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21 June 2024
COVID-19 stimulus check theft sends Houston resident to prisonRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 50-year-old man has been sentenced for committing fraud in connection with stimulus checks, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Ndem Oduu pleaded guilty March 14.
U.S. District Judge Charles R. Eskridge has now ordered Oduu to serve 45 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. Oduu was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $1,867. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence that showed Oduu possessed thousands of pages of documents in his apartment related to his efforts to defraud the government through fraudulent loans and tax credits. In handing down the sentence, the court noted he hoped Oduu would lead a productive life upon release.
At the time of his plea, Oduu admitted to appropriating a victim’s Economic Impact Payment, also referred to as a stimulus check, in the amount of $1,200 and depositing the check into his own account.
The U.S. government offered these payments to the general public in response to the economic harm of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Oduu has been and will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Social Security Administration-Office of Inspector General and Texas Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jay Hileman prosecuted the case.
CEO of Health Care Center Indicted for Stealing Federal Grant MoneyRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – A federal grand jury indicted the Chief Executive Officer of Silver State Health Services, LLC, for allegedly stealing federal grant funding intended for the health care center to provide services to indigent persons.
According to allegations contained in the indictment, David Ryan Linden, 35, was the Chief Executive Officer of Silver State Health Services, LLC, a not-for-profit limited liability corporation in Las Vegas. On behalf of Silver State Health Services, LLC, Linden applied for federal grant money from the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration. As part of the grant application, Linden represented that $735,200 of the budgeted costs would be used to meet projected personnel costs for the health center. In February 2019, Silver State Health Services, LLC was awarded $735,200 in grant funding.
As alleged, on June 10, 2019, Silver State Health Services, LLC withdrew in excess of $357,000 from the grant and deposited the funds into a bank account belonging to Silver State Health Services, LLC. Then, on June 16, 2019, Linden became a signatory on a bank account belonging to a company named Freedom Infusions, LLC, which was not affiliated with the grant or Silver State Health Services, LLC. Further alleged, on June 24, 2019, Linden transferred $340,000 of federal grant funds from the Silver State Health Services, LLC bank account to the bank account for Freedom Infusions. The $340,000 was allegedly used for the benefit of others.
A jury trial has been scheduled to begin on August 27, 2024, before United States District Judge Jennifer A. Dorsey. If convicted, Linden faces the maximum statutory penalty of 10 years in prison.
United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement.
The FBI and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorneys Steven Myhre and Justin Washburne are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Beebe Man Sentenced to 35 Years in Federal Prison for Production of Child Pornography, Transfer of Obscene Material to a Minor, and Attempted Sex Trafficking of A MinorRead the Press Release
LITTLE ROCK—Zachary Bradley will spend 35 years in federal prison for production of child pornography, transfer of obscene materials to a minor, and attempted sex trafficking of a minor. Jonathan D. Ross, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, announced the sentence, which was handed down on Thursday, June 20, 2024, by Chief United States District Judge Kristine G. Baker.
On approximately October 6, 2021, the minor victim’s stepfather made a report to the Beebe Police Department that the minor victim was raped by Bradley. An investigation revealed that Bradley provided the minor victim with marijuana and alcohol and that he passed out. Once the minor victim woke up, Bradley was performing sexual acts on him. Bradley told the minor victim that if he would continue to engage in sex acts with him, he would give him an allowance.
The investigation further revealed that Bradley had multiple videos on his phone that contained child pornography of another minor, believed to be approximately 13 years old. Another video located on Bradley’s phone was a FaceTime conversation between Bradley and the minor. The video depicted a display of the minor’s genitals to Bradley during the conversation. An additional video from a FaceTime conversation depicted Bradley with his shorts pulled down to reveal his genitals to the minor.
On December 8, 2021, Bradley, 33, of Beebe, was indicted by a federal grand jury on seven counts: Counts One, Two, Four, Five, and Six: production of child pornography, Count Three: transfer of obscene material to a minor, and Count Seven: attempted sex trafficking of a minor. On July 27, 2023, Bradley, pleaded guilty to all seven counts in the Indictment.
The maximum penalty Bradley faced on Counts One, Two, Four, Five, and Six was not less than 15 years and not more than 30 years in prison. The maximum penalty Bradley faced on Count Three was not more than 10 years in prison. For Count Seven, Bradley faced a maximum penalty of not less than 10 years to life in prison.
Chief Judge Baker also sentenced Bradley to a lifetime of supervised release. Bradley faced a maximum of supervised release of five years to life and a fine of $250,000. There is no parole in the federal system.
The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the Beebe Police Department and Arkansas State Police Crimes Against Children Division. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kristin Bryant.
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Additional information about the office of the
United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas, is available online at
https://www.justice.gov/edar
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@USAO_EDAR
Baltimore Man Sentenced to Fourteen Years in Federal Prison for Committing Armed Robberies of Three Cellphone Stores in Howard County, Anne Arundel County and Baltimore County, MarylandRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – United States District Judge Brendan A. Hurson today sentenced Gary Leon Holloway, age 46, of Baltimore, Maryland, to fourteen years in federal prison, followed by four years of supervised release, for the armed robberies of cellphone stores located in Howard County, Anne Arundel County, and Baltimore County, Maryland.
The sentence was announced by Erek L. Barron, U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland, Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division, Chief Gregory Der of the Howard County Police Department, Chief Amal E. Awad of the Anne Arundel County Police Department, Chief Robert McCullough of the Baltimore County Police Department and Commissioner Richard Worley of the Baltimore Police Department.
According to his guilty plea, in January 2020, Holloway and his co-conspirators planned and committed armed robberies of three commercial businesses. Specifically, on January 4, January 15, and January 22, Holloway and at least one of his co-defendants robbed cellphone stores in Ellicott City, Glen Burnie, and Dundalk, Maryland, respectively. Holloway brandished a gun in each robbery and he and his co-defendant stole cellphones and other electronic devices. In the first robbery, Holloway and his co-defendant also stole the wallets of two employees and in the third robbery, they forced the employees to open and empty the safe and stole cash in addition to the cellphones and electronic devices. After the third robbery, Holloway and two co-defendants were arrested in Baltimore County.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
U.S. Attorney Barron commended the ATF, the Howard County Police Department, the Anne Arundel Police Department, the Baltimore County Police Department, and the Baltimore Police Department for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys John W. Sippel, Jr., and Adey Adenrele, who prosecuted the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Ava Man Sentenced to 58 Years in Prison for Sexual Exploitation of Two Child VictimsRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – An Ava, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court after images of his repeated sexual assaults of two child victims were discovered by workers while they were demolishing his former residence.
Harold Lloyd Blair, Jr., 67, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Roseann Ketchmark on Thursday, June 20, to 58 years in federal prison without parole.
On Jan. 30, 2024, Blair pleaded guilty to two counts of the sexual exploitation of a minor. Blair has also been implicated in the sexual abuse of two additional child victims.
The investigation began on Dec. 2, 2022, when workers employed by Douglas County, Mo., were tearing down Blair’s former residence after he sold it to the county. The workers discovered a filing cabinet that contained numerous pages of images of a young girl engaged in sexual acts with an older man. The workers contacted the Douglas County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department and Blair was questioned by investigators.
Blair admitted that he was the man portrayed in the photos, which were taken in 2012 and 2013, when the two child victims each were approximately 11 to 12 years old. In total, there were 52 photographs that were taken by Blair with a digital camera and printed from his computer. Blair told investigators that, if he had remembered those photographs were in the house, he would have destroyed them.
Investigators also searched Blair’s storage unit and found more images of child pornography. Investigators found a total of 743 images of child pornography in the house and storage unit, most of which were images of the sexual assault of two child victims.
Blair admitted that he sexually assaulted one of the child victims two to three times a day. Blair showed adult pornography to each of the child victims so they could imitate what was happening in the videos.
Blair also admitted to investigators that he sexually abused a 13-year-old girl whom he moved from state to state in an attempt to find a state that would allow him to marry a minor without her parents’ consent. Another victim told investigators that Blair sexually abused her when she was approximately three years old.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Douglas County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, and the West Plains, Mo., Police Department, with assistance from the Douglas County, Mo., Prosecuting Attorney.
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."
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Statement on Supreme Court’s Decision in United States v. RahimiRead the Press Release
The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland on the Supreme Court’s decision in United States v. Rahimi:
“The Supreme Court’s decision today in United States v. Rahimi upholds Congress’s longstanding prohibition on the possession of firearms by people subject to domestic-violence restraining orders. That law protects victims by keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous individuals who pose a threat to their intimate partners and children.
As the Justice Department argued, and as the Court reaffirmed today, that commonsense prohibition is entirely consistent with the Court’s precedent and the text and history of the Second Amendment.
The Justice Department will continue to enforce this important statute, which for nearly 30 years has helped to protect victims and survivors of domestic violence from their abusers. And we will continue to deploy all available resources to support law enforcement, prosecutors, courts, and victim advocates to address the pervasive problem of domestic violence.”
20 June 2024
Yosemite National Park Rape ChargedRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a one-count indictment today against Nathan Baptista, 36, charging him with aggravated sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on May 31, 2024, Baptista forcibly raped and strangled a fellow Yosemite Hospitality employee after meeting her that night.
This case is the product of an investigation by the National Park Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Arin C. Heinz is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Baptista faces a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Woodbridge fentanyl dealer pleads guilty in death of teenage victimRead the Press Release
ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Woodbridge man pled guilty today to distribution of fentanyl resulting in death.
According to court documents, on April 23, 2022, Maurice Lamont Gordon, 37, sold counterfeit pressed pills containing fentanyl that resulted in the overdose death of a 15-year-old victim. The victim and another individual walked to Gordon’s apartment to purchase “percs,” a street name for Percocet or counterfeit pills containing fentanyl and made to resemble Percocet and other legitimate oxycodone pills. The victim provided money to the other individual to make the purchase and was provided with his share of the “percs” sold by Gordon. After the purchase, the victim returned home and never left.
The following day, the victim was found nonresponsive in his home and was pronounced dead by Prince William County Emergency Medical Services. Officers with the Prince William County Police Department found narcotics paraphernalia near the victim’s body, including burnt aluminum foil with fentanyl residue. The Virginia Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled that the victim died of Accidental Fentanyl Intoxication after an autopsy found fentanyl and despropionylfentanyl, a metabolite of fentanyl, in the victim’s blood with no other drugs or alcohol present.
On Oct. 12, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant on Gordon’s residence. During the search, law enforcement seized marijuana, cocaine, a large quantity of counterfeit pressed pills containing fentanyl, a Polymer 80 semi-automatic “ghost gun” bearing no serial number, and ammunition. The seized pills totaled over 1,100 and weighed approximately 130 grams.
Gordon is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 3 and faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 20 years and up to life in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; David J. Scott, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division; Jarod Forget, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) Washington Division; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Peter Newsham, Chief of Prince William County Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Michael S. Nachmanoff accepted the plea.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Lauren Hahn is prosecuting the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristin Starr assisted in the prosecution.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:24-cr-138.
Weatherly Man Charged with Making False Statements During the Attempted Purchase of a Firearm and Unlawful Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that David Feliciano-Seize, age 60, of Weatherly, Pennsylvania was indicted on June 18, 2024, by a federal grand jury for making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm and unlawful possession of a firearm.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Feliciano-Seize, who had previously been sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment for an armed robbery conviction, attempted to purchase an assault rifle by falsely representing that he had never been convicted of a crime punishable by a term of imprisonment exceeding one year. The indictment further alleges that in 2023, Feliciano-Seize unlawfully possessed a firearm.
This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). Assistant United States Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd is prosecuting the case.
