Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
10 July 2024
Central Georgian with Violent Past Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Loaded Gun During Stand-Off with PoliceRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A Central Georgia resident with a violent criminal past who threatened to shoot and kill deputies attempting to execute an arrest warrant faces up to 15 years in federal prison after he pleaded guilty to illegally possessing a firearm.
Christopher Thomas Ford, 57, of Toomsboro, Georgia, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon before U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell on July 8. Ford faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison to be followed by at least three years of supervised release and a maximum $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 9. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Convicted felons are prohibited from possessing firearms; our office will seek federal prosecution against people who disregard the law, especially those with violent criminal pasts,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “The Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods program is aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Our office is dedicated to supporting the efforts of our federal, state and local law enforcement partners to achieve this goal.”
“Wilkinson County is safer now that guns are out of the hands of this person. If Ford had put finger to trigger, the entire community would have been in danger. We are thankful for the actions of the Wilkinson County deputies and Ford’s father,” said FBI Atlanta’s Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of the Macon Office Robert Gibbs. “We are firmly committed to working with all of our partners and using all tools available to curb the violence impacting the American people – here in Georgia, and across the country.”
“The GBI will continue to leverage our partnerships with local, state and federal agencies that are working to reduce violent crime. We will not tolerate acts that put our communities and law enforcement in danger, and we will work to make sure that dangerous criminals like Ford are off the streets,” said GBI Director Chris Hosey.
According to documents and statements referenced in court, Wilkinson County Sheriff’s Office deputies went to Ford’s Toomsboro, Georgia, residence on Dec. 20, 2022, to execute an arrest warrant for terroristic threats. When deputies encountered Ford in a shed on the property, Ford threatened to shoot them while holding a loaded black Omega 12-gauge shotgun. Ford told the officers, “I ain’t playing with y’all, I ain’t going back to prison, you can kill me or I’m going to kill y’all.” Ford escaped into the woods and was arrested the next day when he returned to the property. Ford’s father took the shotgun from him while he was sleeping. Ford explained that he “wanted suicide by police,” and that he knew he was not allowed to have guns because he is a convicted felon. Ford has previously been convicted of possession of cocaine, terroristic threats, aggravated assault and cruelty to children in the third degree.
This case is a 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 of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by FBI, the Georgia Bureau of Investigations (GBI) and the Wilkinson County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputy Criminal Chief Will Keyes is prosecuting the case for the Government.
Burke County man sentenced to federal prison for purchasing and distributing child pornographyRead the Press Release
AUGUSTA, GA: A Burke County man has been sentenced to more than 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to sharing digital videos of child sexual abuse.
Kadarion Davonte Ellison, 27, of Waynesboro, Ga., who worked as a patient care technician at an Augusta hospital, was sentenced to 126 months in prison after pleading guilty to Distribution of Child Pornography, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge J. Randal Hall also ordered Ellison to register as a sex offender and to serve 20 years of supervised release upon completion of his prison sentence.
There is no parole in the federal system.
“Child victims are subjected to endless trauma each time their images are shared online,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “We applaud the vigilance of our law enforcement partners in identifying these predators for the protection of our most vulnerable citizens.”
As described in court documents and testimony, agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) detected child sexual abuse material being transferred via an internet application. With assistance from the Waynesboro Police Department, HSI investigators determined Ellison was purchasing and distributing child pornography online. During a search of Ellison’s residence, investigators seized multiple electronic devices found to contain thousands of videos and images of child sexual abuse material.
Judge Hall ordered Ellison to pay $60,000 in restitution to victims identified during the investigation with the assistance of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
“Finding and stopping those involved in the distribution of these disturbing images of children is one of our highest priorities,” said Anthony J. Patrone acting special agent in charge of HSI Atlanta that covers Georgia and Alabama. “I am appreciative of the amazing support of our law enforcement partners and the great work done on this case.”
The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Waynesboro Police Department and prosecuted for the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney and Project Safe Childhood Coordinator Jason W. Blanchard.
Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800-843-5678, or https://report.cybertip.org/.
Brooklyn Man Sentenced for Possessing a Handgun with an Obliterated Serial NumberRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Adam Gomez, age 27, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced today to 11 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, for possessing a handgun with an obliterated serial number.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.
As part of his prior guilty plea, Gomez admitted that on September 8, 2022, in a parking lot of a shopping mall in Albany County, he unlawfully possessed a Glock 17 handgun with an obliterated serial number.
HSI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Belliss prosecuted the case.
Bozeman man sentenced, fined $2,500 for assault onboard airplaneRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Bozeman man who admitted assaulting a woman passenger while on a flight from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Bozeman was sentenced today to two years of probation and fined $2,500, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Hunter Andrew Dietrich, 33, pleaded guilty in March to assault onboard an aircraft in the special aircraft jurisdiction of the United States, a misdemeanor.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided. The court also ordered $1,704 restitution to the airline.
In court documents, the government alleged that on Feb. 11, 2023, SkyWest Flight 3789 operating as Delta Connections traveled from Salt Lake City, Utah, to Bozeman. During the flight, Dietrich, a passenger, was disruptive, assaulted numerous individuals and disobeyed repeated instructions from the flight crew to behave. The investigation found that Dietrich kissed a flight attendant on the head while touching her buttocks, and, while sitting next to a female passenger, he put his hands between her legs and his arm around her shoulder after being told not to. Dietrich continued this behavior while the plane was on approach, and he appeared to be intoxicated.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI and Bozeman Airport Police conducted the investigation.
XXX
Boyfriend Found Guilty by Jury of First-Degree Murder and Related Charges for Killing Romantic Rival Inside His Home in SoutheastRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Vernon Parrish, 40, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of first-degree murder while armed and related charges stemming from a mid-afternoon shooting on September 26, 2021, outside a home in the 5200 block of E Street Southeast, Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Parrish was found guilty by a jury on July 9, 2024, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, of first-degree murder while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and unlawful possession of a firearm. The Honorable Anthony Epstein scheduled sentencing for October 11, 2024.
According to the evidence, Parrish drove to the decedent’s home on September 26, 2021, armed with a firearm, to kill Ronald Bailey because they were both engaged in a romantic relationship with the same woman. Parrish sped into the block of E Street where the decedent lived. After bringing his car to a screeching halt, he got out of the car. Parrish screamed for the decedent and then fired multiple shots into the decedent’s house killing him. Parrish then fled the scene.
Parrish was arrested on October 6, 2021. He has been in custody ever since.
In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department. They also expressed appreciation for the assistance provided by the FBI Washington Field Office Cellular Analysis Survey Team. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gregory Kimak and Alec Levy, who investigated, indicted, and prosecuted the case.
Black Hawk Man Sentenced to Federal Prison on Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
RAPID CITY - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Court Chief Judge Roberto Lange has sentenced a Black Hawk, South Dakota, man convicted of Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person. The sentencing took place on July 2, 2024.
Kyle Puckett, 33, was sentenced to three years and five months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Puckett was indicted for Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in June of 2023. He pleaded guilty on April 5, 2024, to Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person.
The charges were filed after Puckett, who is a convicted felon, was arrested in Rapid City with a loaded pistol, as well as over a thousand dollars in cash, numerous loaded magazines, a distributable amount of methamphetamine, and drug distribution paraphernalia.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Rapid City Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Lindrooth prosecuted the case.
Puckett was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Birmingham Home Builder Sentenced for $1.2 Million-Dollar FraudRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A Birmingham-area man has been sentenced for defrauding more than a dozen victims whose homes he had promised to build, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Federal Bureau of Investigation Special Agent in Charge Carlton L. Peeples.
U.S. District Judge Annemarie Carney Axon sentenced Cecil Wayne Sanford, 58, of Birmingham, to 58 months in prison. Sanford was also ordered to pay forfeiture and restitution of about $1.27 million. In April 2024, Sanford pleaded guilty to wire fraud.
According to the plea agreement, Sanford was a residential builder in Alabama who operated through his business, Stone Pointe Builders, LLC. Between 2020 and early 2022, more than a dozen victims in the Birmingham area contracted with Sanford to build their homes and paid Sanford substantial sums of money (tens of thousands of dollars or more). Yet the victims saw little or no work done despite Sanford’s representations, draws on their construction loans, and invoices for construction-related expenses. Sanford made statements to victims about how their funds would be used and then spent the money in other ways. In February 2022, days after closing with a family on a construction contract and collecting more than $27,000 from the family as a down payment, Sanford moved $10,000 into his personal bank account, withdrew it, abruptly closed the business, and left town.
The FBI investigated the case. . The Alabama Home Builders Licensure Board assisted in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney J. B. Ward prosecuted the case.
Armed Missouri Man Who Triggered Standoff Convicted of Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS –A Missouri man who triggered a 19-hour standoff with law enforcement in 2022 was convicted Wednesday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis of a gun charge.
The jury found Stephen J. Thorp, 62, of Moberly, guilty of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to evidence and testimony presented at trial, members of a U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force were attempting to arrest Thorp on a warrant issued by the Missouri Board of Probation and Parole. Thorp was on parole after having been convicted of second-degree murder and armed criminal action in Marion County Circuit Court. The warrant was triggered by new charges of resisting arrest in Callaway County, Missouri.
After a member of the Fugitive task force learned that Thorp was at another man’s home in Randolph County, near Moberly, members of the task force and the Northern Missouri Drug Task Force went to that home on April 11, 2022. Two occupants exited the house and told officers that Thorp was inside. Thorp ignored loudspeaker announcements to leave. A robot and a K-9 were both unsuccessful in getting him out. After a search warrant was obtained, the Moberly SWAT team sent a drone into the home. Thorp fired three shots while the drone was in the house. The drone later captured video of Thorp with a gun in his hand before he used that gun to disable the drone, evidence and testimony showed. The Moberly SWAT later deployed a chemical agent which forced Thorp out of the house.
Court exhibit 7E.The U.S. Marshals Service, the Moberly Police Department, the Randolph County Sheriff’s Department, the Missouri State Highway Patrol and the Linn County Sheriff’s Office aided in the arrest. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ryan Finlen and Paul Rebar are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Arizona man indicted for kidnappingRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury in Wichita returned an indictment charging an Arizona man with kidnapping then holding a victim for ransom.
According to court documents, Martin Brandon Gillen, 26, of Phoenix, Arizona, is charged with one count of kidnapping, one count of transporting child pornography, one count of possession of child pornography, one count of sexual exploitation of a child (production), and one count of transportation for criminal sexual activity.
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting the case.
Project Safe Childhood
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 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/pscOTHER INDICTMENTS
Stephen Barnhart, 58, of Wichita, was indicted on one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and one count of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) is investigating this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matt Treaster is prosecuting the case.
James Arnold Martinez, 26, of Oklahoma was indicted on one count of cyberstalking a child, one count of sexual exploitation of a child, and one count of distribution of child pornography. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case.
Ruben Ortiz-Moreno, 35, of Wichita was indicted on one count of possession of a firearm by an illegal alien. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ola Odeyemi is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###Arizona Man Charged with Transportation for the Purpose of ProstitutionRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Arizona man was charged by criminal complaint with transportation for the purpose of prostitution after allegedly transporting a female across state lines for the purposes of engaging her in prostitution.
Hakeeme Kaleb Williams, 24, appeared before a federal judge today and will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not been scheduled.
According to the criminal complaint, on June 17, 2024, Jane Doe 1 called 911 reporting she was being trafficked. Officers located her outside a car at a gas station in Laguna, NM, along with a man identified as Williams and another woman identified as Jane Doe 2.
Jane Doe 1 stated she had been working as a sex worker and Williams, who she met online, was her “pimp.” She said she provided all of her earnings to Williams, that he transported her across state lines for prostitution, and frequently assaulted her. Most recently, Williams was transporting her through New Mexico to Arizona, with stops made in New Mexico for the purposes of engaging in prostitution.
Online ads depicting the two women were found which appeared to promote sex work in Albuquerque.
If convicted of the current charges, Williams 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 FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office and Laguna Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Timothy Trembley.
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.
# # #
Ardmore Resident Sentenced for Federal Firearm ChargeRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Pete Allen Knight, Jr., age 40, of Ardmore, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 47 months in prison for one count of illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.
