundreds of thousands of poison fentanyl pills and other drugs – keeping these dangerous substances out of the hands of drug traffickers and out of our community. We are prioritizing the prosecution of fentanyl cases – vigorously seeking to disrupt the sources of drugs in our communities and to send a strong deterrent message to criminal drug networks.”
As part of her remarks, U.S. Attorney Waldref highlighted two recent cases touching on the fentanyl crises in Spokane and throughout Eastern Washington:
- United States v. Alexander Kosnicki involved a repeat offender, who was distributing drugs at a local charity. Mr. Kosnicki, who was convicted at trial and is awaiting sentencing, was trespassing at an apartment complex, when he was contacted by law enforcement. After he was arrested, law enforcement located a stolen gun and large amounts of fentanyl inside his sock, along with a substantial amount of U.S. currency from drug trafficking. The case came together and was able to be prosecuted in federal court because of the incredible partnership between state, local, and federal law enforcement agencies, including the ATF, DEA, and Spokane Police Department.
- United States v. Robert Patrick Hanrahan, et. al. involved the takedown of a criminal enterprise, which operated a large scale organized crime operations in Eastern Washington, including in Spokane, Yakima, Walla Walla, and elsewhere. Takedown included federal indictments for nearly 40 criminal defendants. The case involved tremendous collaboration between the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, Bureau of Prisons, U.S Marshals Service, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Yakima Police Department, Yakima County Sheriff’s Office, and the Washington State Department of Corrections. The investigation and prosecution has led to the recovery of significant quantities of drugs, guns, and drug proceeds from throughout the greater Spokane area, and throughout Washington state.
U.S. Attorney Waldref concluded her remarks by recommitting her team to seeking justice in critical cases like these and by implementing an all-hands-on-deck strategy involving prosecution, prevention, and treatment. She explained, “We have to do more to stop the flood of these pills into our community. Federal prosecutors around the country are working closely with our Tribal, federal, state, and local partners to identify and prosecute the drug traffickers who seek to profit from the sale of these deadly substances in our communities. We target the command and control elements of the cartels, the money launderers, and the violent and heartless individuals who choose to sell this poison. Through our law enforcement efforts, we are seeking to hold these criminals responsible for the damage that they have caused to our communities. The impact and overall effectiveness of our joint efforts are directly dependent on the community, law enforcement, health care, prevention and social service professionals working together to mitigate the fentanyl drug threat. I am committed to prosecuting the criminal drug cartels who put our communities and our youth at risk. Our office has been prosecuting fentanyl cases since 2016, and we will continue vigorously prosecuting these cases as part of our ongoing efforts to build safer and stronger communities in the Eastern District of Washington.”
Providence Man Who Admitted His Role in a Cocaine Trafficking Conspiracy Involving the Kidnapping a U.S. Postal Worker Sentenced to Nearly Six Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Providence man who previously admitted to his role in a drug trafficking conspiracy, which involved a plot to kidnap a U.S Postal Service (USPS) employee while members of the conspiracy searched for missing cocaine that had been shipped from Puerto Rico, was sentenced today to nearly six years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Irving Medina, 36, pleaded guilty on March 14, 2024, to a charge of conspiracy to possess 500 grams or more of cocaine with the intent to distribute. He was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Chief Judge John J. McConnell, Jr., to 70 months of incarceration to be followed by four years of federal supervised release.
In addition to admitting to his role in the conspiracy, Irving Medina admitted that co-conspirators abducted a USPS employee in an effort to locate the drugs. Medina conducted surveillance outside of a Pawtucket post office on May 28, 2021, and the next day outside of a mailman’s home. As alleged in court documents, on June 1, 2021, members of the conspiracy kidnapped the letter carrier at gunpoint and drove him to his home, interrogating him about the missing cocaine. After it became obvious that the mailman knew nothing about the missing drugs, and after the men learned that the letter carrier did not have a key with him to allow them to enter his locked home to search for cocaine, the kidnappers returned the mailman to an area near where his postal truck was parked.
According to information presented to the court, three packages, each containing approximately one kilogram of cocaine, were seized by law enforcement. On August 31, 2021, law enforcement executed a court-authorized search of Irving Medina’s residence, and seized numerous items associated with drug trafficking, including $800 in cash, fifty bags filled with fentanyl, three bags filled with cocaine base, and a quantity of cutting agent.
The matter was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, with the assistance of Pawtucket Police, Rhode Island State Police Violent Fugitive Task Force, Rhode Island State Police K-9 Unit, Rhode Island High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, and the United States Marshals Service.
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Professional Rock Climber Sentenced to Life in Prison for Sexual Assaults in Yosemite National ParkRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Charles Barrett, 40, was sentenced today to life in prison for two counts of aggravated sexual abuse and one count of abusive sexual contact that occurred during a weekend in Yosemite National Park, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
“Barrett’s long history of sexual violence supports the imposition of a life sentence,” said U.S. Attorney Talbert. “He used his status as a prominent climber to assault women in the rock-climbing community, and when his victims began to tell, Barrett responded by lashing out publicly with threats and intimidation. This case is a testament to the courage of the victims who reported these crimes. The U.S. Attorney’s Office will continue to investigate and prosecute violent crimes in National Parks like Yosemite.”
“We are grateful for the tireless work of the National Park Service investigative team and the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring this case to justice,” said Yosemite National Park Superintendent Cicely Muldoon. “Today’s sentencing sends a clear message about the consequences of this criminal behavior. It makes Yosemite a safer place for the climbing community, park visitors and our employees.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, in August 2016, the victim went to Yosemite for a weekend of hiking, and Barrett, who was living and working for a private business in the park, sexually assaulted her three times. During trial, three other women testified that Barrett also sexually assaulted them. These assaults were not charged because they were outside federal jurisdiction but were admitted at trial as relevant to the charged assaults.
According to court documents, in 2017, seven years after he assaulted one of the victims who testified at trial, Barrett purposely climbed at a rock-climbing gym where the victim attended. She then disclosed Barrett’s assault on her to the gym owner in the interest of protecting other women at the gym. Barrett responded by harassing and threatening her for several years. In August 2022, he was convicted for criminal threats he made in January 2022.
While in custody on the present case, Barrett made hundreds of phone calls. On these calls, he showed no remorse or regret. Instead, he threatened to use violence and vindictive lawsuits against the victims, claiming that they designed a conspiracy to ruin his life
This case was the product of an investigation by the National Park Service. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael G. Tierney and Arin C. Heinz prosecuted the case.
Previously Convicted Felon Sentenced to over Four Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing Loaded FirearmRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Hyde Park man was sentenced today for being a felon in possession of a Smith & Wesson pistol loaded with ammunition.