The maximum penalty under federal law for making a false statement during the attempted purchase of a firearm is 10 years imprisonment, 3 years supervision, and a fine. The maximum penalty under federal law for unlawful possession of a firearm is 15 years imprisonment, 3 years supervision, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Waltham Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison for Attempted Sex Trafficking of A ChildRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Waltham man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for attempted sex trafficking of a 12-year-old girl.
Misael Fabian Medina, 38, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 15 years in prison. Medina will be subject to deportation proceedings to Guatemala upon completion of his sentence. In March 2024, Medina was convicted by a federal jury of one count of attempted sex trafficking of a child; and one count of attempted coercion and enticement.
“Children are sold for sex far too often in our society. Our office has prosecuted several individuals who have trafficked minors, often highly vulnerable girls. This prosecution is squarely aimed at addressing the demand that fuels this despicable practicing of selling sex with kids. Medina showed up at a hotel with $200 in his hand in order to have sex with a 12-year-old girl. This sting operation should send a message to every person using a smart phone to troll for sex with minors, that the federal government is out there aggressively enforcing the laws against this reprehensible conduct,” said Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy.
“Misael Fabian Medina was ready to pay to sexually abuse a 12-year-old child before he was arrested by HSI special agents. Today’s sentence will keep him off the streets and away from children he could harm,” said Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England. “Sex trafficking is driven by demand and we work every day with our partners to investigate and bring predators like Medina to justice.”
In November 2022, Misael Medina responded to an online advertisement offering sex with two young girls. Through an ensuing text conversation with undercover agents who were posing as the seller of the two girls, Medina agreed to pay $200 to engage in a sex act with a 12-year-old girl. Shortly thereafter, Medina went to a greater Boston hotel to meet with the purported seller. Once at the hotel, he met with an undercover agent and confirmed he had the money to pay for the commercial sex act. During that meeting, Medina was arrested and found to be in possession of a box of condoms.
If you or someone you know may be impacted or experiencing commercial sex trafficking, please contact [email protected].
Acting U.S. Attorney Levy and SAC Krol made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian A. Fogerty and Jason A. Casey of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
Virginia Man Sentenced to over Eleven Years in Federal Prison for Attempting to Entice A Child to Engage in Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger has sentenced Peter Papuchis (43, Norfolk, VA) to 11 years and 3 months in federal prison for attempted online enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity. Papuchis was also ordered to serve a 20-year term of supervised release after his release from prison and register as a sex offender. Papuchis entered a guilty plea on February 21, 2024. He has been in federal custody since his arrest on May 4, 2023.
According to court documents, on April 15, 2023, a federal agent using an undercover persona began conducting an online undercover operation. The agent was using a free mobile application that permits individual users to meet online, engage in conversation through private messages, and share photographs and videos. The agent was using the persona of the parent of an 11-year-old girl. In his undercover capacity as a “parent” of the “minor child,” the agent posted a message within the group that Papuchis responded to privately. Papuchis told the undercover agent, “I’m a perv with pedo tendencies.” The “parent” exchanged several private messages with him on this same day and continued until April 22, 2023. The same day, Papuchis provided his username on another chat application, and they then began messaging on that application until April 23, 2023. During their chat conversation, Papuchis detailed his interest in meeting the “minor child” of the “parent” and engaging in sexual activity with the “minor child.” On April 23, 2023, Papuchis traveled to meet the “parent” of the “minor child” in St. Johns County. He was arrested after arriving at the predetermined meeting location and admitted to engaging in the chat conversations with the “parent” of the child and planning to engage in sexual activity with the “child.”
This case was investigated by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
United States Brings Federal False Claims Act Suit Against Pain Management Practice and Its PrincipalRead the Press Release
WILMINGTON, Del. – U.S. Attorney David C. Weiss announced today that the United States has filed a civil complaint against the Center for Interventional Pain and Spine, LLC (“CIPS”) and its principal, Dr. Chee H. Woo, in the United States District Court for the District of Delaware. The United States alleges that CIPS and Dr. Woo violated the False Claims Act by submitting claims to federal and state healthcare programs for thousands of diagnostic tests and services that were not ordered by healthcare providers, not medically necessary, and sometimes never performed.
CIPS is a pain management practice with multiple locations in Delaware and Pennsylvania. The complaint alleges that, from at least July 2018 through at least 2021, CIPS and Dr. Woo devised a scheme to bill Medicare, Medicaid, and the Federal Employee Health Benefit Program (“FEHB”) for medically unnecessary urine drug tests. The complaint further alleges that, between 2019 and 2021, CIPS and Dr. Woo caused Medicare, Medicaid, and FEHB to pay thousands of claims for psychological and neuropsychological testing that was not performed or was not medically necessary.
As a condition of reimbursement, Medicare, Medicaid, and FEHB each require participating providers to certify that all services rendered are necessary for the diagnosis and treatment of patients. As alleged in the complaint, CIPS and Dr. Woo developed and implemented a urine drug testing protocol that required all CIPS’ patients to submit to urine drug tests every three months, regardless of whether the testing was supported by individual patient or clinical need. The complaint alleges that CIPS’ health care providers did not order the urine drug tests and, in many cases, were not aware that the tests had been ordered, and that the results of the tests were not used to inform the diagnosis or treatment of CIPS’ patients. As a result, these tests were medically unnecessary, and CIPS’ certifications that it complied with Medicare, Medicaid, and FEHB requirements were false.
The complaint further alleges that CIPS submitted thousands of false claims for psychological and neuropsychological tests that were not performed. Instead, as alleged, CIPS asked patients to self-complete health screening questionnaires that were ineligible for reimbursement as psychological and neuropsychological tests. CIPS then allegedly failed to use the results of these questionnaires to treat patients, even when the results indicated that medical interventions were warranted.
“Providers and entities that participate in federal health care programs must comply with the rules intended to protect the integrity of those public programs,” U.S. Attorney Weiss said. “Billing federal health care programs for services that are not medically necessary and that are not actually provided undermines the quality of patient care and increases the costs of these taxpayer funded programs. We are committed to holding accountable those medical providers who seek to exploit these programs for their own benefit. Today’s civil complaint demonstrates that this office will aggressively work to recover public money from those who fraudulently seek to overcharge the federal government.”
The allegations in the complaint were identified during a government investigation that arose from a proactive analysis of Medicare claims data.
The investigation and litigation are being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Shamoor Anis and Jacob Laksin.
The complaint contains allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case No. 24-cv-711-JLH.
United States Attorney’s Office Recognizes World Elder Abuse Awareness DayRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman joined national, state, local, and Tribal leaders in recognizing World Elder Abuse Awareness Day (WEAAD) on June 15, 2024. Since 2006, WEAAD has been commemorated to promote awareness and increases understanding of the many forms of elder abuse as well as the resources available to those at risk.
Highlighting the partnership between law enforcement and the public, U.S. Attorney Freedman recorded a message highlighting the need for continued attention to address elder abuse and the work her office has done to address financial fraud that victimizes older Americans, along with enforcement efforts to address grossly substandard care in nursing homes.
United States Attorney Carla Freedman stated: “Elder abuse is rampant and, unfortunately, it comes in many forms. My office will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to promote awareness of elder abuse and to bring criminal and civil actions against those who prey on older Americans.”
Elder abuse is an act that knowingly, intentionally, or negligently causes or creates a serious risk of harm to an older person by a family member, caregiver, or other person in a trust relationship. Such harm may be financial, physical, sexual, or psychological. The Justice Department maintains a variety of programs and initiatives to combat elder abuse.
The Transnational Elder Fraud Task Force marshals federal and state agencies working collaboratively to investigate and prosecute foreign-based schemes that target older Americans. In addition to aggressively investigating the individuals, organizations, and networks responsible for these crimes, this initiative provides the public with information to guard against both traditional scams, like tech support fraud, as well as trending schemes, such as romance scams.
Using one scam to perpetrate or conceal another, some fraudsters rely on money mules to move the proceeds of their illegal activity. Preying on the good will or financial vulnerability of their targets, scammers recruit people, many times older victims, to participate in schemes to move money in ways that avoid notice. The Money Mule Initiative identifies and addresses money mule activity to disrupt these fraud schemes, and helps people to recognize and avoid participation in perpetuating fraud.
To help older individuals and their families identify and avoid fraudulent activity, the Justice Department provides Senior Scam Alerts with information about the tactics used in specific schemes. For example, in Social Security Administration impostor schemes, scammers impersonate government administrators and falsely report suspicious activity to request that the victims provide their Social Security number for confirmation. In tech support scams, fraudsters contact victims, sometimes through internet pop-up messages, to warn about non-existent computer problems, ask that the victim give them remote access to their computer, and identify a non-existent problem, then demand large sums of money for unnecessary services. In lottery scams, telemarketers falsely notify victims that they have won a sweepstakes and tell them they must first pay fees for shipping, insurance, customs duties, or taxes before they can claim their prizes.
To learn more about the department’s elder justice efforts please visit the Elder Justice Initiative page.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of New York continues to work with federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement partners to investigate and prosecute elder abuse crimes.
Representative past examples include the following:
- In May 2024, the Secret Service seized a web domain, used in a “Pig Butchering” Scheme, which used dating applications and social media websites to direct victims to fraudulent cryptocurrency platforms.
- In May 2024, the United States and the State of New York announced the recovery of $6.3 million in restitution, which will go to the victims of an investment advisor and attorney who defrauded their clients.
- In October 2023, JoAnne Natalie was sentenced to 3 months in jail for misappropriating the funds of a veteran as his appointed fiduciary.
- In February 2023, four individuals paid $7,168,000, and were excluded from federal healthcare programs, for providing worthless services to nursing home residents
- In January 2023, Kirtankumar Dalwadi was sentenced to 15 months in prison for his role in a law enforcement impersonation scheme.
To report elder fraud, contact the dedicated National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11 or 1-833-372-8311 and visit the FBI’s IC3 Elder Fraud Complaint Center at IC3.gov.
U.S. Attorney’s Office, FBI Recover Millions for Elderly Fraud VictimsRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – June 20, 2024
SAN DIEGO – Because of a new and aggressive effort to thwart criminals who target seniors, the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the San Diego FBI have recovered more than $3 million lost by victims of sophisticated fraud schemes that primarily targeted the elderly.
The ongoing operation, launched at the beginning of the year, is a collaboration led by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI with assistance from state and local agencies. The operation uses a data-driven approach to target and seize money on behalf of victims of fraud. Since January 2024, investigators have obtained over 40 seizure warrants written for more than $5.6 million in seizures, with $3,339,273.58 recovered so far.
“By getting reports of suspected fraud early, we have been able to interrupt millions of dollars in transactions and recover victims’ money before it’s too far gone,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “We are using every tool at our disposal to support victims of these sophisticated scams, and bring those who prey on the elderly to justice. But our efforts depend on early reporting – so if you think you may have been contacted by a scammer, report it immediately.”
“It is imperative that we are relentless in our fight against scammers who seek to defraud our most vulnerable citizens,” said FBI San Diego Acting Special Agent in Charge Jamie Arnold. “Our best defense is educating the public about how to avoid becoming a victim of these schemes, and encouraging those that fall victim to a scam to immediately report it to law enforcement.”
June 15 was World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, meant to draw attention to the abuse and neglect affecting the older generations. Approximately one in ten people over the age of 60 have experienced some form of elder abuse, including financial exploitation. And such crimes are still widely underreported.
Cyber-enabled fraud is a nationwide menace, but it uniquely impacts California, including the citizens of the Southern District of California. According to the recently published 2023 FBI IC3 report, in 2023, California led the nation in both number of victims (more than 77,000) and the amount of victim loss ($2.1 billion). But population alone is not the reason for these troubling statistics. While California has 30 percent more population than Texas, the next most populous state, California has 63 percent more victims and more than double the victim loss in comparison.