The charge arose from an investigation by the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
On December 18, 2023, Knight pleaded guilty to one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition. According to investigators, on July 17, 2023, Knight knowingly possessed a firearm and 45 rounds of ammunition after having been previously convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year imprisonment.
The Honorable Ronald A. White, Chief Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, presided over the hearing. Knight 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 Jonathan E. Soverly represented the United States.
24 Indicted in Roanoke Paycheck Protection Program Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A federal grand jury in Roanoke, Virginia returned a sealed indictment earlier this month charging 24 individuals from the greater Roanoke area with wire fraud, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, money laundering, making false statements, and fraud in relation to an emergency benefits program.
The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) was a COVID-19 pandemic relief program administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA) that provided forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses.
“The Paycheck Protection Program was put in place when the world’s economy was battling a once-in-a-generation health crisis. This program provided much needed financial relief to keep small businesses open,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “However, in the midst of this global crisis, a small number of people saw an opportunity to commit fraud and other criminal conduct. My Office continues to work with our law enforcement partners to root out these fraudulent opportunists and hold accountable those who swindle the citizens of the United States.”
“The FBI’s mission is to protect the American people and uphold the Constitution of the United States,” said Assistant Special Agent in Charge Stephen Farina. “We are committed to investigating those who seek to defraud the government and will work with our partners to ensure they are brought to justice.”
“During a time of unprecedented national peril, these defendants took advantage of a pandemic by stealing federal funds intended to help businesses keep their employees paid and their doors open,” said David Meisenheimer, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (CI) Washington, D.C. Field Office. “I salute the case agents and prosecutors who exposed this fraud ring and brought these defendants to justice.”
The indictment, unsealed today, alleges that between June 2020 and May 2021, the charged individuals participated in a scheme to obtain PPP loans when most of them did not have an operational business. Moreover, several of these individuals who applied for PPP loans for their purported businesses were simultaneously applying for unemployment benefits.
As part of the scheme, Jaimeka Mechelle Austin and Kiearra Desaray Gardner collected personal information, such as dates of birth and social security numbers, from various friends and acquaintances that already owned businesses for the purpose of submitting fraudulent PPP loan applications on their behalf. If individuals did not already have an established business, for an additional fee, Austin and Gardner would create a sham business entity with no actual operations or employees in order for these individuals to then fraudulently claim benefits through the PPP loan program.
In all, Austin, Gardner, and other co-conspirators facilitated dozens of fraudulent loan applications to obtain more than $1.5 million in benefits to which they were not entitled.
Those charged include:
- Jaimeka Mechelle Austin, 31, purported owner of Mechelle’s Boutique LLC.
- Ta’Quan De’Carlos Austin, 34, purported owner of Quan’o’s Chimney Sweep LLC.
- Richard David Henson Brown, 35, purported owner of Immaculate Balla Cleaning Service LLC.
- Israel Antonio Cunningham, 36, purported owner of Tate’s Lawn Care & Services LLC.
- Rahiim Noel Cunningham, 27, purported owner of Quanie’s Lounge LLC.
- Timothy Edward Cunningham, Jr., 26, purported owner of Gen5 Dog Kennels LLC.
- Mikkielia Sentoyia Fisher, 37, purported owner of Mad Stylez Clothing.
- Joshua Scott Fleming, 32, purported owner of Clear N Shine Auto Detail.
- Kiearra Desaray Gardner, 35, purported owner of businesses in the name of Kiearra Gardner and Kustom Kreationz by Kie LLC.
- Sierra Desaray Garrison, 39, purported owner of Major Pressure LLC.
- Deshawn Lamar Johnson, 34, purported owner of Affordable Car Care LLC.
- Antonio Devaughn Levesy, 36, purported owner of Squeaky Clean Mobile Detailing LLC.
- Millot Kevin Lexima, 30, purported owner of Plugd N Kennel LLC.
- Xavier Lee Manigault, 31, purported owner of The Goat Car Care LLC.
- Talisha Geornell Otey, 33, purported owner of businesses in the name of Talisha, Lash Tech, and the Butterfly Effect 540 LLC.
- Corey Durrell Steelman, 37, purported owner of Steel Hauling LLC.
- Jamal Donnell Steelman, 34, purported owner of Steel Painters LLC.
- Jessica Nicole Taylor, 34, purported owner of All In Caregiving LLC.
- Thomas Manuel Taylor, 54, purported owner of Showcase Kennels LLC.
- Denisha Michelle Walker, 31, purported owner of multiple businesses including businesses in the name of Denisha Walker and Lit & Fit Sculpting LLC.
- Jenea Shontae Webb, 39, purported owner of Nae & Friends Childcare.
- Stephfon Davido Webb, 36, self-employed and working in the janitorial industry.
- Akeem Marquis Williams, 37, purported owner of Williams & Williams Moving Company LLC.
A 24th defendant has indicted but has not yet been arrested, and that defendant remains under seal.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael A. Baudinet, Jason M. Scheff, and Lee S. Brett are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
9 July 2024
West Haven Man Charged with Possessing Child Sex Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), New England, today announced that ADAM C. SALGADO, JR., 30, of West Haven, has been charged by federal criminal complaint with possession of child pornography.
As alleged in court documents, a cloud-based storage company that provides services for wireless customers made multiple CyberTipline reports to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (“NCMEC”) that a user, subsequently identified as Salgado, had videos of child sexual abuse stored on the account. Subsequent investigation revealed that Salgado’s Google account also contained images and videos of child sex abuse.
Salgado was arrested on June 5, 2024, in San Antonio, Texas, where he recently resided. He appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert M. Spector in New Haven and was released on a $100,000 bond.
Possession of child pornography carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with the assistance of the Middletown Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel George.
This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.
Waterbury Man on Supervised Release Charged with Possessing Guns and DrugsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, today announced that a federal grand jury in Bridgeport has returned an indictment charging D’METRIUS JOHNSON, formerly known as D’METRIUS WOODWARD, and also known as “Meech,” 29, of Waterbury, with unlawful possession of a firearms by a felon, and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances.
The indictment was returned on June 20, 2024. Johnson appeared today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Robert A. Richardson in Hartford and pleaded not guilty to the charges. He has been detained since his arrest on state charges on November 21, 2022.
As alleged in court documents and statements made in court, on November 12, 2014, Johnson was sentenced in federal court to 60 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for his participation in a narcotics trafficking conspiracy. He was released from federal prison in January 2018. On November 21, 2022, while Johnson was on supervised release, Brookfield Police arrested him on state charges related to the theft of catalytic converters. On that date, a search of Johnson’s Waterbury residence revealed a Ruger 57 semiautomatic pistol, a Glock 31 semiautomatic pistol, a Ruger LCP handgun, ammunition, approximately 89 grams of cocaine, and pills containing MDMA (“ecstasy”).
It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
Unlawful possession of a firearm carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Johnson faces additional penalties if he is found to have violated the conditions of his supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Waterbury Police Department, with the assistance of the Brookfield Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Rahul Kale.
This prosecution 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. In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.
Washington County man sentenced to 25 years in prison for exploiting minors locally & internationallyRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Lower Salem, Ohio, man was sentenced in federal court here today to 300 months in prison for crimes related to exploiting minor victims in Ohio and in the Philippines.
James A. Sabolick, 58, brought a minor from West Virginia to his hunting cabin in Washington County to engage in illicit sex acts. Sabolick also sent money to Filipino women for their basic living expenses in exchange for child sexual abuse material.
“We are dedicated to working across all levels of law enforcement to hold people accountable for their crimes, no matter where they exploit their victims,” said U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker. “Our priority is putting perpetrators like Sabolick behind bars for significant periods of time so that they can no longer prey on the vulnerable. The sentence imposed today does just that.”
Sabolick pleaded guilty in January 2024 to two counts of sexually exploiting a minor and one count of possessing child pornography.
According to court documents, on July 24, 2021, Marietta police officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle that Sabolick was driving. Sabolick told officers he was alone while attempting to conceal a minor female, who officers discovered in the back seat.
Further investigation conducted by the Southeastern Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force at the Washington County Sheriff’s Office revealed that Sabolick had driven the minor from West Virginia to a cabin near his residence in Washington County to engage in various sex acts with the minor.
Some of the sex acts involved abuse such as needle pokes, lighter burns, restraints, strangulation and urination. Items recovered from Sabolick’s hunting cabin and vehicle included panty hose, lubricant and a box of t-pins. Sabolick photographed the minor victim during the sexual abuse.
Court documents detail that Sabolick had met the minor victim when she was approximately 13 or 14 years old. Sabolick possessed several communications and nude images of the minor victim on his phone.
Additional forensic review of Sabolick’s electronics and social media accounts revealed he had communicated with Filipino women he knew through prior trips to the Philippines in 2013 and 2014. In recovered Facebook chats, the women requested money from Sabolick for basic living expenses like food, utility bills, tuition, etc. In exchange, Sabolick requested sexually explicit images of their minor children and offered to send them money for the child sexual abuse material.
For example, in December 2020, Sabolick sent money to a Filipino woman for images of her daughter’s genitalia. Financial records from Paypal, Western Union, Xoom and Moneygram all revealed numerous transactions to the Philippines totaling more than $1,000, including to the Filipino women identified in the investigation on the same days that Sabolick was requesting child pornography from them.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Jared Murphey, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; Washington County Sheriff Larry R. Mincks and Marietta Police Chief Katherine Warden announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus, Jr. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and S. Courter Shimeall are representing the United States in this case.
The case was investigated by both the Southeastern Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force and the Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force, which are operated under Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost’s Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission.
# # #
Warwick Man Admits to Travel with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual ConductRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Warwick man admitted to a federal judge today that he traveled to a local hotel via a commercial rideshare provider with the intent of having illicit sex with a person he thought to be 13 years old, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Zachary Q. Baker pleaded guilty to a charge of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 3, 2024. The defendant’s sentence will be determined by a federal district court judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
In pleading guilty, Baker admitted that, on March 10, 2023, he responded to an online advertisement for “escorts” that contained images of what appeared to be two young females being offered for a “short visit” and a “little fun.” Baker engaged in a lengthy series of text messages with a person he believed was offering a 13-year-old and an 11-year-old for sex for a fee.
After several hours of text messaging, Baker rode to a local hotel via a rideshare where he met with the person he believed was arranging for a sexual encounter with one or both of the girls. The person he was communicating with and with whom he met was, in fact, a Homeland Security Investigations agent. Baker was arrested after acknowledging to an undercover agent that he was the person who engaged in the conversations with the agent and that he wanted to have sex with the 13-year-old girl for a fee.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.
The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations.
###
Utah Man Sentenced to Home Detention After Stealing over $100,000 in Social Security and Other Government BenefitsRead the Press Release
Salt Lake City, Utah – Melvin Roy Hunter, 71, of Salt Lake County, was ordered by the court to 14 months’ home detention as part of a 40 months’ probation sentence, and ordered to pay $105,301.30 in restitution.
The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge Ted Stewart after Hunter admitted to wire fraud in April 2024. Hunter fraudulently received government benefits from the Social Security Administration, and other government agencies, by assuming the identity of a deceased individual from September 2015 to September 2023.
According to court documents and statements made at the change of plea hearing, Hunter, who is approximately the same age as the deceased, obtained the deceased’s birth certificate, Social Security number, and other personally identifiable information, and falsely obtained a Utah driver’s license in the name of the deceased. Hunter then used this assumed identity to fraudulently open a Wells Fargo checking account and obtain money from the United States.
Hunter fraudulently received funds from the United States Social Security Administration, the United States Medicare and Medicaid programs, the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), the United States Department of Agriculture’s Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP), and funding for the federal Corona Virus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (CARES Act).
