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12 June 2024
Mescalero Man Sentenced for Domestic ViolenceRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man was sentenced to 90 months in prison after being convicted by a federal jury of assaulting his intimate partner by repeatedly strangling her.
There is no parole in the federal system.
A federal jury convicted Theodore Ian Chavez, IV, on February 28, 2024, following a four-day trial. According to evidence presented at trial and other publicly available court records, in the early morning hours of August 6, 2023, Chavez strangled and assaulted Jane Doe multiple times, resulting in the loss of consciousness and visible bruises.
After the assault, Jane Doe sought medical attention. As a result of the strangulation, Jane Doe had difficulty talking, eating, and drinking fluids, as well as bruises, redness, petechiae, and venous congestion.
At trial, Jane Doe described how she experienced severe pain, and that she thought she was going to die when Chavez was on top of her squeezing her neck and screaming that it was her fault.
After completing his term of imprisonment, Chavez will be required to serve 3 years of supervised release.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joni Autrey Stahl and J. Kirk Williams are prosecuted the case.
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Maryland Man Indicted on Federal Charges for Traveling to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with a MinorRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Nathaniel Lamar Nelson Scott, 35, of Bowie, Maryland, was indicted today by a federal grand jury on charges of traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
According to the indictment, unsealed today, on June 5, 2024, Scott traveled into the District of Columbia from Maryland with a motivating purpose of engaging in a sexual act with a six-year-old child.
In late May 2024, a member of the MPD–FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force posted a message on a website that is frequented by individuals who have a sexual interest in children. Scott contacted the undercover officer, who he believed was the father of a six-year-old girl, and in the days that followed engaged in graphic conversations about sexually abusing the child. On June 5, 2024, Scott arranged with the undercover officer to meet for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with the child. He traveled from Maryland to a pre-arranged meeting place in Washington, D.C., and was arrested. Scott has remained in custody since his arrest.
Travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct is punishable by up to 30 years’ imprisonment. The statutory sentences for federal offenses are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes. Any sentence will be determined by the Court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being brought as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative and investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes members of the FBI’s Washington Field Office and MPD. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Marion County Man Admits to Firearms ChargeRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Shawn Allen Burns, 46, of Fairmont, West Virginia, has admitted to the unlawful possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, Burns, also known as “Shawn Fain,” is prohibited from having firearms because of a prior cocaine conviction in the Northern District of West Virginia. During a supervised release check on another defendant, U.S. Marshals found Burns in possession of a 9mm pistol in Marion County, WV.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the United States Marshals investigated.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael John Aloi presided.
Manchester Man Sentenced for Intending to Traffic Methamphetamine and FentanylRead the Press Release
CONCORD – A Manchester man was sentenced in federal court for drug trafficking offenses, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces.
John Barber, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Samantha Elliott to 60 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release. The defendant was ordered to forfeit approximately $3,000.
“The defendant possessed significant amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine that he intended to traffic into our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “The sentence imposed by the Court not only stops the defendant from selling drugs for the next 60 months, but it also strips from him his ill-gotten drug trafficking proceeds.”
“John Barber intended to traffic significant amounts of meth and fentanyl onto New Hampshire’s streets,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “But thankfully, the FBI’s Major Offender Task Force and the New Hampshire State Police were able to stop him. Today’s sentence puts Mr. Barber officially out of business.”
On February 23, 2022, a New Hampshire State Trooper stopped a car on Interstate 93 for a traffic violation. The defendant was a passenger in the car. After the driver gave consent to search the car, law enforcement officers found numerous plastic baggies, a digital scale and a locked zipper pouch in the vicinity of the defendant. The pouch was later searched pursuant to a warrant and contained roughly 45 grams of methamphetamine and 130 grams of fentanyl. The defendant had $2,000 in his pocket and over $1,000 in his wallet. The defendant admitted that he intended to distribute the pouch of drugs to someone else.
On August 23, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant of a camper belonging to the defendant in Manchester and found approximately 75 grams of methamphetamine in a plastic bag containing other smaller baggies, in the defendant’s bedroom. The defendant admitted the methamphetamine was his. The method of packaging and quantity of methamphetamine is indicative of distribution.
The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, at least three (3) years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. 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.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department and the New Hampshire State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron Gingrande and Matthew Hunter are prosecuting the case.
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Mailing Drugs to Iowa Results in Federal Prison Sentence for California ManRead the Press Release
A California man who used the mail to send dangerous drugs to Iowa was sentenced June 11, 2024, to more than seven years in federal prison.
Tyler Vuong Le, age 28, from Anaheim California, received the prison term after a January 3, 2024, guilty plea to distribution of a controlled substance.
In a plea agreement, Le admitted he mailed packages on multiple occasions from California to Iowa that were pressed to look like oxycodone pills, but instead contained other controlled substances including fentanyl. Le believed the pills would be redistributed in Iowa. Le also sent cocaine, counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine, and LSD to Iowa. Fortunately, these items were being sent to an individual that was working with law enforcement and the controlled substances, including over 5,900 of the counterfeit oxycodone pills, were seized by law enforcement before they could be redistributed. According to the DEA, fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid drug that is 100 times more potent that morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/Fentanyl%202022%20Drug%20Fact%20Sheet-update.pdf
Le was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Le was sentenced to 87 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 4-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Le is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the United States Postal Inspectors, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-cr-2042.
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Lincoln Woman Sentenced to 79 Days Served, Supervised Release for High-Speed Flight from Immigration CheckpointRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: A Lincoln woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for fleeing and evading a U.S. immigration checkpoint in Sherman and leading U.S. Border Patrol agents on a high-speed pursuit.
Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Shania England, 25, to the 79 days she had served and three years of supervised release. England pleaded guilty on February 16, 2024.
According to court records, in May 2023, England and a passenger were traveling southbound on I-95, when England drove up to and stopped at a checkpoint being operated by the U.S. Border Patrol in Sherman. When an agent instructed England to pull over to a secondary inspection area, she instead sped away on I-95. England fled from Border Patrol agents at high speed for about eight miles and was apprehended after crashing the vehicle in a ditch.
U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case with assistance from the East Millinocket Police Department.
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Lincoln Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine & Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Dylan M. Johnson, 26, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on June 12, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, for one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Johnson to a total of 180 months’ imprisonment for both counts. There is no parole in the federal system. After Johnson’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
On May 1, 2023, investigators contacted Dylan Johnson at a hotel in Lincoln. When investigators approached Johnson, he dropped multiple baggies containing suspected meth. Investigators arrested Johnson and searched his hotel room, where they located more meth in multiple baggies, about 5 grams of cocaine, empty baggies, a scale, approximately $550, and a heat sealer in the room. They also found a black Omni Hybrid AR-15 rifle and two magazines containing a total of 21 rounds. Johnson agreed to speak with investigators after his arrest. During the interview, Johnson admitted to knowing he was a convicted felon and that he purchased the firearm the day before his arrest to help protect himself during drug transactions. The meth was sent to the State Crime Lab. The total weight of the meth seized from Johnson’s person and hotel room was 388 grams, included 370 grams of meth actual.