King Belin, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 51 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. In February 2024, Belin was convicted of one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
On Dec. 20, 2020, Belin was stopped by law enforcement after he failed to yield at an intersection and nearly collided with another car. During the motor vehicle stop a Smith & Wesson, Model SD40VE .40 caliber pistol, loaded with 14 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition were found in Belin’s waistband. Belin then attempted to flee, and a struggle ensued. He was immediately apprehended.
At the time of the offense, Belin was on federal supervised release for a 2015 conviction of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, for which he was sentenced to 71 months in prison. In 2010, Belin was convicted in Suffolk Superior Court of carrying a loaded firearm without a license, for which he was sentenced to 18 months in state prison and two years of probation.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Stoughton Police Chief Donna M. McNamara made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys John T. Dawley and Benjamin A. Tolkoff of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit 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.
Pinellas County Man Charged with Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest and filing of a criminal complaint charging Calvin Roy Dutton (60, St. Petersburg) with possession of child sexual abuse material. Dutton was arrested on May 31, 2024.
According to the criminal complaint, Dutton mailed a hard drive to a company in Illinois for repairs. The hard drive contained more than 1,000 images of child sexual abuse material. When an employee began his work to recover data from the hard drive, he discovered the child sexual abuse material and contacted law enforcement. On May 31, 2024, a search warrant was executed at Dutton’s home. Dutton admitted that he owned the hard drive and that he had copied files from his laptop to it.
A complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the St. Petersburg Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ross Roberts.
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.
Nine Sentenced in Interstate Drug Trafficking Conspiracy Spanning California, Arizona, and Central FloridaRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – U.S. District Judge Roy B. Dalton has sentenced nine individuals to federal prison for their respective roles in a multi-kilogram cocaine and methamphetamine distribution operation. The multi-agency investigation lasted two years and spanned from Central Florida to Arizona and California. Each individual charged in the case was found guilty by a jury or pleaded guilty for their role in the conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and related offenses, and were sentenced as follows:
Name
Offense(s)
Date of Conviction
Sentencing Date
Judgment
Luis Miguel Hernandez
(36, Phoenix, AZ)
500 grams methamphetamine; 5 kilograms cocaine
8/10/23
(pleaded guilty)
12/13/23
9 years, 1 month
Saul Sandoval
(41, Phoenix, AZ)
500 grams methamphetamine
12/27/23
(pleaded guilty)
5/31/24
10 years
Zara Mascarella
(20, Palm Coast, FL)
500 grams methamphetamine; 500 grams cocaine
9/12/23
(pleaded guilty)
12/19/23
5 years
Camarie Shavers
(24, Bunnell, FL)
500 grams cocaine
9/20/23
(pleaded guilty)
12/11/23
2 years, 6 months
Alfred L. Shavers
(50, Bunnell, FL)
cocaine; possession of a firearm by convicted felon
2/23/24 (jury trial)
6/3/24
16 years
Alfred L. Shavers Jr.
(26, Bunnell, FL)
50 grams methamphetamine
9/18/23
(pleaded guilty)
12/11/23
5 years
Jimmie Lee Bizzell
(53, Bunnell, FL)
500 grams methamphetamine
9/18/23
(pleaded guilty)
1/16/24
6 years
Wendell Ferreira
(42, Berlin, CT)
500 grams methamphetamine, 5 kilograms cocaine
1/31/24
(pleaded guilty)
5/13/24
2 years, 9 months
Tyrone Jones
(56, Palm Coast, FL)
500 grams methamphetamine (2 counts); 50 grams methamphetamine
2/23/24
(jury trial)
6/3/24
10 years
According to court records, during the investigation, federal agents and task force officers identified several members of the conspiracy and the methods used by the drug trafficking organization (DTO) to ship methamphetamine and cocaine from Mexico across the United States to Central Florida using commercial trucks. Law enforcement tracked the drugs from Phoenix and Los Angeles gathering vital intelligence on the DTO. Bizzell and Ferreira were the commercial truck drivers who transported the drugs from California and Arizona to Florida.
On October 31, 2022, search warrants were executed at six locations in Palm Coast, Bunnell, and Daytona Beach, Florida. As a result, 44.54 kilograms of methamphetamine and 2.72 kilograms of cocaine were seized. In addition, nine guns and hundreds of rounds of ammunition were seized from a location where Alfred Shavers resided. Jones, Mascarella, Alfred Shavers, Alfred Shavers, Jr., and Camarie Shavers were identified as drug traffickers in Central Florida.
Law enforcement determined that Sandoval and Hernandez were the sources of the methamphetamine and cocaine from Phoenix and Los Angeles. Agents learned they had brokered deals with co-conspirators in Mexico who were sending drugs across the border for Sandoval and Hernandez to sell. Authorities believe that since 2021, Sandoval and Hernandez distributed more than 300 kilograms of drugs that were shipped to Central Florida.
On April 25, 2023, Sandoval was arrested in Phoenix and a search warrant was executed at his residence. Inside his home, agents located 1,114 grams of fentanyl pills, 18 firearms, 4 firearm suppressors, and more than $5,000 in cash. The illegal firearms included fully automatic firearms, short-barreled firearms, and auto switches designed to be installed on Glock handgun slides to transform the handguns into machineguns. Hernandez was arrested in Los Angeles on the same day he was conducting a new drug trafficking deal for approximately 36 kilograms of methamphetamine. Both were returned to the Middle District of Florida for prosecution.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation - Daytona Beach Resident Agency, with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Flagler County Sheriff’s Office, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office, the Daytona Beach Police Department, and the DeLand Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Sartoian and Matthew Del Mastro.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. 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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Mexican Citizen Previously Convicted of Drug Trafficking Sentenced to a Year for Illegally Reentering U.S.Read the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Eli Torres-Banos, 36, a citizen of Mexico, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to a year in federal prison for illegally reentering the United States. Torres-Banos pleaded guilty to this charge on March 15, 2024.
In 2009, Torres-Banos was convicted in this district of conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine. Following the completion of a one-year federal prison sentence, Torres-Banos was removed from the United States to Mexico. As a condition of his removal, Torres-Banos was ordered to not reenter the United States.
On June 7, 2023, Torres-Banos was arrested for a misdemeanor traffic offense in Jefferson County, Wisconsin. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement became aware of Torres-Banos’s illegal presence in the country following a fingerprint match during the booking process.
On December 6, 2023, Torres-Banos was arrested in Jefferson County following his indictment in this case. During the arrest, law enforcement found 8.5 kilograms of cocaine in a vehicle associated with Torres-Banos. He was indicted for the cocaine found during the December 6th arrest and that case is scheduled for trial on September 23, 2024. Torres-Banos is presumed innocent of the cocaine charge unless proven guilty.
