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18 July 2024
Columbus man pleads guilty to robbing postal carrier at gunpointRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to crimes related to armed robberies of United States postal carriers.
Anthony J. “A.J.” Williams, 20, admitted to brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence, committing aggravated robbery of United States property and conspiring to commit an offense against the United States.
Williams’s plea includes a recommended sentence of 84 to 108 months in prison.
According to court documents, on Nov. 9, 2022, Williams committed an armed robbery of a USPS letter carrier who was delivering mail on Michigan Ave. in Columbus. The postal carrier was delivering mail to an apartment complex’s “cluster box” at the time.
After borrowing a Glock19 from one co-conspirator and being driven by another co-conspirator, Williams approached the mail carrier and brandished the handgun directly at the victim. Williams demanded the victim’s postal keys and then yanked the postal keys off of the carrier’s belt.
Williams sent photos of the stolen key to another co-conspirator who was orchestrating the robbery.
The defendant also worked with that same co-conspirator to plan a postal robbery for Christmas Eve 2022 and repeatedly “fished” for stolen mail with stolen postal keys.
Williams was indicted by a federal grand jury and arrested in January 2024.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the guilty plea entered today before Chief U.S. District Judge Algenon L. Marbley. Assistant United States Attorney Noah R. Litton is representing the United States in this case.
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Co-Conspirator in Magic Valley Drug Ring Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing FentanylRead the Press Release
BOISE – Brandon Aaron Dana, 36, a co-conspirator in a large drug trafficking conspiracy, was sentenced today to 10 years in federal prison for distributing over 7,000 fentanyl pills in the Magic Valley, announced U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit.
According to court records, in the summer of 2023, law enforcement officers identified Dana while investigating a drug trafficking organization led by a man named Austin Lee. In approximately April 2023, Lee moved to Arizona, but continued to direct his drug trafficking enterprise in Idaho through various co-conspirators, including Dana. On June 20, 2023, Lee communicated with Dana and arranged to have him distribute approximately 7,000 fentanyl pills to an individual who, unbeknownst to Lee or Dana at the time, was an undercover officer investigating their conspiracy. The transaction happened as planned, and Dana drove to a gas station parking lot located in Jerome, Idaho, where he met with the undercover officer.
During the drug transaction, Dana handed the undercover officer a red plastic oil container that contained the fentanyl pills. Dana had cut the bottom portion of the container along the seam to create a small opening where he inserted the drugs. The drug transaction was audio and video recorded by police. The below photographs show how Dana concealed the pills.
Dana is the fifth defendant sentenced as a member of this drug trafficking conspiracy. On February 20, 2024, U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford sentenced co-conspirator Tina Morris to 97 months in federal prison. She also sentenced co-conspirator Jamie Coltrin to 48 months in prison. The following day, she sentenced co-conspirators Jenika Johnson to 48 months in prison and Daniel Coltrin to 25 months in prison. All four sentences were to be followed by three years of supervised release. These sentencings were previously announced by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, on February 26, 2024. See Press Release.
Dana has a prior criminal history that includes at least 14 criminal offenses, including four prior felony offenses involving delivery of a controlled substance, two burglaries, and an escape by a convicted felon. U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford sentenced Dana to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a $900 fine. Following his imprisonment, he was ordered to complete five years of supervised release.
“This case reflects the success we are having in dismantling significant drug trafficking networks in the Magic Valley,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “Along with our dedicated law enforcement partners, we will remain focused on this work. Drug traffickers should recognize that serious consequences await them if they bring poisonous drugs like fentanyl into Idaho.”
“DEA and our partners will work tirelessly to stop drug traffickers from flooding our communities with drugs and violence,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “The sentences in this case highlight the serious threat fentanyl and methamphetamine traffickers pose as well as our commitment to stop them.”
“Law enforcement agencies across jurisdictions are joining forces to combat the proliferation of illicit drugs within our communities,” said Idaho State Police Lieutenant Colonel Sheldon Kelley. “Through unwavering collaboration, we will work tirelessly to dismantle the networks responsible for distributing drugs throughout Idaho. By disrupting these operations, we not only uphold the law but also prioritize the safety and well-being of our citizens, ensuring our streets remain free from the harmful influence of drugs.”
U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit commended the cooperative efforts of the Idaho State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Mini-Cassia Drug Task Force, the Twin Falls Special Investigations Unit, the Jerome County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, and the Pocatello Police Department, for their work on these cases.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Booker and Frank Zebari.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
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Chicago Man Pleads Guilty to Investment FraudRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gary Klopfenstein, 62, of Chicago, Illinois, pleaded guilty today to committing wire fraud in relation to an investment scheme, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Klopfenstein served as the Chief Wealth Officer of a company called Zolla Financial, which was an investment company operated by individuals in Shasta County and Butte County. From approximately June 2019 through March 2020, Klopfenstein carried out a fraudulent scheme to steal investor funds from Zolla. Through false representations, Klopfenstein persuaded Zolla executives to invest $2.45 million of Zolla investor funds in purported short-term notes related to the purchase and sale of jet fuel, which they referred to variously as jet fuel notes, jet fuel contracts, and a gas lease investment. No such notes existed. Klopfenstein used the Zolla funds to pay personal expenses and invest in a real estate development.
This case is a product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Thuesen is prosecuting the case. U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley is scheduled to sentence Klopfenstein on January 16, 2025. Klopfenstein faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the court’s discretion after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Charleston Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Willie Charles Sanders, also known as “Disco,” 51, of Charleston, was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Sanders admitted that he sold approximately 28 grams of methamphetamine to a confidential informant on August 23, 2022. The transaction was among 16 transactions during which Sanders sold a total of approximately 111 grams of methamphetamine, 23 grams of fentanyl and a quantity of cocaine base, also known as “crack,” to the confidential informant between August 2, 2022, and November 18, 2022.
All of the transactions occurred at Sanders’ residence on the West Side of Charleston. Sanders sold the controlled substances in exchange for cash and items purported to be stolen such as catalytic converters, tools and clothing including clothing for his youngest child.
Sanders has a long criminal history that includes more than 30 prior convictions since 1991 in West Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia and Connecticut for various offenses including aggravated assault and battery, carrying a concealed weapon, distribution of crack cocaine, possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, driving under the influence, identity fraud, and larceny.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Charleston Police Department’s Special Enforcement Unit (SEU).
Senior United States District Judge John T. Copenhaver, Jr. imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Troy D. Adams prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-164.
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Camden County Man Admits PPP and Unemployment Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden County man today admitted to schemes to submit fraudulent Payroll Protection Program (PPP) and unemployment insurance applications, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Ralston Boswell, 34, of Collingswood, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Renee Marie Bumb in Camden federal court to an information charging him with two counts of wire fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From March 2021 through April 2021, Boswell submitted three fraudulent PPP loan applications that falsely stated his employment and income. Based on the three fraudulent applications, Boswell received a total of $56,250 in PPP loan funds. From May 2020 through March 2021, Boswell submitted multiple fraudulent unemployment insurance applications, including applications to the New York Department of Labor, the Rhode Island Department of Labor, and the Michigan Department of Labor. The applications falsely stated the name and employment status of the application and Boswell received $152,961 in unemployment insurance.
The counts of wire fraud each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,00 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 20, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Department of Labor, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Jonathan Mellone, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph McFarlane of the Camden office.
boswell.information.pdfCalifornia Resident Steve H.S. Kim Sentenced for Selling $3.5M in Counterfeit and Substandard Electronics for Use in Military SystemsRead the Press Release
OAKLAND – A California man was sentenced to three years and six months in prison for a scheme to defraud the Department of Defense’s (DoD) Defense Logistics Agency (DLA) by selling over $3.5 million worth of fan assemblies to the DLA that were either counterfeit or that he misrepresented were new when in fact they were used or surplus.
“Our military must be able to trust that the equipment it is receiving actually reflects what it has purchased,” said U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey for the Northern District of California. “Kim fraudulently substituted counterfeit and non-conforming products for the equipment he promised to provide to the government. This sentence should serve as a warning to all vendors that such fraud will not be tolerated.”
According to court documents, Steve H.S. Kim, 63, of Alameda County, controlled Company A, which sold fan assemblies to the DLA that were either counterfeit or were used or surplus fan assemblies that Kim claimed were new. To trick the DLA into accepting the fan assemblies, Kim created counterfeit labels—some of which used Company B’s registered trademarks—that he attached to the fan assemblies he sold to the DLA. When the DLA questioned Kim about the origin of the fan assemblies, Kim concealed his scheme by giving the DLA fake tracing documents that he created and often signed using a false identity. Some of these counterfeit fans were installed or intended to be installed with electrical components on a nuclear submarine, a laser system on an aircraft, and a surface-to-air missile system.
U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey for the Northern District of California; Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Bryan D. Denny of the DoD Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Western Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Greg Gross of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) Economic Crimes Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Tatum King of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Special Agent in Charge Keith K. Kelly of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s (Army CID) Fraud Field Office made the announcement.
DCIS, NCIS, HSI, and Army CID investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Lloyd-Lovett for the Northern District of California prosecuted the case together with the DOJ Criminal Division’s Fraud Section Assistant Chief Kyle C. Hankey, Trial Attorney David D. Hamstra, and former Trial Attorney Louis Manzo. Assistant Deputy Chief Adrienne Rose and Senior Counsels Jason Gull and Matthew A. Lamberti of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section provided substantial assistance with the investigation.
Brandon Man Charged with COVID-19 FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest of Rosson Hamilton (40, Brandon) on an indictment charging him with two counts of wire fraud. If convicted, Hamilton faces up to 20 years in federal prison on each count.
According to court records, between February 2021 and January 2022, Hamilton devised a scheme to defraud the Small Business Administration by submitting a false and fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan application. PPP loans were one of the sources of economic relief provided for by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Hamilton made false representations in his PPP application to secure the loan. The loan proceeds were later electronically transferred into his bank account.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts.
This case was investigated by the Federal Housing Finance Agency – Office of Inspector General, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the U.S. Small Business Administration – Office of Inspector General. It is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Chris Poor.
Arkansas Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Traveling to Phoenix to Meet Minor for SexRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Andrew Lee Butler, 49, of Arkansas, was sentenced last week to 14 years in prison after a jury found him guilty on March 15, 2024, on two charges: Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor and Interstate Travel to Meet a Minor for Sex.
Butler was arrested on December 8, 2022, at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport after he communicated with an undercover FBI special agent’s account on a social media platform that he believed belonged to a 13-year-old girl. During the 38 days of daily chats between Butler and the FBI special agent who posed as the girl, Butler quickly raised the idea of having sex with the girl and planned travel to Phoenix to be with her for a weekend in December 2022. Butler believed the girl’s grandmother would be her caretaker for the weekend and that her mother was out of town. He encouraged the girl to talk with a friend of his who he claimed had been sexually active with older men and who had avoided detection. Butler reserved a hotel room, a car, and planned to pick the girl up after school. Butler encouraged her to talk to her mother about getting the HPV vaccination prior to his arrival as she needed parental approval to get it since she was under age 16.
Butler’s phone revealed that he had done an internet search for statutory rape laws in Arizona. When Butler was arrested at the airport, he was found in possession of eight sex devices, an emergency contraceptive pill, condoms, and shower gel and a sponge in the girl’s favorite color.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gayle Helart and Jennifer Corbet, District of Arizona, Phoenix, AZ, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-01695-PHX-SPL
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-095_Butler# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Alleged Transnational Human Smuggler Indicted and Sanctioned in the United States and Arrested in MexicoRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – July 18, 2024
SAN DIEGO – An indictment was unsealed yesterday containing criminal charges against the alleged leader of a human smuggling organization responsible for unlawfully bringing thousands of migrants into the United States. Along with the organization, the defendant, who was arrested in Mexico at the request of the United States, has also been designated for financial sanctions by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. These developments were made possible through extensive bilateral coordination and cooperation efforts between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement authorities.
