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Tuesday 14 May 2024
Missouri and New Orleans Men Charged with $174 Million Conspiracy to Commit Health Care FraudRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JAMIE P. McNAMARA (“McNAMARA”), age 48, of Missouri, and JOHN M. SPIVEY (“SPIVEY”), age 53, of New Orleans, were charged by a grand jury on May 10, 2024 in an 18-count superseding indictment for conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, health care fraud, conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks, offering and paying kickbacks, conspiracy to commit money laundering, and money laundering. McNAMARA was previously charged in the original indictment, returned on July 14, 2022, and the May 10, 2024 superseding indictment added SPIVEY.
According to the superseding indictment, McNAMARA and SPIVEY orchestrated a scheme to defraud Medicare by billing for cancer genetic testing and cardiovascular genetic testing that was ineligible for Medicare reimbursement because the testing was not medically necessary and was procured through the payment of illegal kickbacks and bribes. McNAMARA and SPIVEY operated several laboratories, which obtained doctors’ orders for genetic testing from telemarketers and call centers that used aggressive telemarketing campaigns to induce Medicare beneficiaries to agree to receive genetic testing. Orders for genetic testing were signed by purported telemedicine doctors who were not the beneficiaries’ treating physicians, did not perform consultations with the beneficiaries, and did not follow up with the beneficiaries after the testing was performed. The superseding indictment alleges that from in or around November 2018 through July 2020, the laboratories operated by McNAMARA and SPIVEY submitted over $174 million in false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for genetic testing and received over $55 million in reimbursements. Following receipt of proceeds, McNAMARA and SPIVEY conspired to and did launder the funds. The government seized several luxury vehicles and over $7 million in bank accounts.
McNAMARA is charged in every count of the superseding indictment, and SPIVEY in charged in the Count 1 conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud. If convicted of the conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, McNAMARA and SPIVEY face up to twenty years in prison. For each of the eight the health care fraud counts, McNAMARA faces up to ten years in prison. For the conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks, McNAMARA faces up to five years in prison, and for both of the counts of offering and paying kickbacks, McNAMARA faces up to ten years in prison. For the conspiracy to commit money laundering and the two concealment money laundering counts, McNAMARA faces up to twenty years in prison, and for the transactional money laundering counts, McNAMARA faces up to ten years in prison. Both defendants face up to three years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, as well as a fine of up to $250,000 or twice the gross gain to any defendant or loss to any person. The defendants also face a $100 mandatory special assessment per count.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the superseding indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas D. Moses and Department of Justice Trial Attorneys Kelly Z. Walters and Justin M. Woodard.
Minnesota Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Possession of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Judge Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Brooklyn Park, Minnesota, man convicted of Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute. The sentencing took place on May 6, 2024.
Verran Burdunice, 60, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Burdunice was indicted for Possession of a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute by a federal grand jury in June of 2023. He pleaded guilty on February 21, 2024.
On February 1, 2023, Burdunice met with someone who, unbeknownst to him, was working with law enforcement to conduct a controlled purchase of crack cocaine from him. Following that meeting, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of Burdunice’s vehicle in Brookings, South Dakota. A search of the car revealed approximately 212 grams of methamphetamine. This methamphetamine was later tested and found to be 100% pure.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Brookings Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
Burdunice was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Minneapolis Man Charged with Sexually Abusing Victim at Fort Irwin Training Center in San Bernardino CountyRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Minnesota man was arraigned today on a two-count indictment charging him with sexually assaulting a subordinate at the United States Army Fort Irwin National Training Center in San Bernardino County.
Kelly Boylan, 54, of Minneapolis, is charged with one count of sexual abuse without consent and one count of abusive sexual contact. He pleaded not guilty to both charges and a jury trial was scheduled for July 8 in front of United States District Judge Wesley L. Hsu. Boylan was ordered released on $25,000 bond.
According to the indictment that a federal grand jury returned on April 16, Boylan in July 2020 knowingly engaged in a sexual act with the victim without her consent. Boylan allegedly did so by attempting to insert, and by inserting, his penis into the victim’s vagina.
Boylan allegedly also knowingly engaged in sexual contact with the victim without the victim’s permission, by intentionally touching, through direct contact, the victim’s genitalia and groin, with the intent to abuse, humiliate, harass, and degrade her, and to arouse and gratify Boylan’s sexual desire.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted of both charges, Boylan would face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison.
The FBI is investigating this matter. The United States Army Criminal Investigation Division provided assistance.
Assistant United States Attorney Lisa J. Lindhorst of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
Minneapolis Felon Sentenced to over Nine Years in Prison for Illegal Possession of Firearms and Facilitating Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Minneapolis man has been sentenced to 117 months in prison for the illegal possession of two firearms, and for using one of them in furtherance of drug trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, on January 11, 2020, law enforcement officers observed a vehicle traveling at a high rate of speed on I-394 in Golden Valley, Minnesota. When police attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver, Dejavareah Marquise Brown, 26, fled from police at over 100 mph, jumped a median, went airborne, and shredded the front tire of the vehicle. Officers twice attempted to stop the vehicle with a PIT maneuver and ultimately disabled the vehicle, at which time Brown fled on foot across the highway. Police found Brown hiding behind a brick pillar at a nearby store and detected a strong odor of alcohol emanating from him. During a subsequent search of the vehicle, officers recovered a 9mm pistol with an extended high-capacity magazine loaded with 31 rounds and an additional 15 rounds of .380-caliber ammunition hidden in the trunk.
In March 2022, law enforcement received information that Brown was selling narcotics from his Minneapolis apartment and executed a search warrant. During the search, officers discovered a loaded .45-caliber pistol, a box of ammunition, 3500 M30 fentanyl pills, over 18 pounds of marijuana, over $650 cash, and miscellaneous drug paraphernalia inside the apartment.
Because Brown has a prior felony conviction, he is prohibited from lawfully possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
On January 16, 2024, Brown pleaded guilty to two felon-in-possession counts, and to one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime. He was sentenced today in U.S. District Court by Chief Judge Patrick J. Schiltz.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Hennepin County Violent Offender Task Force, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Golden Valley Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar prosecuted the case.
Milford Resident Charged in “Arrest Warrant” Scam After Co-Conspirator Unwittingly Texts Federal AgentRead the Press Release
Public Urged to Beware of Rampant Financial Fraud Schemes
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Milford, Michigan resident Kari Melissa Morales, 51, was charged by a federal grand jury with participating in a fraud scheme that attempted to obtain $60,000 from a west Michigan resident in exchange for avoiding arrest and prosecution on a fake “FBI Warrant of Arrest” for a false allegation of “IRS tax fraud.”
“Financial fraud is rampant,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “Fraudsters comes at us through our devices, in the mail, and at our doors. And they target some of our most vulnerable, especially senior citizens.” He continued: “Safety starts with awareness. Federal agencies like the IRS and FBI will never send anyone texts, emails, or other messages requesting or demanding money to dismiss an arrest warrant or criminal charges.”
Morales was charged with conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. According to the indictment, in early April 2024, Morales drove to Grand Rapids to exchange a fake “IRS receipt” and fake “FBI WARRANT OF ARREST” for $60,000 in cash she was to obtain for a co-conspirator. Morales obtained the fake documents from a co-conspirator she met online and never met in person, who instructed Morales to print the documents and exchange them for cash she was to receive from the female named in the documents. Morales was told she could keep $2,500 of the cash. During the attempted exchange, Morales carried a loaded firearm in a holster in her waistband and brought a gold police badge that was issued to another person by a municipality in the State of Michigan. The investigation of the scheme began when a co-conspirator posing as the “IRS fraud department” sent a text message to a cell phone number that previously was assigned to a female resident of Kent County. The co-conspirator did not know that the targeted victim’s cell phone number had been reassigned to a federal law enforcement agent in Kent County, Michigan.
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service is dedicated to safeguarding all Americans from individuals who exploit innocent people through fraudulent and deceptive schemes,” said Inspector in Charge Rodney M. Hopkins of the Detroit Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “Today's indictment should send a clear message to anyone contemplating engaging in similar scams that the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, along with our law enforcement partners, is committed to holding these offenders accountable and ensuring they are brought to justice.”
The Justice Department, FBI, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service recently announced the completion of “The Money Mule Initiative,” a national campaign to identify, disrupt, and criminally prosecute complex fraud schemes. These schemes often rely on “money mules” – people who receive fraudulent proceeds, retain a portion, and forward the remainder to a co-conspirator – to facilitate schemes that often originate overseas. Many “advance fee” fraud schemes target older Americans and use various false stories designed to manipulate victims to mail, wire, or hand money to “money mules” located in the United States.
This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Michigan State Police. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Chris O’Connor.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.
For more information on preventing elder fraud and help for victims, visit the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative website, which includes a list of Michigan-specific resources. The FBI Elder Fraud website also provides several resources, including the following tips to help seniors protect themselves:
- Recognize scam attempts and end all communication with the perpetrator.
- Search online for the contact information (name, email, phone number, addresses) and the proposed offer. Other people have likely posted information online about individuals and businesses trying to run scams.
- Resist the pressure to act quickly. Scammers create a sense of urgency to produce fear and lure victims into immediate action. Call the police immediately if you feel there is a danger to yourself or a loved one.
- Be cautious of unsolicited phone calls, text messages, mailings, and door-to-door services offers.
- Never give or send any personally identifiable information, money, jewelry, gift cards, checks, or wire information to unverified people or businesses.
- Make sure all computer anti-virus and security software and malware protections are up to date. Use reputable anti-virus software and firewalls.
- Disconnect from the internet and shut down your device if you see a pop-up message or locked screen. Pop-ups are regularly used by perpetrators to spread malicious software. Enable pop-up blockers to avoid accidentally clicking on a pop-up.
- Be careful what you download. Never open an email attachment from someone you don't know, and be wary of email attachments forwarded to you.
- Take precautions to protect your identity if a criminal gains access to your device or account. Immediately contact your financial institutions to place protections on your accounts, and monitor your accounts and personal information for suspicious activity.
If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has experienced financial fraud, experienced professionals are standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This Justice Department hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, can provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying relevant next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting, connect callers directly with appropriate agencies, and provide resources and referrals, on a case-by-case basis. Reporting is the first step. Reporting can help authorities identify those who commit fraud and reporting certain financial losses due to fraud as soon as possible can increase the likelihood of recovering losses. The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. The Federal Trade Commission also provides a hotline at 877-FTC-HELP and a website at www.ftccomplaintassistant.gov to receive consumer complaints.
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Mescalero Man Pleads Guilty Domestic ViolenceRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE - A Mescalero man pleaded guilty in federal court on May 7, 2024.
According to court records, Fulton C. Potter, 29, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, pleaded guilty in federal court to assault of an intimate partner by strangling or suffocating.
In his plea agreement, Potter admitted that he strangled his wife, Jane Doe, on November 24, 2023.
The Court ordered that Potter remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, Potter faces up to 7 years in prison per the terms of the plea agreement.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matilda McCarthy Villalobos is prosecuting the case.
View the Plea Agreement# # #
Members of Brooklyn-Based Hyena Crips Gang Charged with Multiple Murders and Racketeering Activity Spanning Nearly a DecadeRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, a superseding indictment was partially unsealed variously charging seven members of the Brooklyn-based Hyena Crips gang with racketeering and using a firearm in the course of a murder in connection with three murders, murder conspiracies, robberies and identity-fraud schemes dating back to 2012. Three defendants were arrested this morning and are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge James R. Cho. The four remaining defendants, who are in state and federal custody on other charges, will be arraigned at a later date.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Ivan J. Arvelo, Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI), Edward A. Caban, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent-in-Charge, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Northeast Region (DOL-OIG), announced the arrests and superseding indictment.
“For years, the Hyena Crips terrorized our community with brutal acts of violence—including murders, shootings and brazen armed-robberies—and funded their criminal activities through fraud schemes,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “The crimes alleged in today’s superseding indictment illustrate well the damage this gang has wrought on individuals, small businesses and the community at-large. This Office and its law enforcement partners are working tirelessly to dismantle violent criminal enterprises, take out their leadership and obtain justice for their victims. It is my hope that today’s indictment brings some measure of solace particularly to the families of Samuel Joseph, Leandre Mallinckrodt and Roodson Polynice who were senselessly murdered.”