At sentencing, Judge Peterson said that Torres-Banos’s prior federal conviction was an aggravating factor in determining a sentence.
The charge against Torres-Banos was the result of an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven P. Anderson and Steven C. Ayala prosecuted this case.
Mescalero Man Sentenced for Domestic AssaultRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man was sentenced to 24 months in prison after pleading guilty in to assault of an intimate partner by strangling.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents, on July 19, 2023, Ashton Louis Apachito, 20, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, assaulted his girlfriend, Jane Doe, at his mother’s house.
Following the incident, Jane Doe left the residence to stay with her mother. Over the next several days, Apachito harassed Jane Doe by phone and threatened to throw all her belongings in the road. On July 29, Jane Doe returned to the residence to collect her belongings, at which time Apachito attacked Jane Doe, pushing her to the ground, kicking her in the stomach multiple times and choking her.
The next morning, Jane Doe called her mother and asked her to pick her up. Jane Doe’s mother reported the domestic violence to BIA and Jane Doe was transported to the Lincoln County Medical Center for treatment. Jane Doe’s injuries included swelling and dark bruising on her left eye, slight bruising on her right eye, bruising on both facial cheeks, bruising on the left side of her stomach and hip, and bruising on her right triceps.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eliot Neal is prosecuting the case.
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Member of White Supremacist Group Sentenced for Federal Hate Crimes for Conspiracy Targeting Black and Jewish People and Defacing Michigan Synagogue with Neo-Nazi SymbolsRead the Press Release
MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Nathan Weeden, 23, of Houghton, Michigan was sentenced to 26 months for conspiring with other members of a white supremacist group, The Base, to victimize Black and Jewish people, and for defacing Temple Jacob, a Jewish synagogue in Hancock, Michigan, using swastikas and symbols associated with The Base.
“Today’s sentencing sends a strong message that hate will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “No one should be the target of hate because of their race, ethnicity, religion, or any other status. When hateful words become hateful acts, my office will use every tool we have to protect the public and secure justice like we did in this case.”
“This sentence sends a strong message that threatening and intimidating people because of their religion, race or ethnic characteristics will not be tolerated in this country,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “White supremacist-fueled violence is a stain on our history and perpetrators of such violence will be held accountable. No one should live in fear because of who they are, what they believe or where they worship. The Justice Department will continue to investigate and prosecute those who desecrate houses of worship and who conspire to intimidate people seeking to exercise the legal rights guaranteed to all Americans.”
In January, Weeden was convicted at trial of one count of conspiring to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate any person in the exercise of their rights and one count of intentionally defacing, damaging or destroying religious property because of the race or ethnic characteristics of individuals associated with that property. Weeden's co-conspirators Richard Tobin (see here and here) and Yousef Barasneh (see here and here) were previously convicted of federal crimes in this incident.
In September 2019, Weeden, Tobin, and Barasneh – all members of The Base, a multi-state, white supremacist organization – used an encrypted messaging platform to discuss vandalizing property associated with African Americans and Jewish Americans. Weeden and his co-conspirators dubbed their plan, “Operation Kristallnacht,” which in German means “Night of Broken Glass.” This term referenced events that took place on November 9-10, 1938, in which Nazis murdered Jews and burned and destroyed their homes, synagogues, schools, and places of business. Weeden carried out this plan on September 21, 2019, when he spray-painted swastikas and symbols associated with The Base on the outside walls of Temple Jacob.
In its Sentencing Memorandum, attached to this press release, the government urged the Court to sentence Weeden to at least 36 months incarceration, considering the nature and extent of his hate crimes, his persistent dedication to violent neo-Nazi ideology, his prior illegal conversion of a rifle to a fully automatic weapon, his lack of remorse, the danger he poses to the community, and the need for deterrence.
“Intimidation, vandalism, and other hateful threatening acts will not be tolerated by any group of people in this state or nation, and today's sentence reflects that belief,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “The FBI is always committed to combatting hate crimes and seeking justice for all. If you are a victim of or witness to a hate crime, call 1-800-225-5324 or submit a tip to tips.fbi.gov.”
“Accountability matters. Today’s sentence is representative of our community's views on hate crime-inspired violence. People who engage in this behavior will be identified and fully prosecuted by the law,” said Special Agent in Charge James Deir of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Detroit Field Office. “ATF is steadfast in its commitment to protecting everyone across this great state against violent criminals fueled by hatred and intolerance.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nils Kessler and Trial Attorney Eric Peffley of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section. The FBI investigated the case with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Hancock Police Department.
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Mason City Woman Pleads Guilty to Being a Drug User in Possession of FirearmsRead the Press Release
A drug user who possessed firearms pled guilty on June 3, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City, Iowa.
Brittany Graham, age 36, of Mason City, was convicted of one count of being a drug user in possession of firearms. At the plea hearing, Graham admitted that, in August 2022, she possessed four pistols while she was an unlawful user of marijuana.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Graham remains free on bond previously set. Graham faces a possible maximum sentence of fifteen years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Mark Tremmel and was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Mason City Police Department, the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office, and the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
Court file information is available at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is CR 23-3014.
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Maryland Man Sentenced to 18 Years for Second Degree Murder While ArmedRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – David Botchway, 20, of Gwynn Oak, MD, was sentenced on May 31, 2024, to 18 years in prison for second degree murder while armed for the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Andre Baker, of Washington, D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Superior Court Judge Rainey Brandt also ordered the defendant to complete five years of supervised release, register as a gun offender, pay a fine to victim’s compensation fund, and receive mental health treatment.
According to the government’s evidence, on August 5, 2023, Mr. Baker and two friends were standing near a bus stop in the 1200 block of U Street Northwest, after enjoying a night out in the U Street neighborhood. At around 5:01 a.m., Botchway approached the group and, without warning or any provocation, pointed the gun at Mr. Baker and shot him multiple times in the head and torso. Mr. Baker died a short time later. One of the bullets also grazed one of the victim’s friends.
In announcing the sentence U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Nebiyu Feleke of the Homicide section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
Marriott International Agrees to Address Barriers to Making Reservations for Accessible Rooms at Marriott-Branded HotelsRead the Press Release
DENVER – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced today that it has reached an agreement under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) with Marriott International, Inc. (Marriott), to address barriers to making reservations for accessible rooms at Marriott-branded hotels across the United States. Under the terms of the agreement, Marriott will make improvements to a wide range of its reservation processes to make it easier for hotel guests to reserve and stay in the accessible rooms they need to accommodate their disabilities. Marriott will also pay a $50,000 civil penalty.