Abdul Karim Conteh, 42, a national of Sierra Leone, was arrested on July 11 in Tijuana, Mexico. The United States is pursuing Conteh’s extradition on federal charges stemming from his alleged actions in leading the human smuggling organization. His wife, Veronica Roblero Pivaral, 25, a national of Mexico, remains at large.
“This arrest unravels a global web of coordinated human smuggling into the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath for the Southern District of California. “Even the most far-reaching, prolific networks cannot evade justice.”
“In coordination with our law enforcement partners, the Justice Department has worked relentlessly to target and disrupt the unlawful, transnational human smuggling operations that endanger migrants and threaten our national security,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We allege Abdul Karim Conteh and his organization smuggled thousands of migrants from more than a dozen different countries through Mexico into the United States. He has been arrested for his alleged role in this prolific, exploitive smuggling operation by Mexican authorities, and the Justice Department will ensure that he is held accountable in an American courtroom.”
“Human smugglers exploit the vulnerable for profit,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “Along with our partners across this Administration and around the world, we are bringing the full force of the law to bear against the individuals and their organizations that perpetrate this heinous crime. We couple our unrelenting efforts with this warning to would-be migrants everywhere: do not believe the smuggler’s lies and risk your lives in their ruthless hands.”
According to the indictment, Conteh’s organization allegedly smuggled thousands of migrants to the United States through Mexico. These smuggled migrants originated from countries around the world, including Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Somalia, Cameroon, Senegal, Mauritania, Ethiopia, Egypt, and others. The migrants paid smuggling fees, often tens of thousands of dollars, to be transported through various countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala, on the way to the U.S.-Mexico border.
Conteh allegedly coordinated with Roblero and co-conspirators throughout Mexico and other countries to facilitate the global transportation of migrants into and through Mexico to the U.S. border. Conteh then allegedly oversaw the migrants’ unlawful entry into the United States by various surreptitious and unlawful means, including the use of ladders and tunnels.
Conteh, Roblero, and others are charged with conspiracy to smuggle migrants into the United States, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Conteh is also charged with the unlawful smuggling of migrants for financial gain, which carries a mandatory minimum of three years in prison for the first two violations. Additional violations carry a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
In addition, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added the Abdul Karim Conteh Human Smuggling Organization (HSO) and four individuals to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13851, as amended by E.O. 13863 (E.O. 13581, as amended). For additional information on actions taken by OFAC, please visit https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy2470.
The U.S. Border Patrol, HSI, and IRS Criminal Investigation Los Angeles Field Office are investigating this case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with the Mexican authorities to secure Conteh’s arrest.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan A. Sausedo and David E. Fawcett for the Southern District of California are prosecuting the case, with substantial assistance from Trial Attorney Danielle Hickman of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section.
These actions resulted from the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). Attorney General Merrick B. Garland established JTFA in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Justice Department, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to combat the rise in prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. JTFA comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of California, the District of Arizona, the District of New Mexico, and the Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, with additional support by the Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training; the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section; the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; the Office of Enforcement Operations; the Office of International Affairs; and the Violent Crime and Racketeering Section. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 310 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of human smuggling; more than 250 U.S. convictions; more than 185 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
The investigation is also supported by the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, a joint partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI. The ECT program focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence, and prosecutorial resources. ECT coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities.
DEFENDANTS Case Number 24cr1059-JLS
(1) Abdul Karim Conteh Age: 42 Tijuana, Mexico
(2) Veronica Roblero Pivaral Age: 25 Tijuana, Mexico
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Conspiracy to Bring in Aliens at a Place Other Than Designated Port of Entry - Title 8, U.S.C., Sec. 1324(a)(l)(A)(i) and (v)(i);
Maximum Penalty: Ten years in prison
Bringing in Aliens for Financial Gain and Aiding and Abetting - Title 8, U.S.C., Sec. 1324(a)(2)(B)(ii), and Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 2
Maximum penalty: Fifteen years in prison
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
U.S. Border Patrol
Homeland Security Investigations
Internal Revenue Service
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Alleged Transnational Human Smuggler Indicted and Sanctioned in the United States and Arrested in MexicoRead the Press Release
An indictment was unsealed yesterday containing criminal charges against the alleged leader of a human smuggling organization responsible for unlawfully bringing thousands of migrants into the United States. Along with the organization, the defendant, who was arrested in Mexico at the request of the United States, has also been designated for financial sanctions by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. These developments were made possible through extensive bilateral coordination and cooperation efforts between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement authorities.
Abdul Karim Conteh, 42, a national of Sierra Leone, was arrested on July 11 in Tijuana, Mexico. The United States is pursuing Conteh’s extradition on federal charges stemming from his alleged actions in leading the human smuggling organization. His wife, Veronica Roblero Pivaral, 25, a national of Mexico, remains at large.
“In coordination with our law enforcement partners, the Justice Department has worked relentlessly to target and disrupt the unlawful, transnational human smuggling operations that endanger migrants and threaten our national security,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We allege Abdul Karim Conteh and his organization smuggled thousands of migrants from more than a dozen different countries through Mexico into the United States. He has been arrested for his alleged role in this prolific, exploitive smuggling operation by Mexican authorities, and the Justice Department will ensure that he is held accountable in an American courtroom.”
“Human smugglers exploit the vulnerable for profit,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “Along with our partners across this Administration and around the world, we are bringing the full force of the law to bear against the individuals and their organizations that perpetrate this heinous crime. We couple our unrelenting efforts with this warning to would-be migrants everywhere: do not believe the smuggler’s lies and risk your lives in their ruthless hands.”
According to the indictment, Conteh’s organization allegedly smuggled thousands of migrants to the United States through Mexico. These smuggled migrants originated from countries around the world, including Iran, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Turkey, Somalia, Cameroon, Senegal, Mauritania, Ethiopia, Egypt, and others. The migrants paid smuggling fees, often tens of thousands of dollars, to be transported through various countries such as Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Panama, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, and Guatemala, on the way to the U.S.-Mexico border.
“This arrest unravels a global web of coordinated human smuggling into the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath for the Southern District of California. “Even the most far-reaching, prolific networks cannot evade justice.”
Conteh allegedly coordinated with Roblero and co-conspirators throughout Mexico and other countries to facilitate the global transportation of migrants into and through Mexico to the U.S. border. Conteh then allegedly oversaw the migrants’ unlawful entry into the United States by various surreptitious and unlawful means, including the use of ladders and tunnels.
Conteh, Roblero, and others are charged with conspiracy to smuggle migrants into the United States, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Conteh is also charged with the unlawful smuggling of migrants for financial gain, which carries a mandatory minimum of three years in prison for the first two violations. Additional violations carry a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
In addition, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added the Abdul Karim Conteh Human Smuggling Organization (HSO) and four individuals to the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List pursuant to Executive Order (E.O.) 13851, as amended by E.O. 13863 (E.O. 13581, as amended). For additional information on actions taken by OFAC, please visit www.home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/jy2470.
The U.S. Border Patrol, HSI, and IRS Criminal Investigation Los Angeles Field Office are investigating this case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with the Mexican authorities to secure Conteh’s arrest.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan A. Sausedo and David E. Fawcett for the Southern District of California are prosecuting the case, with substantial assistance from Trial Attorney Danielle Hickman of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section.
These actions resulted from the coordinated efforts of Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). Attorney General Merrick B. Garland established JTFA in June 2021 to marshal the investigative and prosecutorial resources of the Justice Department, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), to combat the rise in prolific and dangerous human smuggling and trafficking groups operating in Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras. JTFA comprises detailees from U.S. Attorneys’ Offices along the southwest border, including the Southern District of California, the District of Arizona, the District of New Mexico, and the Western and Southern Districts of Texas. Dedicated support is provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section, with additional support by the Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training; the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section; the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section; the Office of Enforcement Operations; the Office of International Affairs; and the Violent Crime and Racketeering Section. JTFA also relies on substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA, and other partners. To date, JTFA’s work has resulted in more than 310 domestic and international arrests of leaders, organizers, and significant facilitators of human smuggling; more than 250 U.S. convictions; more than 185 significant jail sentences imposed; and forfeitures of substantial assets.
IndictmentAlabama Man Pleads Guilty to Violating Iran SanctionsRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Ray Hunt, also known as Abdolrahman Hantoosh, Rahman Hantoosh and Rahman Natooshas, 70, of Owens Cross Roads, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to export U.S.-origin goods to the Islamic Republic of Iran in violation of trade sanctions.
According to court documents, in May 2014, Hunt registered Vega Tools, LLC with the Alabama Secretary of State, listing the nature of the business as “the purchase/resale of equipment for the energy sector.” He operated Vega Tools, including purchasing, receiving, and shipping U.S.-origin goods, from locations in Madison County, Alabama. Beginning at least as early as 2015, Hunt conspired with two Iranian companies located in Tehran, Iran, to illegally export U.S.-manufactured industrial equipment for use in Iran’s oil, gas, and petrochemical industries.
Hunt engaged in a series of deceptive practices to avoid detection by U.S. authorities, including using third-party transshipment companies in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and routing payments through UAE banks, as well as lying to shipping companies about the value of his exports to prevent the filing of Electronic Export Information to U.S. authorities. Hunt lied to suppliers and shippers by claiming the items he purchased on behalf of the Iranian co-conspirators were destined for end-users in Turkey and UAE, while knowing the exports were ultimately destined for Iran. Hunt lied also to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers regarding the nature and existence of his business when questioned upon his return from a March 2020 trip to Iran.
Hunt pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security is investigating the case with valuable assistance provided by the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan “Jack” Harrington, Jonathan Cross, and Henry Cornelius and Trial Attorneys Emma Ellenrieder and Adam Barry of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
Alabama Man Pleads Guilty to Violating Iran SanctionsRead the Press Release
Ray Hunt, also known as Abdolrahman Hantoosh, Rahman Hantoosh and Rahman Natooshas, 70, of Owens Cross Roads, Alabama, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to export U.S.-origin goods to the Islamic Republic of Iran in violation of trade sanctions.
According to court documents, in May 2014, Hunt registered Vega Tools LLC with the Alabama Secretary of State, listing the nature of the business as “the purchase/resale of equipment for the energy sector.” He operated Vega Tools, including purchasing, receiving and shipping U.S.-origin goods, from locations in Madison County, Alabama. Beginning at least as early as 2015, Hunt conspired with two Iranian companies located in Tehran, Iran, to illegally export U.S.-manufactured industrial equipment for use in Iran’s oil, gas and petrochemical industries.
Hunt engaged in a series of deceptive practices to avoid detection by U.S. authorities, including using third-party transshipment companies in Turkey and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and routing payments through UAE banks, as well as lying to shipping companies about the value of his exports to prevent the filing of electronic export information to U.S. authorities. Hunt lied to suppliers and shippers by claiming the items he purchased on behalf of the Iranian co-conspirators were destined for end users in Turkey and UAE, while knowing the exports were ultimately destined for Iran. Hunt lied also to U.S. Customs and Border Patrol officers regarding the nature and existence of his business when questioned upon his return from a March 2020 trip to Iran.
Hunt pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona for the Northern District of Alabama, Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod and Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI National Security Branch made the announcement.
The Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security is investigating the case with valuable assistance provided by the FBI.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan “Jack” Harrington, Jonathan Cross and Henry Cornelius for the Northern District of Alabama and Trial Attorneys Emma Ellenrieder and Adam Barry of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section are prosecuting the case.
Airline Employee Indicted for Attempted Coercion, Enticement of A Minor and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Brian Todd Walker (51, Bradenton) with attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity and possession of child sexual abuse material. If convicted on all counts, Walker faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.
According to court documents, Walker contacted a 12-year-old female living in his community over the social media application, TikTok. Walker engaged in sexual conversations with who he believed to be the 12-year-old female and attempted to coerce and entice her to engage in sexual activity. Within the conversations, Walker shared his attraction to 12-year-old females and expressed his desire to meet in person. On June 24, 2024, Walker travelled to meet the minor in person at the community pool and was arrested at the scene. Law enforcement seized a cell phone from Walker and located images of minors under the age of 12 engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Courtney Derry.
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.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Addiction Treatment Chain Owner & Company Plead Guilty to Health Care Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – The owner of a Rhode Island-based chain of addiction treatment centers and his company, who together defrauded Medicare, Medicaid, and other health insurers out of millions of dollars and shortchanged patients suffering from substance abuse disorder in Rhode Island and Massachusetts out of much-needed counseling and treatment, today pleaded guilty in federal in Providence to health care fraud conspiracy, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Michael Brier, 61, of Newton, MA, and Recovery Connections Centers of America, Inc. (RCCA) admitted to a federal judge that they failed to provide patients with required counseling sessions and treatment, while simultaneously billing Medicare, Medicaid, and other health care payors for 45-minute counseling sessions on a routine basis even though the sessions were often only 5-10 minutes or less.
Briar and RCCA also admitted that they caused a fraudulent application to be submitted to Medicare which, among other things, misrepresented and concealed the role that Brier was playing in the business and failed to disclose Brier’s 2013 criminal conviction for federal tax crimes, which was relevant to Medicare’s consideration of the application; Brier was sentenced to 27 months incarceration by a federal judge as a result of that 2013 conviction.
Court documents illustrate that, if plea agreements filed in this matter are accepted by the Court, Brier will be sentenced in this case to between six and ten years of incarceration, followed by three years of federal supervised release. Additionally, Brier will be ordered to make restitution of more than $3.4 million and will forfeit assets realized as a result of his criminal conduct, including approximately one million dollars contained in various bank and investment accounts, his interest in a beachfront condominium in Caracol Beach, Panama, a 2020 Mercedes Benz, and a 2019 Lexus RX350.
The corporate entity, RCCA, which is now in receivership, faces maximum penalties of $500,000, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greater, and up to five years probation.
Briar and RCCA are scheduled to be sentenced on November 6, 2024. The defendants’ sentences will be determined by a federal district court judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Sara Miron Bloom and Kevin Love Hubbard, with the assistance of Assistant United States Attorney Milind M. Shah.
The matter was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. United States Attorney Cunha thanks the IRS, Customs and Border Protection, and the Rhode Island Department of the Attorney General for their assistance in the investigation.
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Adair County Resident Sentenced for Federal Firearm CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announces that Ralph Gene Carloss, age 72, of Welling, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 46 months imprisonment for illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Adair County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On August 11, 2023, Carloss pleaded guilty to one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm and Ammunition. According to investigators, on April 11, 2023, after fleeing from law enforcement in his vehicle, Carloss was apprehended and found in possession of a firearm and 16 rounds of ammunition after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The Honorable William P. Johnson, Chief U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the District of New Mexico, sitting by assignment, presided over the sentencing hearing in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Carloss will remain in the 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.
17 July 2024
“No Rats Allowed” Crew Member Sentenced for Fentanyl Trafficking and Possession of an Illegal Firearm While on Supervised ReleaseRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Keith Jones, 27, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 74 months in prison for participating in a long-running drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed fentanyl throughout the District of Columbia, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division.
Jones pleaded guilty March 19, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Carl J. Nichols to conspiring to distribute 40 grams or more of a mixture containing fentanyl and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon. At the time of the trafficking offenses, Jones was on supervised probation for a robbery conviction out of Maryland.
Jones’ plea followed a lengthy investigation by the Metropolitan Police Department’s Narcotics Enforcement Unit (NEU), FBI’s Washington Field Office, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. In addition to the prison sentence, Judge Nichols ordered Jones to serve four years of supervised release.
According to court documents, the law enforcement partnership identified a crew of young men operating within on the 200 block of K Street, Southwest, with firearms, large amounts of U.S. currency, and illegal narcotics. The members of the group wore matching insignia on clothing printed with “NO RATS ALLOWED” or “N.R.A.” Jones, aka “Chief,” and other members of the N.R.A. crew used several townhouses on the block as stash locations or “trap houses” for narcotics and firearms. Many of Jones’ N.R.A. associates have been arrested and successfully prosecuted for firearms offenses and the possession and distribution of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl.
From October 2021 to October 2023, Jones relied heavily on social media to both make connections with other drug dealers to conduct sales of illegal substances to individual customers and N.R.A. crew members. On his Instagram account and cell phone, investigators found evidence showing Jones’ trafficking of crack cocaine, promethazine, and wholesale quantities of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and marijuana. Furthermore, the digital evidence showed that Jones was aware that at least some of the counterfeit pills he sold contained fentanyl and was warned by another drug dealer that certain pills he was selling might contain lethal amounts of fentanyl.
MPD officers arrested Jones on October 28, 2023, following a foot chase, during which he discarded a 40 caliber Smith and Wesson in the lobby of the Capitol Park Plaza Apartments in Washington D.C. That firearm discharged as he tossed it and the bullet struck a glass window in the lobby of the apartment building, narrowly missing two security guards that were feet away from him.
Jones previously was convicted in January 2020 of a robbery in Prince George’s County for which he was sentenced to 10 years, but the sentence was suspended to all but six days followed by three years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force, with valuable assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin F. Song.
23cr0397
‘PDS’ Street Crew Leader Pleads Guilty to Numerous Offenses Related to Drug Trafficking, Machine Guns, and Other FirearmsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Eugene Tracy Hill, 31, of Washington D.C., who utilized the street nicknames “Geno,” Cheese,” or “Doe,” pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances; conspiracy to use, carry, and possess machine guns in furtherance of drug trafficking, and two counts of using, carrying, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
The plea was announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; FBI Special Agent David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division; Special Agent Craig B. Kailimai of the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson set a sentencing date for October 18, 2024.
According to court documents, Hill, who was a member of the Push Dat Shit (PDS) Street Crew which held territory in the Congress Heights neighborhood of Southeast Washington, D.C., conspired with other crew members to distribute both marijuana and oxycodone within their territory. As part of his plea agreement, Hill admitted to holding a leadership role within the conspiracy, and further admitted that the co-conspirators distributed more than 100 kilograms of marijuana during the course of their conspiracy. For his part, Hill admitted that he sold marijuana and oxycodone in bulk transactions to other drug dealers, and also sold in street level transactions out of “trap houses” maintained by the crew.
According to court documents, the co-conspirators also conspired to use, carry, and possess firearms to protect themselves, their drugs, their cash, and their territory from rival crews with whom PDS had “beefs.” As part of his plea agreement, Hill admitted that, as part of the conspiracy one of his co-conspirators assembled fully automatic AR-Pistol machineguns which were then distributed within the crew for use in furtherance of their drug trafficking conspiracy. Hill admitted that he purchased and possessed machineguns during his part in the conspiracy.
Hill was arrested on September 15, 2022, shortly before the FBI executed a search warrant at a “trap house” he and his co-conspirators maintained on Fourth Street, Southeast. FBI agents recovered two Glock handguns, approximately 100 rounds of ammunition, 1.8 pounds of marijuana, two digital scales, a money counter, and approximately $15,000 from that residence. Hill has been detained since his arrest.
This case was investigated by Special Agents of the FBI and ATF with assistance from both officers and detectives from the MPD as part of a joint investigation which has resulted in the seizure of two vehicles, 13 handguns, five machineguns, and several hundred rounds of ammunition, as well as almost 40 pounds of marijuana, dozens of oxycodone pills, and more than $300,000 in cash. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James B. Nelson and Justin F. Song with valuable assistance from Paralegal Specialists Marissa Mondelli and Melissa Macechko.
22cr303
Woman who fraudulently used state grant monies sentenced to probation and home confinementRead the Press Release
Tacoma – The former Executive Director of the Washington Coalition of Crime Victim Advocates (WCCVA) was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to five years of probation and six months of home confinement for two counts of wire fraud. Cody Benson, formerly of Olympia, Washington was convicted in January following a six-day jury trial. Benson was indicted in July 2021 for her scheme to falsely claim Washington State public grant funding for work that was never done. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle noted that the crime was serious in that the defendant “was drawing a salary while doing little work for an extended time” and that “taxpayers did not get the benefits” of the grant funds meant for training crime-victim advocates.
“This defendant was supposed to do critical work – training advocates for crime victims. Instead, she falsified documents to make it appear work was being done, and moved halfway around the world to Italy,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “It is remarkable that she believed such conduct would not be scrutinized and prosecuted.”
According to records filed in the case, Benson was the head of an Olympia-based non-profit organization that was tasked with training advocates to assist crime victims. In 2013, the legislature appropriated money for this work with a grant administered through the Washington State Attorney General’s Office. Between 2015 and 2017, Benson submitted fraudulent invoices for reimbursement under the grant. She submitted bills for training events that were never held or supplies that were never purchased. In early 2016, she moved away to Italy, yet in the ensuing years, she repeatedly told representatives of the Attorney General’s Office that she was in Washington State doing various outreach and other work. Those representations were false.
By the end of the scheme, WCCVA had only two employees: Benson and her son. The Washington State Attorney General’s Office became concerned about WCCVA’s performance under the grant in early 2018 and began investigating. Benson returned just over $50,000 to the state, but other funds were not recovered. The grant payments ceased, and WCCVA is defunct.
In all, prosecutors argued that WCCVA obtained almost $180,000 from Benson’s false invoices, and that Benson herself obtained approximately $257,000 in net salary and other benefits such as health insurance, retirement plan contributions, and health reimbursement account contributions during the fraudulent scheme.
The case was investigated by the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Philip Kopczynski and Yunah Chung.
Wisconsin Man Sentenced for Sexually Victimizing A MinorRead the Press Release
MARQUETTE, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Todd Stafford, 60, of Bailey’s Harbor, Wisconsin, was sentenced to 156 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release after being convicted of coercion and enticement of a minor and two counts of travel in interstate commerce with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct.
“Mr. Stafford preyed on minors and today he was held accountable for his predatory actions,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “Let this be a clear message to those who seek to exploit our children and think they can hide. Protecting our most vulnerable is, and will continue to be, a top priority for our office.”
Stafford was convicted at a jury trial. The jury heard evidence that Stafford met the minor victim, who was under sixteen years of age, online. Stafford twice traveled from Wisconsin to Michigan hoping to have sex with the minor. Eventually the minor’s father found conversations and contacted law enforcement. The minor’s father and Iron Mountain Police Department took over communications with Stafford, posing as the minor and arranging to meet Stafford again. In late July 2023, Stafford again traveled to Michigan where law enforcement met and arrested him.
“Today’s sentencing of Mr. Stafford is a direct result of the hard work of the men and women of the FBI Detroit Field Office’s Marquette Resident Agent, the Iron Mountain Police Department, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office”, said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “Any criminal act and/or its attempt, especially involving minors, will not be tolerated and the FBI will investigate and arrest anyone who engages in this illegal behavior.”
