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16 July 2024
Justice Department Secures Agreement with Bell County to Ensure Polling Place Access to Voters with DisabilitiesRead the Press Release
AUSTIN, Texas – U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas announced today that the United States has reached a settlement agreement with Bell County to ensure that the county provides accessible polling places to voters with disabilities. The agreement resolves the United States’ investigation into Bell County’s compliance with Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”), which prohibits discrimination on the basis of disability by a state or local government in any of its programs or services.
The United States surveyed 13 of the county’s polling places used during the 2023 Uniform Election. The United States observed that polling places contained architectural or equipment barriers that rendered the facilities inaccessible to votes with disabilities, such as a lack of van accessible parking, excessively sloped ramps, excessively sloped portions of parking spaces and protruding objects. In addition, the United States observed a lack of knee and toe clearance to accommodate wheelchairs at the accessible voting machines.
“The right to vote is a foundation of our democracy and must not be diminished or restricted,” said U.S. Attorney Esparza. “Under this agreement, eligible voters with disabilities in Bell County will be able to exercise their fundamental right to vote and participate in our democracy. Our office will continue working to ensure that all eligible Americans have access to the ballot, and we commend Bell County for their cooperation throughout the investigation and in this resolution.”
Under the settlement agreement the county will engage the technical assistance of an accessibility expert and use an evaluation form for each current and prospective polling place based on ADA architectural standards. The agreement requires the county to either relocate voting to new, accessible facilities, or to use temporary measures such as portable ramps, traffic cones, signs, wedges, and door stops to ensure accessibility on Election Day. In addition, Bell County will train its poll workers and other elections staff on the requirements of the ADA and how to use temporary measures to ensure each polling place is accessible during elections.
For more information about the ADA, please visit www.ada.gov, or call the Department of Justice’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 or (800) 514-0383 (TDD). Information about filing a complaint, including instructions for filing a complaint online, can be found at https://www.justice.gov/crt/how-file-complaint.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Liane Noble, Matthew Mueller and Robert Green represented the government in this investigation and resolution.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
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Jury Convicts Eau Claire Man of Wire FraudRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – An Eau Claire, Wisconsin, man has been convicted of wire fraud and attempting to commit wire fraud. Robert Carter, 45, was convicted following a two-day trial in federal court in Madison. The jury reached a verdict today after just over an hour of deliberation. The guilty verdict is announced by Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin.
The government presented evidence at trial that from April 22, 2020 to January 25, 2021, Carter made false statements and provided false documents to companies that leased and sold semitrucks in an attempt to fraudulently obtain property, specifically, semi-trucks, to use in his business, Carter Transportation Group. In support of his lease applications, Carter submitted false financial statements for his businesses and submitted a false wire transfer receipt. Carter also falsely claimed that he had a multi-million-dollar trust.
U.S. District Judge William M. Conley scheduled sentencing for October 17, 2024. Carter faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on the each of the two fraud counts.
The case was investigated by IRS Criminal Investigation and the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance provided by the Office of the U.S. Trustee for the Western District of Wisconsin. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Chad Elgersma and Megan Stelljes.
Jury Convicts Columbia Man of Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Columbia, Mo., man was found guilty in federal court today of possessing fentanyl that he intended to distribute in Springfield, Mo.
Michael E. Hunt, Jr., 43, was found guilty of one count of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute.
Law enforcement officers learned that Hunt was planning to transport fentanyl from Columbia to Springfield. Hunt was driving a black Jeep Renegade southbound on Highway 5 on June 12, 2022, when a Laclede County, Mo., sheriff’s deputy conducted a traffic stop for a moving violation. A police service dog alerted to the presence of drugs in the Jeep, at which time Hunt locked the vehicle and refused to give officers the keys.
After the Jeep was unlocked by a local tow company, officers searched the vehicle and found a black gym bag on the front passenger seat that contained approximately 300 grams of fentanyl, which is consistent with distribution and not merely personal use.
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mo., deliberated for about an hour before returning a guilty verdict to U.S. District Judge Brian C. Wimes, ending a trial that began Monday, July 15.
Under federal statutes, Hunt is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of life in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony Brown and J.D. Hatcher. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Laclede County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Springfield, Mo., Police Department.
Jersey City Man Sentenced to 94 Months in Prison for Unlawful Possession of Firearm and Ammunition Used to Commit ShootingRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 94 months in prison for illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition in connection with an incident in which he shot another individual in the middle of a crowded street in Jersey City, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Christian Freire, 29, of Jersey City, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini to an indictment charging him with one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Judge Martini imposed the sentence today in federal court in Newark.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
A little after midnight on Aug. 29, 2020, Freire was walking with a group of individuals toward Martin Luther King Drive in Jersey City when he observed two men approaching and – as caught on a surveillance camera from a nearby residence – fired multiple rounds at the men in the middle of the street. This sent a large group of bystanders running from the area.
When Jersey City Police Department officers arrived on the scene, Freire attempted to hide, but then fled as officers approached him. Officers observed Freire tossing a handgun towards a church lawn as he was fleeing. After apprehending Freire, a previously convicted felon, the officers ultimately recovered the black Taurus PT111 G2 9mm handgun with an obliterated serial number that Freire threw.
A victim of the shooting was transported to Jersey City Medical Center with a gunshot wound to the leg.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Martini sentenced Freire to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited the Jersey City Police Department, under the direction of Director James Shea, for the investigation. He also thanked the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy.
This investigation was conducted as part of the Jersey City Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The VCI was formed in 2018 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, and the Jersey City Police Department, for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Jersey City. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate to strategize and prioritize the prosecution of violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, the Jersey City Police Department, the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, the Hudson County Jail, and the New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Stern of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.
Jefferson County Sex Offender Accused of New Child Sex CrimesRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A registered sex offender living in Park Hills, Missouri has been arrested after having been indicted and accused of child enticement and child pornography offenses.
Reginald M. Miller, 56, of Park Hills, Missouri, appeared in U.S. District Court in St. Louis court Tuesday and pleaded not guilty. Miller was indicted by a grand jury on July 10 with six felonies: enticement and coercion of a minor as a repeat offender, attempted travel with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct as a repeat offender, solicitation of child pornography as a prior offender, receiving child pornography as a prior offender, transfer of obscene material to a minor and commission of a felony involving a minor as a prior offender.
The indictment accuses Miller of attempting to coerce a minor under the age of 15 into engaging in sexual activity, crossing state lines to engage in a sex act with someone younger than 15, soliciting images containing child pornography, receiving images containing child pornography and sending picture of his genitals, all between Dec. 1, 2023, and April 29, 2024.
The LaSalle Police Department, LaSalle County Sheriff's Office, Park Hills Police Department and FBI’s St. Louis Division investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case.
The enticement charge is punishable by at least 10 years in prison and not more than three life sentences. The attempted travel charge is punishable by up to 90 years in prison. The solicitation of child pornography as a prior offender is punishable by between 15 and 40 years in prison.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Jacksonville Man Sentenced to More Than 7 Years for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida –United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Joven Montecer Reyes (39, Jacksonville) to 7 years and 11 months in federal prison, for distributing child sexual abuse material. Reyes pleaded guilty to that offense on March 28, 2024.
According to the court documents, Reyes distributed child sexual abuse material on a social media website on November 3, 2022. During the investigation, Reyes’ cell phone was searched, and forensic analysis revealed that he possessed over 200 images and 300 videos of child sexual abuse material.
“This predator’s disgraceful actions of possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material online inflicts irreparable physical and psychological damage upon innocent victims for a lifetime,” said Homeland Security Investigations Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge Timothy Hemker. “Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force law enforcement partners work tirelessly to protect children from predators who exploit the innocence of children by distributing their abhorrent content.”
This case was investigated by the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force, to include Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John John Cannizzaro.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Inmate Pleads Guilty to Possessing Weapon at FCI McDowellRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Tony Lashon Cleveland Jr., 26, an inmate at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) McDowell, pleaded guilty today to possession of a weapon by an inmate at a federal prison.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on or about September 12, 2023, an FCI McDowell staff member conducted a pat-down search of Cleveland and found a handcrafted weapon commonly known as a “shank” in one of his socks. The shank was a piece of metal approximately five inches long with a sharpened point on one end and melted plastic on the other end to form a handle. Cleveland admitted to possessing the shank, and further admitted that it was designed and intended to be used as a weapon.
Cleveland is scheduled to be sentenced on November 12, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Senior United States District Judge David A. Faber presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy D. Boggess is prosecuting 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. 1:24-cr-62.
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Honduran Man Sentenced to Prison for Illegally Reentering the United States After Being DeportedRead the Press Release
A man who illegally returned to the United States after being deported was sentenced today to ten months in federal prison.
Eslyn Hernandez-Milla, age 28, a citizen of Honduras illegally present in the United States and residing in Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a March 8, 2024, guilty plea to one count of illegal reentry into the United States after having been deported.
At the guilty plea, Hernandez-Milla admitted he had previously been deported from the United States and illegally reentered the United States without the permission of the United States government. Hernandez-Milla was previously deported in June 2018. On January 26, 2024, immigration officials learned Hernandez-Milla had illegally returned to the United States and found Hernandez-Milla at the Black Hawk County Jail following his conviction on state charges. Hernandez-Milla was convicted on January 26, 2024, in the Iowa District Court in Black Hawk County of two counts of Willful Injury Causing Bodily Injury, one count of Domestic Abuse Assault by Strangulation, and one count of Domestic Abuse Assault by Display or Use of a Weapon.
Hernandez-Milla was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Hernandez-Milla was sentenced to ten months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a one-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Hernandez-Milla is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel C. Tvedt and investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Enforcement and Removal Operations.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-2007.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Harrison County Man Sentenced for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – William Kevin Glover, 62, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 327 months in prison for fentanyl and methamphetamine trafficking.
A federal jury convicted Glover in March 2024 of seven counts of drug trafficking and one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises. According to the evidence introduced at trial, Glover was working with others to sell fentanyl and methamphetamine, using his Clarksburg residence as a hub. Investigators searched Glover’s home, seizing fentanyl, various pills, cocaine, methamphetamine, a firearm, drug paraphernalia, and cash.
Glover was previously convicted of murder in Upshur County in 1984. Glover was on parole when he committed the federal offenses. Glover has a long history of criminal convictions dating back to the age of 21, including convictions for grand larceny, drug possession, wanton endangerment, and criminal trespass.
Glover will report for three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Three other Clarksburg residents pled guilty in 2023 to charges related to the operation and were sentenced. They are Stacy Elaine Russell, age 50, sentenced to nine months; Robert Anthony Brockington, age 41 sentenced to six months; and Jerri Rena Lucente, age 35, sentenced to 46 months.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandon Flower and Christie Utt prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The case was investigated by the Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Grant County Man Sentenced for Firearms, Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jacob Glen Vance, age 34, of Petersburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 57 months in federal prison for possession of a machine gun and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
According to court documents and statements made in court, as a part of another investigation, West Virginia State Police searched Vance’s home and storage unit, finding several firearms, including an unregistered machine gun, methamphetamine, and cash.
Vance will report for three years of supervised release following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the West Virginia State Police investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
Glenville Narcotic Treatment Program Pays $300,000 Penalty for Controlled Substances Act ViolationsRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Conifer Park Inc. agreed to pay $300,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the Controlled Substances Act’s (CSA) recordkeeping requirements.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division made the announcement.
Conifer Park is a maintenance and detoxification facility that dispenses controlled substances, including methadone and buprenorphine, to treat individuals for substance use disorder. The CSA requires entities that dispense controlled substances to maintain certain records and to conduct periodic inventories. An inspection by the DEA in 2018 revealed that Conifer Park failed to maintain accurate records or perform required inventories, and was co-mingling controlled substances among different registrants. Conifer Park subsequently agreed to comply with the CSA’s recordkeeping requirements in the future and to institute an electronic recordkeeping system if it was unable to do so. DEA conducted similar inspections in 2021 and 2023 and determined that Conifer Park’s recordkeeping practices continued to violate the CSA. Despite the continued non-compliance, Conifer Park did not implement an electronic recordkeeping system.