Marriott is based in Bethesda, Maryland, and is one of the world’s largest hotel chains, with direct management of over 600 hotels in the United States as well as over 5,000 hotels in the United States franchised under more than 20 hotel brands (see below for list of brands). Most hotels under Marriott brands are owned and operated by independent franchisees, but Marriott operates a centralized reservation system.
“Today’s agreement with Marriott International will significantly improve the experience for individuals with disabilities when they reserve accessible rooms at Marriott-branded hotels,” said Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch. “We commend Marriott International for addressing obstacles these individuals face in obtaining the accommodations they need. This agreement reflects our commitment to enforcing the Americans with Disabilities Act, which requires equal treatment for people with disabilities.”
ADA Rules for Hotel Guests Who Need Accessible Rooms
In 2010, to further implement the ADA as it applies to hotels and other types of temporary lodging, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) issued the Reservation Rule, intended to ensure that individuals with disabilities making reservations for hotel rooms with accessible features could do so on an equal basis as other individuals reserving hotel rooms. In explaining the need for rules covering hotel reservations, DOJ observed, “Each year the Department receives many complaints concerning failed reservations [for accessible rooms],” and “individuals with disabilities expressed frustration . . . because of shortcomings in [then] current hotel reservations systems.”
The rule requires hotels to facilitate accessible room reservations on an equal basis as reservations for other rooms by (1) providing detailed information about accessible features in hotel guest rooms; (2) ensuring that accessible guest rooms are held for use by individuals with disabilities; (3) reserving specific types of accessible guest rooms, and (4) ensuring that those rooms are held for the individuals with disabilities who reserve them.
Also in 2010, the DOJ adopted revisions to the ADA Standards for Accessible Design and issued Guidance on those Standards (the 2010 Standards). The 2010 Standards require hotels to offer and maintain minimum numbers of guest rooms with accessible features, and to provide choices of the types of accessible guest rooms that are comparable to the choices provided to other guests.
The Reservations Rule, 2010 Standards, and other materials can be found at www.ada.gov/law-and-regs/.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Investigation
DOJ received a number of complaints from individuals with disabilities relating to the reservation of accessible rooms at Marriott-branded hotels. The U.S. Attorney’s Office’s investigation of Marriott’s reservation practices encompassed a wide range of issues, and included examining how guests make reservations in a variety of contexts, including through Marriott’s website (marriott.com), by telephone through Marriott-operated call centers, through third-party websites such as Expedia.com and Booking.com, and using points earned through Marriott’s customer loyalty program, Bonvoy.
Based on its investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office found that guests faced barriers in making reservations for accessible rooms, both online and through the phone, and that Marriott did not always make all of its accessible rooms available to guests to reserve. Specifically, the U.S. Attorney’s Office alleged that Marriott’s reservations practices had the following major deficiencies that violated the ADA:
- Many Marriott-branded hotels did not have any accessible rooms listed on Marriott’s centralized electronic reservations system.
- Many Marriott-branded hotels did not have the minimum number of accessible rooms required by the ADA Standards listed on Marriott’s centralized electronic reservations system.
- Information about accessible rooms was not readily available on Marriott’s website, which made it more difficult for a guest to independently assess whether a hotel could meet guests’ accessibility needs.
- Before October 2022, guests could not use third-party websites such as Expedia.com or Booking.com to guarantee reservations for accessible rooms at Marriott-branded hotels.
Marriott denies the allegations and denies that it violated the ADA. The agreement reached with the U.S. Attorney’s Office is not an admission of liability by Marriott.
Changes to Marriott’s Reservations Systems in the Settlement Agreement
To resolve the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s investigation, Marriott agreed to make a number of changes to its reservations policies and practices as part of a comprehensive settlement agreement, including taking the following actions:
- Marriott will require that all Marriott-branded hotels accurately list their accessible-room inventory on Marriott’s centralized electronic reservations system.
- Marriott will list the inventory of accessible rooms for each Marriott-branded hotel in a single location on the hotel’s website.
- Marriott will require that accessible-room inventories at Marriott-branded hotels are made available to the major third-party hotel reservations websites.
- Marriott will make additional accessible rooms available for reservation using Marriott’s Bonvoy rewards-points system.
- Marriott will train its call-center employees on the procedure for handling requests for accessible-room reservations.
- Marriott will track complaints from guests about issues relating to reserving accessible rooms.
- Marriott will require Marriott-branded hotels to report whether they are in compliance with the minimum number of accessible rooms required by the ADA Standards.
This agreement with Marriott covers room reservations made at hotels located in the United States under the following hotel brands: AC Hotels by Marriott, Aloft Hotels, Autograph Collection Hotels, Courtyard, Delta Hotels, Edition, Element Hotels, Fairfield Inn & Suites, Four Points, Gaylord Hotels, JW Marriott, Le Méridien, The Luxury Collection, Marriott Hotels, Moxy Hotels, Renaissance Hotels, Residence Inn, The Ritz-Carlton, Sheraton, SpringHill Suites, St. Regis, TownePlace Suites, Tribute Portfolio, W Hotels, and Westin.
Additional information about the civil rights enforcement program for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado can be found at https://www.justice.gov/usao-co/civil-rights-enforcement. To report a possible civil rights violation to the DOJ outside of Colorado, please visit https://www.civilrights.justice.gov/.
This case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zeyen Wu.
Settlement Agreement
Marble City Resident Sentenced for Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Corey Ray Pettit, age 31, of Marble City, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 50 months’ imprisonment for illegally possessing ammunition as a prohibited person.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Sequoyah County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On September 14, 2023, Pettit pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition. According to investigators, on December 14, 2022, Pettit fired upon a parked vehicle, striking it twice. Ballistics technicians confirmed that a spent .25 casing recovered from the crime scene was a match to spent .25 casings retrieved from Pettit’s home. At the time of the crime, Pettit knew he had been previously convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma presided over the sentencing hearing. Pettit will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
Assistant United States Attorney T. Cameron McEwen represented the United States.
Manly, Iowa, Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Drug UserRead the Press Release
A man who possessed a firearm as un unlawful drug user pled guilty June 3, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City.
Cory Allen More, age 33, from Manly, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possession of a firearm by a drug user.