This case is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, county prosecutor's offices, the Internet Crimes Against Children task force (ICAC), federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement are working closely together to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children. The partners in Project Safe Childhood work to educate local communities about the dangers of online child exploitation, and to teach children how to protect themselves. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit the following website: www.projectsafechildhood.gov. Individuals with information or concerns about possible child exploitation should contact local law enforcement officials.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Iron Mountain Police Department.
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West Sacramento Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Fentanyl Pill and Cocaine TraffickingRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Christian Anthony Romero, 28, of West Sacramento, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Dale A. Drozd to 10 years in prison for conspiracy distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl pills and cocaine, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Romero distributed thousands of fentanyl-laced counterfeit oxycodone M-30 pills and cocaine on behalf of a Sacramento-based drug trafficking organization. From at least May 2019 through January 2021, the organization imported fentanyl M-30 pills from Mexico and distributed them, as well as cocaine and methamphetamine, throughout northern California and in Nevada. The organization was led by Jose Lopez-Zamora in Sacramento and his Mexico-based brother and drug trafficking partner, Luis Lopez Zamora.
On Sept. 4, 2020, Romero sold approximately 1,000 fentanyl M-30 pills to an undercover officer for $9,000. During October through December 2020, evidence obtained during court-ordered wiretaps of Jose Lopez-Zamora and Luis Lopez Zamora’s cellphones revealed that Romero stored fentanyl pills and cocaine at his residence in West Sacramento and sold thousands of fentanyl pills on behalf of the organization. Evidence from the wiretap investigation also revealed that Romero contributed money to, and was kept apprised of, large loads of fentanyl M-30 pills that the organization imported from Mexico, including two loads that were seized by law enforcement on Nov. 26, 2020, (about 11,000 pills) and Dec. 5, 2020, (7,727 pills).
On Jan. 13, 2021, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at Romero’s West Sacramento residence, where he lived with his girlfriend and two young children. During the search, agents found more than 1,000 fentanyl M-30 pills in the same room as a loaded 9 mm Ruger pistol, and 7.62 caliber rifle, and a .223 caliber rifle.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, with assistance from Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Yuba-Sutter Narcotic and Gang Enforcement Task Force (NET-5), the California Highway Patrol, the Butte Interagency Narcotics Task Force (BINTF), the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT), the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Department, the Sacramento Police Department, the Roseville Police Department, the Manteca Police Department, the Yuba City Police Department, and the West Sacramento Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney David W. Spencer is prosecuting the case.
Seven other defendants have pleaded guilty:
- Rudi Jean Carlos pleaded guilty and, on Oct. 11, 2022, was sentenced to 10 years and one month in prison.
- Jason Lamar Lee pleaded guilty and, on Oct. 11, 2022, was sentenced to eight years and seven months in prison.
- Javier Hernandez pleaded guilty and, on Nov. 8, 2022, was sentenced to two years and eight months in prison.
- Christopher Kegan Williams pleaded guilty, and on Dec. 14, 2021, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison.
- Baudelio Vizcarra Jr., pleaded guilty, and on Jan. 24, 2023, was sentenced to two and a half years in prison.
- Mateo Elias Guerrero-Gonzales pleaded guilty and, on Oct. 11, 2022, was sentenced to two years and three months in prison.
- Alejandro Tello pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 3, 2024.
Charges are pending against the following defendants: Jose Guadalupe Lopez-Zamora, Luis Lopez Zamora, Leonardo Flores Beltran, Joaquin Alberto Sotelo Valdez, Erika Gabriela Zamora Rojo, Jose Luis Aguilar Saucedo, Rosario Zamora Rojo, and Sandro Escobedo. The charges are only allegations; the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Luis Lopez Zamora was extradited from Mexico to the United States on April 17, 2024, following his arrest by Mexican authorities on a warrant based on a U.S. extradition request.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
Waterbury Teens Charged with Stealing 21 Guns from Salem Store; Gun Trafficking and Carjacking OffensesRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, today announced that a federal grand jury in New Haven has returned an indictment charging TYSSAN WOODS, also known as “Tigger,” 18, and EDUARDO CRUZ, 18, both of Waterbury, with offenses related to the theft of firearms from a licensed gun dealer in Salem, the trafficking of stolen firearms, and two armed carjackings.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on March 15, 2024, Woods, Cruz, and others stole 21 firearms from Statewide Pawn Shop, a federal firearms licensee in Salem. Cruz trafficked some of the firearms before he was arrested on March 18, 2024. After the burglary, Woods, using a firearm, and another individual committed two carjackings. Woods was arrested on March 28, 2024.
To date, eight of the stolen firearms have been recovered by law enforcement.
The indictment, which was returned on June 25, 2024, charges Woods and Cruz with theft of firearms from a licensee, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years; Cruz with two counts of firearms trafficking, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years on each count; Woods with two counts of carjacking, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years on each count; and Woods with using a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, an offense that carries a mandatory term of imprisonment of seven years and a maximum term of imprisonment of life.
Woods and Cruz have been detained since their arrests. They each appeared yesterday in Hartford federal court and entered pleas of not guilty.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Connecticut State Police, and the Waterbury, Stamford, and Wolcott Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Mahard through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.
U.S. Attorney Avery noted that this case is being prosecuted, in part, under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted, and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking of firearms.
Wadesboro Man in Possession of A Stolen Firearm Is Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Dena J. King announced that Patrick Taylor, 26, of Wadesboro, N.C., was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Tuesday, followed by three years of supervised release for possession of a stolen firearm by a felon, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. This sentence will be served in conjunction with related offenses for which Taylor is currently serving state terms of imprisonment.
Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief J. Bryan Gilliard of the Monroe Police Department (MPD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and the sentencing hearing, on June 6, 2022, MPD officers received information that Taylor was driving a stolen vehicle in the Monroe area. MPD officers located the vehicle and attempted to conduct a vehicle stop. Court documents show that the vehicle failed to stop and instead increased its speed, driving around other vehicles and through a median. Eventually, the vehicle drove through a grassy area before crashing. When the vehicle came to a stop, Taylor jumped out and fled into a wooded area. MPD officers pursued on foot until they lost sight of Taylor.
According to court records, law enforcement located Taylor in a nearby field and the defendant was subsequently arrested. Once Taylor was apprehended, court documents show that law enforcement located a firearm near where Taylor had been located. During the investigation, law enforcement determined that Taylor had stolen the firearm from another individual a few days prior, and that the firearm had been reported stolen.
On December 20, 2023, Taylor pleaded guilty to possession of a stolen firearm. Taylor will remain in federal custody until he is transferred to the custody of the federal Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
In making today’s announcement, U.S. Attorney King commended ATF and the Monroe Police Department for their investigation of the case and thanked the Union County Sheriff’s Office for their invaluable assistance.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney (SAUSA) William Wiseman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte prosecuted the case. Mr. Wiseman is a state prosecutor with the office of the 26th Prosecutorial District and was assigned by District Attorney Spencer Merriweather to serve as a SAUSA with the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte. Mr. Wiseman is sworn in both state and federal courts. The SAUSA position is a reflection of the partnership between the office of the 26th Prosecutorial District and the United States Attorney’s Office.
In July 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office launched Think Again, an informational campaign to educate the public on how to prevent illegal firearms from getting into the wrong hands. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has partnered with the ATF in this initiative, in an effort to reduce gun-induced violence and to increase reporting of illegal firearms. The campaign encourages the public to submit an anonymous tip about illegal firearms and other criminal activity to the ATF by calling 1-888-ATF-TIPS (1-888-283-8477), via text at 63975, or online at WWW.ATF.GOV/ATF-TIPS.
For additional information about our Think Again initiative, please visit our website. You can view our Think Again Public Service Announcements here.
Virginia Man Indicted for Producing Sexually Explicit Videos of a Minor and Exploiting a Minor OnlineRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Virginia man has been indicted for using social media to contact and coerce a minor to create sexually explicit material, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, between November 2023 and February 2024, Raymond Jung Woo Choi, 41, of Centreville, Virginia, used Instagram and other social media apps to engage in sexually-focused conversations with a 13–14-year-old girl. Choi, using the alias “Jason Lee,” knowingly enticed and coerced the minor victim to send him sexually explicit images and videos on Instagram. Choi also groomed and enticed the minor victim by providing gifts, which he sent via Amazon or mailed directly via the U.S. Postal Service.
According to court documents, on February 17, 2024, Choi flew from Virginia to Minnesota to attempt to meet the minor victim in person. Because of family and law enforcement intervention, Choi was unsuccessful in his meeting attempt and flew back to Virginia.
On July 13, 2024, Choi was arrested in Fairfax City, Virginia. On July 15, 2024, Choi made his initial appearance in U.S. District Court in the Eastern District of Virginia before Magistrate Judge Lindsey R. Vaala. On July 17, 2024, Choi was ordered detained and will remain in custody pending further proceedings in the District of Minnesota. The indictment charges Choi with one count of production of child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography, and one count of coercion and enticement of a minor.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Anoka County Sheriff’s Office and U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Hillary A. Taylor is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Violet, Louisiana Man Pleads Guilty to Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA - United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that MALI WILLIAMS (“WILLIAMS”), age 26, of Violet, Louisiana, pled guilty on July 15, 2024 , before United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey to possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i).
According to court documents, on October 12, 2023, New Orleans Police Officers saw WILLIAMS selling marijuana in the Central Business District of New Orleans. While attempting to flee from police, WILLIAMS dropped his backpack. Upon searching the backpack, officers discovered marijuana and tapentadol tablets. When apprehended, WILLIAMS possessed a Taurus Model G3C, nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistol.
WILLIAMS faces a minimum of five (5) years up to a maximum of life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, up to five (5) years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. WILLIAMS is scheduled for sentencing on October 15, 2024.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department in investigating this matter. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James Ollinger of the Violent Crime Unit.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Announces Guilty Plea for Felony Assault within Navajo NationRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man pleaded guilty in federal court to assault charges arising from a 2020 assault and theft of a motor vehicle within the Navajo Nation.
According to publicly available court documents, on May 17, 2020, the victim, John Doe, was parked in his car at the Gulf Gas Station in Shiprock when Daryl Levi, 41, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, attacked Doe and took his vehicle. Doe suffered bodily injury including bruises and contusions.
In his plea agreement, Levi admitted that he participated in the assault with the intent to take John Doe’s motor vehicle. He will remain in custody pending sentencing which has not yet been set.
At sentencing, Levi faces a mandatory term of incarceration of no less than thirty-seven months up to a maximum of no more than forty-six months in prison. Upon his release from prison, Levi will be subject to up to three years of supervised release.
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 Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Probasco is prosecuting the case.
View the Plea Agreement# # #
Two Men Plead Guilty to Assaulting Correctional Officer at United States Penitentiary AtwaterRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Daniel Higgins, 39, of Morro Bay, California, and Austin Noblitt, 35, of Portland, Oregon, pleaded guilty today to Assault on a Federal Officer or Employee, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Higgins and Noblitt assaulted a Federal Bureau of Prisons Correctional Officer at United States Penitentiary (USP) Atwater in Merced County. As a result of the assault, the Correctional Officer suffered multiple lacerations to the face and was transported to the local hospital for treatment.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Chan Hee Chu and Jeffrey A. Spivak are prosecuting the case.