The case was investigated by the United States Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General; the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General; the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General; the Utah Department of Workforce Services; and the State Bureau of Investigation.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Sachiko Jepson from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
U.S. Compounding, Inc. Pleads Guilty to Multiple Fraud Offenses and Company Vice President Indicted in Scheme to Distribute Drugs Nationally Using False PrescriptionsRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Christie M. Curtis, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today that U.S. COMPOUNDING, INC. (“USC”), a subsidiary of DMK Pharmaceuticals Corporation, pled guilty to multiple fraud offenses before U.S. District Judge Arun Subramanian, and a former USC executive, SAM GLOVER, was charged in an Indictment with conspiring to violate the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (“FDCA”). GLOVER was arrested this morning and is expected to be presented today before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in the Eastern District of Arkansas.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Distributing prescription drugs with sham prescriptions is wrong and illegal. The corporate resolution entered into today, and the indictment of Sam Glover, an executive who oversaw and allegedly perpetuated that scheme, reflects this Office’s commitment to holding accountable those who seek to violate laws designed to ensure that the drugs distributed across the United States are safe, necessary, and legal.”
FBI Acting Assistant Director in Charge Christie M. Curtis said: “U.S. Compounding, Inc. and its former executive, Sam Glover, allegedly committed various frauds and violated the Food Drug and Cosmetic Act by falsifying prescription orders. Despite scrutiny by members of the company who suspected the orders were unverified, the company’s leadership continued to allow the requests and collect profits as a result. This investigation is part of the FBI’s larger effort to ensure that both individuals and organizations who devise complex fraud schemes are prevented from furthering their illegitimate arrangements and making money off mistruths.”
According to admissions and court documents, as well as the allegations in the Indictment:[1]
Beginning in approximately 2015, while USC was still a privately-held corporation, a USC sales representative (“Sales Rep 1”) entered into an illegal arrangement with a veterinarian (the “Veterinarian”), wherein Sales Rep 1 would use the Veterinarian’s state veterinary licenses to generate false prescriptions in order to justify shipping prescription drugs directly to consumers, including to consumers in the Southern District of New York, in violation of the FDCA. Those consumers otherwise lacked bona fide prescriptions for those drugs. The Veterinarian was promised a 10% commission of all such sales generated using his credentials, even though Sales Rep 1 and his supervisor, GLOVER, the Vice President of Sales at USC, knew that the prescriptions issued in the Veterinarian’s name were a sham. GLOVER, Sales Rep 1, and the sales team working under them generated approximately $1 million in sales annually because of the false prescription scheme, which comprised approximately one-third of Sales Rep 1’s total sales of USC drugs.
On or about March 28, 2016, USC was acquired by Adamis Pharmaceuticals Corporation (“Adamis”), a publicly traded company that has since changed its name to DMK Pharmaceuticals Corporation (“DMK”). USC retained its essential functions, operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of Adamis, and much of its staff remained employed, including GLOVER. Following the acquisition, an executive at Adamis (the “Adamis Executive”) was made aware of the scheme and the Veterinarian’s role in it. GLOVER, in conjunction with the Adamis Executive and Sales Rep 1, continued the false prescription scheme and attempted to enter into a sham consulting agreement with the Veterinarian that purported to pay the Veterinarian an hourly rate for consultations. In actuality, the consulting agreement was a means to cover up the commission payments the Veterinarian was receiving as part of the scheme. GLOVER and others intended to claim the Veterinarian was a USC consultant if the commission payments to the Veterinarian were ever questioned.
In or about December 2019, the head of the USC pharmacy responsible for fulfilling prescription drug orders (“Pharmacist-1”) resigned due to USC’s failure to halt the practice of fulfilling drug orders submitted by USC’s sales representatives based on unverified prescriptions. Pharmacist-1’s replacement (“Pharmacist-2”) refused to fulfill any further orders for prescription drugs predicated on unverified prescriptions submitted by USC’s sales representatives. Pharmacist-2 raised concerns regarding USC’s prescription practices with GLOVER and the Adamis Executive. Pharmacist-2’s concerns were initially dismissed, but they ultimately convinced Adamis to implement a new veterinary software platform that was intended to eliminate the involvement of USC’s sales representatives in the creation or submission of prescriptions in connection with drug orders. Nonetheless, GLOVER, the Adamis Executive, and Sales Rep 1 allowed sales representatives to submit false prescriptions through the new software, circumventing the control that Pharmacist-2 had insisted on implementing. Consequently, in or about September 2020, Pharmacist-2 and two other pharmacists employed at USC resigned. A fourth pharmacist employed at USC resigned the following week. USC sales representatives continued to falsely indicate through the new software that drug orders were accompanied by valid prescriptions when they were not.
In or about July 2020, in response to increased perceived scrutiny of USC’s operations, USC sales representatives ceased submitting false prescriptions in the name of the Veterinarian. Instead, USC sales representatives falsely classified direct-to-consumer sales of prescription drugs as sales of office stock to the Veterinarian, on the pretext that the Veterinarian was prescribing these drugs to USC’s customers. According to USC’s internal sales data, sales of a particular prescription drug to the Veterinarian’s practice increased proportionally as direct-to-consumer sales of that drug declined.
In or about April 2021, the Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy issued an Order and Notice of Hearing directed to the pharmacist who replaced Pharmacist-2. Prior to any hearing, USC entered into a consent order wherein USC agreed to cease all operations in Arkansas, and USC agreed to relinquish its Arkansas State licenses as a pharmacy and wholesale distributor. USC also entered into a resolution in which they made the following factual admissions: USC “failed to ensure prescribing veterinarians were licensed in the state into which product was ordered and/or shipped”; USC “allowed for issuance of veterinary legend products directly to consumers without receipt of a legal prescription”; USC “provided remuneration directly to a veterinarian in connection with a veterinary prescription”; USC “provided veterinary prescriptions drugs to animal owners without the authorization of a licensed veterinarian and a prescription”; and USC “filled veterinary prescriptions for patients that did not have a valid practitioner-patient relationship.”
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York reached its resolution with USC based on a number of factors, including the nature, seriousness, and pervasiveness of the offense conduct. The U.S. Attorney’s Office also considered USC and its parent company’s efforts to cooperate with the federal criminal investigation. After learning of the federal criminal investigation in May 2021, Adamis, through its Audit Committee, cooperated in the investigation, which included making presentations to, and addressing questions posed by, the U.S. Attorney’s Office after conducting an internal investigation. Moreover, since learning of the investigation, Adamis, on behalf of USC, made remedial efforts, including ceasing all USC’s operations; terminating all employees and severing its relationships with all individuals involved in the criminal conduct, including senior personnel; and engaging a third party to conduct a cross-company enterprise risk assessment evaluating governance, product services, internal audit, risk management, compliance, and operations and implementing and effectuating the resulting recommendations.
Pursuant to the plea agreement, USC agreed that it is subject to an approximately $4.2 million forfeiture payment and a criminal fine of up to $16.9 million.
* * *
GLOVER, 45, of Arkansas, is charged with one count of conspiring to violate the FDCA, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI. Mr. Williams also thanked the Food and Drug Administration and the Customs and Border Protection for their support of this investigation.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance and Money Laundering Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Mortazavi and David Felton are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
U.S. Attorney, Albuquerque FBI Charge Third Individual Connected to Violent Day-Long Crime Spree in GallupRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Little Water man was charged by criminal complaint following a violent crime spree on the Navajo Nation, which involved a series of shootings and murder.
Dewayne George, 22, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, appeared before a federal judge today and will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not been scheduled.
According to the criminal complaint, on April 24, 2024, a family traveling south on U.S. Highway 491 reported to law enforcement that they had been followed, rear-ended, and shot at by someone sitting in the front passenger seat of a white SUV.
Navajo Nation Police Department officers in the area were on the lookout for an SUV matching the description when they observed the vehicle driving southbound on U.S. Highway 491. Officers pursued the vehicle, which attempted to evade them before crashing. The officers took all three individuals in the vehicle into custody, later determined to be George, Rydell Happy, 30, and Brittania Navaho, 28.
Further investigation revealed that earlier that day, George, Happy, and Navaho had been involved in a separate shooting incident in Gallup, New Mexico. Additionally, they were implicated in the murder of an individual identified as John Doe.
Navaho was charged by indictment with straw purchase of the firearm used to murder John Doe and will remain in custody pending trial. If convicted, Navaho faces 25 years in prison.
Happy was charged by criminal complaint with second degree murder and will remain in custody pending trial. If convicted of the current charges, Happy faces life years in prison.
If convicted of the current charges, George faces up to 15 years in prison.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from Navajo Nation Police Department, the Navajo Nation Department of Criminal Investigations and the McKinley County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant United States Attorney R. Eliot Neal is prosecuting the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which aims to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people through the resolution of MMIP cases and communication, coordination, and collaboration with federal, Tribal, state, and local partners. The Department views this work as a priority for its law enforcement components. Through the MMIP Regional Outreach Program, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify MMIP cases and issues in Tribal communities and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. This prosecution upholds the Department’s mission to the unwavering pursuit of justice on behalf of Indigenous victims and their families.
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.
# # #
U.S. Army Reserve Officer Admits to Military Pay Fraud While Another Is ChargedRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah –A second U.S. Army Reservist from Utah’s 76th Operational Response Command was indicted July 3, 2024, by a federal grand jury in Salt Lake City for military pay fraud that occurred at Fort Douglas, Utah, during the coronavirus pandemic.
According to court documents, Captain Jean Philippe Martial, 48, of Midvale, Utah, defrauded the United States out of more than $140,000 in unearned military pay entitlements from June 2019 to September 2021. Last month, Colonel Reece Roberts, formerly of Utah’s 76th Operational Response Command, pled guilty to filing a fraudulent claim against the United States, conspiring to defraud the United States, and other federal crimes. See former press release.
These announcements come as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s ongoing efforts with the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division and Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service to resolve cases of military pay fraud and corruption that occurred at Fort Douglas during the coronavirus pandemic.
According to court documents, both defendants misrepresented their residences to qualify for additional pay entitlements, fabricated lease agreements, falsified rent payments, and submitted over a dozen false vouchers to military officials. Charging documents further allege these misrepresentations allowed the defendants to receive family separation allowances, reimbursement for lodging expenses, and other entitlements that were not available to local servicemembers.
Roberts is scheduled to be sentenced on Thursday, August 29, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. in courtroom 8.1 at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. Martial’s initial court appearance on the indictment is scheduled on July 31, 2024, at 2:30 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge.
The Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service and U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Division are investigating these cases.
Assistant United States Attorney Tanner Zumwalt of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah is prosecuting these cases.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Former Missouri Police Officers Indicted for Federal Civil Rights ViolationsRead the Press Release
Two former Northwoods, Missouri, police officers were indicted last week for violating a man’s civil rights in 2023. One officer turned himself in yesterday, and the other turned himself in today.
Samuel Davis and Michael Hill were each indicted in relation to a July 4, 2023, encounter with a man, identified in the indictment as “C.G.,” after they were called to a Walgreens in Northwoods. Each were indicted on one count of conspiracy to intimidate C.G. in the free exercise and enjoyment of his right to be free from unreasonable seizure and deprivation of rights under color of law. Davis was also indicted on one count of engaging in misleading conduct with the intent to hinder, delay and prevent the communication of information relating to the possible commission of a federal offense and one count of altering records in a federal investigation. Hill was also indicted on one count of lying to the FBI.
According to the indictment, Hill, who was Davis’ supervisor, told Davis to take C.G. to Kinloch, Missouri. Davis then took C.G. to a field in Kinloch, where he struck the handcuffed man with his police baton. To cover up the incident, Davis told a dispatcher that C.G. was gone before Davis arrived at the Walgreens. Davis also allegedly turned off his body camera. The indictment also alleges Hill lied to FBI agents investigating the incident when he falsely stated that C.G. asked to go to Kinloch because he “had people” there.
If convicted, Davis and Hill each face a maximum penalty of life in prison for the charges of conspiracy to violate civil rights and deprivation of rights under color of law. Davis also faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for witness tampering and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison for destruction of records. Hill faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for lying to the FBI. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, U.S. Attorney Saylor A. Fleming for the Eastern District of Missouri and Acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Crocker of the FBI St. Louis Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI St. Louis Field Office and St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Krug for the Eastern District of Missouri and Trial Attorney Taylor Payne of the Civil Rights Division’s Criminal Section are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Three-Time Convicted Felon Sentenced to 7 Years in Prison for Possession of Glocks, ‘Molly,’ and Fake Pills Laced with FentanylRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Christopher Norece Mitchell, 26, a three-time convicted felon from Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to 84 months in prison in connection with illegally possessing three loaded Glock firearms and distribution quantities of cocaine base, fentanyl, N,N-Dimethylpentylone (also known as “molly”), marijuana, promethazine, and synthetic cannabinoids. At the time of the offense on April 20, 2023, Mitchell was on probation in three Superior Court cases, having been released from a 30-month prison term only three months earlier. Two of his probation cases were for felon-in-possession convictions.