Some recent prosecutions related to schemes that victimized seniors:
- United States v. Xilin Sun, 24CR1007-BTM - Man Charged in $1.49 Million Scam Involving Bitcoin ATM Deposits and Bulk Gold Purchases; Victim is Retiree who Lost Life Savings
- United States v. Jiaci Liu, 24MJ1929-DDL - Man Charged in Scams Targeting Seniors
In terms of loss amounts, cryptocurrency investment scams have the highest loss amounts. These schemes involve victims being targeted through messages on mobile messaging apps or social media. It starts as a text message or a chat message from a stranger, often with an attractive profile photo, with a simple “hello” or what seems like confusion about why your phone number is in the person’s contacts. Once a victim responds to these messages, the conversation is steered over time to an online investment. After building the trust of the victim, the scammers suggest that they can show the victim how to make money by investing online in cryptocurrency, for example. In reality, the victim unknowingly transfers money to the scammers, who first pretend that the victim is making incredible gains, and then ultimately disappear with the money.
In terms of number of victims, the most prevalent scams are tech support/government impersonation/bank impersonation scams. These scams specifically target victims over 60 years old. These scams, alone or layered on top of one another, involve unsolicited pop-up ads on a computer or spam emails or phone calls. The scam may involve allegations that the victim’s computer is compromised. In other instances, victims receive emails claiming the victim made a purchase or subscribed to some service the victim did not subscribe to. Victims are then directed to call a phone number to address the issue. When the victim calls, they unwittingly connect to a scam call center that often then instructs the victim to download commercially available remote desktop software, which the scammers use to perpetuate the fraud. Ultimately, victims are defrauded into sending wire transfers, bulk cash in express mail packages, or to purchase gift cards for the scammers. Once a victim is successfully scammed, they are often repeatedly targeted until they no longer have any money. For that reason, it is critical for victims to report the scams to the FBI IC3 (www.ic3.gov), as well as local law enforcement.
The last major category of scams affecting Americans are business email compromise (“BEC”). These scams involve spoofing an email address of a business, such as a realtor or escrow company or some other entity owed significant amounts of money. The scammers then pretend to be that business by creating email addresses that are very similar to the legitimate business’s email address. Victims are then told that the wire instructions have been changed and are instructed to wire money to the new account. In reality, victims are defrauded out of thousands (often hundreds of thousands) of dollars when they send the wire transfer to the scammers’ bank accounts. Individuals involved in purchases of real estate are particularly vulnerable, since they are often dealing with realtors and escrow companies on a one-off basis and may not notice the person emailing the wire instructions is a fraud. If you receive wire instructions, especially involving high dollar amounts, it is best to confirm those instructions are real by contacting the other parties in the transaction by phone and using phone numbers you have already verified.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office requests that the following warnings be distributed or announced to the general public in an effort to engage and educate those who may be targeted:
- Legitimate companies DO NOT typically seek to access to computers or phones remotely, that is, you should not be asked to share your computer screen with a legitimate company.
- Legitimate companies DO NOT request that customers provide User ID or Passwords for the representative to log into your account for you.
- Legitimate companies DO NOT ask customers to send cash through the mail, deliver gold bars or precious metals, or make deposits into cryptocurrency ATMs.
- Legitimate companies DO NOT ask customers to mail money or wire funds in order to refund alleged overpayments.
If you are asked to do any of these things, HANG UP the phone.
If you are concerned – HANG UP. It is ok to GET OFF THE PHONE AND CALL A FRIEND OR FAMILY MEMBER TO DOUBLE CHECK if a call is suspicious.
A legitimate company will want you to be sure and careful.
If you think you’ve been contacted by a scammer, report it quickly at IC3.gov. There is a team standing by. The faster the report comes in, the more likely we are to stop the transaction and recover your money.
Ways to help prevent elder abuse and neglect:
• Listen to older adults and their caregivers to understand their challenges and provide support.
• Check-in on older adults who may have few friends and family members.
• Look for unusual financial transactions – unexplained withdrawals, purchases of gold bars or cryptocurrency, or uncharacteristic efforts to wire large amounts of money.
• And report abuse or suspected abuse to local adult protective services, long-term care ombudsman, or the police.
For other non-life-threatening emergencies, call the National Elder Fraud Hotline at 1-833-FRAUD-11, or go to the Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Initiative website for more information:
www.justice.gov/elderjustice.
U.S. Attorney's Office Highlights Efforts to Enhance Community Safety During the Summer Months Through Prosecutions, Partnerships and PreventionRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Today, U.S. Attorney Dena J. King announced the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s efforts to enhance safety across communities in Western North Carolina, especially during the summer months when violent crime historically increases. These efforts include federal prosecutions, collaborations with law enforcement and local communities, and proactive prevention programs aimed at strengthening public safety.
“We are closely monitoring a potential increase in criminal activity during the summer months,” said U.S. Attorney King. “My Office is fully committed to protecting our neighborhoods by identifying and prosecuting violent offenders, armed drug traffickers, and felons illegally possessing firearms, and leveraging the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act to pursue charges against straw gun purchasers and gun traffickers. Our dedication to community safety extends far beyond the courtroom. We are actively collaborating with our federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement partners to identify cases for federal prosecution, provide essential training, and utilize technology to combat violent crime. Furthermore, we are enhancing community involvement by partnering with organizations, youth groups, law enforcement, and other stakeholders to develop and support prevention programs that address the causes of violence.”
Prosecution Successes: Our prosecutions aim to enhance community safety, deliver justice for crime victims, and hold accountable those individuals responsible for perpetuating violence within our communities. The cases below were indicted this week and underscore our commitment to public safety:
U.S. v. Jose Maria Quijada-Ortega – On Tuesday, a federal grand jury in Charlotte returned a criminal indictment, charging Jose Quijada-Ortega, 26, of Charlotte, with possession of a machinegun. According to allegations in the indictment, on October 6, 2023, Quijada-Ortega knowingly and willfully possessed a machinegun, that being a Glock, Model 23, .40 caliber pistol, with an affixed machinegun conversion device, commonly referred as a “Glock Switch.”
U.S. v. Allison et al. – The grand jury in Charlotte has also returned a criminal indictment against Desmoria Deoria Allison, 24, Mustafa Dajron Howie, 30, and Kinyona Jenae McClain, 22, all of Shelby, North Carolina, for federal firearms violations related to straw purchasing and illegal possession of firearms. McClain is charged with two counts of straw purchase of a firearm and making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm. Allison is charged with two counts of making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm, and Howie is charged with two counts of possession of a firearm by a felon. The indictment alleges that, in October 2023, and again in February 2024, McClain straw purchased two firearms, on behalf of, or at the request or demand of Howie, knowing that Howie had previously been convicted of a crime. The indictment also alleges that, in March 2023, Allison made false and fictitious written statements in connection with the acquisition of two firearms from two licensed firearms dealers. The indictment further alleges that Howie illegally possessed the firearms that had been straw purchased by McClain and Allison.
U.S. v. Jadarius Connell Potts – Jadarius Connell Potts, 31, of Charlotte, was indicted with one count of dealing in firearms without a license and three counts of possession of a firearm by a felon. As alleged in the indictment, between August and September 2023, Potts engaged in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. The indictment alleges that Potts illegally possessed three firearms, an AM-15 rifle and two pistols, knowing that he had previously been convicted of at least one crime punishable by imprisonment exceeding one year.
U.S. v. Wade Bolton – A federal grand jury in Charlotte indicted Wade Bolton, 33, of Charlotte, of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. According to allegations in the indictment, in December 2023, Bolton allegedly possessed three firearms, knowing that he had previously been convicted of at least one crime punishable by imprisonment exceeding one year. It is further alleged that Bolton knowingly possessed with the intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine and possessed one or more firearms in furtherance of the drug trafficking activities.
U.S. v. Melvin Baylor – Melvin Bolton, 38, of Charlotte, was indicted for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. As alleged in the indictment, in December 2023, Baylor illegally possessed two firearms, that being a Smith and Wesson M&P 15 Rifle, and an AK-47, along with all the associated magazines and ammunition, knowing that he had previously been convicted of at least one crime punishable by imprisonment exceeding one year.
In addition to this week’s indictments, the U.S. Attorney’s Office announced the sentencing outcomes for additional defendants convicted in separate cases involving firearms offenses, drug trafficking, and armed robbery. The defendants received prison terms ranging from over 3 years to more than 34 years. Press releases with additional information on these cases can be found here.
Trainings and Technology-Driven Strategies: As part of the Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) initiative, the U.S. Attorney’s Office partners with our federal, state, local and Tribal law enforcement, prosecutors, community leaders, and other stakeholders to identify the most pressing crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. An important component of PSN is providing training to law enforcement that can enhance investigations for federal prosecution.
Another important component of PSN is the use of technology and data-driven strategies to target crime hotspots and identify repeat offenders. For example, the Crime Gun Intelligence Center (CGIC) in Charlotte coordinates comprehensive tracing and ballistics analysis. The CGIC focuses exclusively on investigating and preventing gun violence in local communities, using eTrace systems and the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, or NIBIN. NIBIN is an incredibly powerful tool used in investigations that involve firearms. Part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s role is to work with our federal, state, local, and Tribal partners to facilitate the submission of ballistics evidence to the NIBIN system on a timely basis that can assist with turning evidence into concrete leads.
Furthermore, U.S. Attorney King and Assistant U.S. Attorneys from the Charlotte and Asheville Divisions continue to foster relationships by regularly meeting with local law enforcement and state and Tribal prosecutors to determine training needs and identify cases for federal prosecution. Also, as part of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s violent crime reduction strategy, members of the office meet with community leaders to discuss community concerns and develop collaborative strategies with stakeholders to improve public safety.
Victim Support and Restorative Justice: Our commitment to supporting victims of violence remains one of our core missions. The U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Victim Witness Unit provides comprehensive victim support services and advocates for justice at every phase of the litigation process, ensuring that victims are afforded all the rights and protections they are entitled to under the law, and stay informed as their case progresses through the court system. In addition, members of the Victim Witness Unit meet regularly with community organizations, service providers, victim advocates, allied professionals, and law enforcement counterparts to ensure that everyone in the community knows and understands where and how crime victims and survivors can access the support and resources they need to promote healing and recovery.
Prevention Initiatives and Long-Term Commitment: In collaboration with law enforcement agencies, community organizations, nonprofit entities, and school districts, we have launched and strengthened several violence prevention initiatives. Just last week, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, in partnership with the Asheville Police Department (APD), hosted an outreach event at My Daddy Taught Me That (MDTMT), a youth development program in Asheville, designed to support young people through advocacy, education, and mentoring. During the event, U.S. Attorney King introduced newly appointed APD Police Chief Michael Lamb to a group of young males and he spoke about his background, shared his life experiences, and talked about APD’s community engagement goals under his leadership.
U.S. Attorney King continues to actively engage with local school districts in the Western District and the Qualla Boundary, home to the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, to hold listening sessions and have impactful conversations with students on the causes and consequences of violence. Through these sessions, U.S. Attorney King educates students on how to effectively handle conflict resolution and emphasizes the importance of making positive choices. By fostering open dialogue, soliciting the students’ feedback, and providing insights into the legal consequences of violence, U.S. Attorney King aims to empower students with knowledge that can help prevent future incidents. Her proactive approach not only supports community safety but also encourages young people to become informed, responsible citizens committed to building safer neighborhoods for everyone.
In July, U.S. Attorney King will attend the National Recognition Week for the winners of the “Do the Write Thing” essay challenge in Washington, D.C. DtWT is organized by the National Campaign to Stop Violence and seeks to encourage middle school students to express the impact of violence in their lives through writing, and to empower students to become catalysts for positive change by sharing their ideas on ways to reduce youth violence. U.S. Attorney King serves as Chair of the DtWT Committee in Asheville. In this role, U.S. Attorney King accompanies National Student Ambassadors selected from Charlotte and Asheville schools to Washington, D.C., where students participate in planned events and engage in discussions on important topics such as the problem of youth violence.