Higgins and Noblitt are scheduled to be sentenced on October 7, 2024. Higgins and Noblitt face a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Three Twin Cities Men Sentenced to Prison for Trafficking Machineguns on SnapchatRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Three Twin Cities men have been sentenced to prison for operating a social media-based machinegun distribution ring, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, in March 2023, law enforcement learned of a Snapchat group called “BLICCS&STICCS3.” Members Rafael Carter Wesley, 19, Kyrees Darius Johnson, 22, and Avont Akira Drayton, 21, used the group to facilitate the trafficking of machineguns, firearms, and controlled substances in the Twin Cities and outlying areas. Law enforcement obtained screenshots and videos of several individuals in the group selling, promoting, and operating machinegun conversion devices (MCDs, also commonly referred to as “switches” or “auto sears”) that convert a semi-automatic firearm—either a pistol or a rifle—into a fully automatic machinegun. These devices are classified as machineguns and are regulated under the National Firearms Act (NFA).
According to court documents, on March 20, 2023, an undercover law enforcement officer began monitoring the group. The undercover officer posted a picture of a prop firearm to the BLICCS&STICCS3 group. Shortly thereafter, Wesley reached out to the undercover officer and asked if he wanted to trade the firearm for what is commonly referred to as a Glock “switch” or a “button.” On or about March 26, 2023, the undercover officer continued conversations with Wesley on Snapchat about potentially purchasing Glock “switches.” Wesley indicated “switches” would cost $700 for two or $900 for three. The undercover officer agreed to purchase three switches for $900 and indicated he would pay an extra $100 if Wesley drove up to St. Cloud to deliver the switches. On March 27, 2023, Wesley met the undercover officer in St. Cloud and sold him three switches for $1,000.
On April 4, 2023, a second transaction was arranged through Wesley with a St. Paul meeting location. Johnson also arrived at the transaction with three switches, which Johnson and Wesley sold to the undercover officer for $900. At the time, Johnson had four prior felony convictions, which rendered him prohibited from possessing any firearms or ammunition. During the investigation, Johnson was observed by law enforcement posting images of large quantities of guns and MCDs to the Snapchat group and offering them for sale. Johnson also posted images and messages that showed him to be trafficking in controlled substances, including blue fentanyl pills.
On April 13, 2023, undercover officers met with Wesley in Minneapolis to purchase an unserialized Glock 17 for $700. Following the transaction, the undercover officers asked Wesley to install the switch previously purchased from Wesley onto the Glock 17. Wesley agreed and installed the switch.
That same day, Wesley separately coordinated a meeting during which undercover officers met with Drayton, another member of the BLICCS&STICCS3 Snapchat group, to purchase a 3D-printed drop-in MCD for an AR-style rifle for $550. During the transaction, Drayton showed the undercover officers a video on his phone of Drayton shooting a firearm with a drop-in MCD inserted. Drayton commented to the undercover officers that the drop-in made the firearm shoot “way too [expletive] fast.” On May 11, 2023, an undercover officer directly arranged to meet with Drayton at a location in Eagan to purchase two drop-in MCDs for $800. However, when Drayton arrived at the meeting location, he stated that he had only had one MCD and sold it to the undercover officer for $400. On June 9, 2023, undercover officers again met with Drayton and purchased a Glock pistol and a “switch” for $1,300.
According to court documents, between March and June 2023, undercover law enforcement officers conducted approximately six controlled buys with multiple members of the BLICCS&STICCS3 group.
All three defendants pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful possession of machineguns. Johnson was sentenced yesterday in U.S. District Court by Judge Donovan W. Frank to 95 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. On July 10, 2024, Wesley was sentenced to 14 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. On April 23, 2024, Drayton was sentenced to 24 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Central Minnesota Violent Offender Task Force, the St. Paul Police Department, the Minneapolis Police Department, and the Dakota County Drug Task Force.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ruth S. Shnider and Jordan L. Sing prosecuted the case.
Tennessee Man Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for Attempting to Provide Material Support to ISISRead the Press Release
Benjamin Carpenter, also known as Abu Hamza, 34, of Knoxville, Tennessee, was sentenced today to 20 years in prison followed by 20 years of supervised release for attempting to provide material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS) in connection with providing translation services to ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organization.
“For years, this defendant led a global digital media operation to distribute pro-ISIS propaganda, promoting the group’s radical message of terror and pushing it to every corner of the world,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of this defendant’s conduct and the Justice Department’s commitment to identifying and holding accountable those who would provide material support to foreign terrorist organizations.”
“Combating terrorism and keeping our communities safe are the highest priorities of the United States Attorney’s Office,” said U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III for the Eastern District of Tennessee. “This case deals a serious blow to the expansion of ISIS and its broken message of hatred and senseless violence.”
“With today’s sentencing, Carpenter is being held accountable for betraying his country and helping ISIS terrorists,” said Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI's National Security Branch. “He led a propaganda machine which called for war against U.S. and allied forces through suicide bombings and other means. The FBI and our partners will relentlessly pursue and bring to justice terrorists who devote their lives to hurting American citizens.”
According to court documents, on Oct. 19, 2023, following an eight-day trial in U.S. District Court, a jury convicted Carpenter of attempting to provide material support to ISIS. The evidence presented at trial demonstrated that Carpenter served as the leader of Ahlut-Tawhid Publications, an international organization of pro-ISIS “munasirin” (i.e., supporters), dedicated to translating, producing and distributing ISIS propaganda throughout the world. For years, Carpenter, using his alias Abu Hamza, published a large body of ISIS media, including his weekly newsletter entitled From Dabiq to Rome, a periodical that celebrated the deaths of American soldiers, glorified suicide bombers and called for open war against the United States and its Western allies, among other pro-ISIS propaganda themes. In 2020 and 2021, Carpenter contacted an individual he believed to be affiliated with ISIS’ central media bureau and provided translation services for a project intended to relaunch Al-Hayat Media Center, ISIS’ official foreign-language media arm. Unbeknownst to him, that individual was an FBI undercover employee who had infiltrated Carpenter’s group.
The FBI Knoxville Field Office is investigating the case, with assistance from FBI Field Offices from across the country.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle J. Wilson and Casey T. Arrowood for the Eastern District of Tennessee and Trial Attorney Charles J. Kovats Jr. of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section prosecuted the case.
Summerville Man Sentenced to 17 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child Sex Abuse MaterialsRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, S.C. — Adam Baez, 46, of Summerville, was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to possession of child sexual abuse materials.*
Evidence presented to the court showed that Baez possessed more than 600 images of prepubescent child sexual abuse materials on multiple electronic devices. In addition to the possession of the images, evidence showed that Baez exploited a minor victim over the course of several years and produced images of this minor victim.
United States District Judge David C. Norton sentenced Baez to 210 months' imprisonment, to be followed by a lifetime term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. Baez was also ordered to pay $15,000.00 in restitution to the identified victims of his offense.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the U.S. Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the 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 sexually exploit children, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit http://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy F. Bower is prosecuting the case.
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* The term “child pornography” is currently used in federal statutes and is defined as any visual depiction of sexually explicit conduct involving a person less than 18 years old. While this phrase still appears in federal law, “child sexual abuse material” is preferred, as it better reflects the abuse that is depicted in the images and videos and the resulting trauma to the child.
Springfield, Illinois, Man Sentenced to 120 Months for Drug Trafficking Associated with Street GangRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Springfield, Illinois, man, Christopher Wallace, 32, was sentenced on July 15, 2024, to 120 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a wide-spread drug conspiracy involving a Springfield street gang, Boss Playas, which lasted from approximately May 2020 through November 2020.
At the sentencing hearing, Senior U.S. District Judge Sue Myerscough found Wallace was accountable for over 10 kilograms of cocaine as a member of the conspiracy. During the hearing, Judge Myerscough noted that the group of conspirators were responsible for distributing large amounts of controlled substances in the Springfield area, which had a negative effect on the community.
Wallace was indicted on December 15, 2020; arrested on September 8, 2022; and pleaded guilty on February 22, 2024. He has remained in the custody of the United States Marshal since his arrest.
The statutory penalties for the most serious charge of conviction – conspiracy to distribute cocaine – include not more than twenty years’ imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and up to a life term of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration; Federal Bureau of Investigation, Springfield Field Office; Illinois State Police; and Springfield Police Department Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Z. Weir represented the government in the prosecution.
The case against Wallace was part of an investigation of the Springfield based Boss Playas street gang and was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Spree of Gunpoint Pharmacy Robberies in Va. and Md. Nets District Man a 157-Month Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Floyd Neal, 31, of Washington D.C., was sentenced today to more than 13 years in prison for his role in a rash of 2021 gunpoint robberies of pharmacies in Maryland and Virginia, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division.
Neal pleaded guilty on March 18, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson to three counts of interference with commerce by robbery and aiding and abetting (also known as Hobbs Act robbery). He also pleaded guilty to using, carrying, and possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking offense.
In addition to the 157-month prison term, Judge Berman Jackson ordered Neal to serve five years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on February 14, 2021, Neal and two co-conspirators traveled from the District to a pharmacy in Henrico, Virginia. Neal approached the pharmacy counter, brandished a firearm, and ordered the pharmacist to hand over codeine, hydrocodone, and oxycodone. Neal held one employee at gunpoint while a co-conspirator demanded the pharmacist open the prescription safe. After grabbing prescription narcotics and amphetamines, they fled in a red SUV driven by another co-conspirator.
On March 25, 2021, Neal and a co-conspirator traveled from the District to a pharmacy in Alexandria, Virginia. They entered the store wearing yellow construction vests and posed as customers by grabbing beer. Then the co-conspirator shouted: “Give me all the money,” and indicted that he had a firearm. The men then ordered two employees into the store’s office before taking between $7,000 to $10,000 from the safe. The men fled in a 2005 silver sedan.
On March 31, 2021, Neal and two co-conspirators drove to a pharmacy in Beltsville, Maryland. A co-conspirator went behind the counter, grabbed a store employee, and demanded the code to the store’s safe. While the robbery was in progress, the store’s manager entered the store. Neal’s co-conspirator forced the store’s manager into the back office where Neal was watching the other employee. The co-conspirator forced the manager to open the safe and then stole the contents. Neal remained at the front of the store to empty the contents of the cash registers. The trio then fled in a dark sedan with silver trim.
On April 1, 2021, Neal and a co-conspirator traveled to a pharmacy in Manassas, Virginia. One employee locked herself in the back office. Another employee ran to the front where the co-conspirator grabbed them by the neck. Threatening the employees, Neal ordered them to give him “percocets and oxys” or else he would hurt them. Neal also ordered an employee to open the cash registers. Police arrested Neal and the co-conspirator after they fled the pharmacy. A search revealed a loaded 9mm Hipoint C9 firearm in the vicinity of the pharmacy. Each of the pharmacies robbed by Neal is part of a national chain of retailers and the robberies impacted interstate commerce.
This case was investigated by the FBI Violent Crimes Task Force with valuable assistance from local law enforcement in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Gold and Cameron Tepfer of the District of Columbia.
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South Bend Woman Sentenced to 12 Months in Prison and Ordered to Pay over Half a Million Dollars RestitutionRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Robin Hood, 59 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to wire fraud, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Hood was sentenced to 12 months in prison, 1 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $549,000 in restitution to the victim of the offense.
According to documents in the case, between 2016 and 2021, Hood embezzled at least $549,000.00 from her employer. Hood issued checks to herself and transferred money to herself from her employer’s accounts for funds to which she was not entitled.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Luke N. Reilander.
Serial fraudster sentenced to more than two years in federal prison for scamming student insurance programRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – An Alexandria woman was sentenced today to two years and two months in prison for repeatedly submitting fraudulent health insurance claims and illegally collecting $128,748 in payments to which she was not entitled.
According to court documents, in 2018, Khin Phoo Ngon, aka Karen Ngon and Kyaw Zaw Ni, 27, was a student at George Washington University and enrolled in a study-abroad program in Sydney, Australia. Ngon purchased a health insurance policy through Cultural Insurance Services International (CISI), a company that provides health insurance for study-abroad students and educational travel groups. Under CISI’s policies, when students pay out-of-pocket for health-related costs abroad, they can submit claims for reimbursement along with an image of the claim and proof of payment.