The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves; Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Mitchell, 26, pleaded guilty March 6, 2024, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to a criminal information charging him with a count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon and a count of possession with intent to distribute N,N-Dimethylpentylone. In addition to the prison term, the Honorable Jia M. Cobb ordered Mitchell to serve three years of supervised release.
According to court documents, on April 20, 2023, MPD officers approached a group of men who were loitering on private property in the 800 block of 6th Street, NW, in Chinatown. One of the men grabbed a black plastic bag off a fence post and threw it into trash can in front of the officers. Officers recovered the bag, which contained 118 grams of marijuana, a digital scale, empty plastic baggies, and a key fob for an Acura SUV parked on the block. Minutes later, Mitchell approached the officers and requested the fob, which he said was for his mother’s car.
Given Mitchell’s association with a vehicle whose key was recovered alongside evidence of drug distribution, the officers stopped Mitchell. Mitchell voluntarily consented to a search of his person, which—in addition to a small bag of marijuana he had previously showed the officers—yielded $3,818 in cash, a bag of 24 blue pills marked “M/20,” and a baggie containing about 22 grams of a white crystal-like substance that field-tested positive for amphetamine.
Officers also saw a loose crystal substance in plain view on the SUV’s driver’s floorboard—which they identified as a controlled substance known as “molly”—and proceeded to search the vehicle. The substance appeared identical to the powder recovered from Mitchell’s person and field-tested positive for amphetamine. During a search of the vehicle, officers recovered additional controlled substances. From the center console, they recovered 145 grams of a white rock-like substance packaged into five baggies. From the rear driver’s side floorboard, they recovered a plastic bag containing 342 grams of suspected synthetic cannabinoids. From the driver’s side door panel, they recovered three digital scales with white residue. From the front passenger’s seat, officers recovered a jacket containing a bottle of suspected promethazine that was approximately 25% full. Some of the drugs recovered on April 20, 2023, were subsequently lab tested by the Drug Enforcement Administration. The substance that field-tested as amphetamine was determined to predominantly be N,N-Dimethylpentylone and cocaine base. The pills were determined to contain fentanyl and acetaminophen.
The officers also recovered three loaded firearms and ammunition from the vehicle. Mitchell directed the officers to the locations of these firearms. From the glove box, officers recovered a Glock 22, .40 caliber semi-automatic firearm with a 15-round magazine, with one round loaded in the firearm’s chamber and 13 rounds in its magazine. There was also a 31-round magazine loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition. From a backpack in the backseat, the officers recovered two additional firearms: a Glock 22, .40 caliber semi-automatic firearm with 15 rounds loaded into its 22-round magazine; and a Glock 19, 9mm semi-automatic firearm with a 17-round magazine, with one round loaded in the firearm’s chamber and 15 rounds in its magazine. Swabs from the firearms and magazines were submitted to the FBI for DNA testing and analysis. The results tied Mitchell to one of the firearms and two of the magazines.
Federal law prohibits Mitchell from possessing a firearm because he has three prior convictions in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia for crimes punishable by imprisonment for a term exceeding one year.
At the time of the offense, Mitchell was on probation in three Superior Court cases—two involving felon-in-possession convictions and one involving a misdemeanor assault conviction—having been released from a 30-month prison term only three months earlier. The Honorable Robert A. Salerno has scheduled a probation revocation hearing for July 17, 2024. Upon revocation of probation, Mitchell faces up to 13 additional months in prison.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Metropolitan Police Department as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods. Valuable assistance was provided by the DEA’s Mid-Atlantic Laboratory and the FBI’s laboratory in Quantico, Virginia.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Rick Kelley.
23cr0176
Terre Haute Sex Offender Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Possessing Images of the Sexual Abuse of Babies and ToddlersRead the Press Release
TERRE HAUTE- Joshua Lee Schatz, 33, of Terre Haute, has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by 15 years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to possession of child sexual abuse material.
According to court documents, on February 3, 2023, Indiana State Police Troopers received a tip that Joshua Lee Schatz had sent anime and computer-generated images of child sexual abuse material to another individual through text messages. The obscene images were extremely graphic, and some depicted toddlers being raped and sexually abused by adult men.
On March 10, 2023, investigators executed a search warrant and seized Schatz’ phone and electronic devices from his home in Terre Haute. Investigators discovered hundreds of child sexual abuse images and videos on his devices, including images and videos depicting the rape and sexual abuse of babies, toddlers, and other prepubescent children—some of the victims appearing to be babies under 6-months-old.
Investigators also located text messages sent by Schatz in which he described sexual activity he wanted to perform on children known to him.
At the time of his 2023 arrest, Joshua Schatz was a registered sex offender as a result of his 2016 conviction for sexually abusing a child under 14-years-old in Vigo County.
“There is no greater responsibility for a society than to protect our children from harm—especially the youngest and most vulnerable, unable to speak for themselves,” said Zachary A. Myers, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana. “Repeat offenders like this defendant demonstrate their unwillingness or inability to stop committing these crimes, and a serious term of imprisonment is needed to protect the public and hold the offender accountable. Together with our partners at the FBI, IMPD, and Indiana’s exemplary ICAC Task Force, we will continue to make our children safer by ensuring that these dangerous predators are in prison where they belong.”
The FBI, Indiana State Police, and IMPD investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Judge James R. Sweeney.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Samantha Spiro, who prosecuted this case.
This investigation was conducted by the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a multiagency task force led by the Indiana State Police that investigates and prosecutes persons who use the internet to sexually exploit or entice children. Each year, Indiana ICAC investigators evaluate thousands of tips, investigate hundreds of cases, and rescue dozens of children from ongoing sexual abuse. Visit https://www.in.gov/isp/icactf/ to learn more about their efforts.
This case was also 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 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.
###
St. Cloud Woman Pleads Guilty to Theft of Funds from the Department of DefenseRead the Press Release
Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Elizabeth Carpenter (44, St. Cloud) has pleaded guilty to theft of government property. Carpenter faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison. Carpenter has agreed to forfeit $183,079.60, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. The sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 12, 2024.
According to the plea agreement, Carpenter was employed as an accounting technician by Shades of Green, an Armed Forces Recreation Center resort owned by the Department of Defense (“DOD”) located on Walt Disney World Resort property in Lake Buena Vista. Between July 13, 2022, and March 19, 2024, Carpenter used her position as a DOD employee with computer credentials to access guest accounts to refund a portion of guests’ room payments to Carpenter’s personal credit card accounts. Carpenter engaged in at least 652 unauthorized transactions totaling approximately $183,079.
This case was investigated by the Department of the Army’s Criminal Investigation Division. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Risha Asokan.
Six Tampa Gang Members Indicted for Racketeering and Other FeloniesRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the unsealing of an indictment charging Christian Andujar Rivera (26, Tampa), Irving Diego Bruzon (28, Tampa), Xavier Chase Gardner (31, Tampa), Mohamed Nidal Jaber (32, Tampa), Julissa Collazo (27, Port Ritchey), and Kyle Miller (33, Orlando) with racketeering conspiracy and various related charges including conspiracy to commit robbery, bank fraud, murder in aid of racketeering, arson, and possession with intent to distribute 1,000 kilograms or more of marijuana. If convicted on all counts, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison. The indictment also notifies each defendant that the United States intends to forfeit any assets, which are alleged to be traceable to proceeds of the offense.
According to the indictment, these individuals were members and associates of a criminal organization or enterprise operating in Hillsborough County and elsewhere, known as “AP,” short for Alexander Park. AP engaged in narcotics distribution, bank fraud, obstruction of justice, and acts of violence to include murder, aggravated assault, robbery, and arson. In furtherance of the racketeering conspiracy, AP members also committed acts outside of Florida including Oregon, California, and Michigan. Those acts include aggravated assault, home invasion robbery, and burglary.
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 Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the Tampa Police Department, and the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the State Attorney’s Office for the 13th Judicial Circuit. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shauna S. Hale
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Download IndictmentSettlement agreement reached with hotel chain involving alleged violation of the Americans with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, NY – U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that the U.S. Attorney’s Office has reached a settlement with the DelMonte Hotel Group to resolve allegations that a hotel in the group discriminated against an individual with a disability in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA).
The complainant, an individual with Parkinson’s disease who uses a wheelchair, stayed for two nights at a DelMonte Hilton on Celebration Drive, in Rochester, NY. She alleges that while an accessible room was reserved, no clean, accessible rooms were available when she arrived. The complainant further alleges that the room she was provided had no fixed seat in the bathtub, forcing her to shower sitting on the floor of the bathtub. When she asked for a chair or bench, the complainant alleges that hotel staff provided a plastic chair, which she sat on to take showers, at great risk.
Under the settlement reached, the DelMonte Hotel Group will provide a report and photos every six months until the issue with respect to accessible bathrooms has been corrected; provide copies of any complaint received during the reporting period alleging that it did not comply with the ADA or otherwise discriminated against any person on the basis of disability; and cooperate with all requests by the United States to access DelMonte hotels in Western New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, and for information and documents concerning DelMonte’s compliance with the agreement and the ADA. DelMonte will complete all necessary changes within 18 months, pay $7,500 to the complainant, and pay a civil penalty to the United States.
The agreement also calls for DelMonte to train staff who work at its hotels in Western New York, Pennsylvania, and Ohio on the ADA. DelMonte must also implement and enforce a written policy regarding ADA compliance at these hotels.
The Department of Justice’s enforcement efforts under the ADA seek equal opportunity and dignity in all aspects of life, including access to public accommodations such as hotel rooms.
Individuals who believe they may have been victims of discrimination may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at (716) 843-5700 or file a complaint with the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division at: https://civilrights.justice.gov/report/. Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov, or by calling the Department of Justice’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 and (800) 514-0383 (TDD).
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney James E. B. Bobseine, Civil Rights Coordinator in the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Buffalo, New York.
# # # #
Schenectady Man Sentenced to over 15 Years on Methamphetamine ConvictionRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Ocyris Morgan, age 36, of Schenectady, New York, was sentenced today to 188 months in prison for possessing methamphetamine with the intent to sell it.
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.
Morgan admitted that he intended to sell the 21.4 grams of methamphetamine law enforcement seized from his house on June 1, 2023, and when he overheard agents saying they found between one-half and one ounce of methamphetamine, Morgan corrected them, “21.7, to be exact.” Morgan also admitted to receiving $10,130 over the course of 12 instances in which he sold a total of 93 grams of methamphetamine and 50 grams of cocaine base to several customers. He further admitted to possessing a firearm and bullet-proof vest.
Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes also imposed a 4-year term of supervised release and ordered Morgan to forfeit the $10,130 he made from the drug sales.
The FBI’s Capital District Safe Streets Task Force—made up of FBI Special Agents as well as members of other federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, including the Schenectady Police Department—investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner prosecuted.
Rochester man pleads guilty to being a felon in possession of ammunitionRead the Press Release
Rochester, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Raymond G. Girard, 36, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr. to being a felon in possession of ammunition, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert A. Marangola, who is handling the case, stated that on January 14, 2023, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Girard’s Rochester residence and seized over 400 rounds of various caliber ammunition. In June 2016, Girard was convicted in Monroe County Court of Attempted Criminal Possession of a Weapon 2nd and is legally prohibited from possessing ammunition.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter, the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Miklos Szoczei II, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan Miller, New York Field Division, and the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief David Smith.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 9, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. before Judge Geraci.