“As alleged, these defendants and the Hyena Crips gang at-large have for years inflicted unimaginable pain on the community and claimed the lives of innocent New Yorkers. While nothing can bring back Leandre Mallinckrodt, Samuel Joseph, and Roodson Polynice, HSI New York will never forget its commitment to seeking justice on behalf of victims, regardless of how much time has passed,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Arvelo. “HSI New York will not sit idly by as gangs terrorize the public. I commend our law enforcement partners, including the New York Police Department, for working together to eliminate violent criminal organizations and the fear they cause.”
“The ‘Hyena lifestyle’ was one of wanton violence coupled with acute ineptitude, as the individuals charged today allegedly murdered innocent men they mistook for rival gang members,” stated NYPD Commissioner Caban. “The actions of this busy criminal network ranged from robbery to financial fraud, which, for too long, cast a pall over large swaths of our city. I highly commend all the investigators involved in this case, starting us toward a modicum of justice for the grieving families of those senselessly killed.”
“An important part of the mission of the U.S Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General is to investigate allegations of fraud involving COVID-19 pandemic unemployment insurance programs. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to investigate these types of allegations,” stated Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent-in-Charge, Northeast Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General.
As detailed in the government’s detention letter filed earlier today, the Hyena Crips set of the Crips street gang is a violent criminal enterprise operating in the East Flatbush section of Brooklyn. The gang engages in acts of violence, including murder, robbery and assault, and earns money through drug trafficking, bank fraud and access device fraud. Members of the gang refer to each other as “Hyenas,” “Heenz” or some variation of hyena, and use social media emojis depicting a bluish-purple face with horns and an animal resembling what appears to be a hyena, wolf or fox.
Murder of Leandre MallinckrodtOn September 3, 2012, defendant Rick Jasmin and other members of the Hyena Crips were present at the annual West Indian Day Parade in Brooklyn. A fight broke out and Jasmin allegedly stabbed Leandre Mallinckrodt, who the defendant mistook for a rival gang member, in the neck. Mallinckrodt, who had been visiting from upstate New York and had no gang affiliation, died from the wound.
Murder of Samuel JosephOn February 22, 2019, Martial H. Amilcar and a co-conspirator drove to 15-year-old Samuel Joseph’s apartment building and waited outside until Joseph’s teenage sister arrived at the building’s entrance. While Joseph’s sister prepared to enter the building, the victim was walking down an internal staircase towards the building’s exit. When Joseph’s sister opened the building door to enter, Amilcar walked into the building behind her, pulled out a gun and shot Joseph three times at close range, killing him. The shooting and events leading up to it were captured on security camera footage taken nearby. Amilcar and the co-conspirator allegedly killed Joseph in retaliation for an altercation earlier that day between Amilcar’s relative, a fellow gang member, and Joseph’s older brother, a rival gang member.
Murder of Roodson PolyniceIn the summer of 2020, Hyena Crips leader Dave Augustin allegedly directed Richler Morette and Bradley Augustin to retaliate against a rival gang for the non-fatal shootings of two Hyena Crips leaders. On September 2, 2020, Bradley Augustin, Morette and others allegedly carried out the fatal shooting of Roodson Polynice. Polynice, like Mallincrodt, had no gang affiliation and was killed after he was wrongly identified by the defendants as a rival. Following the murder, Morette responded to a group Facebook messages about Polynice’s death in which he replied with three laughing-face emojis and stated, “[d]on’t care who got hit” and “pic [sic] a side or get killed with them Hyenalifestyle or no life.”
COVID-19 FraudDave Augustin, Matthew Harris, Rick Jasmin, Wisny Joseph, and Richler Morette are charged with allegedly conspiring to commit identity fraud in connection with fraudulently obtaining unemployment benefits and loans issued by the Small Business Administration for relief during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dave Augustin, Harris, Joseph and Morette are also charged with money laundering conspiracy arising from their fraudulently opening bank accounts to conceal the source of ill-gotten gains obtained by members of the Hyena Crips.
The superseding indictment also charges several defendants with the attempted armed robbery of a Caribbean Air check cashing businesses, the attempted robbery of a pharmacy and the non-fatal shooting of an individual following an argument during a dice game.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
If convicted, Martial H. Amilcar, Bradley Augustin, Dave Augustin, Jasmin, and Morette face a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Harris and Joseph face prison terms of up to 20 years.
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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. The Department of Justice reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Devon Lash, Jessica Weigel, Joshua Dugan and Andres Palacio are in charge of the prosecution. The case was initiated and investigated by Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Wenzel in the Long Island Division.
The Defendants:
MARTIAL H. AMILCAR (also known as “Drippy”)
Age: 27
Brooklyn, New YorkBRADLEY AUGUSTIN (also known as “Cradley”)
Age: 24
Brooklyn, New YorkDAVE AUGUSTIN (also known as “Juice”)
Age: 38
Brooklyn, New YorkMATTHEW HARRIS (also known as “Kappy”)
Age: 24
Brooklyn, New YorkRICK JASMIN (also known as “Jab”)
Age: 31
Brooklyn, New YorkWISNY JOSEPH (also known as “Weezy”)
Age: 32
Brooklyn, New YorkRICHLER MORETTE (also known as “Breezy”)
Age: 29
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-18 (S1) (AMD)
Medford Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Role in Fatal Fentanyl Overdose of a TeenagerRead the Press Release
MEDFORD, Ore.—A Medford man was sentenced to federal prison Monday for distributing fentanyl that caused the overdose death of a local teenager.
John Rocha, 31, was sentenced to 78 months in federal prison and four years’ supervised release.
According to court documents, on September 7, 2021, officers from the Medford Police Department responded to a report of an overdose death of a local 17-year-old high school student. Investigators soon learned that the teenager had taken counterfeit Percocet pills containing fentanyl. Within days, investigators identified Rocha as the victim’s fourth-level drug supplier and, when confronted by law enforcement, he admitted to having recently sold counterfeit pills.
On February 3, 2022, a federal grand jury in Medford returned a five-count indictment charging Rocha and four others with distributing fentanyl, possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
On February 20, 2024, Rocha pleaded guilty to distributing fentanyl.
This case was investigated by the FBI and the Medford Area Drug and Gang Enforcement Team (MADGE). It was prosecuted by Marco A. Boccato, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
MADGE is a multi-jurisdictional narcotics task force that identifies, disrupts, and dismantles local, multi-state, and international drug trafficking organizations using an intelligence-driven, multi-agency prosecutor-supported approach. MADGE is supported by the Oregon-Idaho High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) and is composed of members from the Medford Police Department, the Jackson County Sheriff and District Attorney’s Offices, the Jackson County Community Corrections, FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The Oregon-Idaho HIDTA program is an Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) sponsored counterdrug grant program that coordinates with and provides funding resources to multi-agency drug enforcement initiatives.
Maryland Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Destroy the Baltimore Region Power GridRead the Press Release
Sarah Beth Clendaniel, 36, of Catonsville, Maryland, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to damage or destroy electrical facilities in Maryland.
According to court documents, in 2018, Clendaniel became acquainted with Brandon C. Russell, a Florida resident, who is currently charged with conspiracy to damage or destroy electrical facilities in Maryland and is awaiting trial. Clendaniel and Russell espouse a white supremacist ideology and advocate a concept known as “accelerationism.” To “accelerate” or to support “accelerationism” is based on a white supremacist belief that the current system is irreparable and without an apparent political solution, and therefore violent action is necessary to precipitate societal and government collapse.
From at least December 2022 and continuing through February 2023, Clendaniel conspired with Russell and others to damage energy facilities involved in the transmission and distribution of electricity and to cause a significant interruption and impairment of the Baltimore regional power grid. As part of her guilty plea, Clendaniel admitted that she communicated and planned over encrypted communication applications (ECA) to carry out attacks against energy facilities. Russell and Clendaniel communicated their plans to commit an attack on the Baltimore Region power grid to a confidential human source (CHS-1).
Their plans began to culminate on Jan. 12, 2023 when CHS-1 and Russell discussed the planned substation attack in Maryland with a goal of working with Clendaniel to “maximize impact” and “to coordinate to get multiple [substations] at the same time.” Later that same day, Clendaniel, using the moniker “Nythra88,” sent a message to CHS-1 on ECA confirming her support of the attack.
In the ensuing conversation, which continued through Jan. 14, 2023, Clendaniel told CHS-1 that she lived near Baltimore. She also stated that she was a felon, and had previously, but unsuccessfully, attempted to obtain a rifle. She asked CHS-1 to purchase a rifle for her, stating that she wanted to “accomplish something worthwhile” and that she wanted the rifle “within the next couple of weeks” to “accomplish as much as possible before June, at the latest.” On Jan. 18, 2023, on ECA, Clendaniel told CHS-1 that she had identified a few potential locations to target in her attack. CHS-1 stated that CHS-1 would have to be the “driver” and Clendaniel would have to be the “shooter” in the attack. Clendaniel confirmed that she was “determined to do this” and stated she would have done something earlier on her own if she had not lost her rifle “a few months ago.” The conversation continued with CHS-1 and Clendaniel discussing the specifics of the desired rifle and agreeing that Clendaniel would send CHS-1 a “wish list,” which she did the following day.
At various times from Jan. 21, 2023 through Jan. 29, 2023, CHS-1 exchanged encrypted messages, separately, with Clendaniel on ECA and Russell in which they discussed in detail the rifle and specific firearms accessories that Clendaniel wanted and potential targets for their attack.
On Jan. 29, 2023, Clendaniel told CHS-1 that the five substations she planned to target included: “Norrisville, Reisterstown, and Perry Hall.” Clendaniel described how there was a “ring” around Baltimore and if they hit a number of them all in the same day, they “would completely destroy this whole city.” She added that they needed to “destroy those cores, not just leak the oil…” and that a “good four or five shots through the center of them . . . should make that happen.” Further, she stated that: “[i]t would probably permanently completely lay this city to waste if we could do that successfully.” When CHS-1 asked if it would accomplish a “cascading failure,” Clendaniel replied, “[y]es . . . probably” and that the attack targets are all “major ones.” Clendaniel also said that the most difficult target that they would have to do together has “fire walls on three sides.”
During that conversation, Clendaniel sent CHS-1 five links to the “Open Infrastructure Map” which showed the locations of five specific Baltimore, Gas and Electric (BGE) electrical substations in Maryland. BGE is an energy company that utilizes substations, like the five targeted sites, to produce, convert, transform, regulate and distribute energy. Three of the five substations were located near the towns of Norrisville, Reisterstown and Perry Hall. The remaining two substations were in the vicinity of Baltimore City. Each location is a BGE substation with significant infrastructure.
On or about Jan. 31, 2023, Russell discussed with CHS-1 the attack of the targeted substations on ECA, including how to “make sure it’s done right,” how “it has been studied,” and how to make it “cascading” so as to maximize damage. Russell and Clendaniel believed that attacking these five electrical substations in the greater Baltimore area would serve accelerationism and help to break down society.
On Feb. 3, 2023, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Clendaniel’s residence in Catonsville, Maryland. During the search, law enforcement agents recovered from Clendaniel’s bedroom various firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Federal law prohibits Clendaniel from possessing these items because she is a convicted felon, including convictions in Cecil County Maryland for robbery in 2006 and robbery and attempted robbery in 2016.
Clendaniel pleaded guilty to conspiracy and felony possession charges. She faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on the conspiracy charge and 15 years on the felon in possession charge followed by up to lifetime of supervised release for the conspiracy charge. Sentencing is scheduled for Sept 3.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen O. Gavin and Michael Aubin for the District of Maryland prosecuted the case with valuable assistance from the Department of Justice’s National Security Division’s and Counterterrorism Section.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland is a partner in the U.S. Department of Justice’s United Against Hate community outreach program. The United Against Hate initiative seeks to directly connect federal, state and local law enforcement with traditionally marginalized communities in order to build trust and encourage the reporting of hate crimes and hate incidents. Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced the nationwide launch of the initiative and its expansion to all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.
Maryland Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Destroy the Baltimore Region Power GridRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Sarah Beth Clendaniel, Catonsville, Maryland resident, pleaded guilty today to conspiring to damage or destroy electrical facilities in Maryland, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1366(a), and to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1).