On Nov. 13, 2018, Ngon submitted a fraudulent claim for reimbursement for an appendectomy, purportedly performed at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, along with a forged invoice for $107,368.31 in Australian currency (approximately $79,715 U.S.). The claimed dates of service were Oct. 28-29, 2018, during which time Ngon was in the United States. CISI paid the claim.
In 2019, Ngon enrolled in another study-abroad program, this time in Zurich, Switzerland. Ngon traveled to Switzerland, but withdrew from the program and returned to the United States on June 10, 2019. Prior to returning, however, Ngon submitted a fraudulent claim to CISI for treatment for a “minor heart attack,” along with a forged invoice from University Hospital of Zurich for 48,670 Swiss francs (approximately $49,029 U.S.). Ngon received treatment at University Hospital of Zurich, but the actual payment was 800 Swiss francs. CISI paid the claim, and Ngon used proceeds from the second reimbursement to pay restitution in a prior criminal case in which she committed fraud and identity theft.
Ngon later purchased a second policy through CISI. On July 23, 2019, she submitted a fraudulent claim, asserting that she had had her appendix removed again at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Sydney, along with a forged invoice for $152,368.31 Australian (approximately $106,606 U.S.). The claimed dates of service were July 14-15, 2019, and, again, Ngon was in the United States on the purported dates of service. This time, CISI denied the claim.
On Dec. 18, 2019, Ngon submitted a fourth claim, this time for emergency dental care in Brussels, Belgium, along with forged records indicating she had paid €15,175 to a dentist and €3,719 to a pharmacy (approximately $21,040 U.S.). The claimed date of service was Dec. 16, 2019, on which date Ngon was in the United States. CISI denied this claim as well.
Additionally, Ngon recently pled guilty to fraud and identity theft charges in the District of Columbia in connection with a scheme she engaged in to defraud a pandemic relief program. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the District of Columbia implemented the STAY DC program, a means-tested program to provide financial relief to qualifying renters experiencing financial hardship. Beginning in 2021, Ngon submitted fraudulent applications for relief through the program, four times in her own name and three times in the names of others, including one person who did not live in Washington, resulting in program payouts that cost the District of Columbia more than $246,000. On April 23, Ngon pled guilty in the D.C. Superior Court to six charges related to the fraud on STAY DC. Sentencing in that case is set for Aug. 9.
After Ngon pleaded guilty to the charges in the Eastern District of Virginia and in Washington, D.C., she directed her sister to create websites in her own name with false information about her educational, professional, and philanthropic history. One of the websites purported to be for a fictitious charity founded by the defendant to provide food and other aid to the people of Myanmar, and advertised “partnership opportunities,” including the opportunity to make “financial contributions.” At sentencing, Ngon acknowledged this additional deceptive conduct.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia, and David J. Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Anthony J. Trenga.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Rumbaugh prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-62.
Serial Armed Robber Sentenced to 49 Years in Federal Prison for 7 Midlands Armed RobberiesRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — Deveon Antonio Belk, 37, of Irmo, was sentenced to 49 years in prison after being convicted for a 2020 string of Midlands armed robberies.
Belk was convicted following a multi-day trial in November of 2023. He was found guilty on 15 counts: seven counts of Hobbs Act robbery, seven counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, and one count of felon in possession of firearm and ammunition.
Evidence presented to the court showed that in November of 2020, Belk began a spree of armed robberies across Richland and Lexington counties. The targets included gas stations, fast food restaurants, and drug stores. Belk would enter the store and often pretend as if he were going to purchase an item. When the cashier would open the cash register to finish his transaction, instead of paying, Belk would brandish a firearm and demand money. Belk would use physical force, including pressing the end of a handgun into his victims, and he would force them into locked rooms at their businesses. He also cocked the firearm at several victims, held his finger on the trigger during one robbery, and some victims reported believing they were going to be shot.
During trial, 14 of the 22 identified victims testified, including a 16-year-old cashier. Every robbery, as well as Belk’s approach to and flight from many of the crime scenes, was recorded on surveillance video. Numerous people who knew Belk, including Belk’s wife, testified at trial that it was Belk on video committing the robberies. His DNA was found on clothing left near four of the seven robberies, and on the firearm used in every robbery. The Government produced evidence that Belk was responsible for at least 13 armed robberies, and law enforcement believes Belk was responsible for more, according to what was presented in court.
Belk has 13 prior criminal convictions, including strong armed robbery, in a case that involved the theft of a vehicle and money while armed with a firearm; multiple criminal domestic violence convictions, including one involving physical violence against a woman while she was holding a child; grand larceny; failure to stop for police; and drug possession. Belk was also prohibited from possessing firearms by virtue of prior felony convictions.
“Dozens of people at businesses across the Midlands waited in fear wondering if they would be the next target of Belk’s armed robbery spree,” said Adair F. Boroughs, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina. “Thanks to the relentless work of multiple law enforcement agencies, he will spend almost 50 years in federal prison.”
“Belk’s violent crimes profoundly impacted the safety of our communities and caused long-lasting fear for his victims,” said Steve Jensen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Columbia Field Office. “This outcome underscores the FBI’s commitment to upholding the rule of law and taking violent offenders of the street.”
“This sentencing is the result of law enforcement collaboration that ensures Deveon Belk will face federal consequences and can no longer commit additional crimes,” said Columbia Police Chief W.H. “Skip” Holbrook.
“The resolution of this case is the direct result of strong relationships between multiple law enforcement agencies and prosecutors. This convicted robber is off the streets because we shared information and worked together to investigate at multiple offenses,” Lexington County Sheriff Jay Koon said. “Our community is safer thanks to a spirit cooperation at the local and federal level.”
United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced Belk to 589 months' imprisonment, to be followed by a three-year term of court-ordered supervision. There is no parole in the federal system. He was also ordered to pay $2,723.63 in restitution.The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office, the Richland County Sheriff’s Department, the Lexington County Sheriff’s Department, and the Columbia Police Department, with critical assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED).
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliott B. Daniels, Lamar J. Fyall and Ariyana N. Gore prosecuted the case.
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Sand Springs Couple Sentenced for Sexually Abusing Two Minor ChildrenRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge John D. Russell ordered Shawn William Gossett, 34, to 360 months imprisonment, followed by lifetime supervised release. Upon his release, Gossett will be required to register as a sex offender. Gossett’s wife, Amanda Nicole Bynum, 36, a member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, was sentenced in May and ordered to 120 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release.
In September 2023, Gossett pled guilty to Abusive Sexual Contact with a Child Under 12 in Indian Country and Child Abuse in Indian Country. He admitted to having sexually abusive contact with two separate child victims who were under the age of 12. Gossett further admitted to physically abusing one of the child victims by kicking and choking the child.
Bynum pled guilty in August 2023 to Child Neglect in Indian Country and Enabling Child Abuse in Indian Country. She admitted to not ensuring the health, welfare, and safety of the two child victims in her care. Additionally, Bynum admitted to enabling and witnessing Gossett sexually abusing the two child victims.
Both child victims are citizens of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. Gossett and Bynum will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The FBI and the Creek County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan E. Michel and Stephanie N. Ihler prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Russian International Money Launderer Sentenced to 36 Months in Prison for Illicitly Procuring Large Quantities of U.S.-Manufactured Dual-Use, Military Grade Microelectronics for Russian EntitiesRead the Press Release
Maxim Marchenko, 52, was sentenced today to three years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for his role in procuring dual-use, military grade OLED micro-displays for Russian end users.
“Today’s sentence holds Mr. Marchenko accountable for his role in a procurement syndicate that funneled U.S.-manufactured military-grade microelectronics to end users in Russia, illegally delivering controlled technologies worth hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “The Justice Department remains relentlessly focused on dismantling illicit procurement networks led by individuals like the defendant, who use their business skills and connections to advance the Russian war agenda.”
“The transshipment of military-grade microelectronics through Hong Kong to Russia helps fuel the engine of Russia’s war machine,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce Matthew S. Axelrod for Export Enforcement. “Today’s sentencing is just the latest example of our unceasing efforts to target and disrupt illegal Russian procurement networks.”
“This office will stop at nothing to hold accountable those who seek to circumvent our laws to gain access to some of our most sensitive technologies,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. “Today’s sentence should be a reminder that no number of shell companies or obfuscation will stop this office in its pursuit of those who seek to illicitly gain access to controlled technologies.”
“Marchenko and his co-conspirators operated an international smuggling network of sensitive microelectronics used in military gear and other weapons systems,” said Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI National Security Branch. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates the FBI’s resolve in doing our part to protect national security and prevent American military technology from being diverted to foreign adversaries and hostile nation states.”
According to court documents, Marchenko is a Russian national who resides in Hong Kong and operates several Hong Kong-based shell companies, including Alice Components Co. Ltd. (Alice Components), Neway Technologies Limited (Neway) and RG Solutions Limited (RG Solutions). Marchenko and two co-conspirators, who are also Russian nationals, operate an illicit procurement network in Russia, Hong Kong and elsewhere overseas. This procurement network has fraudulently obtained from U.S. distributors large quantities of dual-use, military grade microelectronics, specifically OLED micro-displays, on behalf of Russia-based end users. To carry out this scheme, Marchenko and his co-conspirators used shell companies based in Hong Kong and other deceptive means to conceal from U.S. government agencies and U.S. distributors that the OLED micro-displays were destined for Russia. The technology that Marchenko and his co-conspirators fraudulently procured have significant military applications, such as in rifle scopes, night vision goggles, thermal optics and other weapon systems.
To perpetrate the scheme, Marchenko and other members of the conspiracy acquired the dual-use OLED micro-displays from U.S.-based distributors using Marchenko’s Hong Kong-based shell companies, including Alice Components, Neway and RG Solutions. Members of the conspiracy, including Marchenko, procured these sensitive microelectronics by falsely representing to the U.S. distributors (who, in turn, are required to report to U.S. agencies) that Alice Components was sending the shipments to end users located in China, Hong Kong and other countries outside of Russia for use in electron microscopes for medical research or hunting rifles. In reality, the OLED micro-displays were destined for end users in Russia. Marchenko and other members of the conspiracy concealed the true final destination (Russia) from U.S. distributors for the purpose of causing false statements to the U.S. agencies.
To conceal the fact that these OLED micro-displays were destined for Russia, Marchenko and other members of the conspiracy worked together to transship the illicitly procured OLED micro-displays by using pass-through entities principally operated by Marchenko in third countries, such as Hong Kong. Marchenko then caused the OLED micro-displays to be shipped to the ultimate destination in Russia using, among other entities, a freight forwarder known to provide freight forwarding services to Russia. In addition, Marchenko and other members of the conspiracy used Hong Kong-based shell companies, principally operated by Marchenko, to conceal the fact that payments for the OLED micro-displays were coming from Russia. In total, between in or about May 2022 and in or about August 2023, Marchenko’s shell companies funneled more than $1.6 million to the United States in support of the procurement network’s efforts to smuggle the OLED micro-displays to Russia.
The FBI, Commerce Department’s Bureau of Industry and Security and Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service investigated the case with assistance from the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer N. Ong and Shiva H. Logarajah for the Southern District of New York prosecuted the case, with assistance from Trial Attorney Garrett Coyle of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Today’s actions were coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture and the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force. Task Force KleptoCapture is an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states.