Contemporaneously with the Settlement Agreement resolving the Controlled Substances Act civil penalties, Conifer Park entered into a Memorandum of Agreement with the DEA, agreeing to implement an electronic recordkeeping system no later than November 1, 2024.
This case was investigated by DEA Albany District Office’s Diversion Group. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Moran represented the United States in this matter.
Georgian National Charged with Soliciting Hate Crimes and a Mass Casualty Attack in New York CityRead the Press Release
A Leader of Maniac Murder Cult, a White Supremacist Group, Allegedly Recruited Others to Commit Arsons and Bombings Targeting Racial Minorities and the Jewish Community
Planned New Year’s Eve Attack Involved Santa Claus Handing Out Poisoned Candy to Racial Minorities as well as Distributing Poisoned Candy to Jewish Children in Brooklyn
A federal grand jury in Brooklyn, New York, returned a four-count indictment today charging Georgian national Michail Chkhikvishvili, 20, also known as Mishka, Michael, Commander Butcher and Butcher, with soliciting hate crimes and acts of mass violence in New York City.
According to court documents, Chkhikvishvili was arrested pursuant to an Interpol Wanted Person Diffusion, which was issued based on a criminal complaint. Chkhikvishvili is alleged to be a leader of the Maniac Murder Cult, also known as Maniacs Murder Cult, Maniacs: Cult of Killing, MKY, MMC and MKU, an international racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist group. MKY adheres to a neo-Nazi accelerationist ideology and promotes violence and violent acts against racial minorities, the Jewish community and other groups it deems “undesirables.” MKY members share a common goal of challenging social order and governments via terrorism and violent acts that promote fear and chaos. MKY has members in the United States and abroad. Chkhikvishvili allegedly recruited others to commit violent acts in furtherance of MKY’s ideologies, including planning and soliciting a mass casualty attack in New York City from an undercover law enforcement employee whom Chkhikvishvili believed was a prospective MKY recruit.
Since approximately September 2021, Chkhikvishvili has distributed a manifesto titled the “Hater’s Handbook” to MKY members and others. The handbook discusses MKY’s principles and encourages members to engage in acts of mass violence in furtherance of those principles. In the handbook, Chkhikvishvili states that he has “murdered for the white race” and encourages and instructs others to commit acts of mass violence and “ethnic cleansing.” For example, and among other things, the handbook encourages its readers to commit school shootings and to use children to perpetrate suicide bombings and other mass killings targeting racial minorities. The document describes methods and strategies for committing mass “terror attacks,” including, for example, using vehicles to target “large outdoor festivals, conventions, celebrations and parades” and “pedestrian congested streets.” It specifically encourages committing attacks within the United States.
In June 2022, Chkhikvishvili traveled to Brooklyn, New York and stayed with his grandmother while he was there. He provided to border authorities his grandmother’s address in Brooklyn as his address of record in the United States.
Beginning at least as early as July 2022, Chkhikvishvili repeatedly encouraged others, primarily via encrypted mobile messaging platforms, to commit violent hate crimes and other acts of violence on behalf of MKY. This included conspiring to solicit violent acts with a leader of a separate violent extremist neo-Nazi group and soliciting acts of mass violence in New York from an individual who claimed to be a prospective MKY recruit, but who, unbeknownst to Chkhikvishvili, was actually an undercover FBI employee (the UC).
In a September 2023 conversation, the UC messaged Chkhikvishvili whether there was an application process to join MKY. The defendant responded, “Well yes we ask people for brutal beating, arson/explosion or murder vids on camera.” He further stated that “[p]oisoning and arson are best options for murder,” and suggested also considering a larger “mass murder” within the United States. Chkhikvishvili advised the UC that the victims of these acts should be “low race targets.”
Beginning in approximately November 2023, Chkhikvishvili solicited the UC to commit violent crimes, such as bombings and arsons, for the purpose of harming racial minorities, Jewish individuals and others. Chkhikvishvili provided detailed plans and materials such as bomb-making instructions and guidance on making Molotov cocktails to facilitate his desire for the UC to carry out these crimes. In November 2023, Chkhikvishvili began planning a mass casualty attack in New York City to take place on New Year’s Eve. The scheme involved an individual dressing up as Santa Claus and handing out candy laced with poison to racial minorities. The scheme also involved providing candy laced with poison to children at Jewish schools in Brooklyn. Chkhikvishvili drafted step-by-step instructions to carry out the scheme and shared with the UC detailed manuals on creating and mixing lethal poisons and gases. He also instructed the UC on methods of making ricin-based poisons in powder and liquid form, including by extracting ricin from castor beans. Some of the materials transmitted by Chkhikvishvili have been linked to radical Islamist jihadist groups and designated foreign terrorist organizations such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Chkhikvishvili intended that the planned attack would be a “bigger action than Breivik,” referring to Anders Behring Breivik, a Norwegian neo-Nazi who killed 77 people in a bombing and mass shooting in Norway in 2011. Meanwhile, he told others of his plan and claimed to have previously committed other hate crimes while living in Brooklyn, New York, in 2022. Chkhikvishvili boasted to others that he was “glad I have murdered,” and that he would “murder more” but “make others murder first.”
If convicted, Chkhikvishvili faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for solicitation of violent felonies (including hate crime acts and transporting an explosive with intent to kill or injure), a maximum penalty of five years in prison for conspiring to solicit violent felonies, a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for distributing information pertaining to the making and use of explosive devices and a maximum penalty of five years in prison for transmitting threatening communications.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York and Executive Assistant Director Robert R. Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ellen H. Sise and Andrew D. Reich for the Eastern District of New York and Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting the case. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division also provided assistance.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Georgian National Charged with Soliciting Hate Crimes and a Mass Casualty Attack in New York CityRead the Press Release
Planned New Year’s Eve Attack Involved Santa Claus Handing Out Poisoned Candy to Racial Minorities as well as Distributing Poisoned Candy to Jewish Children in Brooklyn
BROOKLYN, NY – A federal grand jury in Brooklyn yesterday returned a four-count indictment charging Georgian national Michail Chkhikvishvili, also known as “Mishka,” “Michael,” “Commander Butcher” and “Butcher,” with soliciting hate crimes and acts of mass violence in New York City. Chkhikvishvili was arrested in Chișinău, Moldova on July 6, 2024 pursuant to an Interpol Wanted Person Diffusion, which was issued based on a criminal complaint. Chkhikvishvili is alleged to be a leader of the Maniac Murder Cult, also known as “Maniacs Murder Cult,” “Maniacs: Cult of Killing,” “MKY,” “MMC” and “MKU,” an international racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist group. Chkhikvishvili allegedly recruited others to commit violent acts in furtherance of MKY’s ideologies, including planning and soliciting a mass casualty attack in New York City from an undercover law enforcement employee whom Chkhikvishvili believed was a prospective MKY recruit.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Matthew G. Olsen, Assistant Attorney General of the Justice Department’s National Security Division and Christie M. Curtis, Acting Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the arrest and charges.
“As alleged, the defendant sought to recruit others to commit violent attacks and killings in furtherance of his Neo-Nazi ideologies,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “His goal was to spread hatred, fear and destruction by encouraging bombings, arson and even poisoning children, for the purpose of harming racial minorities, the Jewish community and homeless individuals. We will not hesitate to find and prosecute those who threaten the safety and freedoms of all members of our community, including members of minority communities, no matter where in the world these criminals might be hiding.”
Mr. Peace praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), which consists of investigators and analysts from the FBI, the NYPD, and over 50 other federal, state and local agencies.
FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Curtis stated, “Today’s charges underscore the dedication of our Joint Terrorism Task Force and our partners in New York in safeguarding our nation’s security. The swift disruption of this individual, accused of allegedly plotting violent attacks in New York, sends a clear message: we will use every resource in our power to ensure the safety of the American people. The men and women who work on this task force day in and day out exemplify true service to our community, demonstrating unwavering commitment in thwarting those who seek to harm our citizens and our way of life.”
As alleged, Chkhikvishvili was a leader of MKY, an international racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist group. MKY adheres to a Neo-Nazi accelerationist ideology and promotes violence and violent acts against racial minorities, the Jewish community and other groups it deems “undesirables.” MKY members share a common goal of challenging social order and governments via terrorism and violent acts that promote fear and chaos. MKY has members in the United States and abroad.
Since approximately September 2021, Chkhikvishvili has distributed a manifesto titled the “Hater’s Handbook” to MKY members and others. The Handbook discusses MKY’s principles and encourages members to engage in acts of mass violence in furtherance of those principles. In the Handbook, Chkhikvishvili states that he has “murdered for the white race” and encourages and instructs others to commit acts of mass violence and “ethnic cleansing.” For example, and among other things, the Handbook encourages its readers to commit school shootings and to use children to perpetrate suicide bombings and other mass killings targeting racial minorities. The document describes methods and strategies for committing mass “terror attacks,” including, for example, using vehicles to target “large outdoor festivals, conventions, celebrations and parades” and “pedestrian congested streets.” It specifically encourages committing attacks within the United States.
In June 2022, Chkhikvishvili traveled to Brooklyn, New York and stayed with his grandmother while he was there. He provided to border authorities his grandmother’s address in Brooklyn as his address of record in the United States.
As alleged, beginning at least as early as July 2022, Chkhikvishvili repeatedly encouraged others, primarily via encrypted mobile messaging platforms, to commit violent hate crimes and other acts of violence on behalf of MKY. This included conspiring to solicit violent acts with the leader of a separate violent extremist Neo-Nazi group, and soliciting acts of mass violence in New York from an individual who claimed to be a prospective MKY recruit, but who, unbeknownst to Chkhikvishvili, was actually an undercover FBI employee (the UC).
In a September 2023 conversation, the UC messaged Chkhikvishvili whether there was an application process to join MKY. The defendant responded, “Well yes we ask people for brutal beating, arson/explosion or murder vids on camera.” He further stated that “[p]oisoning and arson are best options for murder,” and suggested also considering a larger “mass murder[]” within the United States. Chkhikvishvili advised the UC that the victims of these acts should be “low race targets.”
Beginning in approximately November 2023, Chkhikvishvili solicited the UC to commit violent crimes, such as bombings and arsons, for the purpose of harming racial minorities, Jewish individuals and others. Chkhikvishvili provided detailed plans and materials such as bomb-making instructions and guidance on making Molotov cocktails to facilitate his desire for the UC to carry out these crimes. In November 2023, Chkhikvishvili began planning a mass casualty attack in New York City to take place on New Year’s Eve. The scheme involved an individual dressing up as Santa Claus and handing out candy laced with poison to racial minorities. The scheme also involved providing candy laced with poison to children at Jewish schools in Brooklyn. Chkhikvishvili drafted step-by-step instructions to carry out the scheme and shared with the UC detailed manuals on creating and mixing lethal poisons and gases. He also instructed the UC on methods of making ricin-based poisons in powder and liquid form, including by extracting ricin from castor beans. Some of the materials transmitted by Chkhikvishvili have been linked to radical Islamist jihadist groups and designated foreign terrorist organizations such as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Chkhikvishvili intended that the planned attack would be a “bigger action than Breivik,” referring to Anders Behring Breivik, a Norwegian Neo-Nazi who killed 77 people in a bombing and mass shooting in Norway in 2011. Meanwhile, he told others of his plan and claimed to have previously committed other hate crimes while living in Brooklyn, New York in 2022. Chkhikvishvili boasted to others that he was “glad I have murdered,” and that he would “murder more” but “make others murder first.”