Beyond the immediate summer months, federal prosecutors are dedicated to sustaining these efforts throughout the year, with the goal of putting in place lasting improvements in public safety and community well-being.
“We encourage everyone in our community to join us in these efforts,” said U.S. Attorney King. “Together, we can build safer, more resilient neighborhoods where every resident can thrive.”
U.S. Attorney King thanks all the law enforcement agencies involved in the aforementioned prosecutions and commends Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shavonn Bennette (U.S. v. Allison et al.), Brandon Boykin (U.S. v. Potts, U.S. v. Bolton, and U.S. v. Baylor), and Kenneth Smith (U.S. v. Quijada-Ortega) for handling the prosecution of these cases.
The defendants named in the indictments are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The U.S. v. Allison et al. case is being prosecuted under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms.
For more information on our initiatives visit the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s website.
U.S. Attorney's Office Conducts Law Enforcement Training on Overdose Investigations and ProsecutionsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Today, the U.S. Attorney’s Office conducted a training in Charlotte for law enforcement agencies, on the investigation and prosecution of fatal and near-fatal overdose cases, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. The training is part of a broader effort by federal prosecutors to combat the opioid epidemic and ensure justice for victims and their families.
“Tackling the opioid crisis requires a comprehensive approach,” said U.S. Attorney King. “Today’s training provides law enforcement with the tools and knowledge they need to thoroughly investigate overdose cases, so those responsible for distributing lethal substances are held accountable in a court of law. But today’s training goes beyond enforcement. It’s also about saving lives and supporting our communities.”
Over the past decade, overdose deaths caused by powerful synthetic opioids like fentanyl have devastated communities nationwide, including in Western North Carolina. To build on recent courtroom successes and enhance the investigation and prosecution of fatal and near-fatal overdose cases, the U.S. Attorney’s Office developed today’s training, which is the first of its kind for the district. During the training, members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Drug and Violent Crime Unit gave participants a comprehensive review of the legal tools that can be utilized to investigate and prosecute overdose cases, including applicable federal and state statutes, investigative avenues and resources, the challenges and complexities associated with the investigation of these cases, and tried-and-true methods to enhance investigative methods to ensure a successful outcome.
The audience consisted of investigators representing 17 federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement agencies throughout the Western District. A portion of the training analyzed the successful prosecution of recent fatal and near-fatal overdose cases prosecuted by federal prosecutors in Charlotte and Asheville. For example, in January 2024, two men were sentenced to prison for distributing fentanyl that resulted in a victim’s death. In April 2024, a woman was charged with selling fentanyl that led to an overdose death. In April 2023, a woman was sentenced to prison for distributing a substance that contained fentanyl that caused two near-fatal overdoses. The training concluded with a panel of experienced investigators discussing their first-hand experiences in successfully investigating these cases.
Additional trainings will be scheduled in the later part of the year. Law enforcement interested in participating in future training sessions may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Law Enforcement Coordinator at 704-344-6222.
U.S. Attorney Announces Extradition of Individual from Benin for His Role in an International Money Laundering NetworkRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that DOMINIC FRANCIS LABIRAN, a citizen of the United Kingdom and Nigeria, was extradited Tuesday, June 18, from Benin. LABIRAN was charged with participating in an international money laundering conspiracy between March and June of 2019. LABIRAN was arrested in Benin on or about October 29, 2021, on an Interpol Red Notice and was presented and arraigned today before U.S. District Judge Katherine Polk Failla.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Dominic Francis Labiran participated in a conspiracy to launder millions of dollars. This extradition not only highlights the effectiveness of global cooperation, but shows that no matter where they are or how long it takes, law enforcement will find and hold accountable those who engage in fraudulent schemes and money laundering.”
According to the allegations in the Indictment:[1]
Beginning in at least 2013, one of LABIRAN’s co-conspirators, Alade Kazeem Sodiq, a/k/a “Eluku,” and others defrauded financial institutions by falsely representing themselves as bank accountholders in order to conduct financial transactions without the consent of the true accountholders. Beginning in or about January 2019, one of the participants in that scheme who had agreed to cooperate with law enforcement (“CW-1”) contacted Sodiq and said that CW-1 could fraudulently obtain funds from a U.S.-based business. CW-1 told Sodiq that CW-1 needed bank accounts in the U.S. through which CW-1 could launder the criminal proceeds. Sodiq agreed to provide bank accounts to CW-1 and introduced CW-1 to LABIRAN and another co-conspirator, Abdulai Kennedy Saaka, a/k/a “Kenny.” LABIRAN and Sakka agreed to provide accounts in their names or over which they exercised control in exchange for a fee of nearly 50% of the money that passed through the accounts. Law enforcement subsequently moved funds from a covert account to the designated accounts and then on to a second covert account, less the agreed-upon fees.
* * *
LABIRAN, 62, a citizen of the United Kingdom and Nigeria, is charged with conspiracy to commit money laundering and money laundering, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI. He further thanked the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, the U.S. Embassy in Benin, and the Diplomatic Security Service, as well as authorities in Benin’s Ministry of Justice and Legislation and the Beninese Republican Police for their assistance in securing the defendant’s extradition from Benin.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Illicit Finance & Money Laundering Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jonathan Rebold and Andrew Rohrbach are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
[1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment constitutes only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
U.S. Attorney Announces $4.6 Million False Claims Act Settlement with Restaurants, Fur Apparel Companies, and Their Owners and Managers for Submitting False Information to Obtain Paycheck Protection Program LoansRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite, the Special Agent in Charge of the Eastern Regional Office of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General (“SBA-OIG”), announced today that the United States has settled a civil fraud lawsuit against CHRISTOS SPYROPOULOS; IOANNIS GEORGIADES; GALATIA ASPROU; ARISTOTELIS SPYROPOULOS; IORDANIS SPYROPOULOS; LIMANI 51, LLC; ESTIATORIO LIMANI LLC; LML HOSPITALITY LLC; ONIRO TAVERNA LLC; BC INTERNATIONAL GROUP, INC.; and BCI SERVICES LLC (collectively, the “Defendants”) for including false information in their applications for Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loans, in violation of the False Claims Act. The PPP, administered by the SBA, was created to provide forgivable loans to small businesses struggling to fund payroll and certain other qualifying business expenses because of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The settlement resolves claims that the Defendants—four restaurants located in New York, two companies based in New Jersey that distribute, sell, and service fur apparel, and five individuals who owned/managed these businesses—inflated payroll figures in their PPP loan and forgiveness applications by, among other things, misrepresenting that family members and an acquaintance of the owners/managers were employed by the businesses when they were not, and listing the same individuals as “full-time employees” of multiple businesses.
Under the settlement approved today by U.S. District Judge Edgardo Ramos, the Defendants will pay the U.S. $4,646,700.21 and have admitted and accepted responsibility for conduct alleged in the Government’s Complaint. Specifically, the Defendants admitted that they misrepresented and inflated their payroll and employee headcounts in their PPP loan and forgiveness applications, and that they requested and received PPP loans for amounts that were substantially above what they were entitled to receive.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “The Paycheck Protection Program was created to help struggling small businesses weather the worst moments of the COVID-19 pandemic. These defendants submitted false information to artificially inflate the PPP loans they received. This Office will continue to hold accountable those who engaged in fraud to secure pandemic relief funds for which they were not eligible.”
SBA-OIG Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite said: “This settlement reinforces our unwavering commitment to protecting the integrity of SBA’s programs. Wrongful practices, such as inflating payroll and employee numbers, divert essential funds from deserving businesses. I want to thank the U.S. Attorney’s office and our law enforcement partners for their support and dedication to pursuing justice in this case.”
As alleged in the Complaint filed in Manhattan federal court:
Under the PPP, eligible businesses could obtain SBA-guaranteed loans to spend on payroll costs, rent or mortgage, and other specified business expenses. The amount of PPP funds a business was eligible to receive was determined by the number of individuals employed by the business and their average payroll costs. Businesses applying for a PPP loan were required to provide documentation to confirm that they had in the past paid employees the compensation represented in the loan application. In addition, the PPP loan application required businesses (through their authorized representatives) to acknowledge the PPP Rules and make certain affirmative certifications in order to be eligible to obtain the PPP loan. The SBA also provided for forgiveness of PPP loans. To receive forgiveness, borrowers were required to submit signed loan forgiveness applications and documents containing certain information and certifications.
The six defendant companies applied for and received six first-draw PPP loans and six second-draw PPP loans for a total of more than $11.9 million, nearly all of which was fully forgiven. The five individual defendants were involved in preparing the PPP loan and forgiveness applications and personally signed the applications on behalf of their companies.
The Defendants improperly inflated the PPP loan amounts and the amounts forgiven by falsely claiming that six family members and one acquaintance of the individual defendants were bona fide employees of the businesses when, in fact, they were not (and distributing the PPP funds to these “no show” employees); falsely claiming that three of the individual defendants were full-time employees of LIMANI 51 when, in fact, they were not; falsely claiming that individuals were full-time employees of multiple businesses and including their full salaries in the calculation of the loan and forgiveness amounts for each of those businesses; and mispresenting that they were entitled to forgiveness for wages paid to certain owners and employees that exceeded the maximum amount permitted under the PPP Rules.
As part of the settlement, the Defendants admit, acknowledge, and accept responsibility for the following conduct:
- In their second-draw PPP loan application and first and second-draw PPP loan forgiveness applications, ESTIATORIO LIMANI, LIMANI 51, ONIRO TAVERNA, and LML HOSPITALITY misrepresented and inflated their payroll and employee headcounts by including wages attributable to six family members and an acquaintance of the individual defendants in the calculation of the PPP loan and PPP loan forgiveness amounts, even though the seven individuals were “no show” employees who never undertook any work for the corporate defendants and therefore were ineligible for consideration.
- In its second-draw PPP loan application and first and second-draw PPP loan forgiveness applications, LIMANI 51 misrepresented and inflated its payroll and employee headcounts by stating that three individual defendants were “full-time employees” of the entity when they were not.
- In their first-draw and second-draw PPP loan applications and PPP loan forgiveness applications, ESTIATORIO LIMANI, LIMANI 51, ONIRO TAVERNA, LML HOSPITALITY, BC INTERNATIONAL, and BCI SERVICES each misrepresented and inflated their payroll and headcounts by erroneously listing some of the same individuals as “full-time employees” of different companies and including their full wages in the PPP loan and forgiveness applications submitted for each of the companies. For example, in BC INTERNATIONAL and BCI SERVICES’ second-draw PPP loan forgiveness applications, they each simultaneously listed 13 individuals as “full-time employees” of both companies—and sought forgiveness for the employees’ full wages at both companies—resulting in $481,240.42 of loan proceeds being paid to these individuals, which was an improper use of funds.
- BC INTERNATIONAL and BCI SERVICES misrepresented in their loan forgiveness applications for their first-draw and second-draw PPP loans that they were entitled to forgiveness for wages paid to their owners and certain employees that exceeded the maximum amount permitted under the PPP Rules.
- As a result of the above-referenced conduct and misrepresentations, each of the six defendant companies requested and received PPP loans for amounts that were substantially above what they were entitled to receive.
In connection with the filing of the lawsuit and settlement, the Government joined a private whistleblower lawsuit that had been filed under seal pursuant to the False Claims Act.
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Mr. Williams praised the SBA-OIG for its assistance with this case.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Frauds Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam M. Gitlin is in charge of the case.