This case was investigated by the Nebraska State Patrol and the Lincoln Police Department.
Lewistown Man Sentenced to 102 Months in Prison for Attempted Enticement of A Minor to Engage in Prostitution and Sexual ActivityRead the Press Release
WILLIAMSPORT - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Gregory A. Wilson, age 51, of Lewistown, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by Chief District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann to 102 months’ imprisonment to be followed by 10 years of supervised release on the charge of attempted enticement of a minor. He was also ordered to pay a fine of $500 and a $5,100 special assessment.
According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, on November 8, 2023, Wilson knowingly attempted to use a facility of interstate and foreign commerce to persuade, induce, entice, and coerce an individual who had not attained the age of 18 years to engage in prostitution and sexual activity for which any person can be charged under Pennsylvania criminal laws, specifically aggravated indecent assault, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, and statutory sexual assault under Pennsylvania criminal laws.
The case was investigated by the FBI, Pennsylvania State Police, Patton Township Police, and the Centre County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alisan V. Martin prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc.
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Jury Convicts Kentucky Man of Multiple Terrorism ChargesRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Bowling Green, Kentucky, convicted a Kentucky man yesterday of providing material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), conspiring to provide material support to ISIS and receiving military-type training from ISIS. ISIS is a designated foreign terrorist organization.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on June 3, 2014, Mirsad Hariz Adem Ramic, 34, and two co-conspirators coordinated their departure from the United States, arriving separately in Istanbul, Turkey. They abandoned the rest of their purchased travel itineraries, and purchased tickets to fly to Gaziantep, Turkey. Gaziantep is located near the Turkey-Syrian border, and from there, Ramic and the two co-conspirators crossed into Syria and joined ISIS.
The evidence at trial established that after joining ISIS, Ramic attended an ISIS training camp, where he received military-type training. A photograph of Ramic, posted on social media, depicted him, among other things, wearing camouflage clothing and standing in front of a truck outfitted with an anti-aircraft gun and the ISIS flag.
After joining ISIS, Ramic and his co-conspirators remained in contact with each other and discussed, among other things, his use of an anti-aircraft weapon to shoot at planes. Ramic and his co-conspirators also discussed jihad, martyrdom and fighting for ISIS. Ramic, a dual U.S.-Bosnian citizen, joined an ISIS fighting unit comprised primarily of Bosnian foreign fighters, and participated in an ISIS offensive in Kobane, Syria.
Ramic has been in federal custody since December 2021, after being deported to the United States from Turkey.
Ramic is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 5 and faces a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison, a fine of $750,000 and a term of supervised release up to life. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett for the Western District of Kentucky and Executive Assistant Director Larissa L. Knapp of the FBI’s National Security Branch made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Kevin C. Nunnally and Jessica Fender of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Judd and Christopher Tieke for the Western District of Kentucky are prosecuting the case.
Jury Convicts Kentucky Man of Multiple Terrorism ChargesRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A federal jury in Bowling Green, Kentucky, convicted a Kentucky man yesterday of providing material support to the Islamic State of Iraq and al-Sham (ISIS), conspiring to provide material support to ISIS and receiving military-type training from ISIS. ISIS is a designated foreign terrorist organization.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on June 3, 2014, Mirsad Hariz Adem Ramic, 34, and two co-conspirators coordinated their departure from the United States, arriving separately in Istanbul, Turkey. They abandoned the rest of their purchased travel itineraries, and purchased tickets to fly to Gaziantep, Turkey. Gaziantep is located near the Turkey-Syrian border, and from there, Ramic and the two co-conspirators crossed into Syria and joined ISIS.
The evidence at trial established that after joining ISIS, Ramic attended an ISIS training camp, where he received military-type training. A photograph of Ramic, posted on social media, depicted him, among other things, wearing camouflage clothing and standing in front of a truck outfitted with an anti-aircraft gun and the ISIS flag.
After joining ISIS, Ramic and his co-conspirators remained in contact with each other and discussed, among other things, his use of an anti-aircraft weapon to shoot at planes. Ramic and his co-conspirators also discussed jihad, martyrdom and fighting for ISIS. Ramic, a dual U.S.-Bosnian citizen, joined an ISIS fighting unit comprised primarily of Bosnian foreign fighters, and participated in an ISIS offensive in Kobane, Syria.
Ramic has been in federal custody since December 2021, after being deported to the United States from Turkey.
Ramic is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 5 and faces a maximum penalty of 50 years in prison, a fine of $750,000 and a term of supervised release up to life. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Assistant Attorney General Matthew G. Olsen of the Justice Department’s National Security Division, U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett for the Western District of Kentucky and Executive Assistant Director Larissa L. Knapp of the FBI’s National Security Branch made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Kevin C. Nunnally and Jessica Fender of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joshua Judd and Christopher Tieke for the Western District of Kentucky are prosecuting the case.
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Jacksonville Man Sentenced to More Than 8 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Sule Pedro (47, Jacksonville) to eight years and four months in federal prison for the distribution of methamphetamine. Pedro entered a guilty plea on April 13, 2023.
According to court documents, Pedro was a known drug trafficker selling methamphetamine and fentanyl out of a carwash in the Jacksonville area. Between January and August 2022, Pedro sold approximately 230 grams of methamphetamine and 23 grams of fentanyl to a cooperating defendant. On September 27, 2022, federal and state law enforcement executed a search warrant at the carwash, where they recovered two firearms and approximately 325 grams of methamphetamine, 57 grams of fentanyl, 268 grams of alpha-PVP (also known as “flakka”), hydrocodone pills, and other narcotics.
“This sentencing emphasizes the severity of exploiting a legitimate business to fuel the scourge of narcotics trafficking in our communities,” said Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Tallahassee Assistant Special Agent in Charge Nicholas Ingegno. “HSI’s partnerships with Nassau County Sheriff’s Office and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office are instrumental in combating drug trafficking and safeguarding the well-being of our communities.”
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Nassau County Sheriff’s Office, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David B. Mesrobian.