The charges in the complaint and indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Chkhikvishvili faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment for solicitation of violent felonies (including hate crime acts and transporting an explosive with intent to kill or injure), five years’ imprisonment for conspiring to solicit violent felonies, 20 years’ imprisonment for distributing information pertaining to the making and use of explosive devices, and five years’ imprisonment for transmitting threatening communications.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Ellen H. Sise and Andrew D. Reich are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Paralegal Specialist Wayne Colon. The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division also provided assistance.
The Defendant:
MICHAIL CHKHIKVISHVILI (also known as “Mishka,” “Michael,” “Commander Butcher” and “Butcher”)
Age: 20
Tbilisi, GeorgiaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-286 (CBA)
Four Charged with Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – A federal grand jury has indicted four people on firearms charges.
Todd M. Houston, 35, of Morgantown, West Virginia, and Kayla N. Taylor, 33, of Montrose, West Virginia, are facing charges involving a conspiracy to straw purchase firearms in Monongalia County. Christopher S. Damson, 27, of Kernersville, North Carolina is charged with unlawful possession of ammunition. According to court documents, Taylor falsified documents to purchase firearms for Houston, who is prohibited from having firearms because of prior robbery and burglary convictions in the Circuit Court of Monongalia County. Damson and Houston were arrested while attempting to pawn boxes of ammunition. Damson is prohibited from having firearms because of a domestic violence protective order issued in Lee County, Florida.
In a separate case, Jonathon Wade Cochran, 42, of Shinnston, West Virginia, has been indicted for the unlawful possession of a firearm. According to the indictment, Cochran was found in Harrison County with a 9mm pistol. Cochran is prohibited from having firearms because of prior methamphetamine, burglary, and firearms convictions in Monongalia, Marion, and Harrison Counties.
Assistant U.S. Attorney William Rhee is prosecuting the cases on behalf of the government.
Investigative agencies include the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Harrison County Sheriff’s Office.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Former Weymouth Police Officer Sentenced for Assaulting a Man During an ArrestRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A former Weymouth Police officer was sentenced today for assaulting a man in custody by punching the victim multiple times without legal justification.
Justin Chappell, 43, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to two years’ supervised release, with the first six months to be served in home confinement. Chappell was also ordered to complete 40 hours of community service per year of supervised release, for a total of 80 hours. In April 2024, Chappell pleaded guilty to one count of deprivation of rights under color of law.
On July 2, 2022, Chappell was a police officer for the Weymouth Police Department. While on duty, he responded to a call regarding an allegedly intoxicated man causing a disturbance at a home in Weymouth. Chappell placed the man under arrest, and while attempting to put the man in the police cruiser, Chappell punched the man approximately 13 times with a closed fist without legal justification. The punches caused obvious pain and visible injuries to the man’s head.
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 was provided by the Weymouth Police Department and the Norfolk County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Torey B. Cummings and Neil J. Gallagher Jr. of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Former Universal Companies Executive Sentenced to Seven Years in Prison for Conspiracy to Defraud the U.S., Fraud, and Tax CrimesRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Abdur Rahim Islam, 67, the former chief executive officer of Universal Community Homes (“UCH”) and Universal Education Companies (“UEC”) was sentenced today to 84 months’ imprisonment, followed by three years’ supervised release, for his convictions on 18 fraud, corruption, and tax charges relating to his tenure at Universal.
United States District Court Judge Gerald A. McHugh also ordered Islam to forfeit $609,651.31, and to pay restitution to Universal in the amount of $609,651.31 plus attorneys’ fees, and to pay restitution of $309,581.66 to the IRS. Judge McHugh also ordered Islam to pay an $1,800 special assessment.
On March 20, 2024, a federal jury convicted Islam on charges that he stole more than a half-million dollars from UCH and UEC, charities established by Philadelphia music legend Kenny Gamble and his wife Faatimah Gamble to develop affordable housing and manage charter schools in Philadelphia. The jury also convicted Islam on charges that he bribed the president of the Milwaukee public schools board of directors and cheated on six years of personal income taxes. The jury also convicted Islam and his co-defendant, former Universal Chief Financial Officer Shahied Dawan, on a charge that they conspired to defraud the federal government by impeding, impairing, obstructing, and defeating the lawful functions of the Internal Revenue Service.
The evidence at trial established that Islam and Dawan used their positions at Universal to pay themselves unauthorized bonuses and to pay Islam fraudulent “expense reimbursement” checks, which included payments for purely personal expenses, such as trips to Caribbean resorts with various women, family vacations, first-class travel upgrades, Broadway shows, personal gym memberships and cellphone bills, and countless meals at restaurants with friends and family members.
Islam and Dawan hid all of these illegal payments from the IRS, which enabled Islam to cheat on six years of personal income taxes. Islam also bribed Dr. Michael Bonds, the former president of the Milwaukee public schools board of directors, in return for political favors. Dr. Bonds has pleaded guilty to charges relating to the bribery scheme and is scheduled to be sentenced next month.
On July 10, 2024, Judge McHugh sentenced Dawan, 73, to 18 months’ imprisonment, one year of supervised release, and a $15,000 fine for his role in the conspiracy. Judge McHugh also ordered Dawan to pay $196,952 in restitution to the IRS.
“Islam stole from charities founded to make disadvantaged Philadelphians’ lives better, in order to enrich his own,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “That’s far from his only crime, but it’s certainly the most galling. We and our partners will continue to hold accountable anyone foolish enough to defraud their employer or cheat the government and taxpayers out of revenue – or, as in this case, both.”
“In his crimes, Islam not only sought to defraud the government, but U.S. taxpayers,” said Wayne A. Jacobs, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Philadelphia. “Today's sentencing serves as yet another reminder of the consequences which come to those who commit acts of fraud and bribery against the United States. The FBI and our partners at the United States Attorney's Office and IRS Criminal Investigation Division remain steadfast in our commitment to combating corruption at any level.”
“The outcome today is due to the dedicated efforts of IRS Criminal Investigation special agents and our law enforcement partners,” said Denise Leuenberger, Acting Special Agent in Charge of IRS Criminal Investigation. “Anyone contemplating cheating on their taxes should know that our largest enforcement program is directed at the portion of American taxpayers who willfully and intentionally violate their known legal duty of filing and paying their taxes.”
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division, with assistance from the Department of Education Office of Inspector General, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mark B. Dubnoff and Linwood C. Wright, Jr.
Former Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office Detective Pleads Guilty to Enticement of A MinorRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Josue Garriga III (34, St. Augustine) today pleaded guilty to enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Garriga faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison. Following his release from prison, Garriga will be required to register as a sex offender and serve a term of supervised release of at least 5 years. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, Garriga, who at the time was a detective with the gang unit of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO), met the minor victim, who was 17 years old, at church in 2023. Garriga pursued a sexual relationship with the child victim until approximately March 7, 2024. This included reaching up the child victim’s skirt while she worked serving coffee before church service. At some point, Garriga used his JSO-issued cell phone and an undercover Instagram account to reach out to the child victim and obtained her phone number. Garriga then used his personal cell phone to communicate with the child victim, directing their messages to an end-to-end encrypted app set to automatically delete the messages after 24 hours.
Garriga requested nude photos from the child victim and sent her nude photos of himself. Garriga also video chatted with the child victim over FaceTime more than 120 times, including when the child victim showered. On one occasion, Garriga requested that the child victim livestream herself masturbating.
On at least two occasions, Garriga used his JSO work vehicle to travel to the child victim’s neighborhood in Clay County to meet with the minor victim and engage in sexual contact that was illegal under Florida law. On another occasion, Garriga met with the child victim at a coffee shop in Clay County and enticed her to his JSO work vehicle, where he engaged in unlawful sexual activity with the child victim and refused to let her leave until she performed oral sex on him.
This case was investigated by the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force, to include Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, and the Clay County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Cofer Taylor and Kelly S. Milliron.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Former Banker Extradited from the United Kingdom for Bribing Ghanaian OfficialsRead the Press Release
A dual citizen of the United States and Ghana will make his initial appearance today in the Eastern District of New York to face charges related to his participation in a scheme to bribe Ghanaian officials to obtain and retain business from the Republic of Ghana.
Asante Kwaku Berko, 50, was extradited yesterday from the United Kingdom to the United States.
According to court documents, between December 2014 and March 2017, Berko, an executive director in the Investment Banking Division of a wholly owned subsidiary of a U.S. global investment banking, securities, and investment management firm, allegedly conspired with others in connection with a multi-year bribery and money laundering scheme. During this time, Berko was a member of the team at the firm that was responsible for securing and managing a deal between its client, a Turkish energy company, and the Republic of Ghana to build a power plant in Ghana and to provide financing for the plant. Berko and others allegedly offered and paid more than $70,000 in bribes to government officials in Ghana in exchange for their assistance in ensuring that the Turkish energy company was successful in winning the bid to build and operate the power plant.
Berko is charged with one count of conspiring to violate the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA), one count of violating the FCPA, and one count of conspiring to commit money laundering. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiring to commit money laundering and five years in prison for each count of violating the FCPA and conspiring to violate the FCPA.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York; and Executive Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch made the announcement.
The FBI’s International Corruption Unit is investigating the case.
Trial Attorney Elina A. Rubin-Smith of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alixandra Smith, Tara McGrath, and Jessica Weigel for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with the Government of the United Kingdom, U.K. National Central Bureau of INTERPOL, and U.S. Marshals Service to secure the arrest and extradition of Berko.
The Criminal Division’s Fraud Section is responsible for investigating and prosecuting FCPA matters. Additional information about the Justice Department’s FCPA enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal/fraud/fcpa.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Former Banker Charged with Bribing Ghanaian Officials Extradited to the United States from the United KingdomRead the Press Release
Asante Kwaku Berko, a dual citizen of the United States and Ghana, will be arraigned in federal court in Brooklyn today before Magistrate Judge Vera M. Scanlon on an indictment charging him with violations of the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) and money laundering for bribing Ghanaian government officials to secure a power plant deal and laundering the payments through the U.S. financial system. Yesterday, Berko was extradited to the Eastern District of New York from the United Kingdom where he was arrested on November 3, 2022 pursuant to an Interpol Diffusion Notice.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Nicole M. Argentieri, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General, Head of the Criminal Division and Christie M. Curtis, Acting Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) announced the extradition.
“As alleged, the defendant bribed Ghanaian government officials to secure a lucrative development contract relying on the U.S. banking system to execute his scheme,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “My Office is committed to rooting out bribery and other criminal practices that create inequities in the playing field for business both here and abroad and exploit the U.S. banking system.”
Mr. Peace expressed his appreciation to the Government of the United Kingdom, the U.K. National Centre Bureau for INTERPOL, the Embassy of the United States in London, the Department’s Office of International Affairs and the U.S. Marshals Service for providing substantial assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of the defendant.
“For over two years, Asante Berko, a dual citizen of the U.S. and Ghana, allegedly bribed Ghanian government officials to monopolize a promising business deal and used United States bank accounts to transfer such kickbacks. Financially influencing decision-makers, including those overseas, jeopardizes the integrity of affected countries while creating an unfair advantage to those promoting the bribery scheme. The FBI will not permit citizens, regardless of their nationality, to obtain corrupt contracts by exploiting foreign countries and utilizing our nation to facilitate the movement of unlawful payments,” stated FBI Assistant Director in Charge Curtis.
As set forth in the indictment, between approximately December 2014 and March 2017, Berko conspired with others to bribe Ghanaian government officials in connection with the development and financing of a multi-million-dollar power plant in Ghana. Berko, an Executive Director in the Investment Banking Division of a subsidiary of a U.S. bank, was responsible for securing and managing a deal between its client, a Turkish energy company, and the Republic of Ghana, for the construction and financing of a power plant in Ghana.