Maryland United States Attorney Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office announced Clendaniel’s guilty plea.
“Ms. Clendaniel’s hate-fueled plans to destroy the Baltimore region power grid threatened thousands of innocent lives,” said U.S. Attorney Barron. “But, when law enforcement and the communities we serve are united in partnership, hate cannot win.”
“Ms. Clendaniel, a felon, spent months plotting, planning and taking steps to inflict grave damage to Maryland’s power grid in furtherance of her white supremacist ideology,” said Special Agent in Charge DelBagno. “Today’s guilty plea highlights the commitment of the FBI to hold individuals accountable for their actions. The FBI will continue to investigate violent threats as the safety and security of all Marylanders remains a priority.”
According to Clendaniel’s guilty plea:
In 2018, Clendaniel became acquainted with Brandon C. Russell, a Florida resident, who is currently charged with conspiracy to damage or destroy electrical facilities in Maryland and is awaiting trial. Clendaniel and Russell espouse a white supremacist ideology and advocate a concept known as “accelerationism.” To “accelerate” or to support “accelerationism” is based on a white supremacist belief that the current system is irreparable and without an apparent political solution, and therefore violent action is necessary to precipitate societal and government collapse.
According to court documents, from at least December 2022 and continuing through February 2023, Clendaniel conspired with Russell to damage energy facilities involved in the transmission and distribution of electricity and to cause a significant interruption and impairment of the Baltimore regional power grid.
As part of her guilty plea, Clendaniel admitted that she communicated and planned over encrypted communication applications (“ECA”) to carry out attacks against energy facilities. Russell and Clendaniel communicated their plans to commit an attack on the Baltimore Region power grid to a confidential human source (“CHS-1”).
Their plans began to culminate on January 12, 2023 when CHS-1 and Russell discussed the planned substation attack in Maryland with a goal of working with Clendaniel to “maximize impact” and “to coordinate to get multiple [substations] at the same time.” Later that same day, Clendaniel, using the moniker “Nythra88,” sent a message to CHS-1 on ECA confirming her support of the attack.
In the ensuing conversation, which continued through January 14, 2023, Clendaniel told CHS-1 that she lived near Baltimore. She also stated that she was a felon, and had previously, but unsuccessfully, attempted to obtain a rifle. She asked CHS-1 to purchase a rifle for her, stating that she wanted to “accomplish something worthwhile” and that she wanted the rifle “within the next couple of weeks” to “accomplish as much as possible before June, at the latest.” On January 18, 2023, on ECA, Clendaniel told CHS-1 that she had identified a few potential locations to target in her attack. CHS-1 stated that CHS-1 would have to be the “driver” and Clendaniel would have to be the “shooter” in the attack. Clendaniel confirmed that she was “determined to do this” and stated she would have done something earlier on her own if she had not lost her rifle “a few months ago.” The conversation continued with CHS-1 and Clendaniel discussing the specifics of the desired rifle and agreeing that Clendaniel would send CHS-1 a “wish list,” which she did the following day.
At various times from January 21, 2023 through January 29, 2023, CHS-1 exchanged encrypted messages, separately, with Clendaniel and with Russell in which they discussed in detail the rifle and specific firearms accessories that Clendaniel wanted and potential targets for their attack.
On January 29, 2023, Clendaniel told CHS-1 that the five substations she planned to target included: “Norrisville, Reisterstown, and Perry Hall.” Clendaniel described how there was a “ring” around Baltimore and if they hit a number of them all in the same day, they “would completely destroy this whole city.” She added that they needed to “destroy those cores, not just leak the oil . . . ” and that a “good four or five shots through the center of them . . . should make that happen.” Further, she stated that: “[i]t would probably permanently completely lay this city to waste if we could do that successfully.” When CHS-1 asked if it would accomplish a “cascading failure,” Clendaniel replied, “[y]es . . . probably” and that the attack targets are all “major ones.” Clendaniel also said that the most difficult target that they would have to do together has “fire walls on three sides.”
During that conversation, Clendaniel sent CHS-1 five links to the “Open Infrastructure Map” which showed the locations of five specific Baltimore, Gas and Electric (“BGE”) electrical substations in Maryland. BGE is an energy company that utilizes substations, like the five targeted sites, to produce, convert, transform, regulate and distribute energy. Three of the five substations were located near the towns of Norrisville, Reisterstown, and Perry Hall. The remaining two substations were in the vicinity of Baltimore City. Each location is a BGE substation with significant infrastructure.
On or about January 31, 2023, Russell discussed with CHS-1 the attack of the targeted substations on ECA, including how to “make sure it’s done right,” how “it has been studied,” and how to make it “cascading” so as to maximize damage. Russell and Clendaniel believed that attacking these five electrical substations in the greater Baltimore area would serve accelerationism and help to break down society.
On February 3, 2023, law enforcement agents executed a search warrant at Clendaniel’s residence in Catonsville, Maryland. During the search, law enforcement agents recovered from Clendaniel’s bedroom various firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. Federal law prohibits Clendaniel from possessing these items because she is a convicted felon, including convictions in Cecil County, Maryland for Robbery in 2006 and Robbery and Attempted Robbery in 2016.
Clendaniel faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison on the conspiracy charge and 15 years on the felon in possession charge followed by up to lifetime of supervised release for the conspiracy charge. Senior United States District Judge James K. Bredar has scheduled sentencing for September 3, 2024 at 11 a.m.
U.S. Attorney Barron commended the FBI for their work in the investigation and thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen O. Gavin and Michael Aubin who are prosecuting the federal case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland is a partner in the U.S. Department of Justice’s United Against Hate community outreach program. The United Against Hate initiative seeks to directly connect federal, state and local law enforcement with traditionally marginalized communities in order to build trust and encourage the reporting of hate crimes and hate incidents. Department of Justice Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced the nationwide launch of the initiative and its expansion to all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Maryland Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Prison for Setting Fire to U.S. Supreme Court Police Cars on Capitol HillRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Cody Michael Tarner, 26, of Hagerstown, Maryland, was sentenced today to 10 years in prison for pouring gasoline over several U.S. Supreme Court Police cars on Capitol Hill and setting one ablaze, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge Sanjay Virmani of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Counterterrorism Division, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Tarner pleaded guilty on January 9, 2024, in federal court to a charge of arson before U.S. District Court Judge Royce C. Lamberth. In addition to the prison term, Judge Lamberth ordered Tarner to serve three years of supervised release and pay restitution in the amount of $32,371.42.
According to the government’s evidence, on July 15, 2020, Tarner drove onto the United States Supreme Court’s property located on First Street Northeast, Washington D.C., and parked his vehicle in an employee-only parking spot. Tarner got out of his car and walked around the Supreme Court property. Tarner then returned to his car and pulled out a red gas can. At 1:48 p.m., Tarner was observed on security camera footage pouring gasoline onto three unmarked Supreme Court Police vehicles parked in Supreme Court employee-only parking spaces. The unmarked vehicles had emergency police lights visible from the outside of the vehicles, and one of the vehicles had emergency police lights on the roof of the vehicle.
While pouring the gasoline on the vehicles, some of it splashed onto Tarner’s clothing. Tarner lit one of the vehicles on fire. The result was a violent ignition of the gasoline. Tarner was engulfed in flames resulting in severe burns and injuries to himself. The fire seriously damaged two of the police vehicles, one of which was a total loss.
Tarner admitted to starting the fire with unleaded gas he had bought in Pennsylvania for that purpose. The investigation revealed that Tarner had several prior encounters with law enforcement in which he expressed anti-government and militia extremist ideologies. Tarner also claimed to be the leader of an identified militia group.
This case was investigated by FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Supreme Court of the United States Police – Protective Intelligence Unit, and the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Emory V. Cole and Attorney James Peterson.
Maine Man Sentenced to 37 Months in Federal Prison for Threatening Portsmouth High SchoolRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Maine man was sentenced today in federal court in Concord for an online threat he made to the Portsmouth High School on April 12, 2023, and a related firearm charge, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Kyle Hendrickson, 26, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Samantha Elliott to 37 months in prison and 3 years of supervised release. A restitution hearing has been scheduled for August 12, 2024. On December 11, 2023, Hendrickson pleaded guilty to one count of interstate threatening communications and one count of possessing a firearm in a school zone.
“The defendant’s threat to ‘shoot up’ the Portsmouth High School sent a terrifying chill throughout the Portsmouth community,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “I commend the FBI, the Portsmouth Police Department, the Portland Maine Police Department, the ATF, and all of our other law enforcement partners who did an excellent job in quickly locating and arresting Mr. Hendrickson to mitigate the threat and allow students to return to school. Threats to commit violence have no place in our society and those who make such threats will swiftly be brought to justice.”
“On behalf of the City of Portsmouth and the members of the Portsmouth Police Department, we would like to thank the U.S. Attorney's Office, the FBI, the Portland Maine Police Department, and all other law enforcement participants who assisted with the apprehension of Kyle Hendrickson,” said Chief Mark Newport of the Portsmouth Police Department. “His careless actions victimized our community, causing school to be canceled until we could assure our community that there was no longer a threat, and the students could safely return to school. Our community and department have zero tolerance for such actions. We have used all available resources to bring forward the appropriate criminal charges to hold Mr. Hendrickson accountable for his actions.”
“The danger posed by Kyle Hendrickson in this case was very real. He not only threatened to commit a mass shooting at Portsmouth High School, but he had the means to do it, illustrated by the AR-15 rifle, shotgun, and body armor that we recovered inside his vehicle,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “Today’s sentencing sends a clear message – regardless of motivation, when someone is intent on conduct that may lead to violence and breaks federal law, the FBI and our law enforcement partners will move swiftly to bring them to justice. This type of behavior puts our entire community in danger, and simply put, we will not let it go unaddressed.”
Hendrickson posted a video to his SnapChat account on Wednesday, April 12, 2023, in which he brandished a handgun while in a vehicle outside of the Portsmouth High School. The video includes a text overlay that reads “imma shoot up the school.” School surveillance footage placed Hendrickson’s vehicle outside the high school at the time of the video. Law enforcement later recovered an AR-15 rifle, a shotgun, camouflage body armor, a handgun holster, a red-dot sight, and numerous rounds of ammunition from Hendrickson’s vehicle. The handgun that Hendrickson used in the SnapChat video was also recovered near a motel where Hendrickson had stayed in Maine on the night of April 12, 2023.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division, and the Portsmouth Police Department led the investigation. The Federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Somersworth Police Department, the Portland (Maine) Police Department, and the Berwick (Maine) Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles L. Rombeau prosecuted the case.
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Long Island Man Sentenced to 42 Months' Imprisonment for $3 Million Bank Loan SchemeRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Gary Confredo, also known as “Gary Conte,” the former operator of Goldstar Financial Management Corp. (Goldstar), a financial services business based in Commack, New York, was sentenced by United States District Judge Joan M. Azrack to 42 months’ imprisonment for conspiring to commit bank fraud in connection with a scheme to defraud Bank of America of more than $3.2 million in loans and lines of credit that were obtained under false pretenses. The Court also ordered Confredo to pay $1,096,882 restitution to Bank of America. Confredo pleaded guilty to the charge in November 2022.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Daniel B. Brubaker, Inspector-in-Charge, United States Postal Inspection Service, New York Division (USPIS), announced the sentence.
“The defendant’s scheme of submitting fraudulent applications for commercial loans and lines of credit to Bank of America was full of lies and deception. With today’s sentence the defendant learns a powerful truth, that cheating financial institutions for personal gain will be punished and the cost is significant,” stated United States Attorney Peace.
“As a financial consultant, Confredo was a trusted member of the financial industry. However, instead of acting ethically, he used his position to submit fraudulent loan applications on his clients’ behalf. Many of whom were complicit in this scheme. Driven by greed, Confredo and these co-conspirators caused Bank of America to lose millions of dollars in defaulted loans. These crimes have a far-reaching and long-lasting negative impact on the financial industry and the American public. Today’s sentencing bears truth to the fact that Postal Inspectors and our law enforcement partners will investigate and prosecute white collar criminals to the fullest extent of the law,” stated USPIS Inspector-in-Charge Brubaker.