Illinois Sex Offender Charged with Coercion and Enticement of 15-Year-Old Girl in Dutchess CountyRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today a Complaint charging DEREK HASSELBRINK, a/k/a “Derek Spear,” with enticing a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity and committing this offense while being required to register as a sex offender. HASSELBRINK was arrested this morning and was presented in federal court in the Central District of Illinois before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen L. McNaught.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, Derek Hasselbrink, a 48-year-old convicted sex offender, pretended to be a 17-year-old boy online in an effort to coerce and entice a 15-year-old girl to engage in sexual activity. Hasselbrink allegedly knew that his victim was a minor, so he lied about his own age and took other measures to hide his unlawful intent. This Office will continue to relentlessly pursue predators who sexually exploit children, whether online or in person.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “Those who prey upon the innocence of children represent the dark and twisted side of the criminal underworld. Derek Hasselbrink - having failed to register as a previously convicted sex offender - allegedly seduced and coerced a minor female to participate in illicit sexual activity through lewd and horrifyingly explicit messages. Today's arrest emphasizes the FBI's intrepid vigilance to protecting one of our most vulnerable populations, especially from those who seek to exploit and harm them for perverse gratification.”
According to allegations contained in the Complaint:[1]
From at least in or about April 2023 up to on or about July 2, 2023, HASSELBRINK, a 48-year-old male who was a convicted sex offender, engaged in sexually explicit message conversations with a 15-year-old girl (“Victim-1”) and traveled to meet Victim-1 near her home in Dutchess County, New York, to engage in sexual activity.
Any individuals with information concerning DEREK HASSELBRINK, a/k/a “Derek Spear,” or whose child may have had any communications with HASSELBRINK, are asked to contact the FBI at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324) or https://tips.fbi.gov.
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HASSELBRINK, 48, of Quincy, Illinois, is charged with one count of enticing a minor to engage in unlawful sexual activity, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison, and one count of engaging in this offense while being required to register as a sex offender, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed.
The minimum and 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 a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of the FBI; the Dutchess County Sheriff’s Office; the Quincy, Illinois Police Department; the Adams County States Attorney’s Office; the Office of the Attorney General of Kentucky; the Springfield, Illinois Field Office of the FBI; and the Cleveland Division of the FBI, Canton Resident Agency’s Child Exploitation Task Force.
This case is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marcia Cohen and Kingdar Prussien are in charge of the prosecution.
The allegations in the Complaint 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 Complaint and the description of the Complaint set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact described should be treated as an allegation.
Houstonian admits to Hurricane Harvey house fraudRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – A 45-year-old Houston area resident has pleaded guilty to fraudulently applying for and receiving a newly rebuilt house worth $314,000, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Christopher Montealegre admitted to one count of theft of government funds after he knowingly applied for relief intended for victims the hurricane impacted through a program the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) administered. Montealegre received assistance in the form of a newly re-built house. The home was rebuilt using federal funds which were intended for victims of Hurricane Harvey.
Congress allocated funds to Texas as a special appropriation associated with a Presidentially Declared Disaster in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. The funds help to support communities working to build stronger and more resilient neighborhoods.
“Christopher Montealegre exploited a program intended to assist vulnerable victims of Hurricane Harvey and used those funds for his own personal enrichment,” said Hamdani. “Public resources for disaster relief should go to the victims that actually need them, not to enrich private actors like Montealegre.”
“Montealegre’s alleged conduct is disturbing, especially during this time when the public is reminded of the devastation that historic storms leave with thousands of victims,” said Special Agent in Charge Bertrand Nelson for HUD’s Office of Inspector General (OIG), Southcentral Region. “The taxpayer has no tolerance for those who steal from Federal public aid – the sole goal of which is to help victims rebuild and move forward with their lives. We will continue to work with our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office to aggressively pursue fraudsters who steal disaster grant funds to enrich themselves.”
U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison accepted the plea and has set sentencing for Aug 8. At that time, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
Montealegre was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.
HUD-OIG conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Lansden and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Shalimar Addy prosecuted the case.
Hartford Felon Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Loaded HandgunRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CHRISTOPHER GASKIN, 47, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 27 months of imprisonment for illegally possessing a loaded handgun.
According to the evidence presented during his trial earlier this year, in the afternoon of January 1, 2022, Hartford Police officers stopped a car Gaskin was operating on Irving Street in Hartford. Gaskin was arrested after a search of his person revealed a loaded .380 caliber handgun, a bag containing approximately five grams of crack cocaine, and 35 vials of crack.
Gaskin’s criminal history includes several felony convictions, including convictions for assault, robbery, and witness tampering offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce.
On February 28, 2024, a jury found Gaskin guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and not guilty of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack”).
This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Hartford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angel M. Krull and Patricia Stolfi Collins through Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. In May 2021, the Justice Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/PSN.
Guilty pleas from two high-level members of drug distribution organization connected to Aryan prison gangRead the Press Release
Tacoma – Two men indicted in March 2023 as part of a drug distribution organization associated with an Aryan prison gang pleaded guilty to drug and gun crimes today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Ronaldo McComb, 59, of Ridgefield, Washington, and Gregory Beers, 31, of Edgewood, Washington, will be sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo in September 2024.
McComb pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and felon in possession of a firearm. The drug charge carries a mandatory minimum ten years in prison because of the amount of narcotics involved in the case. In a detailed plea agreement, McComb acknowledged multiple recorded phone calls with coconspirators in which he discussed his drug trafficking activities involving distributing multi-pound quantities of methamphetamine and tens of thousands of fentanyl pills and creating a distribution network of fentanyl pills up to Alaska. He further admitted to possessing large quantities of heroin and a 9mm handgun that law enforcement seized from the trunk of his vehicle following a traffic stop in February 2022. Law enforcement eventually arrested him on March 22, 2023. On that date, authorities found methamphetamine, heroin, three firearms, and large quantities of cash and gold bars in McComb’s Kalama residence. As part of the plea, McComb stipulated to the forfeiture of that cash and gold as proceeds of his drug trafficking. McComb was prohibited from possessing firearms due to his felony convictions for assault and robbery in Clark County and another assault conviction in Cowlitz County.
Gregory Beers pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Beers admitted in his plea agreement that he sent video messages to inmates in the Washington State Department of Corrections showing multiple high-powered firearms in his possession and large quantities of cash and gold he earned through his drug trafficking. The plea agreement detailed multiple calls in which Beers discussed his drug trafficking activities involving distribution of tens of thousands of fentanyl pills and multi-pound quantities of methamphetamine.
When police attempted to arrest Beers on the day of the takedown, he tossed a loaded pistol and fled over a neighbor’s fence. Police found two firearms in his residence and seven more in his car along with illegal drugs, cash, and drug ledgers. Ultimately Beers was arrested living in an RV in Tacoma. Once again, he was armed with guns and possessed large quantities of cash and expensive jewelry that he admitted as part of the plea agreement were proceeds from his drug trafficking.
Prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed to jointly recommend 13 years in prison for McComb and 12 and a half years (150 months) in prison for Beers. Chief Judge Estudillo is not bound by the agreed sentences and can impose any sentence allowed by law.
This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This investigation was led by the FBI with critical investigative teamwork from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Washington State Department of Corrections and significant local assistance from the Tacoma Police Department, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, and the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force, led by the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office. Throughout this investigation the following agencies assisted the primary investigators: Washington State Patrol, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, Lakewood Police Department, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS).
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zach Dillon and Max Shiner.
Georgian with Lengthy History of Making Death Threats Sentenced to PrisonRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – A Middle Georgia resident with a criminal history of arson and sending death threats was sentenced to serve the statutory maximum of 60 months in federal prison for mailing threatening communications.
Travis Leroy Ball, 56, of Barnesville, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge C. Ashley Royal on June 12. Ball previously pleaded guilty to one count of mailing threatening communications on Jan. 19. Ball is not eligible for parole.
“We will not tolerate threats of violence against public servants and other similar criminal intimidations that disturb peace and order,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Travis Ball has threatened government workers at every level and even their families. Keeping people safe is the highest priority of our office and our law enforcement partners.”
“Threats against public servants are not only illegal, but also a threat against our democratic process,” said Robert Gibbs, Supervisory Senior Resident Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta’s Macon office. “While Mr. Ball’s continued criminal conduct clearly illustrates his lack of concern and compassion for others, it also illustrates his unwillingness to be rehabilitated. Hopefully, this additional sentence will finally send the message that the FBI will not tolerate his hate fueled hoaxes and will continue to hold him accountable.”
According to documents and statements filed in court, the FBI obtained a letter on March 10, 2023, addressed to U.S. District Court Judge Marc T. Treadwell in which the writer was purporting to be a U.S. Secret Service agent who investigated one of the defendant’s prior cases. In the letter—later determined to be written by the Ball—the writer demanded that the charge in Ball’s most recent federal case be dismissed, and he be let out of federal custody.
Ball—using the name of a former cell mate—also wrote letters to the U.S. District Court in Valdosta, Georgia, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington, D.C., in March and May 2023 respectively, threatening to kill employees and their families, as well as burn down property.
Ball wrote a letter to the Upson County Sheriff’s Office in July 2023, purporting to be an FBI agent working on a top-secret case and demanded that Ball’s photos and personal information be removed and deleted from jail records.
The FBI compared the letters, handwriting, letterhead, postage stamps, verbiage and the “INMATE MAIL” stamp on each letter and determined that Ball wrote the letters while in custody. The defendant’s DNA was compared against the letters sent to the U.S. Courthouse in Valdosta and the letter impersonating a U.S. Secret Service Agent sent to U.S. District Chief Judge Treadwell. The results confirmed Ball’s DNA on both letters. Officers found the writing material and stamps in Ball’s cell. For more information about Ball’s prior convictions for threats, please visit: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdga/pr/georgia-man-sentenced-federal-prison-threats-against-president.
The case was investigated by FBI with assistance from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Federal Protective Services, the U.S. Secret Service, the U.S. Marshals Service and the Upson County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputy Criminal Chief Will Keyes prosecuted the case for the Government.
Georgia Residents Charged with $1 Million Wire FraudRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Two Georgia residents have been charged with causing a Gilmer County business to send them three fraudulent wires totaling over $1 million as part of a business email compromise scheme.
United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced that Chisom Okonkwo, age 27, and Prince Boateng Adjei, age 30, both of Lawrenceville, Georgia, have been indicted on 18 counts of wire fraud. According to the indictment, Okonkwo and Adjei created an email address which spoofed that of an employee at a Gilmer County business, causing a vendor to send more than $1 million to a bank account controlled by the defendants in Georgia. Before investigators uncovered the crime, Okonkwo and Adjei are alleged to have expended more than $600,000 of the stolen funds.
“Business email compromise fraud continues to be a problem in West Virginia and throughout the country,” said U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld. “The good news is that it can be prevented with the training of employees, the implementation of email authentication protocols, and verifying the sender of the email through another form of communication.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jarod Douglas is prosecuting the case on behalf of the government.
The United States Secret Service investigated the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Gallup Woman Sentenced for Drunken Rollover Crash That Killed Unrestrained InfantRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Gallup woman was sentenced to a five-year term of probation after pleading guilty to involuntary manslaughter for drunkenly rolling her vehicle and killing an 8-month-old boy who was ejected from the vehicle.
According to court document, on February 11, 2022, Mariah Chapo, 27, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, two friends, and 8-month-old John Doe traveled to collect firewood. When they arrived, the group began drinking alcohol. During this time, John Doe was unrestrained in the back seat.
An argument between the other two members of the group caused Chapo to drive off at high speed with John Doe. A mile down the road, Chapo failed to navigate a turn and rolled the vehicle. John Doe was ejected from the backseat and killed.
Chapo's BAC was 0.12 and 0.11, and an empty vodka bottle was found at the scene.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, made the announcement today.
The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Navajo Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney Matthew J. McGinley is prosecuting the case.
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Fulton County Man Sentenced for Transmitting ThreatsRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Jesse Bedell, age 36, of Mayfield, New York, was sentenced today to 33 months in prison for transmitting threats to injure another person. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Matthew Scarpino, Special Agent in Charge of the Buffalo Field Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), made the announcement.
Bedell was convicted following a two-day jury trial in February 2024. The evidence established that Bedell applied to work at Medline Industries’ NAMIC Division in Glens Falls and received an employment offer conditioned upon passing a background investigation. Bedell, however, failed to disclose a prior criminal conviction. As a result, on January 9, 2020, Medline withdrew the employment offer. The following morning, Bedell phoned Medline employees in Neptune, New Jersey, and Northfield, Illinois, and threatened to burn down and blow up the Glens Falls plant. Bedell also threated to kill the employee in Illinois.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also imposed a 3-year term of supervised release, which will start when Bedell is released from prison.
The case was investigated by the Glens Falls Police Department and HSI, with assistance from the Warren County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Collyer prosecuted the case.
Four men imprisoned for dealing crack cocaine resulting in deathRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – Multiple local residents have been sentenced for narcotics trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Gabriel Ortiz, 31, Francisco Ortiz, 53, and Adbento Guerrero, 62, all of McAllen; and Alonzo Rolando Garza, 42, Edinburg, had all previously pleaded guilty.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now imposed a 144-month-term of imprisonment for Gabriel Ortiz, while Francisco Ortiz received 121 months. Guerrero and Garza previously received 30 and 120 months, respectively. All four must also serve five years of supervised release following their sentences.