Two Virginia prisoners sentenced for pandemic unemployment scamRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A previously incarcerated Chesapeake man and a state prisoner were sentenced for their participation in a scheme to fraudulently obtain federal unemployment benefits related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
During the pandemic, the federal government expanded and extended unemployment benefits for impacted workers. At that time, Raton J. Tharp, 37, was an inmate at Wallens Ridge State Prison in Virginia. Tharp and George Napoleon Cuffee Jr., 31, conspired to apply for benefits and use the personal identifying information of others to make applications in their names for benefits for which they did not qualify.
Tharp provided the information of other Wallens Ridge inmates to Cuffee, who used that information when he was not incarcerated to apply for fraudulent unemployment benefits in those inmates’ names. Cuffee also provided false information in the applications, including, for example, false addresses, telephone numbers, email accounts, and last employers. Last employers were sometimes completely fabricated, such as “Napoleon Homes,” borrowing from Cuffee’s middle name.
In addition to the scheme with Tharp, Cuffee also unlawfully obtained and used the information of six non-inmates for fraudulent unemployment claims. They did not have knowledge or agree to their information being used.
From Aug. 12, 2020, to Oct. 28, 2020, Cuffee was incarcerated at the Chesapeake Sheriff’s Office Correctional Center. During that time, he directed associates who were not incarcerated to continue recertifying the fraudulent claims to ensure the payments were uninterrupted.
Cuffee also fraudulently filed his own unemployment claim. Cuffee falsely stated his occupation as “real estate broker,” and attested that he could not work due to COVID-19 quarantines. For his own claim, Cuffee received $18,162, of which $2,906 covered time during which Cuffee was incarcerated.
Cuffee and Tharp coordinated how to split and distribute the proceeds of the fraud. Cuffee and Tharp were not truthful with the inmates about the claims’ true value, and agreed to keep a large portion of claim proceeds for themselves. The conspiracy resulted in eight successful claims for $75,960 using other inmates’ information filed by Cuffee, and six more claims for $81,362 using non-inmate information, for a total of $187,928.
Tharp pled guilty on Jan. 25 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. On May 28, he was sentenced to three years and four months in prison.
Cuffee pled guilty on Feb. 2 to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He was sentenced today to five years and eight months in prison.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Derek W. Gordon, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C., and Ajay Lall, Acting Inspector in Charge of the Washington Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Jamar K. Walker.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebecca Gantt 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. 2:3-cr-103.
Two Members of Brooklyn Drug Crew Sentenced to 30 and 20 Years in Prison in Connection with April 2021 Murder of A Rival Crew MemberRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that DANZEL MACKINS, a/k/a “Putt,” and DARRIN SAMUELS, a/k/a “Klepto,” were sentenced today to 30 and 20 years in prison, respectively, for trafficking drugs, possessing firearms, and participating in the murder of Felton Durant, Jr. on April 25, 2021. MACKINS and SAMUELS were members of a drug crew based in Brooklyn that distributed crack cocaine on a regular basis from 2019 to 2022. MACKINS and SAMUELS both carried firearms in connection with their drug trafficking and participated in the killing of Durant, who was shot to death when MACKINS and SAMUELS, together with other members of their drug crew, set off across Brooklyn for the purpose of hunting down and killing the leader of a rival drug crew. MACKINS previously pled guilty to drug trafficking conspiracy and firearms possession on November 28, 2023. SAMUELS previously pled guilty to drug trafficking conspiracy on November 21, 2023. U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan accepted both guilty pleas and imposed today’s sentences.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “On April 25, 2021, Felton Durant was shot to death in broad daylight on a weekend afternoon over a drug dispute. Both Danzel Mackins and Darrin Samuels participated in that brutal killing, which took place in the middle of a busy public housing development in South Brooklyn. Because of the hard work of the NYPD and the career prosecutors of this Office, Mackins and Samuels have now both been held responsible for this heinous crime. I remain committed to devoting every resource needed to target gun violence in this City. To be clear, as I have said before and will now say again, we are not going to give up any neighborhood, anywhere in this City to drug violence.”
According to the charging instruments, public filings, and statements made in court:
From 2019 to 2022, MACKINS and SAMUELS were members of a drug crew that operated in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Bedford-Stuyvesant, selling large quantities of crack cocaine in retail transactions. MACKINS and SAMUELS each carried firearms on multiple occasions in connection with their drug trafficking. For example, in January 2020, MACKINS used a firearm to fire multiple shots at multiple fleeing persons on the street. He later possessed additional firearms that the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) seized from him in October 2020 and October 2021. In August 2020, SAMUELS possessed a firearm that the NYPD seized from him together with a quantity of crack cocaine. In addition, in April 2021, both MACKINS and SAMUELS were carrying firearms as they traveled within Brooklyn from Bedford-Stuyvesant to Red Hook, where they planned to locate and kill the leader of a rival drug crew. Together with other members of their drug crew, MACKINS and SAMUELS found Durant — a member of the rival drug crew, but not the leader — and Durant was shot and killed on sight. Later, in January 2022, while members of the NYPD attempted to arrest MACKINS for the charges in this case, MACKINS tried to flee law enforcement in a car, an attempt which ended when MACKINS ran into a 77-year-old woman, causing her grievous injury.
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In addition to their prison terms, MACKINS, 32, of Brooklyn, New York, and SAMUELS, 36, of Brooklyn, New York, were sentenced to five years and three years of supervised release, respectively.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the NYPD and thanked the Kings County District Attorney’s Office for its assistance in this case.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas John Wright is in charge of the prosecution.
Two East Idaho Methamphetamine Traffickers Receive Lengthy Federal Prison SentencesRead the Press Release
POCATELLO – U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced the sentences for two separate East Idaho methamphetamine traffickers who will serve a collective 21.5 years in federal prison.
Fredy Munoz-Morales, a/k/a Fredi Munoz-Morales, 36, a Mexican citizen and national, was sentenced to 12.5 years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court records, the Teton County Sheriff’s Office began investigating Munoz-Morales in April 2023. The investigation ultimately led to the execution of a search warrant at a residence in Victor, Idaho that was associated with Munoz-Morales. Approximately seven pounds of methamphetamine were seized during the investigation along with two firearms.
Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye sentenced Munoz-Morales earlier this week to 150 months in federal prison and ordered him to serve five years of supervised release. Munoz-Morales pleaded guilty to the charge on February 28, 2024.
In a separate case, Gabriel Lopez, 40, of Idaho Falls, was sentenced earlier this week to nine years in federal prison for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court records, the BADGES Task Force began investigating Lopez as the source of supply for methamphetamine to others in August 2023. The investigation ultimately led to the execution of a search warrant at Lopez’s residence in Idaho Falls. During the search, law enforcement seized approximately 392.2 grams of methamphetamine and small amounts of cocaine and marijuana.
Judge Nye also ordered Lopez to serve five years of supervised release upon the completion of his prison sentence. Lopez pleaded guilty to the charge on March 28, 2024. A co-defendant, Elizabeth Findlay, 55, of Pocatello, is pending a trial date on July 8, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the work of the Teton County Sheriff’s Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration, which led to the charges in the Munoz-Morales case and applauded the Idaho State Police, which participated as part of the HIDTA BADGES Task Force, for the Lopez investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Blythe McLane prosecuted both cases.
The BADGES Task Force is a collaboration of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies that focuses primarily on drug trafficking crimes in Bannock County and throughout the region.
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Troy Resident Sentenced for Machinegun PossessionRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Ahmed AlSaadi, age 19, of Troy, New York, was sentenced today to 24 months in prison for possessing a machinegun.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and Troy Police Chief Daniel DeWolf.
During his earlier guilty plea, AlSaadi admitted that on August 2, 2023, he possessed three machinegun conversion devices and a Glock handgun that had been modified with a machinegun conversion device that allowed the Glock to shoot and function as a machinegun. AlSaadi also admitted to advertising machinegun conversion devices for sale from March to July 2023.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also sentenced AlSaadi to serve a 3-year term of supervised release to begin after imprisonment.
ATF, FBI and the Troy Police Department investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping prosecuted the case.
Tracy Man Pleads Guilty to Bank Fraud and ID Theft in Mail Theft ConspiracyRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Cameron Pope, 30, of Tracy, pleaded guilty today to bank fraud and aggravated identity theft, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Pope entered into a conspiracy to steal mail from the U.S. Postal Service. Pope and others stole from cluster mailboxes throughout Northern California, including throughout Placer County and Sacramento County. From the stolen mail, the conspirators obtained identifying information and financial information from California residents. Pope and the conspirators then digitally altered checks and forged account holder signatures to negotiate and deposit checks. Pope and the conspirators stole thousands of pieces of mail from California residents, including checks totaling over $200,000.
This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from the police departments of Citrus Heights, Folsom, Rancho Cordova, Roseville, and Tracy. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica Delaney is prosecuting the case.
Pope is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on Sept. 19, 2024. Pope faces a maximum statutory penalty of 30 years in prison and a $1 million fine for bank fraud and a mandatory consecutive sentence of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
Titusville Man on Federal Supervision Sentenced to Eight Years for Aggravated Identity Theft and Bank FraudRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis today sentenced Carmel Linot (34, Titusville) to eight years in federal prison for bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, and violating his federal supervision in a separate case. The court also ordered Linot to pay restitution to the victim he defrauded. Linot pleaded guilty to bank fraud and aggravated identity on February 26, 2024. At the time of sentencing, Linot was on federal supervised release in the Middle District of Florida for aggravated identity theft. Linot was arrested on June 12, 2023, and the court ordered him detained on the federal supervised release case and the new indictment involving bank fraud and aggravated identity theft.
According to the plea agreement and public records, Linot obtained the Social Security number (SSN) of a minor victim. Using this SSN, a counterfeit Georgia driver license, and false employment documents, Linot opened a bank account under a false identity at a credit union. After opening up the bank account in a false identity, he then obtained a credit card from the credit union using the victim’s SSN. Linot subsequently used the credit card to commit fraud.
This case was investigated by the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, and the United States Secret Service - Jacksonville Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Frein.
Three Lake Charles Area Men Sent to Prison for Committing Firearms and Drug OffensesRead the Press Release
LAKE CHARLES, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that three defendants were sentenced today for offenses involving firearms and drugs, including heroin and fentanyl. United States District Judge James D. Cain, Jr. sentenced the defendants as follows:
Dexter Jamone Allen, 37, of Fenton, Louisiana, was sentenced to 151 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for possession of firearms by a convicted felon and possession with intent to distribute a substance containing heroin and fentanyl. On February 8, 2022, investigators with the Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office stopped the vehicle Allen was driving for a traffic violation and to arrest him pursuant to a warrant for his arrest that had been issued earlier that day. During the traffic stop, law enforcement agents lawfully searched Allen’s vehicle and seized a vacuum sealed bag of suspected heroin, .45 caliber ammunition and a large amount of cash. The seized substance was sent to the Southwest Louisiana Criminalistics Laboratory for testing and their analysis confirmed that the substance consisted of at least 49.81 grams of heroin, fentanyl, and 4-ANPP. Law enforcements agents also obtained a search warrant for Allen’s residence and seized additional controlled substances, a digital scale, more cash, and five firearms and ammunition. Two of the seized firearms had been reported as stolen. Allen pleaded guilty to the charges on February 7, 2024.
Brendan Alexander Delafose, 28, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, has been sentenced to 24 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for illegal possession of a machine gun. In July 2021, Delafose was stopped for careless driving and deputies found him to be in possession of marijuana. Officers performed a lawful search of the vehicle Delafose was driving and found a Glock firearm with a Glock conversion device attached which purposefully converted the firearm to a machine gun. Delafose pleaded guilty to the charge on January 31, 2024.
Daniel Chemeeks Rodasti, 35, of Lake Charles, Louisiana, was sentenced to 105 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release, for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Rodasti committed a traffic violation in June 2021 and was stopped by law enforcement officers. When deputies approached the vehicle, they detected a strong odor of marijuana coming from inside. A search was conducted of the vehicle and deputies found and seized a Smith & Wesson semi-automatic pistol and an Arex semi-automatic pistol. Rodasti had a previous felony conviction and was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition. He pleaded guilty to the charge on February 7, 2024.