According to court filings and facts presented at the plea proceeding, between November 2016 and October 2019, Confredo conspired with others to submit fraudulent applications for commercial loans and lines of credit to Bank of America on behalf of Goldstar clients, who agreed to pay Confredo a portion of any loan that he secured on their behalf. To manipulate the application process, Confredo submitted altered tax returns and bank statements that falsely inflated the clients’ incomes and assets and allowed them to qualify for loans and lines of credit under Bank of America’s lending criteria. As a result of Confredo’s scheme, Bank of America issued approximately $3.2 million in loans and lines of credit to Goldstar’s clients and sustained losses of approximately $1 million when those loans and lines of credit were not repaid.
In July 2022, Mr. Peace was selected as the Chairperson of the White Collar Fraud subcommittee for the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee (AGAC). As the leader of the subcommittee, Mr. Peace plays a key role in making recommendations to the AGAC to facilitate the prevention, investigation and prosecution of various financially motivated, non-violent crimes including mail and wire fraud, bank fraud, health care fraud, tax fraud, securities and commodities fraud, and identity theft.
The government’s case is being handled by the Criminal Section of the Office’s Long Island Division. Assistant United States Attorney Bradley T. King is in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Samantha Schroeder and Legal Assistant Danielle Casey. Assistant United States Attorney Madeline O’Connor is handling forfeiture matters.
The Defendant:GARY CONFREDO (also known as “Gary Conte”)
Age: 61
East Northport, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-425 (JMA)
Lincoln Woman Sentenced for Distributing HeroinRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Lidia Irena Kula, 34, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced May 14, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln for distribution of heroin. Senior United State District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Kula to 132 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Kula is released from prison, she will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
On December 27, 2021, Lincoln Police officers and Lincoln Fire and Rescue were dispatched to the area of northwest 12th St. and West Cornhusker in Lincoln following the report of an individual who was unconscious and unresponsive in a ditch. Officers arrived and contacted three witnesses. One witness said he was driving by and saw the victim fall down. He stopped and administered CPR to the victim. Officers relieved that witness and began life saving measures to include chest compressions, Narcan, applying an AED, and giving mouth to mouth resuscitations. Lincoln Fire and Rescue arrived shortly thereafter. On the scene, the victim woke up and was and alert. Officers searched his person and found a vile of suspected heroin, three syringes, and a spoon with suspected heroin residue. The victim was taken to Bryan West Hospital. The victim consented to the search of his phone, and officers found messages between the victim and Kula on Facebook. Kula and the victim had arranged to meet to purchase two points, typically .1 gram, of heroin for 70 dollars earlier in the day on December 27, 2021. The lab determined that the glass vial on the victim’s person contained heroin.
Investigation revealed the victim took a Lyft to a Casey’s convenience store and waited outside until Kula arrived. The victim gave Kula $70 in exchange for a small glass vial and a bag with syringes in it. The victim went inside Casey’s and drank the heroin mixed with water. The victim didn’t remember anything after ingesting the heroin. Video obtained from Casey’s showed the victim going into the store, into the bathroom, and then exiting the store and walking toward 12th St. The last video of the victim was at 4:05 pm, and the call for service came at 4:09 pm.
During later investigation, the victim messaged Kula about how he had overdosed and how he needed to “do half at a time” to prevent a future overdose. Kula messaged back, “Dude I [expletive] tell you that every time!” As the investigation continued, an undercover officer made three purchases of methamphetamine from Kula. On January 14, 2022, the undercover officer bought .5 grams of heroin for $150 from Kula at a Walgreen’s parking lot in Lincoln. During that purchase, the officer asked whether it was the same heroin the victim overdosed on, which Kula said it was.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department.
Lincoln Man Sentenced to 150 Months for Possession of DrugsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Lazaro Onasi Lopez Campos, 48, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on May 14, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln for possession of methamphetamine and oxycodone with the intent to distribute. Senior United States District Court Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Lopez Campos to 150 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Lopez Campos’ release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
The Lincoln/Lancaster Drug Task Force began investigating the defendant after receiving information he was involved in the distribution of meth. On March 8, 2023, they observed the defendant drive from Lincoln to a gas station just off Interstate 80 and near the exit for Gretna, Nebraska. The defendant was there for a short time and then drove back to his apartment in Lincoln, Nebraska. Officers contacted the defendant shortly after he arrived back at his apartment building. A woman, who had ridden with the defendant to the gas station near Gretna and back to Lincoln, went inside the apartment before police were able to contact the defendant.
Police obtained a search warrant for the defendant’s apartment. When the search was executed, police discovered various drug paraphernalia, approximately 70 grams of meth, 90 oxycodone pills, digital scales, plastic bags used for the packaging of drugs, and items showing that the defendant, and the woman who accompanied him on the trip, lived in the apartment.
The drugs which were found in the apartment were later sent to the Nebraska State Patrol Crime Laboratory. Analysis at the laboratory showed the meth contained at least 58 grams of actual or pure meth. The suspected oxycodone pills were confirmed to in fact contain oxycodone.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force.
Lincoln Man Sentenced in Firearms CaseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Spenser Ware, 35, formerly of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on May 14, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln for possession of firearms and ammunition by a prohibited person. Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Bataillon sentenced Ware to 42 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Ware’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
In October of 2023, investigators received information that Ware was building firearms and selling them to individuals who could not legally purchase them. Ware owned his own security company at the time. Investigators executed a search warrant at Ware’s residence where they found five firearms, several of which were non-serialized “ghost guns” with short barrels. Investigators also found 12 receivers, high-capacity magazines, body armor, more than 1800 rounds of ammunition in different calibers, holsters, firearm assembly equipment, and magazines. Ware admitted that he ordered the gun parts and assembled the firearms himself. Investigators searched his phone and found multiple images of firearms dating back to 2021. An agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives examined the firearms and ammunition and found that they were manufactured outside the State of Nebraska.
Ware has felony convictions out of Florida preventing him from possessing firearms.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 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.
Lincoln Man Sentenced in Firearms CaseRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Spenser Ware, 35, formerly of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on May 14, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln for possession of firearms and ammunition by a prohibited person. Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Bataillon sentenced Ware to 42 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Ware’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
In October of 2023, investigators received information that Ware was building firearms and selling them to individuals who could not legally purchase them. Ware owned his own security company at the time. Investigators executed a search warrant at Ware’s residence where they found five firearms, several of which were non-serialized “ghost guns” with short barrels. Investigators also found 12 receivers, high-capacity magazines, body armor, more than 1800 rounds of ammunition in different calibers, holsters, firearm assembly equipment, and magazines. Ware admitted that he ordered the gun parts and assembled the firearms himself. Investigators searched his phone and found multiple images of firearms dating back to 2021. An agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives examined the firearms and ammunition and found that they were manufactured outside the State of Nebraska.
Ware has felony convictions out of Florida preventing him from possessing firearms.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 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.
Lincoln Man Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Patrick S. Carey, 38, of Lincoln, Nebraska was sentenced on May 14, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual meth and 50 grams or more of meth mixture. Senior United States District Judge Joseph F. Bataillon sentenced Carey to 188 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Carey’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On the evening of March 16, 2023, investigators were conducting surveillance on Carey’s Lincoln residence. They saw Carey and another man leave Carey’s residence in a vehicle. The vehicle had a broken taillight, so officers attempted to make a traffic stop, but the vehicle fled. Instead of chasing the vehicle, investigators returned to Carey’s residence and waited for Carey and the other man to return. When Carey and the other man returned to the area, investigators approached them. Both men got out of the vehicle and took off running despite orders to stop. Carey was arrested after he tripped, fell, turned his ankle, and injured a finger. The other man was also arrested. Carey told officers he had a gun on his person. A bag containing meth, a handgun and ammunition were found in his pockets. Carey admitted he fled the traffic stop because he had the gun with him.
A search warrant was executed on Carey’s apartment in the early morning hours of March 17, 2023. During that search, investigators found seven additional baggies containing meth. The total weight of the bag found on Carey’s person and the bags found in his apartment was 192.89 grams, and purity testing showed at least 160 grams of actual meth.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Drug Task Force.
Lawton Sex Offender Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison for Committing Child Sexual CrimesRead the Press Release
A child predator and sex offender from Lawton was sentenced today for Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor; Coercion and Enticement of a Minor; Production of Child Pornography; and two counts of Tampering with a Witness by Corrupt Persuasion, announced U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson.
U.S. District Judge John F. Heil, III, sentenced Justin Eli Muncy, 47, to 420 months imprisonment, followed by lifetime supervised release. Upon his release, Muncy will also be required to register as a sex offender.
“Justin Muncy is a predator who was using cell phone applications to find children,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “The Department of Justice is committed to the safety and well-being of our children. The DOJ partners with programs like Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force to help educate the public on tools and techniques to help fight against predators.”
State Court records show that in 2015 Muncy was convicted of Lewd or Indecent Proposals to [a] Child Under 16 and Enticing a Child Under 16 into a Secluded Place. Muncy was sentenced to a 15-year suspended sentence and required to register as a
sex offender.In 2019, Muncy was then convicted of Failing to Register as a Sex Offender in State Court. In that case, he was sentenced to one year imprisonment. Muncy served three months and the remaining nine months were suspended.
Then in January of 2022, Muncy began contacting a person he believed was 14 years old to engage in sexual activity. The 14-year-old was an undercover Tulsa County Sheriff Deputy. Muncy sent several photos of his penis and requested nude photos in return.
After being arrested in 2022, the investigation revealed that Muncy persuaded and coerced a second child victim who had not attained the age of 16 years, to produce and share sexually explicit images. While in jail, Muncy directed another person to file false police reports and to hide his cell phone in hopes of misleading investigators.
Muncy is a citizen of the Comanche Nation and he will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Homeland Security Investigations, the Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office, and the Comanche County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley Robert and Leah Paisner prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page. For more information about Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, please visit their website.
Laguna Man Pleads Guilty to Domestic ViolenceRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Laguna man pleaded guilty in federal court to assault of an intimate partner by strangling and assault with a dangerous weapon.
In his plea agreement, Bret Anthony Vallo, 38, admitted that on May 30, 2019, he engaged in a verbal argument with Jane Doe that escalated into a physical altercation. Vallo approached Doe from behind, wrapped his arm around her neck, and strangled her until she lost consciousness.
Then, in July 2019, Vallo again engaged in a verbal dispute with Jane Doe that turned violent. This time, Vallo punched Doe in the face and struck her multiple times with a metal futon leg.
The Court ordered that Vallo remain on conditions of release pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
At sentencing, Vallo faces up to 10 years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Vallo will be subject to up to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated the case with the assistance of the Acoma Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert James Booth II is prosecuting the case.
View the Plea Agreement# # #
Justice Department Finds Nebraska Violates Federal Civil Rights Laws by Unnecessarily Institutionalizing People with Serious Mental IllnessRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today that it found that Nebraska is unnecessarily segregating people with serious mental illness (SMI) in assisted living facilities and day program facilities, in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Olmstead v. L.C. The department found that Nebraska is restricting access to critical community-based services that people with SMI need to live and work in the community.
“Far too often, people with mental health disabilities are institutionalized when they could succeed and thrive in the community,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “It’s time to bring an end to the days of funneling people with disabilities down a dead-end road towards institutionalization and unemployment when they could succeed if provided pathways towards independence and dignity. The Justice Department remains committed to protecting the rights of people with disabilities and ensuring that the ADA’s promise of integration becomes a reality.”
“By increasing its investment in community-based services for Nebraskans with SMI, the State can help these individuals become engaged and vibrant members of their communities,” said U.S. Attorney Susan Lehr for the District of Nebraska.
The ADA and the Olmstead decision require states to make their services for people with disabilities available in the most integrated setting appropriate to each person’s needs — places like people’s homes and workplaces. With the right services, people with SMI can live in their own homes. They can also get and keep jobs where they work alongside people without disabilities doing the same work for the same pay.
Instead of helping Nebraskans with SMI find jobs, Nebraska relies heavily on segregated day programs that group these individuals together in facilities. People with SMI may spend years in segregated day programs with no path to employment. Instead of being able to live in their own homes, many people with SMI are forced to enter assisted living facilities to get help.