“Gabriel Ortiz and his co-conspirators, with their irresponsible and criminal behavior, directly caused the death of a human being,” said Hamdani. “This case demonstrates the dangers of local drug dealing and narcotics usage. Thankfully, their lengthy prison sentences will ensure they can no longer traffic these deadly substances in our communities and bring such tragedy to our streets.”
The investigation revealed that in 2019 and 2020, the four men trafficked cocaine in the McAllen and Edinburg areas. The co-conspirators would purchase and sell multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine as well as smaller amounts of cocaine base aka “crack.”
In November 2020, Gabriel Ortiz sold approximately three grams of cocaine base to a 53-year-old man who subsequently died after using the narcotic.
Throughout the investigation, law enforcement seized a total of over 10 kilograms of cocaine and 69 grams of cocaine base. The drugs had a combined estimated street value of approximately $260,000.
Law enforcement seized $294,520 in money and assets as part of the case.
The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of the Edinburg Police Department, Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 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 on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage.
Assistant U.S. Attorney James Sturgis prosecuted the case.
Four Individuals Charged in Connection with Business Email Compromise Schemes and Related Romance SchemesRead the Press Release
Today, indictments were unsealed in federal court in Brooklyn charging four defendants for their participation in a series of fraudulent business email compromise (BEC) schemes and related romance schemes that resulted in more than $50 million in losses by individuals and small businesses located within the Eastern District of New York and throughout the United States. The defendants Animashaun Adebo, Idowu Ademoroti, Nelson Ojeriakhi and Noguan Marvellous Eboigbe, together with their network of co-conspirators, misappropriated victim funds and laundered them through shell company accounts in the United States and abroad, sometimes using unsuspecting middlemen, including escrow attorneys and other victims, to further obscure the audit trail and disassociate the funds from the frauds.
Adebo was arrested yesterday in Chicago, Illinois. Ademoroti was arrested yesterday at John F. Kennedy International Airport in Queens, New York, and will be arraigned today before United States Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo in federal court in Brooklyn. Ojeriakhi was arrested previously in Paris, France, and remains in custody pending the resolution of extradition proceedings. Adebo will be arraigned in the Eastern District of New York at a later date. Eboigbe remains at large.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Patrick J. Freaney, Special Agent-in-Charge, United States Secret Service, New York Field Office (USSS), announced the arrests and charges.
“As alleged, from breaking hearts to breaking into email accounts, no scheme was too depraved for the defendants and their network of criminal associates to steal over $50 million from innocent victims in Brooklyn and throughout the country,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Business email compromise schemes like these cause devastating financial losses and other harm to victims. The indictments unsealed today charge perpetrators at every step of the schemes – from executing the frauds to laundering and receiving the proceeds. Prosecuting online criminal actors and recovering the victims’ stolen funds is a priority of this Office.”
“Today’s indictment is a cautionary tale for anyone who thinks they can target innocent victims through sophisticated cyber fraud and get away with it,” said USSS Special-Agent-in-Charge Freaney. “Through deception and lies the alleged ringleaders schemed unwitting victims of more than 50 million dollars, leaving a wake of anguish in their path. I am incredibly proud of the investigators and prosecutors who were relentless in bringing accountability to these crimes.”
A BEC scheme is a form of cyber-enabled financial fraud. In a typical BEC scheme, a malicious actor compromises legitimate business email accounts through computer intrusion techniques or social engineering and uses those accounts to cause the unauthorized transfer of funds. Techniques for perpetrating these schemes include identity theft, spoofing of emails and websites and the use of malware. Confidence fraud is another form of cyber-enabled financial fraud. In a typical confidence fraud, a malicious actor befriends and gains the confidence of another individual through online communications and uses that confidence to cause the transfer of funds for unauthorized purposes. A romance scheme is a type of confidence fraud wherein the perpetrator adopts a fictitious online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust. The perpetrator then uses the illusion of a romantic relationship to cause the transfer of funds for unauthorized purposes.
Between April 2021 and March 2022, the defendants and their co-conspirators allegedly orchestrated a series of fraudulent BEC schemes and related romance schemes and laundered and received proceeds from the fraudulent schemes. As one part of the BEC schemes, victim-individuals involved in real estate transactions received fraudulent emails purporting to be from legitimate parties to those transactions. The emails instructed them to wire funds they believed to be related to the real estate transactions to specified bank accounts. The fraudulent email accounts that contacted the victims closely resembled, but were slightly different from, the email addresses of the legitimate parties to the transaction (a process known as “spoofing”).
As another part of the BEC schemes, employees of victim-companies received fraudulent emails purporting to be from legitimate vendors or other business partners of those companies directing them to transfer funds to specified bank accounts. The employees were also defrauded through email spoofing and received fraudulent emails from accounts that closely resembled, but were slightly different from, the email addresses of the legitimate vendors and business partners.
In each case, after the victims executed the wires in accordance with the fraudulent instructions, the transferred funds were misappropriated from the victims and sent to and through accounts controlled by the defendants and their co-conspirators. As described below, the defendants played varying roles in the schemes.
Animashaun Adebo, also known as “Kazeem” and “Kazeem Animashaun,” was charged with wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, conspiracy to receive stolen funds and receipt of stolen funds. As alleged, Adebo conspired to perpetrate multiple internet-based fraud schemes on victims and directed others to launder the proceeds of those schemes through shell company accounts, through the purchase of luxury watches, and through an illegal money exchange operation run by his co-defendant Ademoroti. Adebo ultimately received fraudulent proceeds in corporate bank accounts located in Nigeria. If convicted, Adebo faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment on each of the wire fraud and money laundering conspiracy charges, five years’ imprisonment on the conspiracy to receive stolen funds charge, and 10 years’ imprisonment on the receipt of stolen funds charge.
Idowu Ademoroti was charged with money laundering conspiracy, operating an illegal money transmitting business, conspiracy to receive stolen funds and receipt of stolen funds. As alleged, Ademoroti laundered and received fraudulent proceeds of the schemes perpetrated by Adebo and others through the operation of an illegal money exchange business in which he facilitated the trading of fraudulent dollar proceeds to individuals overseas in exchange for Nigerian naira. If convicted, Ademoroti faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment on the money laundering conspiracy charge, five years’ imprisonment on the illegal money transmitting business charge, five years’ imprisonment on the conspiracy to receive stolen funds charge, and 10 years’ imprisonment on the receipt of stolen funds charge.