Russian International Money Launderer Sentenced to Three Years in Prison for Illicitly Procuring Large Quantities of U.S.-Manufactured Dual-Use, Military Grade Microelectronics for Russian EntitiesRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Matthew G. Olsen, the Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division; Matthew S. Axelrod, the Assistant Secretary of Export Enforcement for Department of Commerce’s the Bureau of Industry and Security (“BIS”); and Robert Wells, the Executive Assistant Director of the National Security Branch of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced that MAXIM MARCHENKO was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román to three years in prison for his role in procuring dual-use, military grade OLED micro-displays for Russian end users. MARCHENKO previously pled guilty to money laundering and smuggling charges before U.S. Magistrate Judge Victoria Reznik on February 29, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “This Office will stop at nothing to hold accountable those who seek to circumvent our laws to gain access to some of our most sensitive technologies. Today’s sentence should be a reminder that no number of shell companies or obfuscation will stop this Office in its pursuit of those who seek to illicitly gain access to controlled technologies.”
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen said: “Today’s sentence holds Mr. Marchenko accountable for his role in a procurement syndicate that funneled U.S.-manufactured military-grade microelectronics to end users in Russia, illegally delivering controlled technologies worth hundreds of thousands of dollars. The Justice Department remains relentlessly focused on dismantling illicit procurement networks led by individuals like the defendant, who use their business skills and connections to advance the Russian war agenda.”
BIS Assistant Secretary of Export Enforcement Matthew S. Axelrod said: “The transshipment of military-grade microelectronics through Hong Kong to Russia helps fuel the engine of Russia’s war machine. Today’s sentencing is just the latest example of our unceasing efforts to target and disrupt illegal Russian procurement networks.”
FBI Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells said: “Marchenko and his co-conspirators operated an international smuggling network of sensitive microelectronics used in military gear and other weapons systems. Today’s sentencing demonstrates the FBI’s resolve in doing our part to protect national security and prevent American military technology from being diverted to foreign adversaries and hostile nation states.”
According to the allegations contained in the Information and other filings and statements made in court:
MAXIM MARCHENKO is a Russian national who resides in Hong Kong and operates several Hong Kong-based shell companies, including Alice Components Co. Ltd. (“Alice Components”), Neway Technologies Limited (“Neway”), and RG Solutions Limited (“RG Solutions”). MARCHENKO and two co-conspirators (“CC-1” and “CC-2”), who are also Russian nationals, operate an illicit procurement network in Russia, Hong Kong, and elsewhere overseas. This procurement network has fraudulently obtained from U.S. distributors large quantities of dual-use, military grade microelectronics, specifically OLED micro-displays, on behalf of Russia-based end users. To carry out this scheme, MARCHENKO, CC-1, and CC-2 used shell companies based in Hong Kong and other deceptive means to conceal from U.S. Government agencies and U.S. distributors that the OLED micro-displays were destined for Russia. The technology that MARCHENKO and his co-conspirators fraudulently procured have significant military applications, such as in rifle scopes, night vision goggles, thermal optics, and other weapon systems.
To perpetrate the scheme, MARCHENKO and other members of the conspiracy acquired the dual-use OLED micro-displays from U.S.-based distributors using MARCHENKO’s Hong Kong-based shell companies, including Alice Components, Neway, and RG Solutions. Members of the conspiracy, including MARCHENKO, procured these sensitive microelectronics by falsely representing to the U.S. distributors (who, in turn, are required to report to U.S. agencies) that Alice Components was sending the shipments to end users located in China, Hong Kong, and other countries outside of Russia for use in electron microscopes for medical research or hunting rifles. In reality, the OLED micro-displays were destined for end users in Russia. MARCHENKO and other members of the conspiracy concealed the true final destination (Russia) from U.S. distributors for the purpose of causing false statements to the U.S. agencies.
To conceal the fact that these OLED micro-displays were destined for Russia, MARCHENKO and other members of the conspiracy worked together to transship the illicitly procured OLED micro-displays by using pass-through entities principally operated by MARCHENKO in third countries, such as Hong Kong. MARCHENKO then caused the OLED micro-displays to be shipped to the ultimate destination in Russia using, among other entities, a freight forwarder known to provide freight forwarding services to Russia. In addition, MARCHENKO and other members of the conspiracy used Hong Kong-based shell companies, principally operated by MARCHENKO, to conceal the fact that payments for the OLED micro-displays were coming from Russia. In total, between in or about May 2022 and in or about August 2023, MARCHENKO’s shell companies funneled more than $1.6 million to the U.S. in support of the procurement network’s efforts to smuggle the OLED micro-displays to Russia.
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In addition to the prison term, MARCHENKO, 52, a Russian citizen who resided in Hong Kong, was sentenced to three years of supervised release.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and its New York Field Office, Counterintelligence Division and the New York Field Office of the BIS. Mr. Williams also thanked the FBI’s Legal Attaché office in Australia; the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service; the Department of Justice’s National Security Division, Counterintelligence and Export Control Section; and the Office of International Affairs of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division for their assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division and the Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer N. Ong and Shiva H. Logarajah are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney Garrett Coyle of the Counterintelligence and Export Control Section.
Today’s actions were coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture and the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force. Task Force KleptoCapture is an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states.
- Roswell Escrow Manager to Be Sentenced for Fraud Scheme
Registered Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Child Pornography OffenseRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Bradley Michael Coleman, 39, of Strausstown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced today by United States District Court Judge Joseph F. Leeson, Jr., to 10 years’ imprisonment, 10 years of supervised release, and $35,000 in restitution on a child pornography-related charge.
Coleman was charged by information and entered a plea of guilty to one count of access with intent to view child pornography, on April 22, 2024. After having been previously convicted in Berks County for possessing child pornography, Coleman used digital currency to attempt to purchase access to child sexual abuse material on the Darkweb. Forensic analysis revealed evidence of nearly 900 images of child pornography on Coleman’s electronic devices, including images depicting very young victims.
“After having been convicted and imprisoned for this vile behavior once before, Bradley Coleman again sought out horrific images of young children being sexually abused,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “If consumers of child pornography can’t or won’t stop acquiring it, which only perpetuates the sexual exploitation of child victims, we and our law enforcement partners will gladly step in and stop them.”
“HSI’s expertise in the evolving cyber currency domain has proven crucial to investigating the exploitation of children by criminals operating online,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge of HSI Philadelphia Sara Bay. “Through our outstanding partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, we continue to investigate and prosecute those individuals who prey on our children.”
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.projectsafechildhood.gov/.
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rebecca J. Kulik and Priya T. DeSouza.
Rancho Cordova Man Sentenced to Fifteen Years in Prison for Drug Importation and Money Laundering OffensesRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Adan Navarro, 30, of Rancho Cordova, was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Dale A. Drozd to 15 years in prison for conspiracy to import heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl pills, conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl pills, and conspiracy to launder money to Mexico, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on June 2, 2020, Navarro coordinated and received a $20,000 cash payment on behalf of a Mexico-based drug trafficker in order to pay down a multi-kilogram heroin debt and to facilitate future larger shipments of heroin. On July 24, 2020, U.S. border agents seized a drug load that Navarro partially owned and coordinated. The load was seized immediately after it crossed from Mexico into the United States and contained approximately 21 pounds of pure methamphetamine, 2 kilograms of heroin, and 977 fentanyl-laced counterfeit prescription pills. Following this seizure, Navarro and an associate arranged to send additional money to a Mexico-based source of supply to coordinate a new shipment of drugs.
This case was the product of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Team (TRIDENT), with assistance from Customs and Border Protection, the California Highway Patrol, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the Rancho Cordova Police Department, the Citrus Heights Police Department, and the El Dorado County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney David W. Spencer is prosecuting the case.
Co-defendant Lionel Chavez pled guilty on March 21, 2023, and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 6, 2024.
This prosecution is part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. The specific mission of the Sacramento Strike Force is to identify, investigate, disrupt, and dismantle the most significant drug trafficking organizations (DTOs) and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs) shipping narcotics, firearms, and money through the Eastern District of California, thereby reducing the flow of these criminal resources in California and the rest of the United States. The Sacramento Strike Force leads intelligence-driven investigations targeting the leadership and support elements of these DTOs and TCOs operating within the Eastern District of California, regardless of their geographic base of operations.
Quincy Man Arrested for Making Threats Against the President of the United StatesRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Jason Patrick Alday, 39, of Quincy, Florida, has been arrested on a federal criminal complaint. Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the charge after Alday made his initial appearance in federal court in Tallahassee.
The criminal complaint alleges that Alday engaged in sending threatening communications, making threats against the President of the United States, and threats against federal officials.
Alday was arrested by the United States Marshals Service Task Force, and the United States Secret Service on Monday. Alday was ordered detained pending trial.
The case is being investigated by the United States Secret Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Eric Welch.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation by a sworn affiant that a defendant has committed a violation of federal criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to due process, to include a fair trial, during which it is the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
The United States Attorney's Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Putnam County Man Sentenced to Prison for Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Christopher Anthony O'Dell, 39, of Hurricane, was sentenced today to four years and nine months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl. O’Dell admitted to his role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Southern District of West Virginia.
According to court documents and statements made in court, O’Dell participated in the DTO from approximately November 2022 through November 2023. O’Dell admitted that he sold approximately 1.1 grams of fentanyl and 3.5 grams of methamphetamine for $200 to a confidential informant on August 18, 2023. O’Dell further admitted that the transaction took place at his Hurricane residence, and that he arranged it beforehand with the confidential informant by text message.
The DTO participants used a St. Albans residence to store and distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. O’Dell conducted distributions and transported various individuals from the St. Albans residence to a Ninth Avenue residence in Huntington where they received additional amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine before O’Dell transported them back to the St. Albans residence.
On August 28, 2023, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by O’Dell in St. Albans. The officer seized approximately 51 grams of fentanyl and two muzzleloading pistols from the vehicle during the traffic stop. O’Dell admitted that co-defendant Jashawn William Lawson was a passenger in his vehicle during the traffic stop and that he was aware that Lawson was in possession of fentanyl that Lawson was transporting to St. Albans to distribute. O’Dell further admitted to possessing the seized firearms.
O'Dell and Lawson are among 27 individuals indicted in a 53-count indictment that charges the defendants with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl transported from Detroit, Michigan, in Huntington and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia.
Lawson, also known as “Nitty,” 23, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty on April 16, 2024, to aiding and abetting possession with the intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine and awaits sentencing.
O’Dell and Lawson are among 21 defendants who have pleaded guilty in the main case. One other of the 27 indicted individuals pleaded guilty to a related offense in a separate case. The indictment against the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-180.
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Prior Felon Sentenced to 120 Months in Federal Prison for Drug Offense and Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA – Adam Joseph King, 42, of Tallahassee, Florida, was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison, after previously pleading guilty for distribution of 5 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence.
“Methamphetamine distribution is a scourge on large and small communities of our district,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “With our dedicated law enforcement partners, we are committed to identifying and aggressively prosecuting those who threaten our citizens’ health and safety by distributing such addictive, controlled substances. This sentence acknowledges the defendant’s continued criminal conduct and sends a straightforward message that there are real and severe consequences for federal firearm and drug offenses.”
Court documents reflect that King, and others, were actively receiving and distributing pound quantities of high-purity methamphetamine in the Northern District of Florida, as well as illegally selling firearms. During targeted drug operations, between September 2022 and March 2023, King sold smaller quantities of high-purity methamphetamine and expressed his willingness to illegally obtain and sell firearms. In March 2023, King sold investigative agents approximately an ounce of methamphetamine and a semi-automatic handgun.