These cases were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Calcasieu Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Casey Richmond and Danny Siefker.
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Tapestry Hospice Settles Healthcare Kickback Claims for $1.4 MillionRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Tapestry Hospice of Northwest Georgia, LLC, and its owners and managers, David Lovell, MD, Stephanie Harbour, Ben Harbour, and Andrew Nall (collectively “Tapestry”), agreed to pay $1.4 million to resolve allegations that they violated the False Claims Act by entering into kickback arrangements with medical directors in exchange for referrals of hospice patients to Tapestry.
“By entering into kickback arrangements, health care providers can cause doctors to make medical decisions that are motivated by financial gain, rather than the patient’s best interest,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Our office is committed to ensuring the accountability of health care providers who put their own financial needs ahead of their patients.”
“The False Claims Act settlement in this case will hopefully be a deterrent to those who selfishly evade our federal healthcare programs for their own benefit,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The message is clear, the FBI will not tolerate companies operating corporate-wide schemes to illegally line their pockets.”
“Decisions regarding end-of-life care are incredibly difficult and personal, and families must be able to trust the intentions of their chosen providers,” said Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr. “Those who instead take advantage of the system for their own personal gain will be held accountable.”
This case began when a former employee of Tapestry filed a whistleblower complaint alleging that Tapestry paid kickbacks to medical directors to induce them to refer patients to Tapestry. These alleged kickbacks included monthly stipends and a signing bonus paid to the medical directors. The compensation allegedly increased when the medical director referred more patients and decreased when the medical director failed to make referrals.
The Government alleges that these arrangements violated the Anti-Kickback Statute, 42 U.S.C. § 1320a-7b(b), and caused the submission of false claims in violation of the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. § 3729, et seq.
This civil settlement resolves a lawsuit filed in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia by Kathy Erwin (the Relator) under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act, U.S. ex rel. Erwin v. Tapestry Hospice of Northwest Georgia, LLC, et al., No. 1:18-cv-4320-AT. Under the False Claims Act, private citizens may bring suit for false claims on behalf of the United States and share in any recovery obtained by the government. The Relator has received $252,000 from the settlement.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Georgia Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
The civil settlement was reached by Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam D. Nugent and Georgia Assistant Attorney General Rick Tangum. The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
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.
Tampa Gang Member Sentenced to 15 Years’ Imprisonment, the Maximum Sentence Allowed by Law, for Orchestrating Shootings and Threatening to Commit Violence on A Child and GrandmotherRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington has sentenced Antonio McCray (22, Tampa) to 15 years in federal prison—the maximum sentence allowed by law—for possessing a firearm after having been convicted of a felony offense. McCray pleaded guilty on November 14, 2023.
According to court documents and evidence presented at sentencing, McCray was a member of the “2x” gang in Hernando County. In September and October 2022, McCray planned to carry out a murder against a rival gang member, telling his rival gang members, “I’m tryna do these f*** [dudes] so dirty…we getting them tonight…I’m [going] to shoot his a**.” On at least two occasions, McCray and his fellow gang members went to a residence in Hernando County, ultimately surrounding the house and shooting the windows, front door, and back sliding door. Two minor children were present at the time of the shooting, and bullets came through the window of a 9-year-old girl’s room.
On October 29, 2022, detectives from the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle. McCray was seated in the back seat of the car, and in possession of a Hellcat Pistol. McCray’s DNA was found on the firearm, and FDLE revealed a correlation between the Springfield firearm and shell casings recovered from one of the shootings. At the time, McCray had multiple prior felony convictions including burglary of a conveyance while armed, burglary (6 counts), and dealing in stolen property. As a convicted felon he is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
McCray’s phone later revealed additional text messages in which he was threatening individuals who owed him a drug debt, telling people; “Listen bra if u care about ur son an ur grandma have my money by Thursday…or I’m coming for u and ur family…I’ll be at ur house tonight…Im torture ur grandma, u don’t know who u playing with.”
This case was investigated by the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, with assistance from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Diego F. Novaes.
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.
Tampa Dentist Charged with Sending Threats of Death and Injury to Multiple VictimsRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Richard Glenn Kantwill (60, Tampa) with three counts of interstate transmission of a threat to injure. If convicted on all counts, Kantill faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison.
According to the indictment and court documents, between August 2019 and July 2020, Kantwill sent threats to approximately 42 different victims. Kantwill used email, social media, and text messages to threaten injury and death to various victims. During that time frame, Kantwill sent approximately 100 threats and various other disturbing messages.
The following is an email Kantwill sent to Victim 1, as alleged in the indictment:
The indictment charges Kantwill with sending the following message to Victim 2:
The indictment also charges Kantwill with sending the following to Victim 3:
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abigail K. King.
Syracuse Man Sentenced to 54 Months for Conspiring to Distribute Cocaine and Money LaunderingRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Michael Gonzalski, 36, was sentenced Tuesday to serve 54 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute cocaine, possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute, and money laundering, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division.
As part of his earlier guilty plea, Gonzalski admitted that from approximately August 2020, until March 30, 2022, he distributed cocaine to customers in Onondaga County, NY. The court determined as part of Gonzalski’s sentencing that he distributed approximately 10 kilograms of powder cocaine. Gonzalski also admitted committing money laundering by attempting to conceal the source of some of his drug proceeds through an automobile transaction.
United States District Judge David N. Hurd further sentenced Gonzalski to a three-year term of supervised release to begin after Gonzalski serves his terms of imprisonment, and imposed a $333,111 money judgment, which reflected the proceeds Gonzalski obtained through drug dealing.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), the Syracuse Police Department (SPD), the Onondaga County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO), the New York State Police (NYSP), the Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office, and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Criminal Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Sutcliffe.
St. Louis County Man Admits Armed Robbery of Convenience StoreRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis County, Missouri on Thursday admitted committing the armed robbery of a convenience store in Jefferson County in 2023.
Matthew Ortega, 34, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to one count of robbery and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He admitted pointing a Glock handgun at the clerk of a convenience store and gas station on Hillsboro-House Springs Road in Jefferson County, Missouri and demanding money from the cash register. Ortega was wearing a motorcycle helmet at the time of the robbery and left on a distinctive Suzuki motorcycle. Three days later he was involved in an accident while riding the Suzuki and wearing the same helmet and hard knuckle motorcycle gloves he wore for the robbery. Police later recovered the gun he used in the robbery.
Ortega is scheduled to be sentenced September 18. Both sides have agreed to recommend 11 years in prison.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Lake 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.
Sex offender on state supervision arrested for traveling to Oregon to sexually assault teenRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 27-year-old registered sex offender on supervision with electronic monitoring was brought into federal custody today for allegedly traveling to Oregon to sexually assault a teen, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa Gorman. The criminal complaint charging James Harrison Newcomer alleges that between February and April 2024 Newcomer assaulted three different teens he met via Snapchat. Newcomer will appear today at 2:00 in U.S. District Court in Seattle.
According to records filed in the case, Newcomer was on state supervision following his 30-month prison sentence for two counts of rape of a child. As part of the supervision, Newcomer was on electronic monitoring with an ankle bracelet. On January 19, 2024, the ankle monitor lost connection and when corrections officers went to arrest Newcomer on January 25, 2024, he had left the residence and could not be located.
Over the next three months, Newcomer connected with various teen girls via social media and then arranged to meet them in person. In those meetings he allegedly gave girls drugs and alcohol and sexually assaulted them. The victims were from Snoqualmie, Auburn and most recently, Woodburn Oregon. The victims ranged in age from 14 to 16.
Travel with intent to engage in sexual acts with a minor is punishable by up to 30 years in prison.
The charges contained in the complaint are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the FBI, the Woodburn, Oregon Police Department, the Marion County District Attorney’s Office, the Auburn Police Department, the Snoqualmie Police Department, and the Kent Police Department, with the assistance of the Department of Corrections. Anyone with information regarding other potential victims is asked to contact the Seattle FBI Field Office at 206-622-0460.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.
newcomer_complaint.pdfSex Offender Sentenced for ContemptRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A former Franklin man was sentenced today in federal court in connection with his online activities while under court supervision, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Zachary Cote, 26, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Samantha Elliott to 18 months in federal prison for contempt based on his violation of the Court’s order setting his conditions of release, which included that he not commit any violations of state or federal law and that he refrain from possessing computers or accessing the internet. His sentenced is to be served consecutively to the 60 months he is currently serving for possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
“The defendant flagrantly violated his conditions of release after his sentencing for possessing CSAM,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “While the Court’s conditions of bail did not deter the defendant’s criminal conduct, the additional 18 months in prison will.”
“The fact that this sex offender continued to engage in criminal conduct while waiting to head to prison is deeply concerning, and demonstrates a blatant disrespect for the law,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Boston Division. “It is our hope that with today’s sentence, Zachary Cote learns his lesson.”
Cote pled guilty to possession of CSAM on September 20, 2021. During a November 2020 detention hearing following his arrest in that case, a magistrate judge ordered Cote released subject to certain conditions, including the condition that he not commit any violations of state or federal law and that he refrain from possessing computers or accessing the internet. Cote was later sentenced to 60 months on the CSAM charge on January 24, 2022 and surrendered to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons to begin serving his sentence on March 4, 2022.
After Cote had been sentenced but before he surrendered to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons, federal authorities received a CyberTip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) which indicated that a user on the social media platform Snapchat had uploaded two images of apparent CSAM in February 2022. The IP address associated with the illicit activity resolved to Cote’s residence and Cote was ultimately identified as the user of the account. He remains in the custody of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasey Weiland is prosecuting the case.
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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
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Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Accessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Manchester man pleaded guilty today in federal court to a child exploitation offense, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
Philip Longeway, 52, pleaded guilty to accessing with intent to view child sexual abuse material (CSAM). U.S. District Court Judge Joseph Laplante scheduled sentencing for September 26, 2024.
Longeway is a sex offender based on a 2006 conviction for travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. While on federal supervised release in connection with that case, Longeway’s internet activity was monitored through the use of special software. That software captured chat communications between Longeway and an individual who stated that he was fifteen years old (referred to in Court documents as “John Doe”). The monitoring software also captured screenshots of John Doe engaging in a sexual act for Longeway during a Zoom video call on two separate occasions. John Doe was later identified as a fifteen-year-old child in New Jersey.
Due to Longeway’s status as a repeat offender, the charging statute provides a sentence of not less than 10 years and not more than 20 years of imprisonment, at least 5 years of supervised release, and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Homeland Security Investigations led the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kasey Weiland is prosecuting the case.
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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
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Sedalia Sex Offender Sentenced to 35 Years for Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Sedalia, Mo., man who is a registered sex offender was sentenced in federal court today for soliciting sexually explicit photos of a 14-year-old victim.
Dustin Shane Colvin, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 35 years in federal prison without parole.
On Jan. 4, 2024, Colvin pleaded guilty to two counts of receiving and distributing child pornography. Colvin, a registered sex offender, was convicted of the statutory rape of a 13-year-old victim in 2007.
Co-defendant Serena Dowling, 24, of Sedalia, pleaded guilty on March 11, 2024, to one count of receiving and distributing child pornography and awaits sentencing.
Dowling took sexually explicit photos of a 14-year-old victim at the request of Colvin, her fiancé, and sent them to him over Snapchat. Dowling told the child victim she would receive $100 per photo from Colvin, although she only paid about half the money she had promised.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie L. Wan. It was investigated by the Christian County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Greene County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.
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."