Noguan Marvellous Eboigbe, also known as “Randall Olson,” “Martin Roberto” and “Carlos Eduardo,” was charged with wire fraud, wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy, money laundering and engaging in unlawful monetary transactions over $10,000 for facilitating the flow of more than $10 million in fraudulent proceeds from victims to the defendants and their co-conspirators. Using false identities, Eboigbe contacted law firms that provided escrow services and posing as a potential client, told them that he would send them funds for a business transaction, and instructed them to wire those funds to specified accounts. However, the funds received by the attorneys were in fact fraudulent proceeds of the real estate and corporate BEC schemes described above and were sent unwittingly by the victims. If convicted, Eboigbe, who is on the USSS Most Wanted list, faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment on each of the wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering conspiracy and money laundering charges and 10 years’ imprisonment on the unlawful monetary transactions charge.
Nelson Ojeriakhi, also known as “Ojeey Mami” and “Oba Millie,” was charged with wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy for sending spoof emails to unsuspecting victims in order to misappropriate millions of dollars from them in connection with the schemes described above. The funds were subsequently laundered by the defendants and their co-conspirators. Ojeriakhi was arrested in Paris, France on April 18, 2023. If convicted, Ojeriakhi faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment on each of the wire fraud conspiracy and wire fraud charges.
A fifth co-conspirator, Franziska Von Greve-Dierfeld, was previously charged with money laundering conspiracy for receiving and disbursing fraudulent proceeds from the schemes described above in shell company accounts she created. Von Greve-Dierfeld was arrested in May 2022 and pleaded guilty to charges in connection with her conduct. Von Greve-Dierfeld served time in custody and, following the completion of her sentence, returned to Germany pursuant to a judicial order of removal from the United States.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York conducts presentations by Assistant U.S. Attorneys about ways to protect yourself and your community against scams, especially those targeting financial exploitation. To request a presentation please email [email protected].
The charges in the indictments are allegations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew D. Reich and Daniel J. Marcus are in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of Paralegal Specialists Liam McNett and Jacob Menz.
The Defendants:
ANIMASHAUN ADEBO (also known as “Kazeem” and “Kazeem Animashaun”)
Age: 39
Chicago, IllinoisIDOWU ADEMOROTI
Age: 31
Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Atlanta, GeorgiaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-239 (PKC)
NOGUAN MARVELLOUS EBOIGBE (also known as “Randall Olson,” “Martin Roberto” and “Carlos Eduardo”)
Age: 44
Lagos, NigeriaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-240 (PKC)
NELSON OJERIAKHI (also known as “Ojeey Mami” and “Oba Millie”)
Age: 31
Lagos, NigeriaE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-188 (PKC)
FRANZISKA VON GREVE-DIERFELD
Age: 79
Aachen, GermanyE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-CR-033 (BMC)
Former Pearl Police Officer Sentenced to One Year in Federal Prison for Civil Rights OffenseRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A former Pearl, Mississippi police officer was sentenced today to 12 months in federal prison for acting under color of law to deprive a person of his civil rights.
Michael Christian Green, 26, was sentenced by U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew S. Harris.
According to court documents and information presented in court, Green, while on duty as a certified law enforcement officer with the Pearl Police Department, forced an arrestee in custody to lick urine from the floor of a holding cell within the police department.
Green pleaded guilty to the offense on March 14, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Pearl Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Goff prosecuted the case.
If you or someone you know has been the victim of abuse by a law enforcement officer, call the FBI hotline at 1-800-CALL-FBI, email tips.fbi.gov or call the FBI Jackson Field Office at 601-948-5000.
Former IRS Employee Indicted for Fraudulent Tax ReturnsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A former IRS employee has been indicted by a federal grand jury for preparing fraudulent tax returns that illegally claimed more than $200,000 in refunds for her clients.
Sandra D. Mondaine, 64, of Grandview, Mo., was charged in a 39-count indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday, June 11. Mondaine previously worked for the IRS as a contact representative before retiring.
The fedeal indictment charges Mondaine with 39 counts of aiding and assisting in the preparation and filing of false and fraudulent income tax returns. The indictment alleges that Mondaine assisted at least 11 individuals to file at least 39 false and fraudulent income tax returns for the tax years 2018 through 2021. The tax loss associated with those false returns is approximately $237,329.
The federal income tax returns prepared by Mondaine allegedly included Fraudulent Filing Status, Fraudulent Schedules A - Itemized Deductions, Fraudulent Schedules D - Capital Gains and Losses and Fraudulent Forms 5695, Residential Energy Credits. By including these and other fraudulent items on the client’s tax returns, the indictment says, Mondaine was able to manufacture substantial refunds to her clients that they would not have been entitled to if the returns had been accurately prepared.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul S. Becker. It was investigated by IRS-Criminal Investigation.
Former Department of Corrections Officer Pleads Guilty in COVID-19 Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C. – Tana Eguasa Hill, 43, pled guilty pursuant to a criminal information to theft of government funds for fraudulently submitting North Carolina Housing Opportunities and Prevention of Evictions (NC HOPE) loan applications for emergency rental assistance. As part of her fraud scheme, the defendant, a correctional officer with the North Carolina Department of Corrections (NCDOC), submitted fictitious tenant lease agreements for multiple properties in Hertford County as part of her NC HOPE loan applications. She faces up to 10 years in prison.
On March 27, 2020, Congress enacted the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, which was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans who were suffering the economic effects caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. One source of relief provided by the CARES Act was the authorization of $5 billion in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) programs as flexible federal funding to states and localities earmarked to prevent, prepare for, and respond to the coronavirus pandemic. The United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) administers the CDBG program as a source of flexible federal funding for economic and community development, as well as to direct long-term recovery funding to states and localities in response to disasters and emergencies.
The State of North Carolina’s Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR), a division of the North Carolina Department of Public Safety, utilized federal funds made available in the CARES Act to assist North Carolina renters stay in their homes during COVID-19 by preventing evictions and the loss of utility services. The NC HOPE program utilized an initial $51.5 million allocation of CDBG funds from the CARES Act to provide housing and utility assistance. The State of North Carolina also received CRF funds from the CARES Act, of which $66 million was allocated to pay administrative costs associated with the NC HOPE program.
In November 2023, Ms. Hills’ husband, Sean Dillard (2:23-CR-00011), was sentenced for the same crime.
Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement after sentencing by United States Magistrate Judge Robert B. Jones, Jr. accepted the plea. Sentencing will occur before United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan later this year. The FBI is leading the investigation, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan Ontjes is prosecuting the case.
Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for 2:24-CR-00003-FL.
Former D.C. CEO Sentenced to 66 Months for Stealing $2.5 Million from Former ClientsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Graham S. Hauck, 51, formerly of Bethesda, Maryland, was sentenced today to 66 months in prison for stealing millions of dollars from eight clients, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division.