# # # #
Rhode Island Man Admits to Straw Purchase of Three FirearmsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Rhode Island man today admitted to a federal judge that he made false statements while purchasing three firearms that he purchased from federally licensed firearms dealers, asserting on forms that he was the actual buyer and that he was not purchasing the guns with the intent of transferring them to another person when, in fact, he transferred the firearms to his employer who is prohibited from possessing a firearm, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Appearing in U.S. District Court in Providence, Keith Greene, 27, of Warwick, pleaded guilty to three counts of false statement during purchase of a firearm. He is scheduled to be sentenced on October 8, 2024. The defendant’s sentences will be determined by a federal district court judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to information presented to the court, Greene purchased three firearms from federally licensed firearms dealers in Rhode Island between January 30, 2023, and February 21, 2023. During each purchase, Greene represented on ATF forms that he was the actual transferee/purchaser of the firearms, and then signed the form directly beneath a warning that it is a felony to falsely claim to be the actual buyer . When taking possession of the firearms, Greene again asserted on the same federal forms that the information he previously entered was accurate and that he was, in fact, the transferee/buyer of the firearms.
In December 2023, members of the East Providence Police Department discovered all three firearms in the possession of his former employer. They were seized during an unrelated investigation. Also seized at the time was a document signed by both Greene and his employer acknowledging the transfer of one of the firearms.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney G. Micheal Seaman.
The matter was investigated by ATF, with the assistance of the East Providence Department.
###
Repeat Raleigh Drug Trafficker Sentenced to over 17 YearsRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Jeremiah Williams, a 40-year-old resident of Raleigh, has been sentenced to 174 months in federal prison for trafficking cocaine in the Raleigh area. Williams also received a consecutive sentence of 36 months for a supervised release violation for a total sentence of 210 months in federal prison.
“The distribution of cocaine and other dangerous drugs has no place in our community. The Raleigh Police Department (RPD) is committed to ensuring that the flow of these dangerous substances is stopped through intentionality and a deliberate focus on prolific drug dealers. In this case, a habitual offender was taken off the streets and can no longer harm our neighborhoods. Once again, we are grateful for the strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Eastern District of NC and U.S. Attorney Easley’s commitment to public safety,” said Raleigh Police Chief Estella Patterson.
According to court documents and information presented in court, in March 2021, RPD received a tip from a confidential informant (CI) that “Dirty,” later identified as Jeremiah Williams, was selling crack cocaine. On March 31, 2021, the CI contacted Williams by phone to purchase crack cocaine and met him at a fast-food restaurant in Raleigh, North Carolina, where the sale was captured on audio and video. On April 6, 2021, the CI contacted Williams again, and they agreed to meet at an apartment complex in Raleigh for another drug deal, which was also recorded.
After selling crack cocaine to the CI, law enforcement attempted to arrest Williams. He tried to flee but was apprehended. While running, he threw a bag of crack cocaine to the ground. A search incident to the arrest of Williams led to the seizure of 26.8 grams of cocaine, 4.78 grams of crack cocaine, 17.7 grams of marijuana, cash, and a digital scale. Following his arrest, Williams admitted to officers that he was at the apartment complex to sell drugs and confessed to selling drugs for the past few weeks. He also admitted to possessing the drugs recovered during his arrest.
Further investigation revealed that Williams was previously convicted in federal court for Possession with Intent to Distribute a Quantity of Cocaine Base (“crack”) and a Quantity of Marijuana, as well as Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking. Williams had been released from federal prison for approximately six months when he sold crack cocaine to the CI mentioned above. Moreover, the investigation uncovered Williams’s criminal history dating back to 2001, which includes several prior felony and misdemeanor convictions, multiple convictions for drug trafficking, and at least two prior convictions for assaulting a female. Williams was found to be responsible for the possession and distribution of 5.67 grams of crack cocaine, 26.8 grams of powder cocaine, and 22.4 grams of marijuana.
While Williams was detained pending the resolution of his case, when one of his family members passed away. The court granted Williams a furlough to attend the funeral. Upon Williams’ return to the Albemarle District Jail, it was discovered that Williams had swallowed a bag of marijuana, which had to be surgically removed from his throat.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Raleigh Police Department investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Nucci prosecuted the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for case number 5:21-CR-00336-FL.
###
Repeat Fraudster Sentenced for Leading Pandemic Fraud ConspiracyRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – A Hampton woman was sentenced today to five years in prison for identity theft and leading a conspiracy to defraud the government and financial institutions for pandemic-related loans and other benefits.
According to court documents, Lapondia Wallace, 53, was responsible for at least 22 fraudulent pandemic loan applications and five additional fraudulent applications for pandemic unemployment insurance benefits. This fraud resulted in more than $250,000 in loss to the United States and the Commonwealth of Virginia. Wallace withdrew substantial amounts of the fraud proceeds as U.S. currency before they could be seized and spent the money on gambling, travel, and luxury retail items like clothing and shoes.
Wallace has at least fifteen prior convictions for fraud, forgery, and related offenses, including a 2021 federal conviction for mail fraud. She committed the pandemic fraud at issue while under court supervision for her prior federal conviction for mail fraud. In her prior federal case, Wallace and her co-conspirators repeatedly filed fraudulent insurance claims.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Brian Dugan, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Norfolk Field Office; Damon E. Wood, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Washington Division; and Troy W. Springer, Special Agent in Charge, National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson.
Assistant U.S. Attorney D. Mack Coleman and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyssa Levey-Weinstein prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:23-cr-66.
Priest Pleads Guilty to Sending His Sister $100,000 in Stolen Church FundsRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A retired priest in Jefferson City, Mo., pleaded guilty in federal court today to sending his sister a $100,000 check stolen from a Wardsville, Mo., church and admitted to writing himself a $200,000 check from the church account.
The Rev. Ignazio C. Medina, 72, waived his right to a grand jury and pleaded guilty before U.S. Chief Magistrate Judge Willie J. Epps, Jr., to a federal information that charges him with transporting stolen property across state lines.
Medina, a Catholic priest, was pastor at St. Stanislaus Catholic Church in Wardsville, Mo., from 2013 to 2021. Some financial irregularities arose at St. Stanislaus in 2018, and the diocese determined that the parish had a bank account that was not previously reported on the budget or annual report. Medina was asked to include this bank account in the parish’s annual report, and in 2020 he reported an account balance of about $358,000.
After Medina was transferred to a different parish in 2021, it was discovered that he had emptied that bank account. On June 10, 2021, Medina had written a $100,000 check to his sister in Tucson, Arizona. The next day, he had also written a $200,000 check payable to himself. Some expenditures from the account appeared to be church-related.
Medina, when confronted, claimed the bank account was funded by donations that were not intended for the parish itself, but rather were intended for his own discretionary use. Donors who had contributed checks deposited into the bank account contradicted Medina’s statement. Several individuals told investigators the checks they wrote to St. Stanislaus were intended for parish purposes, not for Medina’s own discretionary use, and that they never had any conversations with Medina authorizing a different use of the funds. One donor told investigators he intended his donation to be used in the school in memory of a deceased friend.
Medina also claimed he was refunding donations and that his sister in Tucson was one of the donors. In fact, his sister was not a source of donations to the account, and told investigators that Medina told her the money he sent was to care for their ailing mother.
Under federal statutes, Medina is subject to a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren E. Kummerer. It was investigated by the FBI.
Poughkeepsie Gang Member Pleads Guilty to June 2020 Murder of 16-Year-OldRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the guilty plea of ELIJAH BERMUDEZ, a/k/a “Quiet,” in connection with his criminal activities as a member of the violent gang Bully Hard Hunna Blood (“Bully Hard”), including his role as the shooter in the June 20, 2020, murder of 16-year-old bystander Frederick Wells, known to his friends and family as “Khabir.” The murder arose out of a dispute between Bully Hard gang members and members of a rival set of Bloods called the Untouchable Gorilla Stone Nation (“Gorilla Stone”), which led to, three months later, a retaliatory September 21, 2020, broad daylight murder of a second minor victim, 15-year-old Jalani Jones, in Poughkeepsie. BERMUDEZ pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Nelson S. Román.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “In a tragic three-month stretch in 2020, brutal gang violence between the Bully Hard and Gorilla Stone sets of the Bloods caused two senseless murders of minor victims in Poughkeepsie. Previously, Gorilla Stone leader Brandon Soto was convicted and sentenced to 35 years in prison for his role in planning out and ordering the retaliatory September 21, 2020, murder of a 15-year-old. Today, thanks to our law enforcement partners and the dedicated prosecutors of this Office, Elijah Bermudez has now admitted to an earlier, June 20, 2020, murder that prompted the retaliatory September 2020 murder. Today’s plea is a reminder that this Office will relentlessly pursue any gangs who threaten the safety of New Yorkers.”
According to allegations in the Indictment and Information and statements made in public filings and public court proceedings:
From early 2020 to April 2022, BERMUDEZ was a member or associate of a racketeering enterprise known as Bully Hard, a criminal organization whose members and associates engaged in, among other things, murder, robberies, narcotics trafficking, and fraud. Bully Hard operated in New York City and Upstate New York, including in Poughkeepsie. Members and associates of Bully Hard engaged in a series of violent disputes with rivals of Bully Hard, as well as those within Bully Hard who they deemed disloyal. During these disputes, members and associates of Bully Hard committed murder, shootings, and assaults against their rivals and against fellow members of Bully Hard. They also distributed heroin and marijuana.
On June 20, 2020, BERMUDEZ shot and killed 16-year-old bystander Frederick Wells in the vicinity of Charles Street in Poughkeepsie in furtherance of his membership in the Bully Hard racketeering enterprise. Specifically, on the night of June 20, 2020, BERMUDEZ and another member of Bully Hard (“Bully Hard Member-1”) got into a physical fight with members of Gorilla Stone, a rival set of Bloods. During the fight, Bully Hard Member-1 confronted a 17-year-old Gorilla Stone member (“Gorilla Stone Member-1”). At the time, Gorilla Stone Member-1 was standing with Wells, who was Gorilla Stone Member-1’s friend from school, was not in a gang, and was a bystander to the altercation. BERMUDEZ then stabbed Gorilla Stone Member-1, picked up Bully Hard Member-1’s gun, which had dropped to the ground, and shot Wells as Wells tried to run away. Wells was found dead with a gunshot wound to his head.
* * *
BERMUDEZ, 31, of New York, New York, pled guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; one count of being a felon in possession of ammunition, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison; and one count of conspiracy to possess ammunition after a felony conviction, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. BERMUDEZ is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Román on October 17, 2024.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force. Mr. Williams also thanked the City of Poughkeepsie Police Department and Dutchess County District Attorney’s Office for their assistance in the case.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David R. Felton, Courtney L. Heavey, Shiva H. Logarajah, and Kevin T. Sullivan are in charge of the prosecution.
Phoenix Woman Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Alien Smuggling and Assault of a Federal AgentRead the Press Release
TUCSON, Ariz. – Shatasia Emoney Sanders Taylor, 25, of Phoenix, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Rosemary Márquez to 27 months in prison, followed by 36 months of supervised release. Taylor pleaded guilty to Alien Smuggling and Assault of a Federal Officer on September 6, 2023.
On February 7, 2023, U.S. Border Patrol agents observed Taylor picking up suspected undocumented noncitizens in a desert area near Bisbee. An agent approached the vehicle while it was stationary. As he reached his arm through the passenger door window, Taylor hit the gas pedal. Taylor dragged the agent alongside the vehicle, finally coming to a stop after traveling several hundred feet. In the backseat of the vehicle, agents discovered three undocumented noncitizens whom Taylor was illegally transporting further into the United States.
Customs and Border Protection’s United States Border Patrol conducted the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, Tucson, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-23-1295-TUC-RM
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-090_Taylor# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Pain Clinic Owners Sentenced for Role in Operating Pill Mills in Tennessee and FloridaRead the Press Release
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On July 8, 2024, Clyde Christopher Tipton, 63, of Tazewell, Tennessee, was sentenced to 50 months in prison by the Honorable Thomas A. Varlan, United States District Judge for the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee at Knoxville. Tipton was the final defendant to be sentenced in a sprawling pill mill case that resulted in the federal criminal convictions of approximately 140 defendants. Following his incarceration, Tipton will be on supervised release for 3 years.