“Methamphetamine is a dangerous and addictive drug that destroys families and devastates communities,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter. “DEA remains committed to working with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to thoroughly investigate those who distribute this poison in our communities and hold them accountable for their actions.”
King’s prison sentence will be followed by 8 years of supervised release.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms, in coordination with the Tallahassee Police Department, Leon County Sheriff’s Office, and the North Florida High Intensity Drug Task Force (HIDTA). Assistant United States Attorney Eric Mountin 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.
As part of its PSN strategy, the United States Attorney’s Office is encouraging everyone to lock their car doors, particularly at night. Burglaries from unlocked automobiles are a significant source of guns for criminals in the Northern District of Florida. Please do your part and protect yourself by locking your car doors.
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Oxford Man Sentenced to Two Years in Prison for Drug ChargesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – An Oxford man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a large-scale drug trafficking conspiracy that distributed controlled substances in and around the Quincy and Weymouth areas.
Chaasad Cyprien, 24, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to two years in prison and three years of supervised release. In April 2024, Cyprien pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine and to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine. Cyprien was charged in September 2022 along with Aderito Amado, Neylton Fontes and Erica Vieira.
Until at least 2021, Cyprien conspired with Amado, Vieira and Fontes to distribute certain quantities of controlled substances in and around Quincy and Weymouth. At the time of his arrest, Cyprien was with Amado and Fontes sitting inside a Jeep that contained controlled substances, including cocaine and cocaine base. Two cellular devices recovered from the Jeep were identified as belonging to Cyprien – each of which were found to contain evidence, including communications and/or images, that further connected Cyprien to the drug trafficking conspiracy.
Fontes and Vieira pleaded guilty in May 2024. Amado was convicted by a federal jury in June 2024 for his involvement in the drug conspiracy – including drug distribution and firearm-related charges. The defendants are currently awaiting sentencing.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the Quincy, Weymouth, Braintree, Randolph and Brockton Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kaitlin R. O’Donnell and Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit are prosecuting the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Orlando Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Commit Wire FraudRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Wendy Cudemo-Gamez (47, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Cudemo-Gamez faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Cudemo-Gamez owned and managed a construction company which she registered with the State of Florida in May 2021. This company purported to supply construction services and labor to work for construction site contractors. In order to comply with Florida law, Cudemo-Gamez’s company was required to secure and maintain adequate worker’s compensation insurance coverage.
Providers of worker’s compensation insurance based the premiums they charged and the amount of coverage they provided on the number of employees a company had and the total annual payroll of those employees. Cudemo-Gamez’s company had agreements with contractors and subcontractors to use workers purported to be Cudemo-Gamez’s employees at construction sites, and these workers were often undocumented aliens who were actually working for and under the daily supervision and direction of the contractors. Cudemo-Gamez or others would then regularly receive “payroll checks” from contractors that were cashed at various financial institutions to pay Cudemo-Gamez’s purported “employees” and other related expenses.
During the time period charged in the criminal information, Cudemo-Gamez falsely and fraudulently represented in insurance applications that her company had a very limited payroll and a very limited number of employees who worked on construction jobsites. Cudemo-Gamez also falsely and fraudulently sent wire communications to numerous contractors representing that her company’s employees had full worker’s compensation coverage.
In reality, Cudemo-Gamez’s company received and cashed more than $7.8 million in checks from various construction contractors for these purported “employees.” These payroll figures far exceeded the very limited payroll figures that Cudemo-Gamez had reported to her worker’s compensation insurance company. As a result, these employees of Cudemo-Gamez’s company, in reality the employees of other entities, performed work on jobsites without adequate insurance coverage. In addition, the insurers lost premiums they would have charged had they been aware of the true number of workers their policies were thus being manipulated to cover.
As a result of these misrepresentations, Cudemo-Gamez’s company also disclaimed responsibility for ensuring that jobsite workers were legally authorized to work in the United States and that required state and federal payroll taxes were being paid for these workers. The contractors who actually paid these workers’ wages and used their services were able to avoid responsibility for those duties as well.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the State of Florida Department of Financial Services. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jay L. Hoffer.
Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: Federal Jury Finds Jackson County Man Guilty of Role in Methamphetamine Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – After two days of trial, a federal jury convicted Mark Leslie Lively, 57, of Kenna, of conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Evidence at trial proved that Lively participated in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area from about November 2022 to in or about March 2023. Members of the DTO conspiracy commonly obtained their controlled substances on consignment, paying their suppliers with proceeds from distributing them to customers. On February 2, 2023, law enforcement officers intercepted a series of phone calls between Lively and co-conspirator Karl Lamont Funderburk, during which the two discussed money that Lively owed Funderburk and arranged for Lively to obtain a quantity of methamphetamine from Funderburk.
Funderburk and Lively met later that day at in an alley near Washington Street West in Charleston, where Funderburk provided approximately 138 grams of methamphetamine to Lively. Funderburk received $900 from Lively, including $400 that Lively owed for a prior drug transaction that the two discussed during the intercepted phone calls. As Lively drove away from the meeting place, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of Lively’s vehicle and requested the assistance of a police K-9 unit. The police K-9 alerted to the presence of controlled substances in the vehicle. The officer searched Lively’s vehicle and seized the methamphetamine hidden underneath the dashboard.
The officer issued a citation to Lively for simple possession and allowed him to leave. Law enforcement intercepted a phone call Lively made to Funderburk following the traffic stop, relaying the details of the traffic stop and the seizure of the methamphetamine. The evidence at trial established that Lively intended to distribute the methamphetamine that he received from Funderburk.
Lively is scheduled to be sentenced on November 4, 2024, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine.
Funderburk, 38, of Charleston, pleaded guilty on December 6, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, conspiracy to distribute a quantity of cocaine, and conspiracy to distribute a quantity of fentanyl. Funderburk awaits sentencing.
Lively and Funderburk are among 32 individuals indicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that has yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement seized well over 400 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 40 pounds of cocaine, 3 pounds of fentanyl, 19 firearms and $935,000 in cash.
Funderburk is also among 29 of the defendants who have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the remaining defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
“I commend Assistant United States Attorneys Jeremy B. Wolfe and Joshua Hanks and our trial team for securing guilty verdicts on both counts against Lively in this case, which is the result of tremendous investigative work by a dedicated array of our law enforcement partners,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson.
Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the jury trial.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-31.
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Northampton County Man Indicted for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SCRANTON - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that Wei Fu, age 38, of Northampton County, PA, was indicted on a charge of distribution of child pornography.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Fu distributed child pornography on January 8, 2024 and January 9, 2024.
The case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security-RAC Allentown and the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General. Assistant United States Attorney Tatum R. Wilson is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for these offenses is 20 years, with a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
Nigerian Man Pleads Guilty to Real Estate Phishing / Spoofing SchemeRead the Press Release
A Nigerian man pleaded guilty today to conning prospective homeowners and others out of down payments using a “man-in-the-middle” email phishing and spoofing attack, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Kolade Akinwale Ojelade, a 34-year-old Nigerian national living abroad in Leicester, was indicted in February 2023. He was extradited from the U.K. to the U.S. in April 2024 and pleaded guilty Wednesday to wire fraud affecting a financial institution and aggravated identity theft.
“Unfortunately, sophisticated phishing and spoofing attacks can ensnare even the most tech-savvy among us. They can be disastrous for companies and absolutely calamitous for individuals,” said U.S. Attorney Leigha Simonton. “We look forward to holding this defendant accountable for the financial devastation he has wrought. In the meantime, I urge the public to follow CFPB’s best practices for wiring down payments.”
“Mr. Ojelade orchestrated the theft of funds from unsuspecting homeowners and real estate companies who believed they were legitimately wiring money to a trusted party,” said FBI Dallas Special Agent in Charge Chad Yarbrough. “The FBI successfully worked with our foreign partners to ensure he is held accountable by the U.S. judicial system.”
According to court documents, Mr. Ojelade sent phishing emails to real estate businesses, gained unauthorized access to many of their accounts, and monitored their email traffic to determine when large transactions were about to take place. He then intercepted wire payment instructions, changed the information, and resent the emails via spoofed email addresses that mimicked the original senders’ addresses.
Unbeknownst to the victims – including prospective homeowners wiring money to real estate companies and real estate companies wiring money to title companies – the modified wiring instructions directed them to accounts controlled by Mr. Ojelade and his co-conspirators. Once the funds hit the accounts, Mr. Ojelade and his coconspirators withdrew the money or transferred it into other bank accounts.
Mr. Ojelade now faces up to 32 years in federal prison. After serving his sentence, he will be subject to deportation.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation, with substantial assistance from FBI International Operations at Mission U.K., United Kingdom authorities, and the U.S. Marshals Service. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Mr. Ojelade from the United Kingdom. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Weybrecht is prosecuting the case.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau advises prospective homeowners to confirm wiring instructions – including account numbers – in person or by phone, and instructs anyone who believes they may have fallen victim to a scam to call their banks as soon as possible to ask for a wire recall.
New Jersey Man Sentenced to 26 Months in Prison for Mailing Threatening CommunicationsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that NIKOLAY LEVINSON was sentenced today to 26 months in prison for mailing threatening communications. LEVINSON previously pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos, who imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Nikolay Levinson sent vile racist, anti-Semitic, and anti-Muslim threats for the sole purpose of instilling fear in innocent members of our community. This sentence should serve as a reminder that we will never stop protecting the community from such disturbing, hateful conduct.”
According to the Indictment, other public filings, and statements made in court:
From June through November 2022, shortly after his release from prison for similar offenses, LEVINSON mailed six threatening letters to five victims in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Brooklyn, New York, and at least 35 other anonymous, threatening, hateful, racist, anti-Semitic, and anti-Muslim letters to victims in the greater New York City area. LEVINSON sent the letters, which often contained racial epithets and Nazi imagery, to businesses, schools, synagogues, and individuals.
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In addition to the prison term, LEVINSON, 41, of Palisades Park, New Jersey, was sentenced to three years of supervised release.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New York City Police Department.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s White Plains Division and Civil Rights Unit in the Criminal Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey C. Coffman is in charge of the prosecution.
New Hampshire Man Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Member of a nationwide drug trafficking ring was sentenced yesterday in federal court in Boston. Throughout the investigation over 160 pounds of pure methamphetamine, as well as an AK-47, a Glock with no serial number, two loaded Smith & Wesson handguns and over 4,200 rounds of ammunition were seized. An illegal marijuana grow operation with hundreds of marijuana plants was also dismantled.
Andre Watson, 47, of Nashua, N.H., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton to 12 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release. In April 2024, Watson pleaded guilty to one count of a second superseding indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Watson was charged in a superseding indictment in September 2021 with conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. The superseding indictment also charged 10 other defendants with controlled substance offenses, firearm offenses and money laundering offenses.
In approximately October 2020, investigators received information about drug trafficking activities of a large-scale methamphetamine supplier in the Boston area. In late 2020, Reshat Alkayisi was identified as a large-scale methamphetamine trafficker, who distributed multi-pound quantities to multiple co-conspirators throughout the New England area. Watson was identified as one of Alkayisi’s methamphetamine distributors. In May 2021, Alkayisi distributed approximately four pounds (or 1.8 kilograms) of methamphetamine to Watson. In July 2021, Watson was arrested and multiple weapons were seized from his vehicle, along with a loaded firearm from his residence.
Watson is the first defendant to be sentenced. All the defendants have pleaded guilty and are awaiting sentencing.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts Department of Correction; Norfolk County Sherriff’s Office; and the Concord, Hudson, Peabody, Reading, Watertown and Waltham Police Departments. Assistance was also provided by the Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Maine State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alathea Porter and Katherine Ferguson of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.