Schenectady Resident Indicted for Witness RetaliationRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Patrick Civitello, age 18, of Schenectady, New York, was indicted on Tuesday for witness retaliation for his assault of the child of a witness who testified in a federal criminal trial.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
Patrick Civitello is the son of Jeffrey Civitello Sr. and the younger brother of Jeffrey Civitello Jr., both of whom were convicted of federal drug trafficking charges following a jury trial in Albany in April 2023. A witness, identified in the indictment as V-1, testified at that trial.
The indictment and a previously filed criminal complaint allege that on May 19, 2024, Patrick Civitello assaulted V-1’s son, V-2, causing him to suffer head and bodily injuries, with the intent to retaliate against V-1 for her trial testimony. Patrick Civitello’s assault of V-2 occurred in front of V-1 in a restaurant parking lot in the Town of Glenville. The charges in the indictment and complaint are merely accusations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Civitello was arrested on the criminal complaint on June 13, 2024. Following a detention hearing on June 14, United States Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart ordered Civitello released with conditions. The Government has appealed that decision and, as a result, Civitello currently remains in custody.
If convicted, Civitello faces up to life in prison, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 5 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
The FBI’s Capital District Safe Streets Gang Task Force is investigating this case, with assistance from the Glenville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael Barnett and Dustin Segovia are prosecuting this case.
Schenectady Man Pleads Guilty to Straw Purchasing a Shotgun Later Used to Fire Shots Outside of Temple IsraelRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Andrew Miller, age 38, of Schenectady, New York, pled guilty today to conspiring with Mufid Fawaz Alkhader to illegally purchase a shotgun for Alkhader.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.
Miller admitted that between October 1, 2023 and November 6, 2023, he and Alkhader conspired to lie to a firearms dealer in Albany County that he (Miller) was the actual buyer of a Kel-Tec 12-gauge pump shotgun, when in reality, Alkhader was the true buyer. Miller and Alkhader came up with the plan because they believed that Alkhader could not lawfully purchase the shotgun himself. Miller further admitted that on November 5, 2023, he lied on the Firearms Transaction Record (ATF Form 4473) submitted to the gun shop when he falsely stated that he was the true purchaser of the shotgun. On November 6, 2023, Miller and Alkhader returned to the gun shop wherein Miller took possession of the shotgun. Miller also admitted that later on November 6, 2023, he transferred the shotgun to Alkhader.
The shotgun purchased by Miller and given to Alkhader is the same shotgun alleged to have been possessed and shot by Alkhader outside of Temple Israel on December 7, 2023.
Miller will be sentenced on October 18, 2024, by United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci. Miller faces up to 5 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors. Judge Nardacci ordered Miller released with conditions pending sentencing.
Alkhader is charged by complaint with two firearms crimes. The charges in the complaint against Alkhader are merely accusations. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force, the ATF, and the Albany Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Rick Belliss and Alexander Wentworth-Ping are prosecuting this case.
Reed Point man admits possessing stolen firearmsRead the Press Release
GREAT FALLS — A Reed Point man on June 18 admitted to possessing stolen firearms found in a stolen vehicle that crashed near Helena following a pursuit, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
Jarred Lane Saunders, 25, pleaded guilty to possession of stolen firearms. Saunders faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and there years of supervised release.
Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Oct. 2. Saunders was detained pending further proceedings.
The government alleged in court documents that on Oct. 12, 2022, Billings police officers responded to a local hotel where 23 firearms had been stolen from a vehicle parked in its lot. The lawful owners provided a list of the stolen firearms. Saunders likely stole the 23 firearms because his fingerprints were found at the scene. Saunders then brought stolen firearms and fentanyl in a stolen car to Helena. On Oct. 15, 2022, the Montana Highway Patrol initiated a pursuit of a stolen Mercedes, which had been taken in Billings on Oct. 11, 2022. The Mercedes eventually crashed in a private driveway, and Saunders was arrested by Helena police officers. At his arrest, Saunders complained that he ingested 15 to 20 fentanyl pills. A search warrant was executed on the Mercedes, and officers found approximately 300 fentanyl pills, a small amount of methamphetamine and a .22-caliber pistol that had been stolen from the vehicle in Billings. A witness told Billings police of seeing Saunders with three duffle bags full of guns. That person received three of the firearms knowing they were stolen.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Billings Police Department, Montana Highway Patrol, Butte-Silver Bow Law Enforcement, Montana Division of Criminal Investigation and Helena Police Department conducted the investigation.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
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Placer County Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation Offense Against a MinorRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Ryan Davidek, 40, of Lincoln, pleaded guilty today to transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in 2016, Davidek began a sexual relationship with a middle school child who he had met online. Over the course of several years, Davidek booked hotel rooms and traveled across state lines, as well as transported the victim from another state to the Eastern District of California, to commit criminal sexual conduct.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexis Klein and Christina McCall are prosecuting the case.
Davidek is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on Oct. 3, 2024. Davidek faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison, a $250,000 fine, restitution as determined by the court, and a lifetime term of supervised release. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the 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 those who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
Pittsburgh Resident Sentenced to Prison for Violations of Federal Firearms LawsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court on June 18, 2024, to 52 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to two separate violations of federal firearms laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
Chief United States District Judge Mark R. Hornak imposed the sentence on Raesean M. Wilson, 22.
According to information presented to the Court, Wilson was convicted of a felony in March 2022 in the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas. Under federal law, a convicted felon is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition. On or about September 21, 2022, Pittsburgh Bureau of Police observed Wilson in possession of a 9mm semi-automatic pistol loaded with an extended magazine and 30 rounds of ammunition in Pittsburgh’s Northside neighborhood. On January 3, 2023, a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh indicted Wilson for this incident and a warrant was issued for his arrest.
On or about January 26, 2023, following his indictment for the previous incident, Wilson was stopped by Pennsylvania State Troopers in downtown Pittsburgh for a moving traffic violation and found to be in possession of a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol loaded with an extended magazine and 23 rounds of ammunition, which he possessed in connection with the trafficking of fentanyl and methamphetamine. On February 28, 2023, a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh indicted Wilson for this second firearms offense.
Wilson pleaded guilty to both crimes in December 2023.
Assistant United States Attorney Carl J. Spindler prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
United States Attorney Olshan commended the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, Pennsylvania State Police, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Wilson.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Peruvian National Pleads Guilty to Identity Theft Charge Stemming from Distraction Theft SchemeRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that ANGEL EUGENIO BANCES CHAPONAN, 60, a citizen of Peru last residing in Queens, New York, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to aggravated identity theft.
According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI and local law enforcement agencies in Connecticut and elsewhere have been investigating a series of distraction thefts of wallets from victims at Trader Joe’s grocery stores, TJ Maxx stores, and other retail stores in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Virginia, and elsewhere. The investigation revealed that Bances Chaponan and others rented vehicles to travel throughout the U.S. in order to steal wallets from unwary victims and then use the victims’ credit and debit cards to purchase electronic devices and other items.
Bances Chaponan was arrested on March 13, 2024, shortly after he used a stolen credit card to purchase a MacBook for approximately $2,850 and an iPad Pro for approximately $1,050. He has been detained since his arrest.
Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for September 12, at which time Bances Chaponan faces a mandatory term of imprisonment of two years.
This ongoing investigation is being conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Manchester (Conn.) Police Department, the Fairfax County (Va.) Police Department, the Spartanburg County (S.C.) Sheriff’s Office, and the Spartanburg Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anthony E. Kaplan and Nathan J. Guevremont.
Orlando Man Pleads Guilty to Illegally Possessing Firearm and AmmunitionRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Benjamin Garmon, Jr. (25, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon. Garmon faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to court documents, on January 20, 2024, deputies from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office were conducting a homicide investigation and executed a search warrant at Garmon’s home on Gadwall Lane in Orlando. Garmon was present, along with his girlfriend. During the execution of the warrant, law enforcement located a firearm inside a shoebox in the closet of Garmon’s bedroom. The firearm was a Glock, model 21 Gen 4, .45 caliber pistol, loaded with ammunition. Garmon told the deputies that he had moved the firearm from a dresser in his bedroom to a shoebox in the closet when the deputies arrived at his home to execute the warrant.
At the time Garmon possessed the firearm and ammunition, he had previously been convicted of four felonies, including carrying a concealed firearm on July 25, 2018, burglary of a structure, grand theft, and resisting law enforcement officer without violence in March 2019. As a convicted felon, Garmon is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Orange County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kara Wick.
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.
Operation Smoke and Mirrors Update: California-Based Supplier Pleads Guilty in Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization CaseRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Alejandro Gallegos, also known as “Alex,” “Rooster,” “G” and “Primo,” 41, of Hacienda Heights, California, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 500 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of cocaine. Gallegos admitted to a major supplier role in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) that operated in the Charleston area.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from in or about February 2021 to in or about March 2023, Gallegos conspired with others to distribute methamphetamine and cocaine within the Southern District of West Virginia.
On March 18, 2023, Gallegos directed co-defendant Ildiberto Gonzalez Jr. to deliver approximately 196 pounds of methamphetamine and four kilograms of cocaine from California to Bluefield, West Virginia, in his 2009 Freightliner semi-truck with attached trailer. Gallegos arranged the shipment in exchange for approximately $400,000 with another co-conspirator in West Virginia. Gallegos arranged for Gonzalez and the West Virginia co-conspirator to meet in a particular parking lot in Bluefield on March 22, 2023. There, Gonzalez provided the controlled substances to the other individual in exchange for a box that Gonzalez believed contained the cash.
Gallegos is scheduled to be sentenced on October 10, 2024, and faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years of supervised release, and a $10 million fine.
Gonzalez, 30, of San Bernadino, California, pleaded guilty on September 12, 2023, to conspiracy to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine and awaits sentencing.
Gallegos and Gonzalez are among 32 individuals indicted as a result of Operation Smoke and Mirrors, a major drug trafficking investigation that has yielded the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history. Law enforcement seized well over 400 pounds of methamphetamine as well as 40 pounds of cocaine, 3 pounds of fentanyl, 19 firearms and $935,000 in cash.
Gallegos and Gonzalez are also among 29 defendants who have pleaded guilty. Indictments against the other defendants are pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the West Virginia National Guard Counter Drug program, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Charleston Police Department, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office and the Raleigh County Sheriff's Office. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department.
Chief United States District Judge Thomas E. Johnston presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jeremy B. Wolfe is prosecuting the case.
The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-32.
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Omaha Man Sentenced to more than 8 Years’ Imprisonment for Methamphetamine ChargeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Michael Mireles, 31, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced June 20, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Chief United States District Court Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Mireles to 97 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Mireles’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On May 19, 2022, Omaha Police officers conducted a traffic stop in South Omaha on a vehicle with Mireles identified as the front seat passenger. Mireles admitted to having just left a South Omaha residence under surveillance by gang officers. Mireles said that there were approximately 5 pounds of meth and one firearm in the residence.
That same evening Officers executed a search warrant on the residence that revealed one pound of meth hidden in a bedroom belonging to codefendant, Jose Arevalo-Villalobos. An additional 4 pounds of meth were found in a storage room. A firearm was found in a lockbox hidden in the basement that investigators determined belonged to Jose Arevalo-Villalobos, who was sentenced to 151 months’ imprisonment on January 19, 2024.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Omaha Man Sentenced for Meth and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Mark Smith, 51, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced June 20, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Smith to 160 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Smith’s release from prison, he will begin a 4-year term of supervised release.
On July 16, 2022, Omaha police stopped a car for a traffic violation. Smith was the backseat passenger and had a black drawstring bag in-between his feet. Probable cause was developed to search the car and its contents. Inside the drawstring bag, officers found four plastic baggies containing a total of 77 grams of meth, along with a loaded .45-caliber pistol, a digital scale, and $401 cash. The pistol had been reported stolen.
This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department.