During the scheme, Berko and his co-conspirators paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes—including to Ghanaian officials—to ensure the Turkish energy company won its bid to build and operate the power plant. For example, in April 2015, bribes were paid to five Ghanaian officials during an all-expenses-paid trip to Turkey to view equipment for the power plant, during which the officials each received $5,000. After the power plant deal was ratified by the Ghanaian parliament in July 2015, Berko and his co-conspirators exchanged detailed emails regarding their bribe payments. In August 2015, they discussed $250,000 in bribe payments paid to various individuals, including $20,000 to the “MoP Girls”—who were with the Ghanaian Ministry of Power and who a co-conspirator described as “vital to our communication and information acquisition.” The emails further detailed tens of thousands of dollars in bribes that Berko had personally paid and for which he was still owed. Payments in furtherance of the bribery scheme were laundered through U.S. and foreign bank accounts, including several in Berko’s name.
The charges in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Berko faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for conspiring to commit money laundering and five years in prison for each count of violating the FCPA and conspiring to violate the FCPA.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI’s International Corruption Unit. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Alixandra Smith, Jessica Weigel and Tara McGrath are in charge of the prosecution, along with Trial Attorney Elina Rubin-Smith of the Department of Justice’s Criminal Division, Fraud Section.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with the Government of the United Kingdom, U.K. National Central Bureau of INTERPOL, and U.S. Marshals Service to secure the arrest and extradition of Berko.
The Defendant:
ASANTE KWAKU BERKO
Age: 50
Ghana / United KingdomE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-328 (DG)
Florissant Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Fentanyl TraffickingRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Florissant, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for providing more than 34 kilograms of fentanyl to a large-scale drug-trafficking organization in southwest Missouri.
Sheron L. Loggins, also known as “Bane,” 50, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann A. Ketchmark to 14 years in federal prison without parole.
On Nov. 14, 2022, Loggins pleaded guilty to participating in a conspiracy to distribute at least a kilogram of heroin and more than 400 grams of fentanyl. Loggins admitted that he provided fentanyl to co-defendant Jerry R. Wheeler, 49, of Springfield, who in turn supplied a number of other fentanyl/heroin distributors in the Springfield area from Sept. 23, 2018, to Nov. 14, 2019.
According to court documents, Loggins supplied more than 34 kilograms of fentanyl to the drug-trafficking organization.
Law enforcement officers stopped Loggins on Sept. 8, 2019, as he was traveling on Interstate 44 toward Springfield to deliver fentanyl. Officers searched his vehicle and found approximately 496 grams of fentanyl and a .45-caliber magazine loaded with five rounds of ammunition.
Loggins is the ninth defendant to be sentenced in this case, among 15 defendants who have pleaded guilty.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cameron A. Beaver and Jessica R. Eatmon. It was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Missouri State Highway Patrol, the Bourbon, Mo., Police Department, and the Phelps County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department.
Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force
This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program. The OCDETF program is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s drug supply reduction strategy. OCDETF was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. Today, 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.
Fifteen Year Sentence for Maryland Man for 2019 Shooting in Northeast DCRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Mercedes Edmonds, aka Marcedes Edmunds, 38, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced today after being found guilty by a jury of aggravated assault while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and additional firearms charges arising from a 2019 shooting in the 4000 block of Hayes Street NE, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
On May 14, 2024, Edmonds was also found guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a shotgun, and related firearms offenses. Today, Superior Court Judge Andrea Hertzfeld sentenced Edmonds to 15 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s trial evidence, on May 1, 2019, Edmonds was standing with a group in the 4000 block of Hayes Street NE, and the victim was dropping items off at a nearby apartment. Apparently perceiving disrespect by the victim toward a member of the group, Edmonds retrieved a shotgun from his car and ordered the victim to leave the area. As he tried to leave, the defendant shot the victim twice, striking him in the leg. The victim suffered substantial blood loss and had to undergo emergency surgery to save his leg.
In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of the officers of the Metropolitan Police Department who investigated this case. Invaluable assistance was also provided by the United States Marshals Service. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Paralegal Specialist Antoinette Sakamsa; Information Technology Specialist Charlie Bruce; and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nomnso Kalu, Randle Wilson, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Raspa, who investigated the case.
Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathryn Bartz and Lauren Winer, who investigated prosecuted the case.
Federal jury convicts Bozeman felon of illegal possession of firearm, ammunitionRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A federal jury on Monday convicted a Bozeman felon of illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition after a Gallatin County Sheriff’s deputy went to serve an arrest warrant and found the defendant armed, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
After a one-day trial on July 15, the jury found the defendant, Perry Edward Carson, 46, guilty of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Carson faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Dec. 5. Carson was detained pending further proceedings.
“Felons illegally possessing firearms, like Carson did, are a threat to public safety, and in this case, Carson’s conduct posed a threat to a law enforcement officer when he was attempting to serve an arrest warrant. Keeping guns out of the hands of prohibited persons is critical to reducing overall gun violence. I thank our prosecution team, the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for their diligent work on this case,” U.S. Attorney Laslovich said.
In court documents and at trial, the government alleged that on March 15, a Gallatin County Sheriff’s deputy went to Carson’s camper to execute an arrest warrant. Carson saw the deputy arrive and told him he was going to put down his gun out of respect and asked the deputy to do the same. Carson entered his camper, went out of sight and then returned to the open door. Carson refused to exit the camper. The deputy directed Carson several times to stay away from the firearm and exit the camper. Eventually, Carson was tased and taken into custody. The deputy obtained a search warrant for the camper and found a 9mm pistol that had a magazine and ammunition. Carson was convicted of a felony drug crime in Pennsylvania and sentenced in 1999.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The Gallatin County Sheriff’s Office and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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Fairfield County man sentenced to more than 8 years in prison for sextortion, child pornography crimesRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Fairfield County man was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 100 months in prison for crimes related to child pornography and sextortion.
Devin Bailey, 27, of Millersport, Ohio, distributed child pornography of a minor victim and used those images, in addition to others, in interstate communications to extort an adult victim for images of herself.
According to court documents, Bailey used multiple personas online to solicit sexually explicit photographs of the adult victim and then used the images he obtained to threaten and extort her for more explicit photographs of herself.
Bailey also sent messages containing child pornography to the adult victim. The victim recognized one of the girls, who was approximately 12 years old at the time, in the images she received.
The minor victim believed she had sent the explicit images and videos to a female in Florida, who in reality was another persona of Bailey’s. Bailey had kept the child pornography for more than five years before sending the photos to the adult victim to coerce her into taking sexually explicit photos of herself.
Bailey also threatened to distribute the child pornography of the known minor female to family members of the adult victim and across the internet if the adult victim did not comply with his demands.
In May and June 2022, Bailey also used numerous email addresses, cell phone numbers and Snapchat accounts to harass the adult victim, threatening to share pornographic images of her and the minor victim she knew. He said if the victim did not send him new explicit photos or videos, he would use the older materials against her.
Bailey’s threats persisted for weeks. He consistently and aggressively messaged the adult victim and, when she indicated she would involve law enforcement, Bailey responded, “Go ahead, they are untraceable numbers, and I can get hundreds more lol.”
A forensic review of Bailey’s electronic devices revealed that they contained approximately 200 images and 20 videos of child sexual abuse material.
Bailey was charged federally in February 2023 and pleaded guilty in October 2023.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Lancaster Police Chief Nicholas H. Snyder announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case.
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Essex County Man Admits Defrauding Victims in Car Theft and Fraudulent Resale SchemeRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man today admitted defrauding victims by orchestrating a multistate car theft and fraud ring, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Warren Guerrier, 47, of Newark, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini in Newark federal court to an indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From November 2016 to June 2020, Guerrier and several conspirators acting at his direction orchestrated a scheme to steal and then fraudulently sell vehicles to unsuspecting buyers. Guerrier and his conspirators identified vehicles to steal, then photographed, tracked, and advertised them for sale on the internet. The buyer victims were provided with electronically programmed keys and falsified certificates of title for the stolen vehicles in exchange for a negotiated purchase price in cash. Buyer victims also were provided with fraudulent identity documents utilized by conspirators to obscure their true identities.
The scheme involved the theft of at least 40 stolen vehicles, approximately 30 of which were sold by Guerrier and his conspirators to buyer victims. As a result of the scheme, Guerrier and his conspirators collected approximately $285,000.
The conspiracy to commit wire fraud count is punishable by a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Nov. 19, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark and Special Agent in Charge Douglas Williams in New Orleans, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jessica R. Ecker and Kendall Randolph of the Criminal Division in Newark.
guerrier.indictment.pdfEscapee from Bloomfield Halfway House Pleads GuiltyRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that JONATHAN McEWEN, 34, formerly of Vernon, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to escaping from the custody of the Attorney General.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on February 14, 2022, McEwen was sentenced in Hartford federal court to 42 months of imprisonment for unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon. On August 1, 2023, McEwen was transferred from a federal prison in Berlin, New Hampshire, to the Drapelick Center, a Residential Reentry Center (halfway house) in Bloomfield, to complete his custodial sentence. On November 27, 2023, McEwen was authorized to leave the halfway house to attend a state court hearing in Manchester. He failed to return to the halfway house as required. On December 6, 2023, McEwen was arrested by the Connecticut State Police and the Hartford Police Department on state charges unrelated to his escape. He has been detained since his arrest and was transferred into federal custody on January 26, 2024.
At sentencing, McEwen faces a maximum term of imprisonment of five years.
This matter was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police and Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney David J. Sheldon.
Davenport Man Sentenced to 222 Months in Federal Prison on Transportation of Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man was sentenced Thursday, July 11, 2024 to 222 months in federal prison for Transportation of Child Pornography and revocation of his federal supervised release.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, David Ponce, 53, a registered sex offender, was found to have a prohibited cell phone while under federal supervised release, had not formally registered with the Iowa Sex Offender Registry, and admitted to using the prohibited cell phone to access child pornography. During the investigation, Ponce was found accountable for more than 600 visual depictions of child pornography.
At sentencing, the Court also found Ponce had violated the terms of his federal supervised release for a prior conviction for attempted enticement of a minor and he was ordered to serve a 30-month term of imprisonment, for a total of 222 months in federal prison.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Ponce will be required to serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc. / For information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the resources tab.
Davenport Man Sentenced to 216 Months in Federal Prison for Receipt of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
DAVENPORT, Iowa – A Davenport man was sentenced on Thursday, July 11, 2024 to 216 months in federal prison, for receipt of child pornography.
According to public court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, Zane Michael McBride, 48, was identified by law enforcement as a suspect through a series of cyber tip notifications from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. During the course of that investigation, it was revealed that McBride was downloading, viewing, chatting online about, and trading child sexual assault material with other people. In total, McBride was attributed with receiving over 10,000 visual depictions of child sexual assault material. As part of his sentence, McBride was ordered to pay $21,000 in restitution.
After completing his term of imprisonment, McBride will be required to serve five years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. This case was investigated by the Davenport Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Court Orders West Virginia e-Cigarette Maker to Stop Selling Unauthorized Nicotine Vaping ProductsRead the Press Release
A federal court on July 2 enjoined a West Virginia company and its owner from manufacturing, distributing or selling unauthorized nicotine vaping products.
In a complaint filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of West Virginia, the government alleged that Soul Vapor LLC and the company’s owner, Aurelius Jeffrey, violated the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) by causing tobacco products to become adulterated or misbranded while they were held for sale after shipment of one or more of their components in interstate commerce. According to the complaint, the defendants manufactured and sold finished electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) products or e-cigarette products, including products under the Soul Vapor brand. The complaint alleged that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) warned the defendants that their ENDS products were adulterated and misbranded.
The complaint also alleged that the defendants submitted materially false information to FDA. Under the FDCA, entities that manufacture tobacco products must annually register with FDA. The government’s complaint alleged that the defendants falsely told FDA in their registration form that the company was “inactive” and “out of business” even while it continued to manufacture ENDS products. The complaint also alleged that Jeffrey told FDA that he would discontinue manufacturing and selling Soul Vapor-brand ENDS products that lacked FDA authorization, yet the products remained for sale.