Nebraska already offers services that could help its citizens with SMI find jobs and live independently. For example, Nebraska offers a service called “supported employment” that helps people with SMI find jobs and supports them in the workplace. Nebraska also offers services that help people with SMI succeed in their own homes. But the department found that Nebraska limits access to community-based services and has not developed sufficient service capacity to enable people with SMI to avoid unnecessary institutionalization. As a result, many Nebraskans with SMI struggle to access community-based services. Instead, for many Nebraskans with SMI, the only options are institutions and unemployment. Nebraska could expand access to its existing community-based services so that people with SMI can get the support they need to live and work in the community.
The department describes its findings and minimum remedial measures necessary in a letter to Nebraska Governor Jim Pillen. View the department’s letter of findings here.
For more information about the Civil Rights Division, please visit www.justice.gov/crt. For more information about the ADA, please call the department’s toll-free ADA information line at 800-514-0301 (voice) or (TTY 833-610-1264) or visit www.ada.gov. ADA complaints may be filed online at www.ada.gov/complaint.
Juniata Man Sentenced for Child Pornography OffensesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Coren C. Potts, 53, of Juniata, Nebraska, was sentenced May 14, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for receipt and distribution of child pornography. U.S. Senior District Court Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Potts to 180 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Pott’s release from prison, he will begin a 15-year term of supervised release and will continue to be required to register as a sex offender.
In March 2023, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) received 8 different CyberTip reports from a cloud based storage account, that a user had uploaded at least 50 files of visual depictions of sexually explicit conduct featuring children. NCMEC forwarded the tips on to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation.
Agents reviewed the files associated with the CyberTips and found they depicted child pornography. Search warrants were obtained for both the wireless account and the cloud account associated with a Kansas phone number which returned to Potts, residing in Juniata, Nebraska. Potts was a registered sex offender, having been convicted in 2008 in the federal district court in Kansas for possession and receipt/distribution of child pornography. At that time, the investigation was turned over to the Nebraska State Patrol.
Potts was interviewed and volunteered there was pornography on his phone. When confronted about information about the CyberTips and shown images included in the NCMEC reports, Potts showed investigators several images of child pornography that he had downloaded two days earlier. Potts’ phone was forensically examined and a review of its contents located 85 video files and 222 still images of child pornography.
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 www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the Nebraska State Patrol.
Joplin Man Indicted for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Joplin, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for victimizing two children to produce child pornography.
Russell Myers, 44, was charged in a two-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Springfield, Mo.
Today’s indictment charges Myers with two counts of using minor victims, identified in court documents as “Jane Doe” and “John Doe,” to produce child pornography from Jan. 1 to Feb. 20, 2024.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, the Jasper County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, and the Joplin, Mo., Police Department.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Johnstown Woman Indicted on Methamphetamine ViolationRead the Press Release
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – A resident of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Johnstown on a charge of violating a federal narcotics law, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
The one-count Indictment named Jasmine Hinton, 29, as the sole defendant.
According to the Indictment, on or about February 14, 2024, Hinton possessed with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine.
The law provides for a total sentence of not less than five years and up to 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $5 million, or both. Under the federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Michael L. Mitchell is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the Indictment.
An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty
Indictment Charges Former D.C. Department of Human Services Official and Co-Conspirator with ExtortionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Ruth Nivar, 56, and Yessica Moya, 35, both of Washington, D.C., were arrested this morning on charges related to extortion and conspiracy. The charges, filed in U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., were announced today by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division, and Daniel W. Lucas, Inspector General of the District of Columbia.
According to the indictment, unsealed yesterday, Nivar, a former employee at the District of Columbia Department of Human Services, was charged with extorting payments from individuals applying for health care coverage from the D.C. government to process those benefits. Starting at least as early as November 2022, Nivar introduced Moya as a co-conspirator into her extortion scheme in an apparent attempt to disguise Nivar’s receipt of payment and information from law enforcement.
If convicted, the defendants each face a maximum statutory sentence of 20 years in prison for committing Hobbs Act extortion and five years in prison for conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act extortion. The maximum statutory sentence for federal offenses is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. The sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the Office of the Inspector General of the District of Columbia. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Madhu Chugh, of the Fraud, Public Corruption, and Civil Rights Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
24-cr-222_nivar_moya_indictment.pdfIndian national convicted of abusive sexual contact of juvenile on-board plane from Dubai to SeattleRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 39-year-old Indian citizen was convicted of abusive sexual contact aboard an aircraft late yesterday in U.S. District Court in Seattle, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. The jury deliberated about four hours following a three-day jury trial. Abhinav Kumar was arrested at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport on Sunday February 18, 2024, after groping the breast of a juvenile sitting near him on the aircraft. Abhinav Kumar was remanded to custody and faces up to two years in prison when sentenced on August 1, 2024.
According to records in the case and testimony at trial, the victim was traveling with family members who were sitting in the seats in front of the victim and across the aisle from the victim. The Emirates flight was from Dubai to Seattle. Kumar was seated in a window seat with an open center seat between him and the victim. Kumar engaged the 17-year-old in conversation and asked her to meet him for coffee. She politely declined the invitation.
Later, while the victim was trying to sleep under a blanket, Kumar spread his blanket over himself and over the middle seat. The on-board video shows the movement of his arm under the blanket reaching toward the victim.
The victim awoke to feel a hand under her blanket, and she pulled away. The hand returned, moving up her arm, then inside her shirt, and eventually reaching her breast. The victim froze at first but then got up and asked her mother to come to the bathroom with her.
The Emirates crew was notified, and they alerted law enforcement to meet the plane. Law enforcement interviewed the victim and family members and spoke with the defendant. He was arrested on a criminal complaint and then was indicted by the grand jury.
In closing argument, Assistant United States Attorney Sanaa Nagi talked about how the victim was frozen with fear: “Nobody expects for a person to grope them on a flight… The defendant did not expect the victim to be brave enough to report him.”
Abusive sexual contact is punishable by up to two years in prison.
The case was investigated by the FBI with assistance from the Port of Seattle Police and Customs and Border Protection.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Miriam Hinman and Sanaa Nagi.
Interpol Washington Project Terminus Boosts Border Security Capabilities in ColombiaRead the Press Release
Through INTERPOL Washington’s Project TERMINUS and U.S. Department of State Counter Terrorism funding, a team from INTERPOL Washington’s Border Security Division traveled to Bogotá, Colombia to further ongoing support efforts under Project TERMINUS. In addition to discussing available Project TERMINUS solutions to enhance screening of travelers against INTERPOL databases and enhance critical day-to-day operations of National Central Bureau Bogotá, the team delivered computer equipment and two custom software solutions developed by INTERPOL Washington, the Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) Workbench and the Stolen Motor Vehicles (SMV) workbench. The two solutions empower INTERPOL member countries to quickly and easily share, manage, and extend vital information pertaining to SLTD and SMV in the INTERPOL databases.
“Colombia has achieved a significant milestone, becoming the first INTERPOL partner nation to implement the SLTD Workbench and SMV Workbench solutions,” announced INTERPOL Washington Border Security Division Deputy Assistant Director Keith Hood, emphasizing the country's pioneering role in enhancing global security. “This is thanks to NCB’s Bogota’s willingness to lean forward in the fight to make our international borders more secure.”
A team from INTERPOL Washington meets with Colombian police and security officials in Bogota during the Project TERMINUS support efforts.
Project TERMINUS seeks to establish or enhance INTERPOL screening and record submission by INTERPOL member countries through computer hardware and custom software solutions that ease service adoption and enhance the data's usability and effectiveness.
Beyond its primary capacity-building objective, Project TERMINUS assists the broader U.S. government law enforcement mission by connecting U.S. government law enforcement agencies to partner nation entities, benefiting the partner nation and the global law enforcement effort. In Bogota, Project TERMINUS introduced the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Acting Attaché to NCB Bogotá, including him in meetings with NCB Bogotá and Columbia Immigration. The CBP Attaché participated in detailed discussions with NCB Bogota regarding Colombia’s current capabilities, some of its challenges, and opportunities for improvement.
Houston Man Charged in Connection to Kidnapping of 10-Month-Old Baby in Clovis, NMRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Houston man was charged by criminal complaint with interstate kidnapping of a child in connection with the double-murder of the girl's mother and another woman in Clovis, New Mexico.
Alek Isaiah Collins, 26, appeared before a federal judge in Abilene, Texas this morning on charges contained in a federal criminal complaint filed in New Mexico. Collins was detained and will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending his transfer to New Mexico for further proceedings.
According to the criminal complaint, on May 3, 2024, the bodies of two deceased adult females, Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2, were discovered at Ned Houk Memorial Park in Clovis, New Mexico. Jane Doe 2’s 5-year-old daughter, Minor 1, was also found wounded at the scene and transported to the hospital for treatment.
Jane Doe 2’s 10-month-old daughter, Minor 2, was missing from the scene. Surveillance footage showed Minor 2 with her mother at a nearby Dollar General store just prior to the incident. Law enforcement issued an AMBER Alert for Minor 2.
Law enforcement recovered evidence at the scene, including 9mm handgun casings and a vehicle sideview mirror cover, indicating potential involvement of a maroon Honda. Witness accounts indicated a maroon/red colored sedan was at the park around the time of the incident.
Further investigation revealed that the maroon Honda with Texas license plate TTK3358 was rented by Collins through HyreCar, a peer-to-peer carsharing marketplace. GPS data from the vehicle showed it near the park around the estimated time of the double homicide.
Cell phone records and law enforcement searches linked Collins to a phone which was in the vicinity of the park during the incident. The vehicle was later located at a residence in Abilene, Texas, where it had been remotely disabled by the owner after Collins failed to return the rental on time.
While preparing to execute a search warrant at a residence, officers observed an Uber driver operating a Cadillac SUV arrive on the street. Collins exited the residence carrying Minor 2 and placed the child in the rear passenger seat of the SUV. Collins then proceeded to carjack the Uber driver at gunpoint, forcing the driver to exit the vehicle before driving away with the child.
Abilene Police Department's Narcotics Unit immediately pursued the Cadillac and were able to pin the vehicle, bringing it to a stop. Collins was promptly arrested and Minor 2 was recovered safely from the vehicle.
Collins has no relation to Minor 2 and does not have legal custody of the child.
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 New Mexico State Police, Clovis Police Department, Abilene Texas Police Department Narcotics Unit, Curry County Sheriff’s Office, Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office, Roswell Police Department, Portales Police Department, the Ninth Judicial District Attorney’s Office, FBI Dallas Field Office, FBI Amarillo Resident Agency and FBI Abilene Resident Agency. Assistant United States Attorneys Jaymie L. Roybal and Joseph Spindle are prosecuting the case.
View the Criminal Complaint View the Rule 5 DocumentA criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Guernsey County man sentenced to 30 years in prison for recording sexually explicit videos of teenagers with hidden camerasRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Mark A. Green, 56, of Senecaville, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court today to 360 months in prison for sexually exploiting minors and possessing child pornography. Green recorded minor victims using hidden cameras.
According to court documents, in 2022, Green used security cameras that connected to his cell phone to surreptitiously record minors. He placed the hidden cameras in residential bathrooms and bedrooms to capture nude videos of the minors. Green either watched the recordings live or played them back later through the Blink security app.
As part of this investigation, approximately 60 total devices were seized from Green’s home, vehicles and person. Green possessed more than 10,000 images and videos of child sexual abuse material. Within those images and videos recovered, law enforcement identified hundreds of additional hidden camera videos and images with time stamps dating back to 2012. The images and videos depicted minor females in bathrooms and bedrooms in a prior residence.
The investigation revealed Green created sexually explicit videos of at least nine minor females. Two victims indicated that Green had also previously sexually abused them in person.
Green was charged federally in May 2023. He pleaded guilty in January 2024 to two counts of exploiting a minor and one count of possessing child pornography.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Shawn Gibson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); Circleville Acting Police Chief Kenny Fisher; Guernsey County Sheriff Jeffrey D. Paden; and Ohio State Highway Patrol Superintendent Col. Charles A. Jones announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Court Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and Jennifer Rausch are representing the United States in this case.
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Glynn County woman sentenced to federal prison for defrauding real estate companyRead the Press Release
BRUNSWICK, GA: A Glynn County woman who managed the office of a real estate company has been sentenced to prison for siphoning off more than a quarter of a million dollars from her employer.