As part of the plea agreement filed with the court, Tipton pleaded guilty to three counts in the superseding indictment: one count of conspiracy to launder money in violation of 18 § U.S.C. 1956(h), and two counts of conspiracy to defraud the United States and pay healthcare kickbacks in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 371. In February 2020, four co-defendants were found guilty at trial for their roles in operating or using pill mills to distribute opioids: Sylvia Hofstetter, 60, of Miami, Florida, Cynthia Clemons, 52, Courtney Newman, 48, and Holli Womack, 51, all of Knoxville. Three other co-defendants, Luigi “Jimmy” Palma, 61, of Miami, Florida, Luca Sartini, 64, also of Miami, Florida, and Benjamin Rodriguez, 49, of Delray, Florida, have previously pleaded guilty to various counts of the superseding indictment and been sentenced for their roles in operating pill mills in Tennessee and Florida.
Tipton’s filed plea agreement, as well as the evidence presented at trial against Hofstetter, Clemons, Newman, and Womack, established that the pill mills owned and operated by Tipton and various co-defendants distributed over 11 million tablets of oxycodone, oxymorphone, and morphine that generated over $21 million in revenue, with a corresponding street value of $360 million. The conspiracy involved four separate clinics in or near Knoxville, Tennessee, each of which was a pill mill. A pill mill owned by Sartini, Palma, and Rodriguez, operating in Hollywood, Florida, gave rise to the Tennessee pill mills. The stipulations and evidence demonstrated that, as law enforcement shut down hundreds of pill mills in South Florida, the Florida co-codefendants planned the move to East Tennessee where a large percentage of these clinics’ opioid-addicted customers lived. The three tabbed Hofstetter to run the Tennessee pill mills. She and Tipton later opened competing pill mills in Knoxville.
Palma and Sartini were sentenced on December 14, 2023, to 120 and 130 months in prison, respectively. Rodriguez was sentenced on January 22, 2024, to 65 months in prison.
U.S. Attorney Francis M. Hamilton III of the Eastern District of Tennessee and Special Agent in Charge Joseph E. Carrico of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) made the announcement.
This sweeping prosecution is the result of an investigation by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee, the Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, U.S. Department of Justice, and the FBI High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), comprised of investigators assigned to the task force by the Loudon County Sheriff’s Office, Knoxville Police Department, Blount County Sheriff’s Office, Roane County Sheriff’s Office, Harriman Police Department, and Clinton Police Department. Other agencies provided invaluable assistance, including the Rome Attaché of the Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Department of Justice, FBI’s liaison in Rome, the FBI’s Miami Field Office, the Hollywood, Florida, Police Department, the United States Department of Health and Human Services, the Tennessee Department of Health, and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Knoxville Diversion Group.
Deputy Criminal Chief Tracy L. Stone, U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Tennessee, and Deputy Chief Kelly Pearson, Violent Crime and Racketeering Section, U.S. Department of Justice, represent the United States in the prosecution of this case.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (“OCDETF”) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
###
Owner and Operator of Colorado Natural Gas Processing Plant Agree to Pay $1M Fine and Improve Leak Detection and Repair Equipment and PracticesRead the Press Release
The Justice Department, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and State of Colorado today announced a settlement with Enterprise Gas Processing LLC and Enterprise Products Operating LLC (jointly, “Enterprise”). The agreement, which includes a $1 million civil penalty, will protect community health and the environment by strengthening leak detection and repair practices at the Meeker Gas Plant in Rio Blanco County, Colorado.
A complaint filed concurrently with the settlement alleges that Enterprise violated leak detection and repair requirements in accordance with the Clean Air Act and state clean air laws. The violations resulted in excess emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other pollutants to the atmosphere.
“All gas refining and processing facilities must comply with the Clean Air Act,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division. “This settlement includes important provisions to improve leak detection, repair practices and staff training, which applied here will help protect public health in western Colorado.”
“Together, EPA and CDPHE are committed to delivering enforcement, inspections and compliance assistance that provide tangible benefits for Colorado’s communities,” said EPA Regional Administrator KC Becker. “This action will secure facility compliance and reduce emissions of air pollutants in Meeker and the surrounding area.”
“The protection of Colorado’s air quality made possible through this settlement with Enterprise is a testament to the power of collaboration between dedicated state and federal public officials,” said Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser. “We are proud to support the state’s Air Pollution Control Division as it continues to lead the way to reduce air pollution from oil and gas operations and pursue better air for all Coloradans.”
As part of the settlement, Enterprise will take corrective actions and pay a $1 million civil penalty. Half of the penalty will go to the federal government and half will go to the State of Colorado, where a portion will fund projects to benefit disproportionately impacted communities through the state's environmental justice grant program.
Under the settlement, Enterprise will strengthen its leak detection and repair practices at the Meeker Gas Plant. These commitments include:
- Installing equipment that leaks less pollution to the atmosphere;
- Reviewing compliance with leak detection and repair requirements; and
- Repairing leaking equipment faster.
Enterprise will also improve staff training and use optical gas imaging technology to improve the visual detection of leaks to address them more quickly.
Equipment leaks at the Meeker Gas Plant emit VOCs, which lead to the formation of ground-level ozone. Ozone contributes to serious public health concerns, including respiratory illness, aggravation of existing heart disease and temporary breathing difficulty for people with asthma. Young children and older people are especially sensitive to these impacts. Leaks from equipment at the Meeker Gas Plant also emit methane, a powerful greenhouse gas.
The EPA investigated the case.
Attorneys of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Enforcement Section are handling the case.
The Justice Department filed the consent decree with the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado. The consent decree is subject to a 30-day public comment period. It is available on the Justice Department’s website at www.justice.gov/enrd/consent-decrees.
Okanagan Woman Indicted in Connection with Theft of Colville Tribe Funds from Family MemberRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington – Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that a federal grand jury has indicted Nina Rae Tatshama-Marchand, of Okanagan County, Washington, for bank fraud in connection with the unauthorized withdrawal and transfer of funds belong to a developmentally-disabled member of the Colville Tribe.
The Indictment announced today charges Nina Rae Tatshama-Marchand, of Okanagan County, Washington, with five counts of bank fraud. The Indictment alleges that Tatshama-Marchand opened a checking account with a developmentally-disabled minor and that after the victim, an enrolled member of the Colville Tribe, turned 18, he received tribal funds due to his tribal membership. The indictment alleges that Tatshama-Marchand diverted the vast majority of the funds intended for the victim into her own accounts and converted it for her own personal use. According to the indictment, Tatshama-Marchand fraudulently obtained at least $34,900.00 in this manner.
“Protecting vulnerable members of the community and safeguarding precious and limited tribal funds are top priorities of our office,” said United States Attorney Waldref. “My office will work closely with our law enforcement partners to hold fraudsters accountable when they prey on innocent members of the community in order to line their own pockets.”
The fraud charges carry sentences of up to 30 years in federal prison as well as restitution for fraudulently-obtained funds. This case was investigated by the FBI. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Frieda K. Zimmerman.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Case No: 2:24-CR-81-TOR
Ohio Man Sentenced to Prison After Pleading Guilty to Filing False Tax Returns and Wire FraudRead the Press Release
TOLEDO – Jacques J. Eid, 56, of Perrysburg, Ohio, was sentenced to 30 months in prison by U.S. District Judge James G. Carr, after pleading guilty to filing false tax returns and wire fraud that defrauded educational and government entities. He was also fined $797,151.38 and ordered to pay restitution to the following: U.S. Department of Education, $14,760; Notre Dame Academy, $13,450; St. John’s Jesuit High School, $30,000; and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, $223,575.69.
Eid pleaded guilty to the offenses in court on March 1, 2024, where he admitted to filing false tax returns with the IRS by underreporting taxable income of nearly $880,000 earned as owner of a convenience store, Madison Market, and a restaurant, Le Pam Pam, in Toledo from 2012-2018. Before the district court-imposed sentence, Eid repaid all taxes and penalties owed to the IRS resulting from his tax offenses.
Eid also admitted falsifying his income on the U.S. Department of Education’s Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly known as FAFSA, for one of his children which was then used to determine aid packages at The University of Toledo and the University of Dayton. This resulted in fraudulently obtaining more than $11,000 in Pell Grants and $3,000 in Federal Supplemental Opportunity grants for college. Eid also falsified his income when seeking financial assistance for his children at two Toledo-area private schools, St. John’s Jesuit High School and Notre Dame Academy, ultimately receiving more than $40,000 collectively. His children would not have been entitled to receive financial aid if accurate income, assets, and net worth had been reported on applications.
“Eid lied on his tax returns to avoid paying the taxes he owed and to further another lie about his children needing financial aid,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “Falsifying financial need takes away from students who genuinely need the assistance for their education, and the defendant shamelessly scammed the system so that his own family could benefit at the expense of others. Federal law enforcement agencies pay attention when persons lie about their finances, and we are pleased that the district court has held Eid accountable for his disgraceful conduct.”
Additionally, Eid admitted submitting a false application for his convenience store to become an authorized retailer for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s SNAP Food Stamp Program. The application falsely stated that his spouse was the sole owner of the convenience store and that there were no other owners, even though Eid was the true owner of the business. He attempted to hide his ownership of the store so that it could accept food stamps. Eid was disqualified as a program retailer due to his prior conviction for seven counts of illegal use of food stamps or WIC program benefits in 2004. From 2008 to 2021 he operated Madison Market under the false pretense that he was not the owner. As a result of that misrepresentation, the store received more than $1 million in SNAP benefits which resulted in at least $220,000 in unlawful profits to the store.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Gene Crawford for the Northern District of Ohio. The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service–Criminal Investigations, Department of Agriculture Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Education Office of Inspector General.
Norwell Man Sentenced to More Than Two Years in Prison for Possessing Counterfeit Fentanyl-Laced PillsRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Norwell man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for narcotics charges.
Frederick Dechristoforo, 58, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 30 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. In February 2024, Dechristoforo pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
In December 2021, a search was conducted at Dechristoforo’s residence in Norwell. During the search, approximately 785 pills that were laced with fentanyl were seized.Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Benjamin Tolkoff and John Reynolds of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
New York Man and Canadian National Plead Guilty to Multimillion-Dollar Export Control SchemeRead the Press Release
Nikolay Goltsev, 38, of Montreal, and Salimdzhon Nasriddinov, 53, of Brooklyn, New York, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to commit export control violations for their roles in a global procurement scheme on behalf of sanctioned Russian companies, including Russian military companies. Some of the electronic components shipped by the defendants were later found in seized Russian weapons platforms and signals intelligence equipment in Ukraine.
“The defendants shipped millions of dollars of U.S. electronics critical to the missiles and drones Russia uses to attack Ukraine, and they now face U.S. prison time for their scheme,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “As Russia continues to wage its unjust war of aggression against Ukraine, the Department remains committed to holding accountable those who fuel Putin’s war machine.”
“The defendants shipped millions of dollars’ worth of electronic components to Russia, including the exact type of parts found in Russian weapons and drones used to attack Ukraine,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division. “We know the devastation and destruction that these weapons cause and the Justice Department is committed to holding accountable those who violate U.S. laws to supply the Russian war machine.”
“Eliminating illegal global procurement networks that prop up the Russian war machine requires a full-court press,” said Assistant Secretary of Commerce Matthew S. Axelrod for Export Enforcement. “That’s why we and our law enforcement partners are working nonstop to ensure that those operating such networks like Nasriddinov and Goltsev face American justice.”
“The defendants flouted U.S. law to help Russia in its war against Ukraine, but they were stopped in their tracks and swiftly brought to justice,” said U.S. Attorney Breon Peace for the Eastern District of New York. “Today’s guilty pleas reflect that that this Office will take on and successfully neutralize the complicated procurement networks that are making it possible for Russia to continue its unprovoked war against Ukraine.”
“The defendants in this case engaged in an illegal scheme to funnel electronic components to Russia to use in its unjust invasion of Ukraine,” said Executive Assistant Director Robert Wells of the FBI’s National Security Branch. “They tried to disguise their activities using front companies but were ultimately discovered and brought to justice. The FBI will continue working with our partners to investigate and hold accountable those who violate sanctions in support of adversarial nations.”