In May 2023, Hauck pleaded guilty to wire fraud for embezzling hundreds of thousands of dollars from one former client. Following that guilty plea, additional clients contacted the government to report that Hauck had stolen from them too. Hauck even stole money from one of those clients after his May 2023 guilty plea, which resulted in the court revoking his bond. Hauck has been housed at the Alexandria, Virginia, detention center since September 2023.
In total, Hauck misappropriated about $2.5 million from the clients over five years. One of his victims was a nonprofit charity working to improve the lives of cancer patients. In September 2023, he pleaded guilty to bank fraud to reflect the additional criminal conduct.
In addition to the 66-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras ordered Hauck to serve three years of supervised release and pay full restitution.
Hauck served as president and CEO of Hauck & Associates, Inc., (H&A) a trade association management firm based in Washington, D.C. The victim organizations retained H&A to serve as their management company. Hauck used his access to their financial accounts to embezzle the money. Some of the ways he camouflaged his criminal conduct included falsifying balance sheets and using a foreign exchange and international payment services company to conceal fraudulent transactions.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kondi Kleinman with assistance from former Financial Analyst Bryan Snitselaar, and Paralegal Specialists Sona Chaturvedi, Michon Tart, Marsha Cannon, and Supervisory Paralegal Specialist Catherine Chae.
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Former Columbus police officer pleads guilty to stealing, selling cocaineRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – John Castillo, 31, of Grove City, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court here today to possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine.
According to court documents, Castillo was a Columbus police officer assigned to investigate drug crimes. In February 2021, he conspired with another officer to steal and sell approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine. Castillo and the other officer took approximately 10 kilograms of cocaine from a house on North Everett Avenue and did not turn it into evidence. They planted two additional kilograms of cocaine for law enforcement discovery later that day at the house. The 10 kilograms of cocaine were stored in the other officer’s basement before they were given to another individual to sell.
Possession with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine is punishable by at least 10 years and up to life in prison.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; and Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division, announced the plea entered before U.S. District Judge Edmund A. Sargus Jr.
Assistant United States Attorneys Peter K. Glenn-Applegate and Elizabeth A. Geraghty are representing the United States in this case.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s Southern Ohio Public Corruption Task Force, which includes special agents and officers from the FBI, Ohio Attorney General’s Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Ohio Auditor of State’s Office and the Columbus Division of Police.
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Foreign National Accused of Attempting to Traffic over 38 Kilos of Methamphetamine in UtahRead the Press Release
Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a foreign national living in Utah for drug crimes after he allegedly possessed over 38,000 grams of methamphetamine that he intended to distribute in the District of Utah.
According to court documents, Fermin Castro-Tovar, 25, of West Valley City, Utah, sold illegal narcotics to an undercover agent during a controlled purchase. This controlled purchase from Castro-Tovar was one of several controlled purchases made by agents with the Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force, which received information that a drug trafficking organization was trafficking narcotics in the Salt Lake Valley. During the investigation, agents viewed video surveillance of Castro-Tovar accessing a storage unit in question days before agents seized approximately 24,020 grams of field-tested presumptively positive methamphetamine. Agents also seized approximately 3,401 grams of field-tested methamphetamine at Castro-Tovar’s residence. Additionally, agents seized approximately 11,417 grams of field-tested presumptively positive methamphetamine at an apartment.
Castro-Tovar is charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for June 14, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. in courtroom 8.4 at the United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
U.S. Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force.
Assistant United States Attorney Seth Nielsen of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah 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 gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Final Defendant Sentenced in Large Scale Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
Oxford, MS – A Crowder woman was sentenced on Tuesday to 23 years in prison for selling methamphetamine.
According to court documents, Linda Hunt, 49, of Crowder, Mississippi pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District to Mississippi to distribution of methamphetamine. Hunt was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Sharion Aycock on Tuesday afternoon to 276 months in prison for the drug trafficking. She was further sentenced to 5 years supervised release following her release from prison. Hunt agreed to a final order of forfeiture in the amount of $20,000.00 and is currently in custody.
Hunt oversaw the drug trafficking organization of other defendants who were charged with conspiracy to distribute drugs and drug distribution. The investigation of this drug trafficking organization and its participants spanned multiple years.
“Criminal actions have consequences, and the sentences handed down to this trafficking organization demonstrate that the full force of the law will be employed to bring those consequences to drug dealers who introduce poison into our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “Our federal and state law enforcement partners worked together seamlessly to bring down this organization, and the efforts of AUSA Clyde McGee to lead the prosecution of these defendants were exceptional as well.”
“I am proud to see the success of the partnership between the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Drug Enforcement Agency, and all other assisting agencies who worked together to ensure these criminals were held accountable for their actions,” said Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell. “Thank you to everyone involved for playing a part in keeping our state and communities safe.”
“The Drug Enforcement Administration, alongside the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and dedicated local partners, applaud the sentencing of the final defendant in a multi-year investigation targeting a major drug trafficking ring,” said DEA New Orleans Division Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer. “This individual, who oversaw the illicit activities of others, has been held accountable thanks to a collaborative effort under Project Safe Neighborhoods and OCDETF. This case exemplifies the power of combined forces in dismantling drug trafficking organizations and keeping our communities safe.”
Below are the traffickers’ charges and sentences, made possible by OCDETF and Project Safe Neighborhood initiatives:
- Lucas Smith pleaded guilty on October 17, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to commit money laundering. U.S. District Judge Neal B. Biggers, Jr. sentenced Smith to 240 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Smith agreed to a final order of forfeiture in the amount of $100,000.00.
- Preston Cross pleaded guilty on October 17, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Neal B. Biggers, Jr. sentenced Cross to 120 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
- Terence Lomax pleaded guilty on November 9, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Lomax to 150 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
- Domonique Cross pleaded guilty on October 17, 2022, to conspiracy to commit money laundering. U.S. District Judge Neal B. Biggers, Jr. sentenced Cross to 30 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Cross agreed to a final order of forfeiture in the amount of $30,000.00.
- James Taylor pleaded guilty on June 7, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Taylor to 219 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
- Genise Cox pleaded guilty on November 29, 2022, to distribution of methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Cox to 26 months imprisonment, followed by 4 years of supervised release.
- Alvin Johnson pleaded guilty on November 29, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Johnson to 130 months imprisonment, followed by 4 years of supervised release.
- Brenda Hunt pleaded guilty on November 29, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Hunt to 60 months imprisonment, followed by 4 years of supervised release.
- Dexter Ray pleaded guilty on December 2, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Ray to 78 months imprisonment, followed by 4 years of supervised release.
- Demandrick Hayes pleaded guilty on March 8, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Hayes to 46 months imprisonment, followed by 4 years of supervised release.