Tabitha Dobi, 46, of Brunswick, was sentenced to 33 months in prison after pleading guilty to Wire Fraud, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge Lisa Godbey Wood also ordered Dobi to pay $251,569 in restitution and to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of her prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
“Tabitha Dobi misused her position to defraud hundreds of thousands of dollars from an employer who trusted her,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “This sentence holds her accountable for her fraudulent activity.”
As described in court records and testimony, a real estate company located in St. Simons spurred an investigation after a missing cash deposit led to the discovery of discrepancies in their financial records.
FBI investigators determined that Dobi, the company’s office manager for four years, used her position to steal cash deposits intended for the company’s property rentals, then manipulating the company’s accounting system to conceal the thefts.
Dobi also instructed one rental tenant to pay her directly through an online payment app and used the money for her personal benefit, and allowed friends to stay at the company’s rental properties without charge and without the company’s authorization.
As a result of those schemes, the company lost $251,569.
“Dobi violated the trust placed in her by her employer and will now spend time in prison paying for her crimes,” said Will Clarke, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent of FBI Atlanta’s Brunswick office. “Hopefully, this sentence sends a message that the FBI is dedicated to working with our partners to protect companies from anyone seeking to defraud them for their own personal greed.”
The case was investigated by the FBI, and prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew A. Josephson.
Glendale Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Federal Prison for Participating in Darknet Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Glendale man was sentenced today to 120 months in federal prison for participating in a darknet-based organization – known as “NoLove” – that trafficked methamphetamine and Ecstasy both inside and outside of the United States and for laundering the outfit’s drug proceeds by exchanging bitcoin into U.S. dollars.
Arbi Setaghaian Sangbarani, 41, was sentenced by United States District Judge André Birotte Jr.
At the conclusion of a five-day trial in December 2023, a jury found Sangbarani guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine and MDMA, commonly known as Ecstasy. The jury also found Sangbarani guilty of one count of money laundering conspiracy and two counts of money laundering.
From at least April 2019 to May 2020, Sangbarani was a member of a darknet drug trafficking organization that sold, packaged, and mailed methamphetamine and MDMA to numerous customers in the United States and internationally. He conspired with several members of the darknet drug trafficking organization known as “NoLove.” NoLove operated for around a year and a half and shipped drugs internationally and across the United States.
As part of the conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and MDMA, Sangbarani and his co-conspirators obtained methamphetamine and MDMA from sources of supply; stored methamphetamine and MDMA to be packaged at a residence in the Sunland-Tujunga area of Los Angeles; managed the sales of meth and MDMA on the dark web in exchange for virtual currency; and packaged meth and MDMA for distribution to customers who ordered those drugs on the darknet.
Once the packages were complete, Sangbarani and his co-conspirators mailed parcels containing meth and MDMA to customers who ordered the drugs on the dark web.
Sangbarani also conspired to launder the illicit proceeds of the drug trafficking operation. One of Sangbarani’s accomplices collected bitcoin as proceeds from the sale of drugs on the dark web. That co-conspirator then transferred a portion of those virtual currency proceeds to Sangbarani. Sangbarani exchanged the bitcoin into U.S. dollars, transferred the dollars to his bank account, and withdrew the proceeds as cash.
This was the first time the government has introduced evidence involving cryptocurrency tracing for dark web markets in a jury trial in this district. In total, federal prosecutors have secured eight convictions in connection with this conspiracy.
In February 2020, at the Sunland-Tujunga residence, law enforcement seized found approximately 6,701 suspected MDMA pills and approximately 22.2 kilograms (48.9 pounds) of methamphetamine from a shed on the property.
The FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and the United States Postal Inspection Service investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph S. Guzman and Alexandra M. Michael, both of the General Crimes Section, prosecuted this case.
Gainesville Man Charged with Distributing Fentanyl Resulting in Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, Ga.- Bobby Joe Holloman has been arraigned on federal charges for distributing fentanyl and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon.
“Holloman’s alleged fentanyl distribution led to two overdoses, resulting in the death of one victim,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Fentanyl is an extremely potent drug that too often leads to overdosing or death when used in even miniscule amounts. We are committed to prosecuting those who callously peddle this dangerous drug in our communities.”
“Holloman plagued our communities with fentanyl, fueling the deadliest drug epidemic our country has ever seen, and for that he will be held accountable,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This indictment demonstrates the FBI’s commitment to work diligently along with our partners to investigate and remove these dangerous drug dealers from our streets.”
“The dangers of fentanyl are more evident than ever as we see innocent lives being taken by this drug every day,” said Chris Hosey, Director, Georgia Bureau of Investigation. “This case is a warning to those who seek to ruthlessly poison our Georgia communities with deadly drugs such as fentanyl, that we will stand with our law enforcement partners to combat this issue and save lives. We will continue to investigate drug related cases and work to hold drug distributors and traffickers accountable for their actions.”
“I am grateful for the hard work of our local, state, and federal partners who have worked tirelessly to help remove dangerous drugs like fentanyl from our community,” said Jay Parrish, Chief of Police, Gainesville Police Department. “This case exemplifies how these partnerships work to make our city safer.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges, and other information presented in court: Bobby Joe Holloman allegedly sold fentanyl, which resulted in two victims suffering an overdose. One victim survived after paramedics used Narcan to revive him; however, the other victim died. About a month later, Holloman was on the scene during the investigation of another overdose death when a gun was found that belonged to him. At that time, Holloman had been previously convicted in February 2021, of the felony offense of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and a felon in possession of a firearm.
Bobby Joe Holloman, 50, of Gainesville, Georgia, was arraigned before U.S. Magistrate Judge J. Clay Fuller on May 13, 2024. He was indicted by a federal grand jury on May 7, 2024.
Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Gainesville Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Keen is prosecuting the case.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta recommends parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following web site: www.justthinktwice.gov.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Four imprisoned in Mexican Mafia murder-for-hire plotRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – Several California residents have received significant sentences for their roles in a South Texas murder-for-hire scheme, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
The jury deliberated for less than two hours before convicting Viola Elizabeth, Garcia, 53, following a four-day trial in November 2022. Christopher Andrade, 33, also proceeded to trial and was convicted in July 2023. Two others - Noah Solis, 25, and Ronaldo Gallegos, 25, had previously pleaded guilty. All four are from Oxnard, California. Diego Morales, 38, was incarcerated at the time, but also pleaded guilty to his role in the crime prior to trial.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now ordered Garcia, Andrade and Gallegos to each serve 120 months in federal prison, while Morales received a 60-month-term of imprisonment. All sentences will be immediately followed by three years of supervised release.
Solis will be sentenced at a later date.
“The Mexican Mafia, a deadly criminal enterprise that traffics in fear and terror, imported a mother and son duo - Garcia and Andrade - from California to murder a local man for $20,000,” said Hamdani. “Garcia and Andrade thought the scheme would raise their family’s fortunes, but thanks to the work of law enforcement, there won’t be any family reunions for years to come.”
“These four individuals crossed state lines to carry out senseless acts of violence,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the FBI's San Antonio Field Office. “We want to thank the Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office, Mission Police Department, Oxnard Police Department and California Department of Corrections for their continued partnership in keeping our communities safe.”
The jury heard that in 2018, Mexican Mafia gang members arranged for the murder of a male residing in Mission.
Morales was in California State prison serving a sentence for attempted murder when he recruited others to commit the murder via a contraband cell phone in his possession. Andrade was a Colonia Chiques gang member who recruited and conspired with the others, including his mother - Garcia - to execute the murder in exchange for $20,000. Evidence showed Mexican Mafia members ordered the murder.
On Aug. 30, 2018, Garcia and co-conspirators attempted to forcibly enter the victim’s residence near Mission. The murder attempt was unsuccessful. They then tried to flee from the scene. At that time, Garcia led responding law enforcement officers on a high-speed chase until she crashed the vehicle.
At Andrade’s trial, the jury heard testimony regarding text messages and phone calls he had made from his phone coordinating the murder attempt.
The jury also heard that in July 2018, they attempted to murder the same victim.
At her trial, Garcia admitted she traveled to Texas in July and August 2018 with the co-conspirators while they were in possession of firearms. She also admitted to being present and witnessing gunshots fired in the July 2018 murder attempt.
However, she attempted to convince the jury she was unaware of any agreement or attempt to commit murder. She claimed the purpose of the trip was to transport the individuals to visit family members and to look at potential real estate for her daughter who resided in Arizona.
Andrade said he was not in fact the user of the phone and was unaware of any agreement or attempt to commit murder.
The jury did not believe either claims and found both guilty as charged.
All have been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
The FBI conducted the investigation with the assistance of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation and police departments in Mission and Oxnard, California. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Roberto Lopez Jr., Cahal P. McColgan and Sarina S. DiPiazza prosecuted the case.
Fort Belknap man admits assaulting two women on Fort Belknap Indian ReservationRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A man accused of firing a pistol at two women in a housing area on the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation admitted to an assault charge today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
Gilbert Raymond Martinez, 32, of Fort Belknap and North Dakota, pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon. Martinez 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. The court set sentencing for Sept. 19. Martinez was detained pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged on May 17, 2021, Martinez fired a 9mm pistol at two women in the Newtown Housing area of the Fort Belknap Indian Reservation. The second woman told the responding officer that if she had not moved out of the way, the bullet would have hit her.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI, Fort Belknap Police Department and Blaine County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation.
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Former children’s hospital employee pleads guilty to sharing, receiving child pornographyRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A former Nationwide Children’s Hospital employee who treated child burn patients pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court today to downloading, exchanging and receiving child pornography.
Ryan Ramos, 38, of Columbus, pleaded guilty to one count of distributing and receiving child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. He faces an imprisonment range of five to 20 years in prison.
Ramos worked at Nationwide Children’s Hospital from 2018 until 2020 and then at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in the ICU in burn trauma until 2023.
According to court documents, a 2020 FBI investigation in their Brooklyn-Queens office led agents to discover Ramos’s participation in a Signal app group dedicated to the exchange of child pornography.
Ramos shared hundreds of images and videos of child sexual abuse, including abuse of young boys and infants, to the chat group.
Further investigation into Ramos revealed that, in 2018, he had paid a sexual offender in New York City and received child pornography created by the offender in exchange for his payment. Ramos sent more than $500 via PayPal to the child exploiter.
Ramos’s iPhone contained more than 346,000 Signal, Telegram and other online chat messages, in most of which Ramos was distributing, seeking, receiving or discussing child pornography.
Ramos was charged by a bill of information on May 6 and pleaded guilty during his arraignment in federal court this afternoon. He is in custody pending sentencing.
Congress sets the minimum and maximum statutory sentences. Sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the Court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio, and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the guilty plea entered today before U.S. District Judge Sarah D. Morrison. Assistant United States Attorney Emily Czerniejewski is representing the United States in this case.
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Former Camden County Sheriff’s Deputy Indicted on Additional Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A former Camden County, Mo., sheriff’s deputy and school resource officer, previously charged with distributing child pornography, was indicted by a federal grand jury today on additional related charges.
Darrin Marshall Skinner, 49, was charged in a three-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City. Today’s indictment replaces a criminal complaint that was filed against Skinner on Thursday, May 9, and includes additional charges.
Skinner was employed by Camden County as a deputy sheriff and assigned as a school resource officer in the Macks Creek School District. Prior to being hired by Camden County, he worked as a police officer in Osage Beach, Mo.
Today’s indictment contains the original charge of distributing child pornography. The indictment additionally charges Skinner with one count of receiving child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, the investigation began when the social media network MeWe reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children’s Cyber Tip Line that a user, later identified as Skinner, had uploaded images of child pornography. On June 7, 2023, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children sent the report to the Camden County Sheriff’s Department. Due to Skinner’s connection to the department, the case was taken over by the Missouri State Highway Patrol.
Investigators learned the email address allegedly used by Skinner was a member of several sexually themed social groups. On Aug. 1, 2023, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant and interviewed Skinner at his residence.
Investigators learned that MeWe had made a prior report to the Cyber Tip Line in 2020 related to a user identified as Skinner allegedly uploading multiple images of child sexual abuse through the application’s chat feature. Skinner allegedly sent child sexual abuse material on multiple occasions, including images of children under the age of 12 and a pre-school age child.