The court previously granted the government’s motion for summary judgment against the defendants, finding that the defendants violated the FDCA and submitted materially false information to FDA. The order entered by the court permanently enjoins the defendants from directly or indirectly manufacturing, distributing, selling and/or offering for sale any new tobacco product that has not received marketing authorization from FDA. The court also ordered the defendants to destroy ENDS products that are manufactured by defendants and in their custody, control or possession.
The injunction against Soul Vapor is the most recent judicial enforcement action finalized since the Justice Department and FDA announced the creation of a federal multi-agency task force to combat the illegal distribution and sale of e-cigarettes. To date, the FDA has authorized the sale of 27 specific tobacco- and menthol-flavored e-cigarette products and devices. These are the only e-cigarette products that currently may be lawfully marketed and sold in the United States.
“Manufacturing and selling unauthorized vaping products is illegal and threatens public health,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department will continue to work closely with the task force to bring enforcement actions against those who illegally manufacture, distribute or sell these dangerous products.”
“FDA has clearly outlined what manufacturers need to do to comply with the law, and we are committed to holding those who fail to do so accountable,” said Director Brian King, Ph.D., M.P.H. of the FDA’s Center for Tobacco Products. “FDA will continue to work with our federal partners to identify and bring enforcement actions against these bad actors.”
Trial Attorney Michael J. Murali of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch handled the case, with assistance from Associate Chief Counsel William Thanhauser of FDA’s Office of the Chief Counsel.
Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts can be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
Claims made in a complaint are allegations that, if a case were to proceed to trial, the government would be required to prove by a preponderance of the evidence.
Cottage Grove Woman Sentenced to Federal Prison for Threatening Coworkers on FacebookRead the Press Release
MEDFORD, Ore.—A Cottage Grove, Oregon woman was sentenced to federal prison today for threatening violence against her coworkers on Facebook.
Elizabeth Ballestros West, 56, was sentenced to six months and three weeks in federal prison and three years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, in late September 2023, the FBI received an anonymous tip that West was threatening coworkers on Facebook. Later, in November 2023, the FBI learned West had established an account on X (formerly known as Twitter) that she used to post and repost memes, videos and statements containing violent messages targeting particular ethnic groups. Several of West’s posts included what appeared to be self-produced photos of firearms including several handguns, a shotgun, and an AR-style assault rifle.
On January 3, 2024, West admitted to posting and reposting messages on X that contained hateful and violent rhetoric. West also admitted to possessing multiple shotguns and AR-15 assault rifles at her Cottage Grove residence.
One week later, on January 9, 2024, the FBI executed federal search warrants on West’s person, vehicle, and residence. They located and seized 12 handguns, 16 rifles, thousands of rounds of ammunition and firearm accessories, and a journal that appeared to contain writings and drawings that included additional hateful and violent statements. On January 12, 2024, West was charged by criminal complaint with transmitting a threat in interstate commerce and arrested by the FBI the same day at her workplace in Eugene.
Approximately one week later, on January 18, 2024, a federal grand jury in Eugene indicted West on the same charge. On May 29, 2024, West pleaded guilty.
This case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Cottage Grove Police Department, Eugene Police Department, and Lane County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Adam E. Delph, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
Cooperating Cancer Testing Company Agrees to Pay over $900,000 to Resolve Allegations of False Claims for Lab TestsRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Guardant Health, Inc., a precision oncology company based in Palo Alto, has agreed to settle allegations that it knowingly violated the False Claims Act (FCA), 31 U.S.C. §§ 3729-31, and regulations of the Defense Health Agency (DHA), announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of the Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey McIntosh, and Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Western Field Office, Special Agent in Charge Bryan D. Denny. In connection with the settlement, the United States acknowledged that Guardant took a number of significant steps entitling it to credit for cooperating with the government, including voluntarily disclosing the conduct to HHS-OIG. Guardant will pay $913,932.93 to settle the FCA allegations and $31,082.00 in an administrative settlement with DHA.
As alleged by the government, in or around April 2021, a physician based in Austin, Texas contacted Guardant’s Human Resources Department to recommend a close friend of the physician’s family member for a position as an Account Manager in Guardant’s Oncology Division. Guardant hired the family friend as an Account Manager. In October 2021, the physician contacted Guardant again, this time seeking a position for his step-daughter upon her graduation from college. The step-daughter was considered but rejected for a position in Guardant’s Screening Division. However, in or around February 2022, two Guardant employees arranged for the family friend to be promoted, thereby creating an opening in the Oncology Division for employment of the step-daughter. These employees knew of the relationship between the step-daughter and the physician, and that the step-daughter was not qualified for the role. The physician then ordered significantly more Guardant tests per quarter after both hirings.
Based on this conduct, the United States alleges that Guardant submitted claims to and received payments from Medicare for clinical laboratory services that had been referred to Guardant by the physician in violation of the Physician Self-Referral Law, or Stark Law, 42 U.S.C. § 1395nn. The United States further alleges that Guardant knowingly submitted or caused the submission of false claims for payment for Guardant tests ordered by the physician during the relevant time period to Medicare Part B in violation of the FCA and to TRICARE in violation of 32 C.F.R. § 199.9.
Guardant cooperated with the government’s investigation of the issues and took prompt and substantial remedial measures. Shortly after receiving information regarding the physician’s referrals, Guardant stopped billing federal health care programs for Guardant tests ordered by the physician. Guardant also terminated the physician’s family member’s employment.
“This Office is committed to holding accountable individuals and entities who commit and profit from healthcare fraud,” said United States Attorney for the Northern District of California Ismail J. Ramsey. “We will continue to pursue those who enter into unlawful arrangements that waste taxpayer dollars and corrupt the integrity of healthcare decisionmaking.”
“Illegal referrals and incentives undermine the integrity of our federal healthcare programs,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey McIntosh of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG and our law enforcement partners remain committed to identifying and holding accountable those who engage in such unlawful relationships.”
“The announced settlement demonstrates the government’s commitment to hold accountable those whose actions taint the integrity of federal healthcare programs, including the Department of Defense's TRICARE program,” said Special Agent in Charge Denny. “DCIS remains steadfastly committed to working with our law enforcement partners to investigate questionable actions that harm the quality of the TRICARE program and the services it provides to our military members and their families.”
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sharanya Mohan and Ekta Dharia handled this matter for the government, with assistance from Jonathan Birch. The investigation and settlement resulted from a coordinated effort by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California, HHS-OIG, and DOD-OIG. Mr. Ramsey thanked HHS-OIG, DOD-OIG, and HHS’s Office of General Counsel for their assistance with this matter.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
text_of_guardant_settlement.pdfConvicted Newington Landscape Contractor Fined $1.75 Million for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that ANTHONY NIRO, 61, of Newington, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to three years of probation and ordered to pay a fine of $1.75 million for tax evasion. Judge Williams noted Niro’s medical condition and family circumstances when imposing the sentence.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Anthony Niro was a co-owner of A. Niro Landscape Contractors, Inc. (“ANLC”), a business that provided landscaping and snowplowing services for large commercial properties and for personal residences. Nanette Niro, who is married to Anthony Niro, was the bookkeeper for ANLC and maintained ANLC’s financial records. For the 2006 through 2010 tax years, Anthony Niro, his business partner, and Nanette Niro conspired to evade both corporate and individual income tax by causing a large portion of ANLC’s receipts to be deposited into two non-interest-bearing checking accounts, and transferring money out the accounts to themselves for their benefit. Anthony Niro, his business partner, and Nanette Niro failed to provide information about these non-interest-bearing accounts to the tax return preparer who prepared ANLC’s federal income tax returns. In their 2006 through 2009 personal tax returns, the Niros failed to reflect accurately monies received from ANLC and other sources. A 2010 tax return was not filed.
For the 2006 through 2010 tax years, Anthony and Nanette Niro failed to report to the IRS more than $7.8 million in income, resulting in a tax loss to the IRS of $1,451,725. As an example, on their 2009 federal individual tax return, Anthony and Nanette Niro reported taxable income of $131,895 when their correct taxable income for that year was $1,891,955.
Anthony Niro has paid restitution of $1,472,735 to the IRS, and has forfeited an additional $127,300. He is still required to pay substantial interest and penalties to the IRS.
On January 4, 2024, Anthony Niro pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion. Nanette Niro pleaded guilty to the same charge on January 9, 2024, and awaits sentencing.
This investigation has been conducted by the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher W. Schmeisser.
Convicted Felon Is Sentenced to Prison for Illegal Possession of A FirearmRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Ashanti Joyner Jackson, 26, Charlotte, was sentenced today to 70 months in prison followed by two years of supervised release for possession of a firearm by a felon, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Bennie Mims, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Charlotte Field Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD), join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, on July 2, 2022, CMPD officers observed a vehicle that had been reported stolen drive into a Quick Trip gas station in Charlotte. CMPD officers arrived at the gas station and apprehended Jackson, who had been driving the vehicle, as he was walking out of the store. CMPD officers approached the parked vehicle and observed a firearm on the driver seat in plain view. The officers conducted a search of the vehicle and discovered that the firearm was a semi-automatic pistol, which was loaded with one round in the chamber and a magazine containing 12 rounds. In addition, CMPD officers found several baggies containing narcotics and a digital scale. During the investigation, law enforcement determined that Jackson has prior convictions for, among other offenses, Common Law Robbery, Larceny of a Motor Vehicle, and Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute. Accordingly, he is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition.
On April 12, 2023, Jackson pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He is in federal custody and will be 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 thanked the ATF and CMPD for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Kenney and Regina Pack of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte 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.
Colorado Springs Man Indicted on 11 Counts of Mail TheftRead the Press Release
DENVER – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Adam Christopher Turner, 40, of Colorado Springs, was indicted by a federal grand jury in Denver on June 27, 2024, on 11 counts of fraud in connection with unauthorized access devices, aggravated identity theft, possession of stolen mail, possession of stolen mail keys, possession with intent to distribute 50 grams and more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, and for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the indictment, Turner was linked to a multitude of thefts from community mailboxes in El Paso County, and in Parker, Colorado. The indictment alleges that Turner utilized counterfeit postal service master keys, called arrow keys, to steal mail from community mailboxes, also known as cluster box units. When a search warrant was executed on Turner’s residence, police found approximately 70 grams of methamphetamine, arrow keys, a firearm, and numerous pieces of stolen mail and stolen identity documents. Turner was on probation at the time of the execution of the warrant and is a convicted felon.
The defendant made his initial appearance on July 8, 2024, in Denver, in front of Magistrate Judge Scott T. Varholak.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case is being investigated by the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office and the United States Postal Inspection Service. The case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant United States Attorney Sonia Dave.
Co-Leader of Drug Trafficking Organization That Imported over 100 Kilos of Cocaine Sentenced to Ten Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – The co-leader of a years-long drug trafficking conspiracy that shipped over 100 kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico to Rhode Island has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
As reflected in court documents, Efrain Colon-Garcia, 43, and his wife, Yaniris Colon-Senquiz, 47, formerly of Woonsocket, co-led a conspiracy in which members of their extensive family received packages containing one or more kilograms of cocaine shipped from Puerto Rico. These family members utilized 19 different addresses in Rhode Island and received more than 60 packages.
At the outset, the Colons received less than one kilogram of cocaine per package, and the narcotics were hidden within items like clothing and toys. As the operation expanded, the parcels grew in size, with multiple kilograms of cocaine hidden inside larger items like Bluetooth speakers and wooden wine holders. In addition to having family members receive the packages, the Colons had family collect and transport drug proceeds to New York as part of the business. Family members were paid $1,000 per package to receive drug parcels at their own homes, and were paid between $2,000 and $5,000 per trip to drive and deliver tens of thousands of dollars in drug proceeds to New York.
At the time law enforcement interrupted the organization in 2020, the Colons were supplying cocaine to drug dealers in Rhode Island, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Florida.