“With today’s guilty pleas, all three defendants have acknowledged their involvement in their scheme to provide more than $7 million worth of material support to the Kremlin in its inhumane attacks on Ukraine,” said Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) New York. “Nikolay Goltsev, Salimdzhon Nasriddinov, and their co-conspirator coordinated the deployment of over 300 shipments of restricted electronics that were ultimately used on the Russian battlefield. HSI New York remains committed to utilizing its unique authorities to relentlessly pursue individuals who seek to exploit U.S. export control laws for financial gain. I am proud to stand alongside the Justice Department, FBI, and Department of Commerce in confronting these issues directly.”
According to court documents, Goltsev and Nasriddinov used two Brooklyn companies, SH Brothers Inc. and SN Electronics Inc., to unlawfully source, purchase, and ship millions of dollars in dual-use electronics from U.S. manufacturers to sanctioned end users in Russia. Some of the electronic components and integrated circuits shipped by the defendants through SH Brothers have been found in seized Russian weapons platforms and signals intelligence equipment in Ukraine, including the Torn-MDM radio reconnaissance complex, the RB-301B “Borisoglebsk-2” electronic warfare complex, the Izdeliye 305E light multi-purpose guided missile, the Vitebsk L370 airborne counter missile system, Ka-52 helicopters, Orlan-10 unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and T-72B3 battle tanks. Some of these components were critical to Russia’s precision-guided weapons systems being used against Ukraine. During the period charged in the indictment, SH Brothers made hundreds of shipments valued at over $7 million to Russia.
To carry out their criminal scheme, Nasriddinov and Goltsev purchased the electronic components from U.S. manufacturers and distributors under the auspices of SH Brothers and SN Electronics and arranged for the items to be shipped from those manufacturers and distributors to various locations in Brooklyn. Nasriddinov and Goltsev then unlawfully shipped the items to a variety of intermediary front companies located in other countries, including Turkey, Hong Kong, India, China, and the United Arab Emirates, where they were rerouted to Russia.
The defendants were aware of the potential military applications of the electronics that they exported to Russia. For example, in a message exchange on or about and between Nov. 8, 2022, and Nov. 15, 2022, Goltsev commented how shipping to Russia had become “dangerous” and discussed a shipment of electronic components that had been detained by U.S. officials at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York. Nasriddinov responded that “Ukrainians alleged that they’re being bombed from parts from there [the U.S. manufacturer], maybe that’s why they started investigating everything?” Goltsev responded that “we need to figure out why they keep holding the package . . . I don’t really understand how they figured [it] out.” In a subsequent message, Goltsev commented that, “in the future we will need to load from several companies, not to attract attention . . . for now large packages will be dangerous until we understand what they figured out . . . we will need to think of diversifying the load . . . so that not everything is not moving from the same deck.”
In a Feb. 23, 2023, message, Nasriddinov wrote to Goltsev, “Happy Defender of the Fatherland,” referring the holiday in Russia and parts of the former Soviet Union celebrating those who served in the armed forces. Goltsev responded, “happy holiday to you too my friend, we are defending it in the way that we can [smile emoji].”
The scheme involved millions of dollars and proved to be lucrative for the defendants. For example, in a Sept. 15, 2022, text message from Nasriddinov to Goltsev, Nasriddinov boasted, “SH [Brothers] is one of the best companies in the world, it’s time to move forward onto the stock exchange and stock market, capital should be in the billions, we are working.” Goltsev responded, “pushing components to those who need it I can do, everything else you will have to teach me [three smile emojis].”
The government seized $20,000 in cash from the New York hotel room in which Goltsev was arrested. In total, the government has seized approximately $1.68 million dollars in connection with this export scheme.
Goltsev and Nasriddinov are scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 10 and Dec. 11, respectively. They each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Co-defendant Kristina Puzyreva pleaded guilty in February to conspiracy to launder the proceeds of the export scheme. She is awaiting sentencing.
The FBI, HSI and Department of Commerce, Export Enforcement are investigating the case, with assistance from the U.S. Customs and Border Protection and Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs.
Trial Attorney Christopher M. Cook of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Artie McConnell, Ellen H. Sise, and Laura Mantell for the Eastern District of New York are prosecuting the case.
Today’s actions were coordinated through the Justice and Commerce Departments’ Disruptive Technology Strike Force and the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture. The Disruptive Technology Strike Force is an interagency law enforcement strike force co-led by the Departments of Justice and Commerce designed to target illicit actors, protect supply chains, and prevent critical technology from being acquired by authoritarian regimes and hostile nation states. Task Force KleptoCapture is an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export restrictions and economic countermeasures that the United States has imposed, along with its allies and partners, in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine
New York Man Pleads Guilty to Obstructing Investigation into Workplace DeathRead the Press Release
Richard Zagger, of Blue Point, New York, pleaded guilty today to a charge of conspiracy and three charges of obstruction. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for Oct. 16.
The four-count indictment alleges that Zagger was a supervisor for Northridge Construction Corporation, located in East Patchogue, Long Island, New York. On Dec. 8, 2018, Zagger was overseeing employees of Northridge Construction Corporation who were constructing a metal shed on the Northridge property. During the construction, one of the employees fell from the improperly secured shed roof and died.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) investigated the employee’s death and violations of worker safety standards. Among other worker safety standards, OSHA regulations require maintaining the stability of a metal structure at all times during construction. The indictment charges that during the investigation, Zagger made false statements and conspired with others to make false statements to obstruct the federal agency’s inquiry.
The maximum penalty for the conspiracy count and each obstruction count is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine, or twice the economic gain to the defendant or loss suffered by the victim because of the crime.
Also, in regards to the same fatal incident, Northridge previously pleaded guilty to violating a worker safety standard causing the death of one of its employees and to making two false statements that obstructed OSHA’s investigation. The corporation is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 6.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division made the announcement.
The Department of Labor’s Office of the Inspector General investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorneys Daniel Dooher and Richard J. Powers and Trial Attorney Rachel Roberts of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section are prosecuting the case.
New Mexico man admits stealing letters by wife of Western artist Charlie “C.M.” Russell and other items from Montana Historical SocietyRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A New Mexico man accused of stealing 100-year-old items, including letters by the wife of Western artist Charlie “C.M.” Russell, from the Montana Historical Society and selling them for a profit on eBay admitted today to a theft crime, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Brian Anthony D’Ambrosio, 49, of Sante Fe, New Mexico, pleaded guilty to theft of major artwork. D’Ambrosio faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Nov. 13. D’Ambrosio’s release was continued pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that D’Ambrosio, while claiming to conduct research at the Montana Historical Society, a museum located in Helena, stole items from the archives from about April 2022 to September 2023. The stolen items included letters written by Nancy Russell, the wife of renowned Western artist Charlie “C.M.” Russell. The stolen items were more than 100 years old, were of cultural heritage and exceeded $5,000 in value. D’Ambrosio then sold and attempted to sell the stolen items for profit on eBay. An undercover FBI agent posed as a would-be purchaser to confirm D’Ambrosio was the individual stealing the items from the Montana Historical Society and selling or attempting to sell the items on eBay for a profit, none of which was authorized.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI and Helena Police Department conducted the investigation.
XXX
New Jersey Man Sentenced to 105 Months in Prison for 2023 Armed Carjacking in South PhiladelphiaRead the Press Release
PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Ronald Brown, 21, of Blackwood, New Jersey, was sentenced today to was sentenced today to 105 months’ imprisonment and five years of supervised release by United States District Court Judge John R. Padova, for one count of carjacking and one count of carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to the commission of a crime of violence.
In October of 2023, a grand jury returned a two-count indictment charging the defendant with carjacking and carrying, using, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, charges arising from the defendant’s involvement in a carjacking in the early morning hours of July 16, 2023.
The defendant pleaded guilty to both counts in February, admitting to carjacking at gunpoint two people sitting in a Chevrolet Camaro parked outside a South Philadelphia Dunkin Donuts. The day after the carjacking, two Philadelphia police officers had observed the stolen vehicle and attempted to follow it, but the defendant escaped. A short time later, officers again observed the vehicle and Brown fled at a high rate of speed. Brown then crashed the carjacked vehicle into a building and fled on foot. The officers arrested Brown after a brief foot chase and later recovered the firearm used to commit the carjacking from the stolen vehicle.
“Carjackings terrorize their victims and can upend the entire community’s sense of security,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “That’s exactly why we stood up the Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force, pooling resources to identify, investigate, and prosecute violent offenders like Ronald Brown. As his sentence shows, if you commit a carjacking in our city, best be prepared for an extended stay in one of our federal facilities.”
“Carjacking is a dangerous crime and as this case shows, federal carjacking penalties are severe, putting offenders in federal prison for years,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Philadelphia Field Office. “Brown was one of multiple culprits in this series of violent crimes. ATF continues to work with local, state and federal partners in the Philadelphia Carjacking Task Force to seek justice in all cases, and to prevent and deter further carjackings.”
“Today's sentencing is a clear message to those who seek to terrorize our communities through violent acts like carjacking,” said Philadelphia Police Commissioner Kevin J. Bethel. “The Philadelphia Police Department, in collaboration with our federal partners, remains steadfast in our commitment to ensuring the safety and security of our neighborhoods. The swift apprehension and prosecution of Ronald Brown underscores our dedication to bringing justice to victims and restoring peace to the community. We will continue to work tirelessly to deter such crimes and uphold the rule of law in Philadelphia.”
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kwambina I. Coker and Robert E. Eckert.
Mexican citizen sentenced to 15 years in prison for producing child pornographyRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Mexican citizen who lived part-time in Stevensville, Montana, was sentenced today to 15 years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, for taking videos of himself having sex with a minor girl in Mexico and viewing the material while in Montana, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Efren Zanabriga Zuniga, 36, of Oaxaca, Mexico, pleaded guilty in February to production of child pornography.
U.S. District Judge Donald W. Molloy presided. The court also ordered $3,000 restitution.
In court documents, the government alleged that in September 2023, Homeland Security Investigations received several CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding files depicting a minor female and adult male engaged in sexually explicit conduct that were uploaded to a Google Drive account. An investigation determined the Google Drive account belonged to Zuniga and that he was the adult male depicted in the videos and images while the victim was a minor girl. Zuniga, who worked part of the year in the United States on a work visa, would return to Mexico where he would create the images and videos using a cell phone. When he returned to Montana, he viewed the material on his Google Drive account, where he had placed the files.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. HSI and Missoula Police Department conducted the 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 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 Justice.gov/PSC.
XXX
Merrillville Man Sentenced to 390 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Tyrone Johnson, 36 years old, of Merrillville, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after a jury found him guilty of crimes against children offenses, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Johnson was sentenced to 390 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, following a two-day trial in August 2023, a jury found Johnson guilty of two counts charged in the Second Superseding Indictment. Specifically, Johnson was convicted of sexual exploitation of a minor for the purpose of producing a visual depiction. He was also convicted of committing a felony offense involving a minor while being required by law to register as a sex offender.
United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson said, “Outcomes such as today’s sentencing are only possible when we have an alert and engaged public that willingly joins with law enforcement to prosecute those who would harm the most vulnerable members of our community. I want to thank our partners both within law enforcement and in the general public who helped bring this Defendant to justice and I encourage and implore anyone who suspects a child is being harmed to take action and report it to law enforcement.”
“Today, justice was served as the court handed down a fittingly significant sentence to Johnson for his involvement in the egregious crime of producing child pornography,” said HSI Chicago Special Agent in Charge Sean Fitzgerald. “This decision underscores the profound gravity of such abhorrent acts and reaffirms HSI’s unwavering commitment to protecting the most vulnerable members of our society.”
This case was investigated by the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations with assistance from the Indiana State Police (ICAC and Digital Forensics Lab), the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, Special Victims Unit (Indiana), the Peru Police Department (Illinois), the LaSalle County Sheriff’s Office (Illinois), the City of LaSalle (Illinois) Police Department and the Illinois State Police Offender Registration Unit. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Morgan and Philip Benson, as well as former Assistant United States Attorneys Abizer Zanzi, Molly Kelley and Jill Koster.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Man Who Attempted to Shoot and Kill A Spokane Police Officer Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Ray Anthony Wynecoop pleaded guilty on June 26, 2024, to one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl, one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute 40 Grams or More of Fentanyl, one count of Discharge of a Firearm During and in Relation to a Drug Trafficking Crime, and one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke accepted Wynecoop’s guilty plea and scheduled a sentencing hearing for September 25, 2024, in Spokane, Washington.