In a plea agreement, More admitted that on October 23, 2023, his vehicle ran out of gas in Clear Lake, Iowa. A Clear Lake police officer saw More pull his vehicle over to the side of the road. The officer made contact with More while he was outside of his vehicle near the engine bay where he had just opened the hood. At that time, the officer observed 2 marijuana baggies with a green leafy substance on the ground between More’s feet and the officer’s feet. The officer seized the two baggies which were found to contain marijuana. More also had a handgun in a holster on his belt in plain view of the officer. On October 27, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at More’s residence in Manly, Iowa and seized marijuana, scales, drug paraphernalia, and an additional 16 firearms and ammunition.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. More remains free on bond previously set. More faces a potential mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, and 5 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Fletcher and was investigated by the Clear Lake Police Department, Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office, Manly Police Department, Worth County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, Iowa State Patrol, Cerro Gordo County Attorney’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, and United States Marshal’s Service.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-03006.
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Kalamazoo Man Sentenced for Possessing Firearm as Felon, Additional Gun Linked to Prior ShootingsRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Bilal Rashaad McDaniel, 30, of Kalamazoo, was sentenced to 84 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
“Gun violence is an epidemic across America and here in Michigan that inflicts immense trauma on our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “My office, together with our law enforcement partners, will not relent in our efforts to hold accountable those few individuals who are driving violence in our communities. Every person, regardless of where they live, deserves to live their life, walk their neighborhood, and play in the park free from the fear of gunfire.”
McDaniel was arrested in October 2023, after officers found two handguns, various ammunition, and narcotics while executing a search warrant inside McDaniel’s home and car. One handgun had an extended magazine attached and had previously been transported across the state line. The other firearm was a crime gun linked to two prior shootings and one homicide, which all occurred in the summer of 2023. The homicide is the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation. A crime gun is any gun previously fired in the commission of a crime. On account of this connection to a previous crime, these guns are often passed around inside and outside of groups. As recently announced, the U.S. Attorney’s Office is running a summer program with other law enforcement partners focused on firearms offenders who carry crime guns.
“Removing violent offenders from our communities is ATF’s highest priority,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge James Deir. “We are proud of our long-standing partnerships in the law enforcement community expanding efforts to disrupt and dismantle these violent criminals.”
This case was prosecuted by United States Attorney LaToyia Carpenter and investigated by the Kalamazoo Valley Enforcement Team and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives.
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Jury Convicts KC Man of Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was convicted in federal court today of illegally possessing a firearm.
Terrell M. Simpson, 42, was found guilty at trial of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
On May 11, 2020, Kansas City police officers pulled over a vehicle in which Simpson, who had active arrest warrants, was a passenger. After Simpson was ordered to get out of the car and was placed under arrest, officers searched the vehicle because they had seen Simpson moving around as if he was trying to hide something.
Officers found a loaded Smith & Wesson 9mm semi-automatic handgun inside the driver’s purse, which was sitting on the passenger’s side floorboard of the car. The driver denied any knowledge of the handgun. A forensic examination indicated that Simpson’s DNA was located on the handgun. The FBI Crime Laboratory analyzed DNA swabs taken from the trigger and trigger guard and determined there was very strong support that the defendant was the major contributor of the DNA. The lab provided a statistical analysis that the genetic information is 3.9 septillion times more likely to be observed if the defendant and three unknown individuals are the contributors than if it were four unknown individuals that are the contributors.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Simpson has two prior felony convictions for drug trafficking and prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance and unlawful use of a weapon. Additionally, Simpson has prior convictions for domestic assault in the second-degree and armed criminal action.
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Mo., deliberated for approximately two hours before returning the guilty verdict to U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips, ending a trial that began Monday, June 3.
Under federal statutes, Simpson is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stefan C. Hughes and Stephanie Bradshaw. It was investigated by the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
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.
Iowa Surgical Center Agrees to Pay $125,000 to Resolve Allegations It Violated the Controlled Substances ActRead the Press Release
First Choice Surgical Center, an ambulatory surgical center located in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, has agreed to pay $125,000 to the United States to resolve allegations that it violated civil provisions of the Controlled Substances Act.
First Choice Surgical Center is the surgical center affiliated with Fox Eye Laser & Cosmetic Institute, P.C., a practice performing laser vision correction and cataract surgery. The settlement resolves allegations that First Choice failed to maintain complete and accurate records concerning the controlled substances it purchased and dispensed and failed to provide effective controls and procedures to guard against theft and diversion of controlled substances.
In August 2019, other employees of First Choice discovered that Sabrina Thalblum, a registered nurse at First Choice, had been tampering with vials of fentanyl. The fentanyl was kept at First Choice for patient use during out-patient surgical procedures. A criminal investigation revealed that Thalblum stole the fentanyl for her own use. Thalblum withdrew fentanyl from the vials, reinjected saline into the vials, and returned the vials, which now contained less than declared values of fentanyl, to storage at First Choice. In January 2021, Thalblum pled guilty in federal court in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to charges related to the theft and, in January 2022, was sentenced to five years-probation.
A related civil investigation identified at least 130 separate occasions in which the record-keeping requirements of the Controlled Substances Act were allegedly violated by First Choice. The DEA’s investigation found that First Choice employees “batch signed” records indicating they had witnessed the wasting of fentanyl remaining after surgery when it was not First Choice’s practice to ensure those employees had witnessed the wasting. Additionally, First Choice failed to make a timely report to DEA after it learned of the fentanyl theft.
With the passage of the Controlled Substances Act, Congress took steps to create “a closed system” of distribution of controlled substances in which every facet of the handling of the substances – from their manufacture to their consumption by the ultimate user – is subject to intense governmental regulation. This mission was taken against the backdrop of trying to prevent the diversion and abuse of legitimate controlled substances, while still ensuring that an adequate supply of those substances meet the medical and scientific needs of the United States.
“This settlement highlights one part of our office’s efforts to battle the opioid crisis,” said Timothy T. Duax, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa. “Healthcare providers must do their part to ensure the safety of our community by maintaining accurate records and safeguarding access to dangerous controlled substances.”
“The DEA works vigilantly to make sure hospitals are enforcing the rules and regulations that ensure patient safety,” DEA Omaha Division Special Agent in Charge Steven T. Bell said. “Lives are unnecessarily put at risk when accuracy and good record keeping habits are brushed aside. These rules are in place for a reason and should provide families with peace of mind that they are receiving the best care possible when they walk in the door of any hospital in the United States.”
The claims asserted against First Choice are allegations only; there was no determination of liability.
The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Brandon J. Gray and was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Office of Diversion Control.
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Harrison County Man Admits to Methamphetamine ChargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Todd Eugene Haynes, 48, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, pled guilty today to the distribution of 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Haynes sold more than 50 grams of methamphetamine in Clarksburg in September 2022.
Haynes faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Flower is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Greenville Man Sentenced to 7 Years in Federal Prison for Threatening JudgeRead the Press Release
GREENVILLE, S.C. — Alvin Bernard Parks, 44, of Greenville, was sentenced to seven years in federal prison after pleading guilty to threatening a federal judge.