At sentencing today, U.S. District Court Judge William E. Smith sentenced Efrain Colon-Garcia to 10 years in federal prison to be followed by three years of federal supervised release. Yaniris Colon-Senquiz is awaiting sentencing. The defendants pleaded guilty on September 6, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, and unlawful use of a communication facility (U.S. Mail).
The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Christine D. Lowell and Stacey A. Erickson.
The matter was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and members of the Rhode Island High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Charlotte Man Who Robbed A Convenience Store at Gunpoint Is Sentenced to More Than Nine Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A Charlotte man who robbed a convenience store at gunpoint was sentenced to 117 months in prison today, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Hasahn Riyardt Flowe, 27, was also ordered to serve 3 years of supervised release following his term of incarceration.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department (CMPD) join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and today’s court proceedings, on January 22, 2023, at 6:17 p.m., Flowe entered the Sam’s Mart located at 2630 Beatties Ford Road in Charlotte. Flowe had the lower part of his face concealed with a red bandana and was armed with a pistol. At the time, the only other person inside the store was a Sam’s Mart employee, identified in court documents as A.R. Upon entering the store, Flowe pointed the pistol at A.R. and demanded money from the register. Court records show that Flowe told A.R. that he had just gotten out of prison and ordered her to shut up or he would shoot her. A.R. opened the register and began to remove the money. Flowe took the money and fled the scene.
Photo # 1- Jan. 22, 2023 – Armed robbery of Sam's Mart on Beatties Ford Road in Charlotte – The defendant is pointing a firearm at a store employee as she hands him money from the register.
According to court records, on February 8, 2023, at 6:29 p.m., Flowe entered the 7-Eleven located at 4255 Statesville Road in Charlotte. Flowe had the lower part of his face concealed with the same red bandana and was armed with the same pistol as the previous robbery. The only other person present was a 7-Eleven employee, identified as T.R. Flowe displayed his pistol and demanded money from T.R. T.R., seeing the pistol, ran to the rear of the store and exited out of a back door.
Photo #2 - Feb. 8, 2023 - Attempted armed robbery of 7-11 in Charlotte – The defendant is pointing a firearm at a store employee as she’s fleeing the store.
According to court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, after the employee fled, Flowe ran behind the counter, found the drawer for the register, pulled it out, and dropped it on the floor. As that was happening, another customer walked in the store. Flowe raised his pistol and pointed it at the customer, who then backed out into the parking lot. Unable to get into the cash drawer, Flowe grabbed T.R.’s purse and fled the store.
Photo #3 - Feb. 8, 2023 - Attempted armed robbery of 7-11 in Charlotte – The defendant is pointing a firearm at a customer who walked into the store.
During the investigation, court records show that law enforcement found photographs posted on Flowe’s public social media profile of him wearing the red bandana he wore during the robbery and attempted robbery and posing with the firearm Flowe used during both crimes.
Photo #4 - The defendant posted photos on social media with the firearm he used in each crime.
Flowe was arrested on February 15, 2023. At the time of the arrest, law enforcement recovered the firearm Flowe had used to commit both crimes.
On October 19, 2023, Flowe pleaded guilty to Hobbs Act robbery and possession and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He is currently in federal custody and will be 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 thanked the FBI and CMPD for their investigation of the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Kent of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte 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.
Carmichael Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of a MinorRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sam Moss Kerfoot, 27, of Carmichael, pleaded guilty today to sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in April 2022, Kerfoot used the online application Omegle to meet teenage girls in the Sacramento area, including Victim 1, who was a minor. On multiple occasions, Kerfoot picked up the victim from school and took her off campus to have sexual intercourse with her, and Kerfoot took a video of this sexual exploitation. Law enforcement searched Kerfoot’s phone and located 73 videos of child sexual abuse material. Law enforcement also searched Kerfoot’s SnapChat account and learned that Kerfoot had used Snapchat to send and receive child pornography.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force Internet Crimes Against Children unit including the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emily Sauvageau is prosecuting the case.
Kerfoot is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Dale A. Drozd on October 22, 2024. Kerfoot was previously convicted for crimes related to the sexual abuse of a minor, and accordingly is subject to a 25-year mandatory minimum sentence. Kerfoot faces a maximum statutory penalty of 50 years in prison. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case 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 U.S. 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 those who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Carlos Watson, Founder and Former CEO of Ozy Media Inc., Convicted of Multi-Million Dollar Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Carlos Watson, the founder and former Chief Executive Officer of Ozy Media Inc. (Ozy), was convicted today by a federal jury in Brooklyn of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft in connection with a years-long scheme to defraud investors in and lenders to Ozy of tens of millions of dollars. Ozy was also convicted on both counts of the indictment. The verdict followed 8 weeks of trial before United States District Judge Eric R. Komitee. When sentenced, Watson faces a minimum sentence of two years in prison, and a maximum sentence of 37 years in prison. The company also faces financial penalties. Watson was remanded pending sentencing.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York and Christie M. Curtis, Acting Assistant Director in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), announced the verdict.
“The jury found that Watson was a con man who told lie upon lie upon lie to deceive investors into buying stock in his company. Watson invented phony financial figures and caused others to forge fake contracts and impersonate a media executive,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Ozy Media ultimately collapsed under the weight of Watson’s dishonest schemes and with today’s verdict, Watson himself has been held accountable for his brazen crimes. My Office is committed to ensuring integrity in the financial markets and protecting investors, small and large, from fast-talking fraudsters looking to betray their trust and separate them from their money.”
“The conviction of Carlos Watson underscores the profound damage caused by corporate fraud schemes. Watson's deceitful actions in defrauding investors of their funds and an attempt to defraud a financial institution of tens of millions of dollars illustrated the vulnerability of investors to false information. The FBI remains committed to bringing to justice those who engage in fraudulent activities, ensuring that the integrity of our financial markets is upheld and that market participants are protected from dishonest practices,” stated FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Curtis.
Ozy was a media and entertainment company with businesses that included digital newsletters, television production, podcasts and live events, the most prominent of which was a live festival known as “Ozy Fest.” Watson founded Ozy in 2012 and served as the company’s Chief Executive Officer. The company is now defunct.
As proven at trial, between 2018 and 2021, Watson and his co-conspirators, including then-Chief Operating Officer Samir Rao and then-Chief of Staff Suzee Han, orchestrated a scheme to defraud investors out of tens of millions of dollars through fraudulent misrepresentations and omissions about Ozy’s financial performance, including revenue, cash on hand and profit, ongoing business relationships with celebrities, acquisition prospects from high- profile technology and media corporations, contract negotiations and other corporate metrics. For example, Watson and his co-conspirators lied to prospective investors about who else might be investing in Ozy, the existence and size of acquisition offers received by Ozy, the existence and timing of “Series C” and “Series D” financing rounds by Ozy, and the existence and terms of Ozy’s business contracts — going so far as to direct Ozy employees to create fake contracts with forged signatures to provide in due diligence. On multiple occasions, when faced with questions from lenders or potential investors, Watson and his co-conspirators assumed the identities of and impersonated actual media company executives to cover up their prior fraudulent misrepresentations.
Forged Cable Television Contract and Impersonation of Media Executive
In December 2019, Watson and his co-conspirators attempted to induce a bank to lend Ozy money based on misrepresentations and omissions about Ozy’s business. Watson and his co-conspirators sought to secure the loan with anticipated revenues from a second season of an Ozy television show. However, the contract between Ozy and the show’s cable network for the second season of the show was still under negotiation. To induce the bank to make the loan sooner, Watson directed Ozy’s then-Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Tripti Thakur to send the bank a fake signed contract between Ozy and the cable network purporting to be for the second season. When Thakur refused, Rao, with Watson’s approval, sent the fake contract to the bank, copying the then-CFO. Later that day, Thakur emailed Watson and Rao to say that she was resigning effective immediately. She explained, “this . . . is illegal. This is fraud. This is forging someone’s signature with the intent of getting an advance from a publicly traded bank.” She continued, “To be crystal clear, what you see as a measured risk — I see as a felony.”
In subsequent months, Watson and his co-conspirators continued to attempt to induce the bank to lend Ozy several million dollars based on misrepresentations and omissions, including regarding the expected revenue from the second season of the Ozy television show. During these discussions, the bank requested to speak to a representative of the cable network. To conceal the lies about Ozy’s relationship with the cable network and the status and terms of their agreement, Rao, with Watson’s approval, created a fake email address in the name of an actual executive of the cable network, which Rao used to impersonate the executive and communicate with the bank about the potential loan.
Attempted Fraudulent Investment and Impersonation of Another Media Executive
From approximately November 2020 through February 2021, Watson and his co-conspirators attempted to induce Goldman Sachs to invest up to $45 million in Ozy by means of material misrepresentations and omissions regarding Ozy’s historical and projected financial results, debts, and business relationships. Had the full $45 million investment occurred as intended, $6 million of the $45 million would have been paid to Watson personally.
As part of its due diligence process, Goldman Sachs executives asked Watson and Rao to arrange a meeting with someone from YouTube. Watson and his co-conspirators claimed the online video service had paid Ozy nearly $6 million in licensing revenue for “The Carlos Watson Show.” This was another misrepresentation — Ozy was never paid by YouTube for Ozy content. Because Ozy did not in fact have any business relationship with YouTube, Watson and Rao agreed that Rao would impersonate a media executive at YouTube in communications with Goldman Sachs. On January 28, 2021, Rao, with Watson’s agreement, created a fake email address in the name of the media executive, which he used to correspond with representatives of Goldman Sachs.
On February 2, 2021, Rao had a phone call with employees of Goldman Sachs during which he impersonated a media executive from YouTube using a voice alteration application that he downloaded onto his cellular telephone to mask his voice during the call. During the call, Watson was in the same room as Rao, and texted Rao instructions about what to say and what not to say on the call. Shortly after the call, one of the employees of the financial institution contacted the actual media executive of YouTube who confirmed that he had not been on the call and that the online video service had no role in the production of The Carlos Watson Show. When members of Goldman Sachs later spoke with Watson, he falsely claimed that Rao had acted alone and as a result of a mental breakdown.
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Rao and Han previously pleaded guilty to charges relating to their roles in the scheme and are awaiting sentencing.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Business and Securities Fraud Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Jonathan Siegel, Gillian Kassner, and Dylan A. Stern are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Jacob Menz.
The Defendants:
CARLOS WATSON
Age: 54
Mountain View, CaliforniaOZY MEDIA, INC.
Mountain View, CaliforniaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-82 (EK)
Buffalo woman who lied to the FBI during murder investigation sentencedRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Deshema Clark, 46, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of making a materially false statement, was sentenced to serve 30 days in prison and two years’ supervised release by Chief U.S. District Judge Elizabeth A. Wolford.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maeve E. Huggins and Joseph M. Tripi, who handled the case, stated that on October 9, 2019, during the course of a federal criminal investigation, the FBI executed a search warrant at Clark’s Buffalo residence. During the search, Clark spoke with an FBI Special Agent, then went to Buffalo Police Department Headquarters to provide a voluntary statement to law enforcement. Clark knowingly made several false statements regarding the whereabouts of DeAndre Wilson during the evening of September 15, 2019, through the morning of September 16, 2019. Clark falsely stated that she and DeAndre Wilson returned to her residence after attending a concert the evening of September 15, 2019, ate dinner and went to sleep. Clark further falsely stated that a few hours later, she woke up and DeAndre Wilson was still asleep. Clark told investigators that she did not remember DeAndre Wilson leaving her residence on the evening of September 15, 2019, through the morning of September 16, 2019. However, Clark knew that DeAndre Wilson did not remain at her residence, eat dinner, and go to bed.
DeAndre Wilson was convicted by a federal jury and sentenced to serve three consecutive life sentences plus 30 years for the murders of Miguel Anthony Valentin-Colon, Nicole Marie Merced-Plaud, and Dhamyl Roman-Audiffred on or about September 15-16, 2019.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia; the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Joseph Gramaglia; the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia; the Erie County Central Police Services Forensic Laboratory.