Skinner also shared a number of photos of prepubescent girls identified as being from the community with other users of the MeWe platform, the affidavit says. He cropped and adjusted these images to be more sexually suggestive. No local minors were contained in the images of child pornography. It is believed Skinner obtained some of these photos of local minors from social media since they were in gymnastics or dance clothes associated with a local gymnastics studio. The images were exchanged as part of sexually charged chats between Skinner and other MeWe users.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa A. Pierce. It was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol Digital Forensic Investigative Unit and the Missouri State Technical Assistance Team.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Former Boone County Man Indicted for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. – A former Boone County, Mo., man was indicted by a federal grand jury today for using a 9-year-old victim to produce child pornography.
Emrah Eymez, 38, who currently resides in Lafayette, Indiana, was charged in a three-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Jefferson City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a federal criminal complaint that was filed against Eymez on April 17, 2024.
The federal indictment alleges that Eymez used a child under the age of 12 to produce child pornography from March 11 through April 2, 2024. Eymez is also charged with one count of receiving child pornography and one count of transferring obscene material to a minor under the age of 16.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, the mother of the 9-year-old victim contacted law enforcement to report the extensive cell phone communication between Eymez and her daughter. The mother reported approximately 1,851 text messages, the affidavit says, including the exchange of nude images and a sexually explicit video the child sent to Eymez.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley S. Turner. It was investigated by the Boone County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and the FBI.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Five Defendants Sentenced Following the Robberies of Two Cell Phone Stores in Montgomery, AlabamaRead the Press Release
Montgomery, Alabama – Today, United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross announced the sentencing of five individuals for their roles in robbing two cell phone stores at gunpoint. Two of the defendants also pleaded guilty to possessing fentanyl with intent to distribute.
The following provides more detail about the various defendants convicted and the sentences imposed.
- On May 13, 2024, Devon Lemar Bledson, 29, received a sentence of 204 months in prison following his guilty plea to three charges: interference with interstate commerce by robbery, brandishing a firearm during a federal crime of violence, and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
- On April 16, 2024, 31-year-old Devontae Gentry, received a sentence of 240 months in prison following a guilty plea to committing interference with interstate commerce by robbery.
- On April 3, 2024, Antonio Lavasia Provo, 33, received a sentence of 72 months in prison after pleading guilty to interference with interstate commerce by robbery.
- On March 28, 2024, 19-year-old Jaylan Subry Bledson, received a 90-month sentence following a plea of guilty to committing interference with interstate commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm during a federal crime of violence.
- On March 14, 2024, 29-year-old Staci Danielle Gilbert, received a prison sentence of 60 months for after pleading guilty to interference with interstate commerce by robbery and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
All defendants are residents of Montgomery, Alabama, with the exception of Devontae Gentry, who is from Chicago, Illinois.
According to the plea agreements and other court records, on April 25, 2023, members of the group entered a cell phone store located on the Eastern Boulevard in Montgomery. One of the members pointed a gun at store employees and demanded to be taken to the store’s safe. After gaining access to the safe, the defendants took assorted electronic devices. The group repeated the same actions on May 18, 2023, this time at a cell phone store on Ann Street in Montgomery. Again, the defendants used a firearm to threaten store employees and gain access to the safe.
After the Ann Street store robbery, law enforcement located the group as it was traveling on an interstate highway in Chilton County. Responding officers were able to stop the defendants’ vehicle after a brief pursuit. The officers identified Devon Bledson as the driver. They found three other group members in the vehicle: Staci Gilbert, Jaylan Bledson, and Devontae Gentry. When law enforcement searched the vehicle, they also found firearms and pills containing fentanyl. Further investigation revealed Antonio Provo’s involvement in the robberies.
“Combatting violent crime is a top priority for this office,” said United States Attorney Ross. “The use of firearms to commit crimes shows a complete disregard for the safety and well-being of community members. This case is yet another example of the good work that results from law enforcement agencies coming together to bring to justice violent individuals. I am grateful for the responding officers and deputies who put their lives on the line, as well as the investigators and agents who gathered the evidence needed for prosecution. Because of their efforts, these five defendants received the significant sentences imposed.”
“The sentences imposed on these defendants should send a strong message to anyone contemplating other violent criminal acts,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Paul W. Brown with the Mobile, Alabama Field Office. “Those who work and live in Montgomery deserve to feel safe and secure in their community. The successful investigation and prosecution of these defendants was achieved due to the strong partnerships between the FBI, Montgomery Police Department, Clanton Police Department, Chilton County Sheriff’s Office, Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, and the United States Attorney’s Office.”
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Montgomery Police Department, the Clanton Police Department, the Chilton County Sheriff’s Office, and the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency conducted this investigation, and Assistant United States Attorney Brandon W. Bates prosecuted the case.
Felon Admits Illegally Possessing Gun Used in Bar FightRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A convicted felon on Monday admitted illegally possessing firearms twice, including when he used one in a bar fight in Overland, Missouri.
Kenneth Jordan, 63, of University City, Missouri, pleaded guilty to two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted that on Feb. 22, 2023, he got into a fight over a pool game at a bar in Overland, Missouri. Jordan struck a bar patron in the head with a revolver before threatening him with the gun.
Police identified Jordan as the attacker. During a search of his home on March 7, 2023, they found the revolver used in the assault as well as three shotguns. Jordan is a convicted felon and barred from possessing firearms.
Jordan is scheduled to be sentenced August 14.
The Overland Police Department and the St. Louis County Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nino Przulj is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Fallen Missouri Law Enforcement Officers Honored During National Police WeekRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – In honor of National Police Week, U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore recognizes the service and sacrifice of federal, state, and local law enforcement. The week will be observed Saturday, May 11 through Friday, May 17, 2024.
“Each year, during National Police Week, we honor those officers and agents who made the ultimate sacrifice by giving their lives in the line of duty in service to our community,” Moore said. “National Police Week is also an opportunity to express our appreciation for the service and sacrifice of law enforcement officers and agents. We recognize their hard work, dedication, loyalty, and commitment to keeping our communities safe.”
National Police Week is a week set aside to honor and remember law enforcement officers who gave their lives in the line of duty while serving in federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. In 1962, President John F. Kennedy proclaimed May 15 as National Peace Officers Memorial Day, and National Police Week is held annually to commemorate fallen officers.
“As our country recognizes National Police Week, the Justice Department joins families and communities in remembering the members of the law enforcement community who made the ultimate sacrifice protecting the public,” said Attorney General Merrick Garland. “Policing is difficult and dangerous, yet time and time again, law enforcement officers answer the call, showing up for their communities when they are needed the most. Their devotion to duty is matched only by that of their loved ones who make daily sacrifices to support them. The Justice Department is committed to doing everything in our power to help provide our law enforcement partners with the resources they need to carry out their noble work on behalf of the public.”
U.S. Attorney Moore recently attended the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department’s memorial service honoring the 120 officers in department history who died in the line of duty.
Another event held in conjunction with National Police Week is the inclusion of the names of fallen officers on the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington, D.C. On Monday, May 13, the names of more than 280 officers killed in the line of duty in 2024 who have been added to the memorial’s wall were read during a Candlelight Vigil. To view a recording of the livestream of this event, visit https://nleomf.org/memorial/programs/national-police-week-2024/candlelight-vigil/.
The fallen officers who were memorialized include five members of the law enforcement community from Missouri:
- Charles Lee Burns, Camden County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department;
- Mason Evans Griffith, Hermann, Mo., Police Department;
- James Matthew Muhlbauer, Kansas City, Mo., Police Department;
- Kelly Bernard Rolando, Missouri Department of Corrections;
- Jason Scott Pulliam, Missouri Department of Corrections.
To learn more about National Police Week and the virtual candlelight vigil, please visit www.policeweek.org.
Ex-Riverside Man Agrees to Plead Guilty to Hate and Gun Crimes for Shooting Two Jewish Men Leaving L.A. Synagogues Last YearRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former Riverside resident who last year shot and wounded two Jewish men as they left religious services in the Pico-Robertson area of Los Angeles has agreed to plead guilty to hate crimes and firearms offenses, the Justice Department announced today.
Jaime Tran, 29, has agreed to plead guilty to all charges against him: two counts of hate crimes with intent to kill and two counts of using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
Tran is expected to plead guilty to the felony charges before United States District Judge George H. Wu in the coming weeks.
Upon entering his guilty plea, Tran will face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison for each hate crime count, and a maximum of life imprisonment and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years for each firearm count.
Under the plea agreement, which prosecutors filed today, Tran would receive a prison sentence of between 35 years and 40 years.
“This defendant sought to murder two men simply because they were Jewish,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Rather than allow these horrific crimes to divide us, however, our community came together and swiftly brought the perpetrator to justice. Hate and intolerance have no place in America. We will remain firm in our approach of using all the tools at our disposal to aggressively prosecute acts of hate.”
“The defendant’s hatred led him to plan the murder of two innocent victims simply because he believed they were practicing their Jewish faith,” said Krysti Hawkins, the Acting Assistant Director of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “I’m relieved that the hard work by investigators and prosecutors led to Tran’s admission to these abhorrent crimes, and hope that members of the Jewish community take some solace in knowing that he will not be in the position to target their fellow members.”
“I’m thankful for the hard work our investigators and prosecutors have put into this case,” said Los Angeles Police Chief Dominic Choi. “Hate crimes tear at the fabric of our communities and safety. The Los Angeles Police Department is stronger through our federal partnerships, better serving the people of Los Angeles.”
According to his plea agreement, Tran developed and espoused antisemitic beliefs and made violent threats toward Jewish people. In 2018, Tran left dental school after making hate-filled statements about other students whom he perceived to be Jewish.
From August 2022 to December 2022, Tran’s antisemitic statements escalated and included increasingly violent language, including against a former classmate whom he repeatedly called and texted with messages such as “I want you dead, Jew,” “Someone is going to kill you, Jew,” and “Burn in an oven chamber.”
In November 2022, Tran emailed two dozen former classmates a flyer containing antisemitic propaganda, including the statement, “EVERY SINGLE ASPECT OF THE COVID AGENDA IS JEWISH.” The following month, Tran emailed his former classmates excerpts from a website describing Jewish persons as “primitive” and having “thick skulls.”
As a result of previous mental health holds, as of 2023, Tran was prohibited from purchasing firearms. In January 2023 in Phoenix, Tran asked a third party to buy two firearms for him. Tran selected the firearms he wanted and paid approximately $1,500 in cash to the third party, who then purchased them.
On the morning of February 15, 2023, Tran used the internet to research locations with a “kosher market,” and planned to shoot someone near a kosher market because he believed there would be Jewish people in the area. Tran drove to Pico-Robertson and shot a Jewish victim wearing a yarmulke as he was leaving religious services at a synagogue. Tran, believing the victim was Jewish, shot him at close range in the back, intending to kill him. Tran then fled the scene in his car.
The next morning, February 16, 2023, Tran returned to the Pico-Robertson area, intending to shoot another Jewish person. Tran shot a second Jewish victim, also wearing a yarmulke and leaving a synagogue after attending religious services. Tran shot the victim at close range, intending to kill him, as the victim crossed the street. Tran again fled the scene.
Both victims survived the attacks. Law enforcement arrested Tran on February 17 and he has remained in custody since then.
The FBI and the Los Angeles Police Department are investigating this matter. The Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, the Cathedral City Police Department, and the Fountain Valley Police Department provided substantial assistance.
Assistant United States Attorneys Kathrynne N. Seiden of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section and Frances S. Lewis of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section are prosecuting this case.
Evoqua Water Technologies Corp. Agrees to Pay $8.5 Million Criminal Penalty for Fraudulent Revenue RecognitionRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE – United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha announced today that Evoqua Water Technologies Corp. (EVOQUA), a Pennsylvania company with a division in Rhode Island, has entered a non-prosecution agreement (NPA) with the U.S. Attorney’s Office relating to EVOQUA’s securities fraud arising from improper revenue recognition and false statements to its external auditors between late 2016 and 2018. Under the NPA, EVOQUA will pay an $8.5 million criminal penalty. This amount adds to an $8.5 million civil penalty EVOQUA paid to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and $16.65 million that EVOQUA paid to settle shareholder class-action claims based on the same course of conduct. The NPA also imposes monitoring, reporting, and compliance obligations on EVOQUA for two years.