According to court documents, Parks sent a letter to a specifically-named United States District Court Judge for the District of South Carolina. The handwritten letter contained threats to harm the judge. An excerpt from the letter reads: “I have watched you leave the courthouse numerous times and plotted to get my revenge.” The letter goes on to say, “you best to make sure they lock me away for good cause I’m going to kill you or blow that courthouse up.” The return address on the letter was listed as Alvin Parks with the address to the Greenville County Detention Center, where Parks was detained.
“Threats like this endanger our justice system,” said Adair F. Boroughs, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina. “We remain committed to prosecuting illegal threats against public officials to ensure that such officials can do their jobs free from intimidation.”
United States District Judge Donald C. Coggins, Jr. sentenced Parks to 84 months' imprisonment, to be followed by a term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. Parks pled guilty in February.
This case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Max Cauthen is prosecuting the case.
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Founder and Former CEO of Sustainable Fuel Company Sentenced for Multimillion-Dollar Embezzlement and Investor Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
The founder and former CEO of a sustainable fuel company was sentenced today to three years in prison in connection with a scheme to embezzle at least $5.9 million and to defraud several investors out of approximately $15 million.
According to court documents, between 2021 and 2022, Bryan Sherbacow, 55, of Charleston, South Carolina, and Washington, D.C., defrauded the company he co-founded by transferring company funds without authorization to his personal bank account and by making unauthorized personal expenditures from a company bank account. Sherbacow attempted to conceal his actions by, among other things, emailing altered bank statements and other falsified financial records to the company’s outside accounting firm and members of the company’s board. Sherbacow used embezzled funds to pay for, among other things, a vintage Mercedes-Benz sports car, a Range Rover sport utility vehicle, payments to an art auction operator, personal tax liens, personal credit card payments, rent payments on personal residences, payment to a beach club, electronics, and a down payment on a condo.
To raise additional funds for the company, Sherbacow also sent or caused to be sent altered bank statements and other falsified financial records to prospective and current investors. For example, Sherbacow caused a false and fabricated bank statement to be sent to two investors, in which Sherbacow intentionally removed transactions showing transfers from the company bank account to his personal bank account and falsified account balance information to make it appear that the company possessed more cash on hand than it possessed, due in part to Sherbacow’s unauthorized transfer of funds. Sherbacow also caused a balance sheet containing false and misleading financial information to be sent to another investor. In at least partial reliance on the fabricated bank statement and false and misleading financial information, three investors collectively invested approximately $15 million. Sherbacow also misled an individual who loaned funds to the company regarding the company’s financial state.
Sherbacow pleaded guilty on Feb. 8 to wire fraud.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division; Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office; and Director Kelly Mayo of the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) made the announcement.
The FBI Washington Field Office and DCIS Charleston Resident Agency investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Kyle Crawford of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case.
Former Scranton Police Officer and Police Union President Sentenced to Imprisonment for Federal Program Fraud in Connection with Overtime Patrol Shifts at Scranton Area Housing ComplexesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Paul Helring, age 48, a former Scranton police officer and the former elected police union president, was sentenced on June 4, 2024, by United States District Court Judge Robert D. Mariani to 6 months’ imprisonment and a 2-year term of supervised release for the offense of Theft Concerning Programs Receiving Federal Funds.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office, from approximately March 2021 to May 2022, while serving as the coordinator of Scranton Police Department’s extra duty overtime program, Helring knowingly obtained by fraud over $5,000.00 in compensation that was paid to him for certain extra duty patrol shifts at local, Scranton-area, lower-income housing complexes that Helring claimed to work but did not in fact work. In all, the investigation found a total of 526 hours that Helring claimed to work patrolling the complexes but that he did not actually work. At his sentencing, Helring was ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $17,831.40 and to pay a fine of $5000.00. He was also ordered to complete 100 hours of community service as a condition of his supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Public Corruption Task Force with assistance from the Office of Inspector General within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Assistant United States Attorneys Jeffery St John and Phillip J. Caraballo prosecuted the case.
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Former Rochester couple arrested, charged with defrauding VA out of hundreds of thousands of dollarsRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Michael Joyce, 52, and his wife Sarah Shultis, 32, both formerly of Rochester, NY, now living in New Jersey, were arrested and charged by criminal complaint with theft of government funds, making false statements, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, and conspiracy to defraud the United States. The charges carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas M. Testani, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, in April 2016, defendant Joyce submitted claims for disability compensation to the Department of Veterans Affairs for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), an issue with his left hand, asthma, anxiety disorder, major depressive disorder, panic disorder, sleep apnea, GER, hypertension, tinnitus, gout, an unidentified left knee issue, an unidentified left ankle issue, an unidentified right ankle issue, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and unidentified cardiac issues. Following multiple consultations and examinations for various issues, Joyce was awarded a 100% disability rating for reported PTSD in December 2016. In February 2018, Joyce applied for a status of permanent and total disability (PTD), which removes an individual’s obligation to continue getting re-evaluated for various disabilities, and makes them eligible for other veteran benefits. In his Statement in Support of Claim, Joyce asserted, “Every disability that I have either is the same but will not get better or has gotten worse.” He stated that his PTSD has not improved, that he is more housebound, and feels that he will die if he goes outside. Joyce was subsequently granted a PTD status in April 2018.
In July 2019, Joyce submitted a Declaration of Status of Dependents, listing himself as married and living with his wife and seven additional dependent children, raising his payment for a 100% disabled veteran from $3,171.12 per month, to $3,860.55 per month. Joyce continues to receive VA disability compensation and special monthly compensation in the amount of $4,737.42 per month. He has received over $393,158.14 in payments from VA as of March 2024. In November 2017, Joyce and Shultis applied for Shultis, as Joyce’s purposed caregiver, to receive payments through the VA Caregiver Support Program (CSP), claiming that Joyce is wholly reliant on Shultis for multiple life tasks, including feeding, bathing, and dressing. Shultis was approved and received a retroactive payment of $8,345.82, and began to receive $2,890.14 per month for the care of Joyce. As of March 2024, Shultis has received over $213,000.
A review of Joyce’s Army personnel file and during interviews with former members of Joyce’s unit, investigators found multiple inconsistencies in Joyce’s claims. Unit members described Joyce as competent, intelligent, and physically fit, someone who remodeled multiple bathrooms and repaired a roof, and was never deployed to a combat zone. Subsequent investigation and surveillance documented, on multiple occasions, Joyce walking with no apparent difficulty or assistance, driving a motor vehicle, and performing household maintenance tasks, including climbing a ladder and snow shoveling.