Northumberland County Man Indicted for Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
SCRANTON – The United States Attorney for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced today that an indictment was returned by a grand jury charging a Northumberland County man with multiple firearms offenses.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment charges that on or about January 10, 2024, Ryan Edward Mills, age 51, a resident of Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, possessed three firearms—that is, a pistol, semi-automatic shotgun, and AR-15 style rifle—knowing that he was prohibited from possessing firearms, having been previously convicted of a felony. In addition, the Indictment alleges one of the firearms Mills possessed had an obliterated serial number.
The charges stem from a joint investigation conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police, and the Milton Borough Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kyle Moreno.
Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines.
The maximum penalty under federal law for the crimes charged in the Indictment is thirty-five years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the Judge is also required to consider and weigh a number of factors, including the nature, circumstances and seriousness of the offense; the history and characteristics of the defendant; and the need to punish the defendant, protect the public and provide for the defendant's educational, vocational and medical needs. For these reasons, the statutory maximum penalty for the offense is not an accurate indicator of the potential sentence for a specific defendant.
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New York Man Sentenced to 59 Months in Prison on Fentanyl ChargesRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A New York man was sentenced today to 59 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Edgar Jesus Avila Alvarado, 46, of the Bronx, New York, previously pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl. Judge Bumb imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case as well as statements made in court:
In July 2022, law enforcement observed Avila Alvarado exit a residence in New York City carrying a duffle bag and enter a vehicle. After conducting a lawful vehicle stop, law enforcement recovered approximately three kilograms of fentanyl within the bag and learned that Avilia Alvarado was on route to New Jersey to distribute the controlled substance to another individual. Shortly thereafter, law enforcement recovered an additional four kilograms of fentanyl inside of Avila Alvarado’s residence also located in New York City. In total, law enforcement recovered nearly 7.4 kilograms of fentanyl from Avila Alvarado.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Bumb sentenced Avila Alvarado to three years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge SAC Frank A. Tarentino III, with the investigation leading to the sentencing.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The New York OCDETF Strike Force is housed at the DEA’s New York Division and includes agents and officers of the DEA; the New York City Police Department; the New York State Police; Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations; IRS - Criminal Investigation; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; the U.S. Marshals Service; New York National Guard; U.S. Coast Guard; Port Washington Police Department; and New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincent D. Romano of the OCDETF/Narcotics Unit in Newark.
New Haven Gang Member Involved in 2 Shootings Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
NYZAIRE BARNES, also known as “Melo,” 20, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 125 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for his role in a violent New Haven street gang, including two gang-related shootings.
Today’s announcement was made by Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; John P. Doyle, Jr., State’s Attorney for the New Haven Judicial District; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England; and New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in an effort to address violence in New Haven, the ATF, FBI, DEA and New Haven Police Department, working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, have been investigating an ongoing gang war between members and associates of the Exit 8 street gang and rival gangs in the Hill section and other areas of the city. The Exit 8 gang is named after the geographic area accessed by exiting Interstate 91 at Exit 8 in New Haven. Recently, younger members of Exit 8 are identifying themselves with the word “Honcho,” which is derived from the street name of an Exit 8 member who was murdered on Quinnipiac Avenue in February 2020.
The investigation revealed that Barnes and other members of the Exit 8 gang engaged in drug trafficking, used and shared firearms, and, since June 2018, have committed at least three murders and 16 attempted murders. Exit 8 members and associates also stole vehicles, at times from outside of the state, and used those stolen vehicles when committing acts of violence. Gang members also promoted, coordinated, facilitated, and celebrated their narcotics distribution and acts of violence through text messaging and the use of social media applications and websites including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube.
On March 11, 2024, Barnes pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity, and specifically admitted that he took part in two gang-related shootings. On April 12, 2022, Barnes and other Exit 8 members shot and attempted to kill rival gang members. On January 20, 2023, Exit 8 members, including Devin Suggs, stole an SUV in Scarsdale, New York. Later that day, Barnes and Suggs committed a drive-by shooting of a rival gang member in New Haven. The victim was shot in the head, but survived the attack.
Barnes has been detained since August 3, 2023.
Suggs pleaded guilty to the same charge on February 20, 2024, and awaits sentencing.
This investigation is being conducted by ATF, the FBI, the DEA, the New Haven Police Department, the Hamden Police Department, and the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police and the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tara E. Levens, Rahul Kale, and Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis.
This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.
PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it. 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.
Multiple Alabama Individuals Charged for Sex Trafficking and Related OffensesRead the Press Release
MONTGOMERY, ALABAMA – A federal judge in Montgomery, Alabama unsealed an eight-count indictment today charging five individuals with sex trafficking and related offenses.
According to the indictment, Kimani Jones, 30, Treymane Lambert, 48, and Aleecia Scott, 27, of Montgomery, Alabama, used force, fraud and coercion to compel adult women to engage in commercial sex acts between August 2016 and November 2020. Jones also used force, fraud and coercion to compel two minors to engage in commercial sex acts during that period, and Joseph Keon Bowe, 37, of Notasulga, Alabama, used force, fraud and coercion to compel a minor to engage in commercial sex acts between August 2018 and March 2019.
In addition, the indictment charges Jones with transporting one minor and one adult woman across state lines for purposes of prostitution in November 2016 and January 2020. A fifth defendant, Daryle Gardner, 30, of Prattville, Alabama, is charged with transporting an adult woman for purposes of prostitution in January 2020.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
If convicted, the defendants face a range of penalties, including substantial prison terms, and mandatory restitution. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, United States Attorney Jonathan S. Ross for the Middle District of Alabama and Acting Special Agent in Charge Travis Picard of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) made the announcement.
HSI, the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency, Montgomery Sheriff’s Office, Montgomery Police Department and Alabama Attorney General’s Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Kate Alexander of the Civil Rights Division’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Ratz for the Middle District of Alabama are prosecuting the case.
Anyone who has information about human trafficking should report that information to the National Human Trafficking Hotline toll-free at 1-888-373-7888, which is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. For more information about human trafficking, please visit www.humantraffickinghotline.org. Information on the Justice Department’s efforts to combat human trafficking can be found at www.justice.gov/humantrafficking.
Michigan Man Charged with Attempted Online Enticement of an 11-Year Old ChildRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the filing of a criminal complaint charging William Isaak Sparks (23, Kalamazoo, Michigan) with using a cellphone to attempt to entice a child to engage in sex acts. If convicted, Sparks faces a minimum mandatory penalty of 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.
According to the complaint, an FBI special agent was conducting an online undercover investigation designed to identify and target adults who were seeking sexual activity with children. The undercover agent, posing as the parent of an 11-year-old girl, made contact with Sparks in a chat group on a social media app. Sparks offered to travel from Michigan to Florida for the purpose of sexually exploiting the “child.” The undercover agent asked Sparks if he had experience with “young” to which Sparks responded “Yes . . . 12 and 13” and claimed that these sexual encounters with children had happened “a couple of months ago[.]” Sparks provided his cellphone number to the undercover agent, distributed to the undercover agent two videos of children being sexually abused, and offered to send an explicit video of himself. Via text message, Sparks continued to make arrangements to travel to Florida.
The undercover agent again encountered Sparks in a chat room on May 21, 2024. In that conversation, Sparks again offered to travel to Florida to sexually abuse the 11-year old “child.” Sparks provided his true name to the undercover agent so that the agent could book a bus ticket from Michigan to Florida for Sparks.
The undercover agent later learned that on May 24, 2024, Sparks had been arrested by the Michigan State Police after information was provided by a private citizen that Sparks was attempting to engage in sex acts with a purported 11-year-old child in Michigan. Sparks was arrested after he showed up a condom and $45 in cash expecting to sexually abuse the purported 11-year-old child in Michigan.
A complaint is merely a charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Michigan State Police, and the Township of Kalamazoo Police Department. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Laura Cofer Taylor.
This is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Mexico-Based Drug Cartel Leaders Indicted and SanctionedRead the Press Release
Rodolfo Maldonado-Bustos, also known as Don Jose, and Euclides Camacho-Goicochea, also known as El Quilles, who occupy leadership roles in the La Nueva Familia Michoacana drug cartel, were charged by a federal grand jury with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute heroin and conspiracy to import heroin into the United States.
Earlier today, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control (OFAC) announced financial sanctions against Camacho-Goicochea and Maldonado-Bustos, who are fugitives believed to be residing in Mexico.
“These actions demonstrate that in addition to holding cartel leaders accountable for their crimes, we are working together with our partners at the Treasury Department to hit the cartels’ criminal operations where it hurts the most – their profits,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We will continue to mobilize a whole-of-government effort to disrupt the cartels profiting from the drug trafficking and human smuggling that devastate communities and endanger our national security.”
“These cartel members allegedly imported massive amounts of heroin from Mexico to the Atlanta area and elsewhere in the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan for the Northern District of Georgia. “The federal indictments in conjunction with the recent imposition of OFAC sanctions send a strong message that our office, in coordination with our law enforcement partners, will relentlessly investigate, prosecute, and defund individuals around the globe who import deadly drugs into our communities.”
“Denying drug cartels the profits earned from distributing poison in our communities is an essential tool in DEA’s efforts to combat these drug cartels,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert J. Murphy of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Atlanta Field Division. “DEA Atlanta will continue to attack the La Nueva Familia cartel on all fronts by arresting its members, as well as seizing their drugs and assets.”
“IRS Criminal Investigation special agents are highly skilled financial investigators who can unravel complex schemes cartels use to hide their money,” said Special Agent in Charge Demetrius Hardeman of IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI)’s Atlanta Field Office. “IRS-CI and other members of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces will continue working together to bring these international criminals to justice.”
According to the indictments and other information presented in court, in September 2016, agents of the DEA and the IRS-CI initiated an investigation into Mexico-based La Nueva Familia Michoacana cartel members allegedly importing heroin, cocaine, and marijuana into the United States, including to the Northern District of Georgia. As part of the investigation, agents identified Maldonado-Bustos as a high-level cartel member who allegedly coordinated the manufacturing of large quantities of heroin in Mexico.
In particular, the investigation revealed that Maldonado-Bustos allegedly directed the harvesting of gum from opium fields, procured chemicals to process the gum into heroin, and supplied Camacho-Goicochea and other conspirators in Mexico with the heroin to import into cities in the United States, including Atlanta, and Houston. The investigation further revealed that Camacho-Goicochea allegedly coordinated the collection and return of drug proceeds from the United States back to Mexico. In early 2017, agents seized over $580,000 in drug proceeds from vehicles and homes in the Atlanta area, which were ultimately destined for the cartel in Mexico.
Rodolfo Maldonado-Bustos, also known as Don Jose, 59, and Euclides Camacho-Goicochea, also known as El Quilles, 51, both of Guerrero, Mexico, were charged with conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute heroin and conspiracy to import heroin into the United States. Camacho-Goicochea was also charged with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. The indictments were returned in August 2017 and were recently unsealed.
The DEA and IRS-CI investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Rebeca Ojeda for the Northern District of Georgia is prosecuting the case against Camacho-Goicochea and Maldonado-Bustos. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laurel Milam for the Northern District of Georgia and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicholas Hartigan for the Eastern District of North Carolina, provided valuable assistance to the investigation.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
The specific mission of the David G. Wilhelm Atlanta OCDETF Strike Force (the Strike Force) is to degrade and dismantle major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations in the Atlanta metropolitan area and the Northern District of Georgia. To accomplish this mission, the Strike Force will target these organizations’ leaders, focusing on targets designated as Consolidated Priority Organization Targets (CPOTs), Regional Priority Organization Targets (RPOTs), and their associates. The Atlanta Strike Force is comprised of agents and officers from ATF, DEA, FBI, HSI, USMS, USPIS, and IRS, as well as numerous state and local agencies, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.