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Brandon Man Arrested for Distributing Child Sexual Abuse Material and Destroying EvidenceRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return by a grand jury of an indictment charging Benjamin Crawford (46, Brandon) with distribution of child sexual abuse material, destruction of evidence, and access with intent to view child sexual abuse material. If convicted on all counts, Crawford faces a maximum penalty of 60 years in federal prison. The indictment also notifies Crawford that the United States intends to forfeit a cellphone and laptop, which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.
According to the indictment, Crawford distributed child sexual abuse material with the intent to view child sexual abuse material. Additionally, Crawford did knowingly alter, destroy, and mutilate records or tangible objects with the intent to impede, obstruct and influence the investigation and proper administration of the execution of a search warrant.
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 Attorneys Ilyssa M. Spergel and Abigail K. King.
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.
Arkansas Man Admits Traveling to Albany for Sexual Contact with Minor and Transporting Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Kyle Biswell, age 38, of Prairie Grove, Arkansas, pled guilty today to traveling from Arkansas to Albany, with the intent to engage in illicit sexual contact with a child, and to transporting child pornography in interstate commerce.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
Biswell admitted that between January and April 2023, he communicated with an individual he believed was the mother of an 11-year-old girl through an internet-based social networking application and using his cellular phone. Over the course of those communications, Biswell expressed his interest in engaging in sexual contact with the 11-year-old and ultimately purchased airfare to travel from his home in Arkansas to Albany, with the intent to engage in illicit sexual contact with the child on April 8, 2023. Upon his arrival in the Capital Region on April 8, 2023, Biswell was arrested by FBI agents, and admitted that he had traveled from Arkansas to Albany for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with a child he believed to be 11 years old. Biswell further admitted that he brought child pornography with him on his cell phone. The cell phone was subsequently searched by the FBI and found to contain numerous videos and images depicting child pornography, including several videos depicting the sexual abuse and rape of children under the age of 5.
At sentencing on November 13, 2024, before United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci, Biswell faces at least 5 years and up to 30 years in prison. The judge will also be required to impose a term of post-release supervision of at least 5 years and up to a life term. The court may also impose a fine of up to $250,000, restitution, and forfeiture of the cell phone Biswell used to commit his offenses. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. Biswell will also have to register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin S. Clark is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Aiken County Men Indicted for Bank FraudRead the Press Release
COLUMBIA, S.C. — A federal grand jury in Columbia returned a three-count superseding indictment against Thomas Allen Bateman, Jr., 50, and Cody Lee Anderson, 37, both of Aiken for bank fraud and conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
The indictment alleges that Bateman and Anderson enticed an elderly woman to leave all her assets to Bateman through a will that designated Anderson as her personal representative. At the time, she did not have the mental capacity to make a knowing and voluntary decision regarding her assets.
Bateman and Anderson face a maximum penalty of 30 years imprisonment and will make a first appearance and be arraigned by the Honorable Paige J. Gossett on July 31, 2024.
The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Winston Holliday and Scott Matthews are prosecuting the case.
U.S. Attorney Adair F. Boroughs stated that all charges in the indictment are merely accusations and that defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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15 July 2024
Venezuelan Citizen Pleads Guilty to Possessing Fraudulent Green CardRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A Venezuelan citizen admitted to possessing a fraudulent green card in federal court today and will be sentenced in October.
Diego Ibarra, 28, of Venezuela, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of a fraudulent document before U.S. District Judge Tilman E. Self, III on July 15. Ibarra faces a maximum of ten years in prison to be followed by up to three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine per count. Ibarra remains in federal detention. His sentencing date is scheduled for Oct. 7. There is no parole in the federal system.
According to court documents and statements referenced in court, Diego Ibarra admitted to possessing a counterfeit United States Permanent Resident Card in the name of Diego Jose Ibarra in Athens, Georgia, on Oct. 27, 2023, and Feb. 23, 2024.
His sibling, Argenis Ibarra, 24, and former roommate, Rosbeli Flores-Bello, 29, both of Venezuela, are charged by federal indictment with two counts each of possession of a fraudulent document and face a maximum of ten years in prison to be followed by up to three years of supervised release and a $250,0000 fine per count. An indictment is only an allegation of criminal conduct, and all defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt.
According to the filed indictment, Argenis Ibarra and Flores-Bello are alleged to have each possessed a fraudulent United States Permanent Resident Card and a counterfeit United States Social Security Card in the names of Argenis Jose Ibarra Ibarra and Rodrianny Brito Brito respectively on Feb. 23, 2024, in Athens. Argenis Ibarra had his initial appearance in Macon on July 11, and was detained. Flores-Bello’s detention hearing is scheduled for July 16, in San Antonio, Texas.
A federal grand jury returned the superseding indictment charging all three co-defendants on June 11, 2024; the indictment was unsealed on July 2, 2024.
The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with critical assistance from FBI, GBI, Athens-Clarke County Police Department, University of Georgia Police Department and Clarke County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Morrison is prosecuting the case for the Government.
United States Attorney’s Office Reaches Settlement to Reform Wayne County JailRead the Press Release
DETROIT – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Michigan has reached a landmark settlement agreement with Wayne County concerning inmates who have disabilities. After receiving numerous complaints, the U.S. Attorney’s Office opened an investigation of the Wayne County Jail under Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”), 42 U.S.C. Sec. 12132. The complaints alleged that Wayne County routinely failed to provide crucial services to inmates who have disabilities, including access to appropriate prescription medication, mental health services, and medical equipment. Additionally, some complaints alleged a failure to conduct medical and mental health assessments. The U. S. Attorney’s Office also learned that eight inmates committed suicide over a thirteen-month period during 2016 and 2017. The investigation substantiated several of the complaints and yielded additional concerns regarding the services, programs, and activities provided in the Wayne County Jail.
“Wayne County has a long and troubled history of providing inadequate services to inmates who have disabilities,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison. “We recognize that Wayne County is transitioning inmates into a new facility. However, a new building does not ensure access to those vital services. This agreement addresses systemic issues that have prevented inmates who have disabilities from equal access to services, programs, and activities while at the Wayne County Jail. Wayne County has fully cooperated with our investigation and this settlement agreement demonstrates our shared commitment to improving services for inmates with disabilities at the Wayne County Jail.”
The settlement agreement requires Wayne County to implement a series of reforms at the Wayne County Jail, including the following:
- Procedures to identify inmates who have disabilities when they arrive to the jail and programs that will allow each inmate access to services no matter where they are assigned within the facility;
- Access to physical health, mental health, and dental services for all inmates who have disabilities, including programs like detoxication and treatment for opioid use disorder;
- Programs to ensure the appropriate administration of medication to inmates who have disabilities; and
- Robust revisions to the suicide prevention program.
To ensure compliance with the agreement, Wayne County will provide compliance reports to the U.S. Attorney’s Office and will also retain at least one expert consultant to help implement the terms of this agreement. The agreement will remain in effect for a term of three years, unless Wayne County demonstrates durable compliance.
The investigation was led by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shannon Ackenhausen and Michael El-Zein of the Civil Rights Unit, and Executive Assistant United States Attorney Luttrell Levingston.
The full and fair enforcement of the ADA is a priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office. The Civil Rights Unit was established in 2010, with the mission of prioritizing federal civil rights enforcement. For more information on the Office’s civil rights efforts, including a copy of the agreement, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-edmi/programs/civil-rights.
Individuals who believe they have been subjected to discrimination or experienced a civil rights violation can submit a complaint with the U.S. Attorney’s Office by email at [email protected] or by phone at (313) 226-9151. Complaints can also be submitted to the Civil Rights Division through its complaint portal.
U.S. Attorney’s Office Secures Guilty Plea in Fatal DUI CaseRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Sanostee man pleaded guilty in federal court to two counts of involuntary manslaughter stemming from a fatal drunk-driving crash on the Navajo Nation that killed two people in August 2023.
According to publicly available court documents, on the morning of August 12, 2023, Leonardo Robbie Duncan, 33, was driving on Navajo Route 36 near Upper Fruitland, New Mexico, which is within the exterior boundaries of the Navajo Nation. Duncan was drunk and driving in an unsafe manner when he crossed into on-coming traffic and crashed head-on into the front passenger side of Jane and John Doe’s vehicle.
Instead of checking on Jane and John Doe and rendering aid, Duncan fled on foot. Jane and John Doe died shortly after. When Duncan turned himself in six hours later, he was still intoxicated with a blood-alcohol content of 0.08.
Duncan will remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
At sentencing, Duncan faces up to eight years in prison and up to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Jena Ritchey is prosecuting the case.
View the Plea Agreement# # #
U.S. Attorney and FBI Charge Shiprock Man for Violent Assault Against an Intimate PartnerRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Shiprock man was charged by criminal complaint for a brutal domestic assault that left leaving the victim with multiple injuries including fractures, lacerations requiring stitches, and extensive bruising.
Deshaun Begay, 20, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, appeared before a federal judge today and will remain in custody pending a detention hearing scheduled for July 15, 2024.
According to the criminal complaint, on July 4, 2024, the Navajo Nation Police Department (NNPD) responded to a report of assault in Shiprock, NM. Upon arrival, officers found the victim with multiple severe injuries to her face and head. The victim was immediately transported to Northern Navajo Medical Center for treatment.
According to the complaint, the victim reported four separate additional incidents of domestic violence since May 2024 which went unreported due to the defendant’s representation that the victim would not be believed due the defendant’s purported association with local authorities. On July 4, 2024, Begay continued his angry and physically abusive behavior after drinking with the victim. He then struck the victim repeatedly with his fists before escalating the assault with various weapons including a dog leash, a 10-pound dumbbell, and a chain with a padlock.
The victim sustained multiple injuries including bruising, lacerations requiring stitches and staples and a nasal bone fracture.
If convicted of the current charges, Begay faces up to 10 years in prison.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Farmington Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department, the Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Mark A. Probasco is prosecuting the case.
View the Criminal ComplaintA criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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U.S. Attorney Easley Announces Ongoing Wilmington-Area Violent Crime StrategyRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Today, U.S. Attorney Michael Easley, along with federal and local law enforcement, provided an update regarding ongoing and coordinated efforts to address violent crime in Wilmington and surrounding areas. The Violent Crime Action Plan (VCAP) is a collaboration of the U.S. Attorney’s Office with the Wilmington Police Department (WPD), the New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office, the New Hanover County District Attorney’s Office, the United States Marshals Service (USMS), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). A primary objective of the VCAP is to investigate and prosecute individuals contributing significantly to crime in the city of Wilmington and surrounding areas.
As part of this effort, law enforcement most recently led a coordinated apprehension operation in June to identify and arrest defendants who were wanted for various outstanding charges, including violent offenses and drug offenses. According to court documents, the following nine individuals, all from the Wilmington area, were arrested on federal charges as part of the recent enforcement effort:
- Steven Ray Berg III, 29, distribution of cocaine.
- Kevon Lamante Bracey, 26, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base (crack), possession of a machinegun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession of a machinegun and possession of a firearm by a felon.
- Treyquan Deonte Corbett, 25, conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, distribution of heroin, methamphetamine, and fentanyl, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
- Robert James Dick, 24, possession of firearm by a felon, possession of a machinegun.
- Kevin Emmanuel Freeman, 29, conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and heroin, distribution of fentanyl, and aiding and abetting.
- Rashawn Herbert Hines, 29, conspiracy to distribute fentanyl and heroin, distribution of fentanyl, and aiding and abetting.
- Tyke’eke Monte Hines, 25, conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, distribution of heroin.
- William Rashiem Lane, 35, possession of firearm by a felon.
- Andre Session, 29, federal supervised release violation.
Since the beginning of last year, a team of prosecutors, analysts, and investigators have collaborated to identify, charge, and arrest, individuals contributing to violent crime in Wilmington and surrounding areas, leading to 37 federal indictments and 41 guns seized, including five fully-automatic machineguns and six privately made firearms commonly known as “Ghost Guns.” In addition, over 40 grams of fentanyl have been seized – enough for 20,000 potentially fatal doses. In the cases that have already been resolved, defendants collectively face over 1,700 months in custody.