In the plea agreement accepted by the court, and in information disclosed during court proceedings, Wynecoop was involved in two separate incidents. First, on December 11, 2021, an officer with the Spokane Police Department (SPD) observed Wynecoop, who was driving a white Dodge Charger with no license plates, fail to use a turn signal. SPD attempted to conduct a traffic stop using the patrol car’s lights and siren. Instead of stopping, Wynecoop began driving erratically in attempt to elude SPD, including driving at excessive speeds on residential streets. SPD stopped following the vehicle when it became too dangerous.
A short time later SPD located the Dodge Charger and observed that it had been involved in a crash. Wynecoop attempted to run from the scene but was arrested.
During a search of the Charger, law enforcement located a loaded 9mm pistol with a black laser mounted on the end of the barrel, a backpack with Wynecoop’s ID and two more lasers for the pistol. Officers also located a .380 semi-automatic pistol inside the vehicle, as well as a fanny pack that contained once ounce of heroin and fentanyl laced pills.
The second incident occurred on June 26, 2022, when Wynecoop was armed with a .22 caliber pistol that had a loaded drum-style high-capacity magazine seated in the firearm. Wynecoop, along with another man, were involved in multiple drive-by shootings. Based upon video evidence, they intentionally set out to locate a police officer and kill them. Wynecoop and his passenger began to follow a SPD officer and when a second officer came to their aid, Wynecoop opened fire, shooting the officer in the leg and the head. The other man with Wynecoop, videotaped it. The officer thankfully recovered from his injuries.
During a search of the vehicle used by Wynecoop in the shooting, detectives located thousands of fentanyl pills, a small quantity of heroin, and other drug related items.
On April 5, 2024, Wynecoop was sentenced in Washington State Court to more than 65 years in prison on multiple charges in connection to the shooting. The federal case was brought during the pendency of those state charges.
“The violence in this case is shocking. Mr Wynecoop, a felon who was not allowed to possess firearms, went on a violent criminal spree that included a premeditated attempt to kill a police officer. His blatant disregard for the law and the safety of our community put all of us at incredible risk,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “I am grateful for the brave men and women of law enforcement who place themselves in harm’s way every day to keep us safe from individuals taking dangerous actions like Mr. Wynecoop.”
“This case highlights the importance of our collaboration with federal, state, and local partners, including the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington, the Spokane Police Department, and the Spokane County Prosecutor’s Office, to find innovative solutions to take violent offenders off the street,” said Ron Deist, Assistant Special Agent in Charge, DEA Spokane District Office.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Spokane County Sheriff's Office and the Spokane Police Department. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie Van Marter.
Man Sentenced for Sending Death Threat to Michigan Election WorkerRead the Press Release
An Indiana man was sentenced today to 14 months in prison for sending a communication that included death threats to an election worker in Michigan shortly after the November 2020 election.
“The Justice Department has no tolerance for violent threats against election workers, officials, and volunteers, and as this case demonstrates, we will aggressively investigate and prosecute such threats to the fullest extent of the law,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We will continue to defend the right to vote and to defend the safety of the public servants who make voting possible.”
“The defendant repeatedly threatened the life of a Michigan election worker because she publicly defended the integrity of the 2020 election that she helped administer,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Our democracy depends on the willingness of election workers to do their jobs without having to live in fear. Today’s sentence should serve as yet another reminder that the Justice Department will not hesitate to prosecute those who threaten violence to influence how our public servants administer elections.”
According to court documents, on or about Nov. 10, 2020, Andrew Nickels, 38, of Carmel, called the clerk of a local municipality and left a voicemail threatening to kill the local official. As part of the message, Nickels said, in part, “We’re watching your…mouth talk about how you think that there’s no irregularities … [Y]ou frauded out America of a real election.” Nickels then told the clerk that “you’re gonna pay for it,” and described how “ten million plus patriots will surround you when you least expect it.” He continued, in relevant part: “[W]e’ll [expletive] kill you…[Y]ou will [expletive] pay for your [expletive] lying ass remarks … We will [expletive] take you out. [Expletive] your family, [expletive] your life, and you deserve a [expletive] throat to the knife … Watch your [expletive] back … watch your [expletive] back.”
“Threats such as the ones that Nickels made undermine our democracy by making elections workers fearful for their lives and for the safety of their families—just for doing their jobs,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan. “This sentence should send a clear message that those who seeks to jeopardize the fair and free administration of our elections with threats of violence will be vigorously prosecuted and held accountable.”
“The FBI and its partners will not tolerate threats against our election workers,” said Executive Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch. “Today’s sentencing shows our commitment to ensuring that public servants can do their jobs without fear of retribution.”
Nickels pleaded guilty on Feb. 27 to one count of making a threatening interstate communication.
The FBI Detroit Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Tanya Senanayake of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Frances Lee Carlson for the Eastern District of Michigan prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers—whether elected, appointed, or volunteer—are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. The task force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the task force has begun.
The task force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo.
To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.
Man Sentenced for Sending Death Threat to Michigan Election WorkerRead the Press Release
DETROIT – An Indiana man was sentenced today to 14 months in prison for sending a communication that included death threats to an election worker in Michigan shortly after the November 2020 election.
“The Justice Department has no tolerance for violent threats against election workers, officials, and volunteers, and as this case demonstrates, we will aggressively investigate and prosecute such threats to the fullest extent of the law,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We will continue to defend the right to vote and to defend the safety of the public servants who make voting possible.”
“The defendant repeatedly threatened the life of a Michigan election worker because she publicly defended the integrity of the 2020 election that she helped administer,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Our democracy depends on the willingness of election workers to do their jobs without having to live in fear. Today’s sentence should serve as yet another reminder that the Justice Department will not hesitate to prosecute those who threaten violence to influence how our public servants administer elections.”
According to court documents, on or about Nov. 10, 2020, Andrew Nickels, 38, of Carmel, called the clerk of a local municipality and left a voicemail threatening to kill the local official. As part of the message, Nickels said, in part, “We’re watching your…mouth talk about how you think that there’s no irregularities … [Y]ou frauded out America of a real election.” Nickels then told the clerk that “you’re gonna pay for it,” and described how “ten million plus patriots will surround you when you least expect it.” He continued, in relevant part: “[W]e’ll [expletive] kill you…[Y]ou will [expletive] pay for your [expletive] lying ass remarks … We will [expletive] take you out. [Expletive] your family, [expletive] your life, and you deserve a [expletive] throat to the knife … Watch your [expletive] back … watch your [expletive] back.”
“Threats such as the ones that Nickels made undermine our democracy by making elections workers fearful for their lives and for the safety of their families—just for doing their jobs,” said U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan. “This sentence should send a clear message that those who seek to jeopardize the fair and free administration of our elections with threats of violence will be vigorously prosecuted and held accountable.”
“The FBI and its partners will not tolerate threats against our election workers,” said Executive Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch. “Today’s sentencing shows our commitment to ensuring that public servants can do their jobs without fear of retribution.”
Nickels pleaded guilty on Feb. 27 to one count of making a threatening interstate communication.
The FBI Detroit Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Tanya Senanayake of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Frances Lee Carlson for the Eastern District of Michigan prosecuted the case.
This case is part of the Justice Department’s Election Threats Task Force. Announced by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and launched by Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco in June 2021, the task force has led the department’s efforts to address threats of violence against election workers, and to ensure that all election workers—whether elected, appointed, or volunteer—are able to do their jobs free from threats and intimidation. The task force engages with the election community and state and local law enforcement to assess allegations and reports of threats against election workers, and has investigated and prosecuted these matters where appropriate, in partnership with FBI Field Offices and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices throughout the country. The task force is continuing this work and supporting the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and FBI Field Offices nationwide as they carry on the critical work that the task force has begun.
The task force is led by the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and includes several other entities within the Justice Department, including the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section, Civil Rights Division, National Security Division, and FBI, as well as key interagency partners, such as the Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Postal Inspection Service. For more information regarding the Justice Department’s efforts to combat threats against election workers, read the Deputy Attorney General’s memo.
To report suspected threats or violent acts, contact your local FBI office and request to speak with the Election Crimes Coordinator. Contact information for every FBI field office may be found at www.fbi.gov/contact-us/field-offices/. You may also contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or file an online complaint at www.tips.fbi.gov. Complaints submitted will be reviewed by the task force and referred for investigation or response accordingly. If someone is in imminent danger or risk of harm, contact 911 or your local police immediately.
Man Sentenced Following Multiple Arrests for Machinegun PossessionRead the Press Release
NEWNAN, Ga. – Drevion Evans has been sentenced to federal prison for possessing semiautomatic Glock pistols that were illegally converted to function as fully automatic machineguns, and for attempting to deliver one of those machineguns to his home, along with a pound of marijuana.
“Machinegun conversion devices, commonly known as ‘switches,’ are classified as illegal machineguns under federal law,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “This investigation and subsequent prosecution demonstrate the high priority given by our office, and our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, to removing these dangerous devices from criminals.”
“One of ATF’s top priorities is to deny criminals access to firearms and protect the rights of law-abiding citizens,” said ATF Assistant Special Agent in Charge Alicia Jones. “The offender illegally possessed firearms that subsequently could have been used against our citizens and our communities; ATF takes this very seriously.”
“I am glad the Chamblee Police Department was a major partner in assisting the U.S. Attorney’s Office with removing another armed and dangerous individual from the streets of our community,” said Chamblee Police Chief Michael Dieppa. “Our primary goal is to uphold justice and maintain the safety and trust of our community.”
“This arrest is only one example of the many benefits of having a valued partnership with our local, state, and federal partners,” stated Chief Mirtha V. Ramos, DeKalb County Police Department. “By working collaboratively, we will continue to reduce crime and violence in our community.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: On August 15, 2022, a police officer on patrol in Chamblee, Georgia attempted to stop a vehicle driven by Drevion Evans. In response, Evans put his vehicle in reverse and attempted to flee. Evans was ultimately arrested, after which a search of his car revealed a .40 caliber pistol on the driver’s side floorboard. The pistol was loaded with an extended magazine and had been converted to fire automatically. Evans had no prior arrest history and was released from custody on a bond.
On October 20, 2023, Evans attempted to arrange the delivery of a second fully automatic pistol with an extended magazine to his home by hiring an Uber driver to collect a package from a Carroll County, Georgia store. The driver picked up the package but delivered it to the Carrollton Police Department after noticing an odor of marijuana emanating from the package. Police officers searched the package and discovered 16 one-ounce bags of marijuana and the loaded, illegally modified pistol (which had been reported stolen).
Ten days later, police officers in DeKalb County, Georgia saw Evans’s vehicle and stopped him for outstanding warrants issued by a judge in Carroll County. While detaining Evans, one of the officers observed a 9mm pistol with an extended magazine on the floorboard in front of the driver’s seat. This third firearm was also equipped with a machinegun conversion device.
Drevion Micah Evans, 24, of Lithonia, Georgia, was sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr. to six years, six months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Evans pleaded guilty to three counts of possession of a machinegun and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime on January 10, 2024.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the Carrollton Police Department, Chamblee Police Department, and DeKalb County Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg 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.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6280. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Man Involved in St. Louis Gas Station Shooting Sentenced to 11 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge John A. Ross on Monday sentenced a man involved in a shooting at a St. Louis gas station to 11 years in prison.
On August 8, 2022, Santino Taylor, 20, of University City, Missouri, was stopped by St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers who were investigating a shooting at the Shell Gas Station at 2800 North Florissant Avenue two days earlier. In the car, they found a black 9mm pistol that was used in the shooting. They found a magazine that fit the gun and 70 capsules containing fentanyl on Taylor.
The police investigation revealed the victim of the shooting had exchanged words with a man and was advised by the man to leave the gas station parking lot. The victim did but returned a short time later. At that point, two men began shooting at the victim's vehicle. Police identified one of those shooters as Taylor. Taylor returned to the Shell two days later with a pistol tucked into his waistband.
Taylor pleaded guilty in March to three felonies: possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski 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.