The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Bradley Parker, and the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Christopher F. Algieri, 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.
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Foreign National Accused of Drug Crimes, Including Attempting to Distribute 10,000 Fentanyl Pills in UtahRead the Press Release
Salt Lake City, Utah – A foreign national living in Utah appeared in court Monday after he was indicted May 29, 2024, by a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City for multiple federal drug crimes involving methamphetamine and 10,000 fentanyl pills.
According to court documents, Francisco Javier Quintero-Obeso, 21, of Magna, Utah, became part of a criminal investigation in December 2023 by the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force for allegedly intending to distribute large quantities of narcotics into Utah. During the investigation, agents seized approximately 3,758.58 grams (package weight) of a field-tested positive methamphetamine mixture; approximately 1,072.81 grams (package weight) of a field-tested positive fentanyl mixture – which is estimated to be 10,000 pills; and $9,420 at Quintero-Obeso’s residence. As a result, he was arrested.
Quintero-Obeso is charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, and possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute. A three day jury trial is scheduled for August 5, 2024, at 8:30 a.m. in courtroom 3.1 at the United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
U.S. Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force.
Assistant United States Attorney Bryant L. Watson of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Fernandina Beach Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Entice an 11-Year-Old Child to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced William Rand Paige, Jr. (50, Fernandina Beach) to 10 years in federal prison for attempting to entice a 11-year-old child to engage in sexual activity. Paige was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender. Paige was arrested on December 18, 2023, and has been detained since that time. Paige entered a guilty plea on February 13, 2024.
According to court documents, on November 29, 2023, an undercover FBI agent in Jacksonville was conducting an online undercover operation to identify individuals who were seeking to meet and engage in sexual activity with children. Posing as a person with access to an 11-year-old child, the undercover agent was online in a social messaging app when he was contacted by an individual using the app user name “ah..904,” subsequently identified as Paige. After learning the age of the “child,” Paige asked the agent if he and the “child” would “like her to be touched all over.” In a series of online conversations on this app and emails from November 29 through December 11, 2023, Paige discussed in graphic detail his desire to meet the “child” and engage in sexual activity with “her.” When his account on the app was banned by the administrator, Paige later established a different account on the same app and used it to continue communicating with the agent. On December 4 and again on December 11, 2023, Paige sent the undercover agent three videos depicting young children being sexually abused.
On December 18, 2023, FBI agents executed a search warrant at Paige’s residence and arrested Paige. During an interview, Paige admitted that he had been on the app talking with “a guy” about meeting and “touching” an 11-year-old child. A review of Paige’s cellphone revealed it contained at least one photo and one video depicting the sexual abuse of a child, as well as the same email account used by Paige to communicate with the undercover agent about meeting the “child” for sex.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Federal Felon Who Fled Police Found Guilty of Meth OffenseRead the Press Release
A man who fled from law enforcement while possessing methamphetamine pled guilty May 31, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City.
Chad Hughes, 40, from Sioux City, Iowa, was convicted of possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Hughes was previously convicted of a federal firearms offense in 2005.
At the plea hearing, Hughes admitted possessing almost ½ pound of methamphetamine which he intended to distribute to others in Sioux City. Evidence showed that on June 24, 2023, law enforcement attempted to stop the motorcycle Hughes was operating. Hughes fled from law enforcement with high-speed pursuits overlapping in cities of Sioux City, Iowa and North Sioux City, South Dakota during which Hughes ditched the motorcycle and a backpack to avoid apprehension. Law enforcement seized the backpack which contained methamphetamine, drug paraphernalia, and other items (one shoe, lottery tickets, etc.) which aided in the ultimate identification of Hughes.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Hughes remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Hughes faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Iowa State Patrol, North Sioux City, South Dakota, Police Department, and the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-4053. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Ex-Husband of ‘Real Housewives of New Jersey’ Star Convicted of Violent Crime in Aid of Racketeering and Obstruction of JusticeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. The ex-husband of one of the stars of the Bravo television show “The Real Housewives of New Jersey,” was convicted today on charges of planning an assault of his ex-wife’s current husband in exchange for a lavish wedding reception, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Thomas Manzo, 59, of Franklin Lakes, New Jersey, was convicted after a two and a half week trial before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court on one count of committing a violent crime in aid of racketeering activity, one count of conspiracy to commit a violent crime in aid of racketeering resulting in serious bodily injury, and one count of falsifying and concealing documents related to a federal investigation.
“Thomas Manzo hired a soldier in the Lucchese Crime Family to carry out a vicious assault on his ex-wife’s then-boyfriend, causing the victim to suffer significant injuries,” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. “As a unanimous jury found, Manzo committed multiple offenses by providing a free wedding in exchange for the assault and then concealing documents relating to that wedding. He will now face just punishment for his crimes.”
“Manzo now faces a lengthy federal prison sentence because he chose to hire a ‘made man’ to carry out an assault on his ex-wife’s boyfriend,” FBI – Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “He then gave away a free wedding and hid the documents to cover it up. The facts and circumstances in this case read like something from a bad TV crime drama, but the evidence and testimony presented in court prove it was reality. We truly hope the victims in this investigation are able to move on with their lives and forget about Manzo and his criminal mafia bedfellows.”
According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:
In the spring of 2015, Manzo hired Lucchese Crime Family soldier John Perna to assault his ex-wife’s then-boyfriend in exchange for a free wedding reception for Perna held at an upscale venue Manzo owned. Perna, who is a “made man” in the Lucchese Crime Family with his own crew, worked with his associates to plan and carry out the violent assault, which took place on July 18, 2015. In exchange for committing the assault, Perna held a lavish wedding reception at Manzo’s venue for free. During the investigation of the assault, Manzo concealed and falsified documents related to the Perna wedding in response to a grand jury subpoena.
The violent crime in aid of racketeering activity count carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The conspiracy to commit violent crime in aid of racketeering carries a maximum potential penalty of three years in prison, and the falsifying and concealing records related to a federal investigation charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for October 15, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges and arrest. He also thanked special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General, officers of the Lyndhurst Police Department, officers of the Totowa Police Department, investigators of the Monmouth County Prosecutors Office, investigators of the New Jersey State Police, and the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office for their assistance.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kendall Randolph of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Unit in Newark and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas S. Kearney of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Special Prosecutions Division in Newark.
Dothan Man Sentenced to over 15 Years in Prison Following Federal Drug and Firearm ConvictionsRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – Today, United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross announced that a federal judge sentenced 36-year-old Jamere Deshun Dowdy, a resident of Dothan, Alabama, to 188 months in prison. Dowdy’s sentence follows his entering a guilty plea for possessing a controlled substance with intent to distribute and being a felon in possession of a firearm. In addition, the judge ordered that Dowdy serve three years of supervised release following his prison term. Federal inmates are not eligible for parole.