“We are working around the clock to identify and prosecute anyone driving gun violence and narcotics trafficking in the Wilmington area,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Our VCAP partnership makes public safety in Southeastern North Carolina a top priority and brings federal resources to the fight. In the heat of summer, when violence tends to spike, we want the public to know that we’re working relentlessly to keep violent crime on the decline. This partnership has already taken dozens of guns off the streets, including five fully-automatic machine guns. Any felon caught with a gun this summer faces the very real threat of federal prosecution. This team is laser focused on driving down gun violence and drug trafficking in this region.”
“I am extremely proud of the dedication and hard work that our officers and detectives have put into assisting with this joint operation. Illegal narcotics in the hands of criminals is a dangerous problem that we will continue to combat on the front lines. I am thankful for the strong partnerships we have with our local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. Our department will diligently work to pursue and prosecute those responsible for illegal activities to foster a safer environment for our citizens to live and work,” said Wilmington Police Chief Donny Williams.
“Our federal and state partnerships are demonstrating exceptional effectiveness in catching criminals who know no jurisdictional lines,” said New Hanover County Sheriff Ed McMahon. “Our collaborative effort enhances public safety across the state. By leveraging the unique strengths and resources of both federal and state agencies, we are able to streamline operations, share critical information, and execute coordinated strategies that lead to successful apprehensions.”
“These arrests demonstrate the strong partnership between state and federal authorities and are yet another step towards making Wilmington a safer community,” said New Hanover County District Attorney Ben David. “My office appreciates the collaboration with the law enforcement and prosecutorial partners and will continue to seek maximum sentences in any venue for individuals who are committing offenses involving firearms and fentanyl.”
“The United States Marshals Service, through its long standing federal, state, and local partnerships ensures that violent fugitives are continuously pursued, discretely located, and safely arrested,” said U.S. Marshal Glenn McNeill for the Eastern District of North Carolina. “The Wilmington VCAP is yet another example of those efforts.”
“The FBI is committed to identifying, arresting, and working with our partners at the U.S. Attorney's Office to prosecute violent criminal street gang members and drug traffickers. It doesn't matter whether it's gang violence in a major metropolitan area or fentanyl sales in a rural neighborhood, neither has a place in our communities. The FBI's Safe Streets Task Force works every day to rid our communities of these destructive illegal activities," said Robert M. DeWitt, the FBI Special Agent in Charge in North Carolina.
“Collaboration is an important part of any plan aimed at addressing violent crime,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Bennie Mims. “ATF is proud to be a part of the Violent Crime Action Plan and we remain committed to working with our local, state, and federal partners to protect our communities.”
An indictment/criminal complaint is merely an accusation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
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Two Ireland nationals are charged with wire fraud for scheme to steal from elderly homeownersRead the Press Release
Seattle – Two individuals from Ireland are charged in U.S. District Court in Seattle with conspiracy to commit wire fraud for their theft of more than $400,000 from a Shoreline, Washington, homeowner. Patrick McDonagh and Matthew McDonagh were arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in mid-June and have been held at the immigration detention center. They have been transferred to the Federal Detention Center at SeaTac and will make their first appearance on the criminal charge today at 2:00 PM.
According to the criminal complaint, the pair was part of a group that traveled the country allegedly scamming homeowners – especially the elderly – by falsely representing the home needed an urgent repair. One older homeowner in the Shoreline neighborhood north of Seattle, lost about $435,000 to the scheme.
“This type of fraud on our elderly neighbors is heartbreaking,” said U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “To pose as someone trying to help them, while all the while the goal is to steal as much as they can from the victim’s hard-earned retirement funds. It is a special kind of cruelty to engage in such conduct.”
The men first approached the victim in January 2024, claimed they were working in the neighborhood and had noticed that the victim had a hole in his roof. The men offered to fix the hole and remove the moss from the roof. Over the course of a few days, they pressured the victim to write them checks for their “services” of $15,000, $20,000, and $26,000. They also claimed that the victim’s foundation was cracked, and they said they would repair that with a “titanium tie rod system.”
The roof had no hole, and the foundation was not failing. However, the men dug trenches and poured some concrete to make it appear work was done, and each day they pressured the victim to write more checks. They even demanded an extra $20,000 for “taxes.” Ultimately, they demanded the victim wire $200,000 to a third party for building supplies – again far in excess of any work they claimed to have done. In all the brothers stole $435,000 from the victim.
The FBI investigation connected the brothers to contractor fraud complaints in Washington County, Oregon and Spokane, Washington totaling about $50,000. In those cases, they used fake photos of holes in the homeowner’s roof or alleged problems with the house’s foundation or posed as local-reputable businesses.
“Sadly, seniors are often an attractive target for fraudsters attempting to steal a lifetime of savings, and scammers are skilled at deceiving people, said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “We encourage consumers to stay vigilant and avoid making quick decisions before doing research or getting to know someone. If you think you or someone you know could be a fraud victim, call your financial institution immediately and report suspected fraud to the FBI at tips.fbi.gov.”
Red flags for contractor fraud:
- The contractor knocks on your door looking for business because they are “in the area” and uses aggressive sales tactics.
- The contractor pressures you for an immediate hiring decision.
- The contractor accepts only cash as payment and demands full payment before starting any work.
- In the sales pitch, the contractor claims to have materials left over from a previous job.
Tips to avoid contractor fraud:
- Always get multiple estimates for any work you want done.
- Ensure contractors are licensed and insured. Look them up at Washington State’s Department of Labor & Industries website at https://secure.lni.wa.gov/verify/
- Check with consumer protection agencies such as the Better Business Bureau and Federal Trade Commission to search for complaints against a contractor.
- Conspiracy to commit Wire fraud is punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
The charges contained in the criminal complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the FBI.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lauren Watts Staniar. Ms. Staniar serves as the Elder Fraud Coordinator for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Western District of Washington.
To learn more about the department’s elder justice efforts please visit the Elder Justice Initiative page.
mcdonagh_complaint_patrick_and_matthew.pdfTulsa Resident Sentenced for Possessing A Firearm in Furtherance of A Drug Trafficking CrimeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Marco Ernesto Heras, age 26, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 60 months in prison for one count of Possessing a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
The charges arose from an investigation by the Fort Gibson Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On August 23, 2023, Heras pleaded guilty to the charge. According to investigators, on October 14, 2022, Heras was stopped by a Fort Gibson patrol officer for a traffic violation and discovered in possession of a loaded Glock .45 caliber pistol with an extended magazine, over 22 grams of cocaine, and digital scales.
“Firearms coupled with illegal narcotics pose an increased danger to public safety, and the United States Attorney’s Office will work with our local, state, Tribal, and federal law enforcement partners to identify and aggressively prosecute offenders like Mr. Heras,” said United States Attorney Christopher J. Wilson.
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, U.S. District Judge for the United States District Court of New Mexico, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing in Muskogee, Oklahoma. Heras 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 Edith A. Singer represented the United States.
Toledo Man Pleads Guilty to Robbery of Postal Employee at GunpointRead the Press Release
TOLEDO – Michael Bush, 22, of Toledo, Ohio, has pleaded guilty to robbery of mail, money, or other property of the United States, stealing mail collection box keys, and mail theft. The violations took place while a United States Postal Service (USPS) letter carrier was on a delivery route in July 2023.
According to court documents, an individual later identified as Bush, approached the carrier while they sat in a parked USPS truck on Ryewyck Drive in Toledo, Ohio. He grabbed keys for both the mail truck and the collection box and robbed the carrier at gunpoint of their personal cellphone and a USPS parcel scanner. A witness who observed the incident provided a description of the suspect to investigators. The Toledo Police Department (TPD) recovered surveillance video of the robbery and identified the vehicle involved in the theft as being registered to Michael Bush.
A large, black garbage bag containing U.S. Mail was recovered during a federal search warrant executed by the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the TPD at Bush’s residence. Nearly 200 mail theft victims were identified. Inspectors also recovered several firearms and rifle magazines. The vehicle identified in the surveillance video was later recovered at a separate location where Bush’s aunt resides. Additionally, images recovered on Bush’s cellphone show him posing with large stacks of U.S. currency and firearms.
Update-Nov. 18, 2024:
Bush was sentenced on Nov. 18, 2024, to 66 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Jack Zouhary for robbery of mail, money or other property of the United States, stealing mail collection box keys, and mail theft. Restitution amount to be determined at a later date.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frank H. Spryszak for the Northern District of Ohio. The investigation preceding the indictment was a collaborative effort conducted by the United States Postal Inspection Service and the Toledo Police Department.
About the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS)
USPIS is the law enforcement branch of the United States Postal Service. To report mail theft or other crimes committed through, or towards, the United States Postal Service, call the USPIS at 1-877-876-2455 or visit uspis.gov/report. For more information about combatting mail theft visit uspis.gov/project-safe-delivery.
Texas Man Sentenced to 9 Months in Federal Prison for Operating Website that Offered Computer Attack ServicesRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Texas man was sentenced today to 9 months in federal prison for running a website that allowed paying users to launch powerful distributed denial of service – or DDoS – attacks that flooded tens of thousands of targeted computers with information and prevented them from being able to access the internet.
Scott Raul Esparza, 24, of Katy, Texas, was sentenced by United States District Judge Michael W. Fitzgerald who also ordered two years of supervised release with conditions including a full computer monitoring program after serving his prison sentence.
Esparza pleaded guilty on March 6 to one count of conspiracy to commit unauthorized impairment of a protected computer and one count of unauthorized impairment of a protected computer.
From 2019 to September 2022, Esparza operated and co-administrated with Shamar Shattock, 21, of Margate, Florida, a DDoS-for-hire service called “Astrostress.com.” The term “DDoS” refers to a type of computer attack in which multiple computers attempt to make connections through the Internet to a targeted computer at the same time. The amount of internet traffic generated by such an attack quickly overwhelms the capacity of the victim computer, resulting in the victim computer being unable to send, receive or respond to commands.
Astrostress.com was a type of DDoS-for-hire service known as a “booter” service, referring to its ability to “boot” victims off the internet. Customers of Astrostress.com were offered various levels of subscriptions – depending on how many attacks they wanted to conduct and with what power – and were charged accordingly. This site thus enabled co-conspirators worldwide to set up accounts on Astrostress.com and then use the Astrostress.com resources to direct attacks at internet-connected computers around the globe.
Esparza was responsible for procuring the attack servers and maintaining the attack functionality of Astrostress.com. Esparza also helped Shattock market the service, and he hired a co-conspirator to assist with responding to support requests from customers of the service.
Esparza neither owned nor had the rights to use the third-party computers he exploited to generate the amplified attack power made available via the Astrostress.com website. He was aware that his customers were using the site to attack computers that did not belong to the customers, and which the customers had no authorization to impair. Esparza personally conducted thousands of attacks using his own service.
From September 2021 to September 2022, while Esparza administered the website, customers used Astrostress.com to attack tens of thousands of protected computers. As a result, they impaired or attempted to impair the availability of the victim computers by knocking them offline.
In or around September 2022, shortly after the FBI caused Astrostress.com to shut down, Esparza called Shattock and left him a voicemail message in which he instructed Shattock to “clear” all his social media accounts “so nothing gets linked back to us.”
Shattock pleaded guilty in March 2023 to one felony conspiracy count and faces up to five years in federal prison at his sentencing hearing, which is expected to occur in the coming months.
The FBI investigated this matter as part of Operation PowerOFF, a multi-national effort to combat DDoS-for-hire services.
Assistant United States Attorneys Cameron L. Schroeder, Chief of the National Security Division, and Aaron B. Frumkin of the Cyber and Intellectual Property Crimes Section prosecuted this case. Assistant United States Attorney James E. Dochterman of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section is handling the seizure of the Astrostress domain.