United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha commented, “EVOQUA deceived investors by claiming it had earned revenue when it had not. As the agreed-upon Statement of Facts makes clear, the Government’s investigation identified serious misconduct for which our agreement holds the company accountable. We will continue to use all of our tools to hold accountable those who commit fraud on the financial markets and thus undermine confidence in our public markets.”
“Today’s settlement should make it clear to companies that we are watching to make sure they are accurately reporting their revenue so investors can make a fair assessment of their stock values. What EVOQUA did in this case by falsely claiming it earned revenue when it did not, seriously undermines the public’s trust in our financial system,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “Investor confidence is essential to keeping our financial markets afloat and the FBI is committed to vigorously investigating complex financial crimes and ensuring corporate accountability.”
Under the NPA, EVOQUA accepts responsibility for the actions of its employees and admits to facts sufficient to prove securities fraud, including the following:
Until May 2023, EVOQUA was a corporation headquartered in Pennsylvania with its Aquatics and Disinfection (“A&D”) Division based in Coventry, Rhode Island that provided municipal and industrial water and wastewater treatment and water filtration equipment and services. In May, 2023, EVOQUA’s stock was acquired by XYLEM INC.
From late 2016 through 2018, EVOQUA’s A&D Division falsely inflated and improperly recognized revenue in violation of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles. EVOQUA intentionally and improperly booked revenue from purported sales of products where:
- the sale was contingent and receiving revenue was not reasonably assured;
- the products had not shipped to customers in the quarter during which the revenue was recognized; and/or
- the component parts had not been completed and/or assembled.
The A&D Division’s improper revenue recognition caused EVOQUA to misstate financial statements as part of its November 2017 initial public stock offering and in subsequent annual and quarterly filings with the SEC. From in or about the fall of 2017 through 2018, EVOQUA also made materially false and misleading statements to and omitted material facts necessary to make statements not misleading to its external auditors concerning EVOQUA’s revenue-recognition practices.
This resolution reflects EVOQUA’s cooperation, acceptance of responsibility for its criminal conduct, remediation efforts, and commitment to enhanced compliance efforts, as well as its prior resolution with the SEC and the shareholder class action. It also takes into account the fact that EVOQUA was acquired by XYLEM, INC. after the conduct at issue in this investigation occurred.
The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case was investigated and prosecuted by First Assistant United States Attorney Sara Miron Bloom and Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Bolan. United States Attorney Cunha thanks the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for its valuable assistance with the investigation.
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non_prosecution_agreeement.pdfDrug smuggler sent to prison for six-kilo cocaine seizure at bridgeRead the Press Release
BROWNSVILLE, Texas – A 22-year-old U.S. citizen residing in Matamoros, Mexico, has been sentenced for conspiracy to possess and possession with intent to distribute 6.16 kilograms of cocaine, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Javier Eduardo Vicencio pleaded guilty Aug. 24, 2023.
U.S. District Judge Fernando Rodriguez Jr. has now ordered Vicencio to serve 48 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that while Vicencio had some character references, the court needed to consider the seriousness of the offense, protecting the public and a deterrence to criminal conduct because Vicencio had committed at least five prior successful drug crossings.
On May 2, 2023, Vicencio drove into the United States through the Gateway Port of Entry in Brownsville. He was the sole occupant of a Chevy Cobalt bearing Mexican license plates. Upon initial inspection, Vicencio denied possessing alcohol, weapons, drugs or other items. However, authorities noticed he appeared nervous and referred him to secondary inspection.
There, they observed anomalies in the side passenger fire wall which resulted in the discovery of 35.4 pounds of cocaine.
Vicencio claimed his family had owned the vehicle for about 10 years and he was trying to “help” them. He believed he was crossing the border with cocaine and would receive payment of $1,000 per trip for delivery to others in Brownsville.
Vicencio will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations and Customs and Border Protection conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Oscar Ponce prosecuted the case.
Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that WALLACE BEST, also known as “Coop,” 57, of Bridgeport, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 180 months of imprisonment, followed by 10 years of supervised release, for trafficking fentanyl and heroin.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in 2019, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force began investigating an organization that was distributing heroin, fentanyl and crack cocaine in an around Bridgeport. During the investigation, Task Force members made four controlled purchases of heroin and fentanyl from Frank Best. The investigation, which included court-authorized wiretaps and hundreds of consensual recordings, revealed that Frank Best’s uncles, Wallace Best and Jeffrey Thomas, were supplying Frank Best and others with narcotics.
The investigation further revealed that Jeffrey Thomas worked with Jason Cox to establish a connection to Mexican-sourced drug suppliers in California who could provide kilogram quantities of narcotics for distribution on the East Coast. In December 2019, a cooperating source working in conjunction with Wallace Best, Thomas, and Cox, traveled to a Home Depot parking lot in San Diego and purchased from their suppliers 1.1 kilograms of fentanyl, cut with Xylazine, which is a veterinary sedative, and Tramadol, in exchange for $27,000. After this successful transaction, the conspirators arranged to purchase five kilograms of heroin from their Mexican suppliers. On February 10, 2020, four individuals were arrested after they arrived at the same parking lot to conduct the transaction and investigators seized a box containing approximately 4.9 kilograms of heroin. A related search of a storage locker in San Diego revealed an additional five kilograms of heroin.
On October 14, 2022, a jury found Wallace Best, Thomas, and Cox guilty of one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute kilogram quantities of heroin and fentanyl, and Wallace Best, Thomas, and Frank Best guilty of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine base (“crack”). In addition, Frank Best was found guilty of five counts of possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine base.
Wallace Best’s criminal history includes a federal cocaine trafficking conviction in 2002.
Wallace Best was arrested on February 11, 2020. Released on a $150,000 bond, he is required to report to prison on July 15.
On April 24, 2024, Cox was sentenced to 125 months of imprisonment. Thomas and Frank Best await sentencing.
This matter was investigated by the DEA’s Bridgeport HIDTA Task Force with the assistance of the DEA San Diego Field Division. The DEA’s Bridgeport HIDTA Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Norwalk, Stamford, Stratford, Milford, and Danbury Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karen L. Peck, Lauren C. Clark, and Katherine E. Boyles through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Convicted felon sentenced after being caught again in possession of a firearmRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to two years and three months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on Sept. 5, 2023, Henrico County Police officers performed a traffic stop on Nathaniel Jay Brown, 35, after observing Brown committing traffic infractions. During the traffic stop and in response to an officer’s questions, Brown indicated that he was in possession of a firearm. After Brown got out of the vehicle, the officer retrieved from Brown’s waistband a .380 caliber semiautomatic handgun with a fully loaded magazine.
As a previously convicted felon, Brown cannot legally possess a firearm. At the time of the incident, Brown had multiple felony convictions, including a 2013 conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Eric D. English, Chief of Henrico County Police Division, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge David J. Novak.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick J. McGorman and Stephen E. Anthony prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-146.
Comfort Care Medical Equipment, Inc. and Its Owner Agree to Pay $352,800 to Settle False Claims Act Allegations Regarding Its Submission of False Claims for Compression GarmentsRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – Comfort Care Medical Equipment, Inc. (“Comfort Care”) and one of its owners, Patrick Chalmers, have agreed to pay the United States $352,800 to resolve allegations that they violated the federal False Claims Act by submitting false claims to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which administers the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program (FEHBP) (collectively, the “United States”). Comfort Care is a durable medical equipment provider that provides compression and lymphedema garments, for various body parts including legs and arms, to patients. Patrick Chalmers was an owner of Comfort Care. He owned 100% of its stock and served as Comfort Care’s President from September 2005 until December 31, 2019.
The civil settlement was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron, and Special Agent in Charge for the OPM Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Derek M. Holt.
The civil investigation was opened by the United States Attorney’s Office based upon a referral from OPM, OIG regarding excessive billings. Comfort Care billed almost all compression stockings (arms, legs, bras, etc.) utilizing HCPCS Code A6459 (gradient compression garment, not otherwise specified). According to the contract that Comfort Care had with Care First, which administered the FEHBP plan, Comfort Care could utilize this code only if no other HCPCS code could be billed for the compression garment provided. Once the A6549 HCPCS code was used, Comfort Care could bill FEHBP contracted plans for any amount and would be reimbursed at 65% of that amount.
“Federal contractors are required to bill the appropriate code for services rendered, not the code that puts the most money in their pockets. The U.S. Attorney’s Office and our partners are committed to ferreting out unlawful compliance with government contracts," said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron.
“False claims threaten the integrity of the FEHBP and can make health care more expensive for American taxpayers,” said Special Agent in Charge Derek M. Holt, OPM OIG. “I applaud our investigative staff and partners at the Department of Justice for their hard work on this case.”
The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations. The settlement is not an admission of liability by Comfort Care nor a concession by the United States that its claims are not well-founded.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, Office of the Inspector General, for its work in this investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Thomas Corcoran and Sarah Marquardt, who handled the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to report fraud, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/report-fraud.
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Colorado Man Arrested for Allegedly Distributing Fentanyl to Texas ResidentRead the Press Release
ALPINE, Texas – A Colorado man was arrested Saturday in Denver on criminal charges related to his alleged possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
According to the indictment, Douglas Christopher Steele, 53, of Denver allegedly conspired with others to possess with the intent to distribute a controlled substance, which contained a detectable amount of fentanyl. The indictment alleges that Steele’s alleged fentanyl distribution resulted in the death of an Alpine resident.
Steele made his initial appearance Monday in a federal court in Denver. He is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. If convicted, he faces 20 years to life in prison for each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
Homeland Security Investigations and the Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigation Division are investigating the case with assistance from the Alpine Police Department, Brewster County Sheriff’s Office, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Amy Greenbaum is prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Chinle Man Sentenced to Life in Prison for Multiple Counts of Child Sex AbuseRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Kendall Anagal, 41, of Chinle, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Diane J. Humetewa to life in prison for multiple counts of child sexual abuse.
On February 9, 2024, a federal jury found Anagal guilty of three counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse and one count of Abusive Sexual Contact of a Child. Anagal repeatedly and violently sexually abused a child who, at the time of the abuse, was between nine and 10 years old. The victim reported these offenses when she was 17 years old; she did not disclose them earlier because she feared for her life.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tracy Van Buskirk and Sharon K. Sexton, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution.
CASE NUMBER: CR-22-8113-PCT-DJH
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-063_Anagal# # #
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.Butte meth trafficker sentenced to more than seven years in prisonRead the Press Release
MISSOULA — A Butte man identified as a major drug supplier in an investigation was sentenced today to seven years and three months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, after he admitted to trafficking methamphetamine in the community, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Juan Jose Romero, 39, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute meth, in December 2023.
U.S. District Judge Dana L. Christensen presided.
In court documents the government allege that Romero was identified as a major drug supplier in Butte, and that a source told law enforcement about having purchased heroin from Romero while Romero was in the Butte Pre-Release Center. Agents contacted Romero at his apartment after they learned he had absconded from felony supervision. In a search of his residence, agents located a loaded .22 magazine, two cell phones and drug paraphernalia. In December 2022, law enforcement in Butte conducted a traffic stop on Romero and located 29 grams of meth, two firearms, drug paraphernalia and 14 suspected fentanyl pills in the vehicle. Romero admitted he was selling meth.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer S. Clark prosecuted the case. The Southwest Montana Drug Task Force, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and FBI conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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Buffalo man pleads guilty to production of child pornographyRead the Press Release
BUFFALO, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Michael Bevill, 36, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge H. Kenneth Schroeder, Jr. to production of child pornography, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum of 30 years and a $250,000 fine.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Franz T. Wright, who is handling the case, stated that between June 2022, and August 2023, Bevill engaged in prohibited sexual conduct with a minor child under 12-years-old. Bevill produced photographs and video recordings of himself sexually abusing the minor child on multiple occasions. He admits that he gave the minor child sedatives before producing the child pornography. Bevill then distributed the visual depictions he produced to another individual using the Telegram messaging application.
The plea is the result of an investigation by the federal bureau of Investigation, under under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
Sentencing will be scheduled at a later date.
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