According to his plea agreement and other court records, on August 5, 2021, law enforcement attempted to stop a vehicle after observing a traffic violation. The driver, later identified as Dowdy, refused to stop. A pursuit ensued and ended when Dowdy’s vehicle became inoperable. Law enforcement searched the vehicle and found marijuana and a handgun. Dowdy has multiple felony convictions and is prohibited by federal law from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Dothan Police Department investigated this case, which Assistant United States Attorney Justin L. Jones prosecuted.
District Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Conspiracy that Distributed Hundreds of Thousands of Doses in the DistrictRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Columbian Thomas, 26, of Washington D.C., pleaded guilty to participating in a wide-spread narcotics trafficking conspiracy that distributed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills purchased in Southern California to destinations throughout the United States, including the District of Columbia.
The plea was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget of the DEA Washington Division, Acting Inspector in Charge Ajay Lall of the US Postal Inspection Service Washington Division, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Thomas, aka “Cruddy Murda,” pleaded guilty on May 30 to a charge of conspiring to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. District Judge Colleen Kollar-Kotelly scheduled sentencing for October 22, 2024.
According to the statement of offense in support of the plea agreement, Thomas entered into the conspiracy after he was introduced to a Los Angeles-based drug trafficker, who was a distributor of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills. Thomas would travel to Southern California to purchase the fake oxycodone pills from the L.A. supplier and return to the District with the drugs.
Thomas and his co-conspirators employed two primary methods to transport the fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills to the District: they smuggled the pills concealed in luggage or carry-on items on commercial airline flights, or they shipped the pills using commercial mail carriers.
On June 2, 2023, the date of his arrest, law enforcement found Thomas in the bedroom of his home and recovered a baggie containing about 100 blue M-30 fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone pills, along with a loaded Glock 21 Gen4 pistol that had been equipped with a “giggle switch” that converted the handgun in a fully automatic machine gun.
The investigation was launched by the DEA after a young woman in Washington, D.C., Diamond Lynch, took one pill and died almost immediately. Twenty-eight defendants have been charged to date as a result of the investigation, and law enforcement have seized more than 450,000 fentanyl pills, 1.5 kilograms of fentanyl powder, and 30 firearms.
By statute, Thomas is eligible for a prison sentence of up to life in prison, with a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years imprisonment to be imposed. A federal judge will determine the sentence based on guidelines established by Congress.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA Washington Division and the US Postal Inspection Service, in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with additional support from the DEA Los Angeles, San Diego, and Riverside Field Offices, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Washington Field Office, and the Charles County, Maryland Sheriff’s Office. Valuable assistance was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the Central and Southern Districts of California, the Eastern District of Virginia, and the District of Maryland.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew W. Kinskey, Solomon S. Eppel, and Iris McCranie of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses (VRTO) Section. Valuable assistance was provided by former Assistant U.S. Attorney Andy T. Wang.
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Discord User Who “Catfished” Young Victims Is Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison for Production of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. B Aaron Joseph Wehrstein, 25, of Columbus, N.C., was sentenced yesterday to 21 years in prison for production of child pornography, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Wehrstein was also ordered to pay a $5,000 special assessment, to serve a lifetime of supervised release, to pay restitution to the victims of his offense, and to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison.
Cardell T. Morant, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, and Sheriff Timothy Wright of the Polk County Sheriff’s Office, join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and information introduced at the sentencing hearing, law enforcement received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) alerting them that an individual with the screenname JessicaLovesYou#1816 was using Discord to distribute child pornography. Discord is a popular free application that allows users to communicate with each other via voice and video calls and text messaging, and to share media files through private chats or communities.
Court records show that law enforcement initiated an investigation and determined that the Discord user was Wehrstein. The investigation further revealed that Wehrstein would “catfish” minor males via Discord by posing as a female and would send the unsuspecting minors sexually explicit images of females, claiming to the person in those images. Wehrstein would then induce the minor victims to reciprocate by creating and sending him sexually explicit images and videos of themselves.
In September 2021, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Wehrstein’s residence, seizing several electronic devices. A forensic analysis of those devices revealed that, in addition to using Discord, Wehrstein also used Twitter to communicate with minors and to receive child pornography created by the victims. In total, Wehrstein possessed more than 4,197 images and videos of child pornography. The investigation further determined that Wehrstein had induced at least eight male victims, between the ages of 12 and 17, to produce and send him child pornography via Discord and Twitter.
“Wehrstein is an online predator who used a catfishing scheme to prey upon innocent victims, causing them significant emotional distress and mental anguish,” said U.S. Attorney King. “My office and our law enforcement partners are committed to protecting vulnerable young people from predators like Wehrstein and seeking justice for victims harmed by this deplorable criminal conduct.”
“Homeland Security Investigations aggressively pursues child predators, and cases involving child sex abuse material. Now Wehrstein will be held accountable for his predatory and reprehensible behavior,” said Special Agent in Charge Morant. “Today we are once again reminded of the need for constant online vigilance to protect the most vulnerable among us.”
On March 29, 2024, Wehrstein pleaded guilty to using a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing a visual depiction of such conduct. Wehrstein will remain in federal custody until he is transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons.
U.S. Attorney King thanked the HSI and the Polk County Sheriff’s Office for their investigation of this case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexis Solheim of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice, aimed at combating the growing online sexual exploitation of children. By combining resources, federal, state and local agencies are better able to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue those victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov
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Convicted Felon Charged with Illegal Firearms PossessionRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal grand jury indicted a convicted felon for illegally possessing firearms, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Special Agent in Charge Marcus Watson.
A four-count indictment filed in U.S. District Court charges Kelvontae Rashad Wallace, 25, of Talladega, with possession of a machinegun, possession of an unregistered firearm, and two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the indictment, in January 2024, Wallace illegally possessed a Century Arms 7.62x39mm pistol. Also, in December 2023, Wallace illegally possessed a Glock .45 caliber pistol with an installed “Glock switch” – a device designed to illegally convert a semiautomatic Glock pistol into a fully automatic machine gun. Wallace is prohibited from possessing a firearm because of prior felony convictions. Wallace was convicted in the Circuit Court of Talladega County, in July 2022, of the offense of Discharging a Gun into an Occupied Building and Assault, Second Degree.
ATF investigated the case, along with the USMS Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force, Pell City Police Department, Talladega Police Department, Anniston Police Department, and 7th Judicial Major Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristy M. Peoples is prosecuting the case.
An indictment contains only charges. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.