- Aaron Prince pleaded guilty on March 29, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Prince to 46 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
- Dana Smith pleaded guilty on June 7, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Smith to 125 months imprisonment, followed by 4 years of supervised release.
- Anterion Wiley pleaded guilty on June 15, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Debra Brown sentenced to time served, followed by 5 years supervised release.
- Antonio Wiley pleaded guilty on March 29, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Debra Brown sentenced Wiley to 70 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
- William Garner pleaded guilty on October 4, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Garner to 78 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
- Contreal Bolden pleaded guilty on October 11, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Bolden to 43 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
- Damion Jones pleaded guilty on September 22, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Michael P. Mills sentenced Jones to 36 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
- Tommie Peoples pleaded guilty on August 1, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Neal B. Biggers, Jr. sentenced Peoples to 18 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
- Markell Crossgrove pleaded guilty on January 5, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Debra Brown sentenced Crossgrove to 60 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
- James Woods pleaded guilty on December 16, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Woods to 120 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics investigated the case as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program in partnership with state and local law enforcement. Agencies assisting with the investigation included the United States Marshal’s Service, the United States Postal Inspector’s Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Mississippi Highway Patrol, the Panola County Sheriff’s Office, Desoto County Sheriff’s Office, Tallahatchie County Sheriff’s Department, the Batesville Police Department, Charleston Police Department, and the Leflore County Sheriff’s Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Clyde McGee prosecuted the case.
This investigation and resulting case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
This case is also a part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department 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.
Essex County Tax Preparer Sentenced to 57 Months in Prison for $4.4 Million Conspiracy to Defraud IRSRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, tax preparer was sentenced today to 57 months in prison for conspiring to obtain over $4.4 million by defrauding the IRS, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced
Omar Khater, 33, of Fairfield, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti in Newark federal court on Jan. 23, 2024, to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to defraud the IRS. Khater’s conspirator, Walid Khater, 38, of Arizona, pleaded guilty on May 23, 2024, to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to defraud the IRS.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger“Omar Khater has admitted his role in an elaborate scheme that used stolen personal identifying information and fabricated tax returns to bilk the IRS of millions of dollars. He and a relative submitted tax documents falsely claiming that the taxpayers listed on those documents had earned certain income or won thousands – and in some cases millions – of dollars in gambling and lottery winnings. Working with our law enforcement partners, we will root out these illegal and dangerous schemes, and those who perpetrate them can expect the same result as this defendant.”
“Omar Khater used stolen identities to file fraudulent tax returns for illicit personal financial gain,” Jenifer L. Piovesan, Special Agent in Charge, IRS - Criminal Investigation, Newark Field Office, said. “He was caught and is now a convicted felon with a prison sentence to serve. IRS - Criminal Investigation will continue to vigorously investigate individuals who attempt to steal taxpayer money from the U.S. Treasury.”
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Omar and Walid Khater were relatives who worked together and with others to steal victims’ identities, which they used to file false tax returns and fraudulently receive tax refunds from the IRS. They electronically submitted tax documents to the IRS falsely claiming that the individual taxpayers listed on those documents had earned certain income or won thousands – and in some cases millions – of dollars in gambling and lottery winnings. The false filings also claimed tax withholdings on the purported income or gambling winnings that entitled the tax filer to refund payments from the IRS. The Khaters and others typically submitted these fraudulent tax filings using the names and personal identifying information of victims without the victims’ knowledge or permission. The fraudulent filings caused the IRS to pay lucrative tax refunds, which the Khaters and others directed to various bank accounts that they controlled. This scheme caused the U.S. Treasury to issue tax refunds $4.49 million, which the Khaters and others diverted to bank accounts they controlled in New Jersey and elsewhere.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Martinotti sentenced Omar Khater to three years of supervised release and ordered restitution of $4.49 million.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Piovesan in Newark; and special agents of FBI-Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Fatime Meka Cano of the Economic Crimes Unit and Katherine M. Romano of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
Essex County Man Admits Illegally Possessing Firearm used in Shooting and Possessing with Intent to Distribute Cocaine and HeroinRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man today admitted illegally possessing cocaine and heroin for distribution and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon and in furtherance of drug trafficking, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Naiem Moore, 34, of Newark, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court to an indictment charging him with two counts of being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Jan. 14, 2021, law enforcement recovered glassine envelopes containing heroin, jugs containing cocaine, and a Chrome Llama Max I firearm loaded with four rounds of ammunition and two controlled expansion rounds from Moore’s vehicle. On Sept. 28, 2020, Moore had used the same firearm in a shooting and attempted assault.
The narcotics offense carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $1 million. The two counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison. The count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed, and a maximum potential penalty of life in prison. Each firearm count carries a maximum fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for Dec. 18, 2024.
This investigation was conducted as part of the Newark Violent Crimes Initiative (VCI). The VCI was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety to combat violent crime in and around Newark. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the DEA New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, N.J. State Board of Parole, Union County Jail, N.J. State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, N.J. Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, and the Irvington Police Department.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited officers of the Newark Police Division under the direction of Director Fritz Fragé; special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; and the Bloomfield Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Samuel A. DeMaio, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney DeNae Thomas of the Health Care Fraud Unit.
moore.indictment.pdfEight Members and Associates of Street Gang Charged for Roles in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – Eight people have been charged as members and associates of the “793 Bloods” street gang, a subset of the Bloods national gang, for their alleged roles in a drug trafficking organization that distributed fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine in Newark, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Muta Bell, 33, Ibn Foster, 19, Xavion Miller, 19, Corey Wade, 32, Bazair White, 20, Yusef Milliron, 28, and Alshakur Robinson, 29, all of Newark, are each charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine. Robert Franklin, 29, of Newark, is charged in a separate complaint with one count of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Bell, Foster, White and Robinson were arrested today and appeared this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate José R. Almonte in Newark federal court. Bell, Foster, and Robinson were detained; White was released on $100,000 unsecured bond. Wade and Franklin are currently detained in state custody and will make their appearances at a later date. Miller and Milliron remain at large.
According to the complaints:
The defendants are part of a drug trafficking organization that operates an open-air narcotics market in the area of South Orange and Isabella avenues in Newark. For several months, law enforcement conducted extensive surveillance of the area and conducted numerous controlled purchases of narcotics, all of which demonstrated extensive interactions related to drug trafficking between and among the members or the conspiracy.
During law enforcement’s investigation, Franklin engaged in a suspected narcotics transaction in the vicinity of Isabella Avenue and was soon thereafter found in possession of suspected cocaine base and a privately manufactured firearm, equipped with a high-capacity magazine, loaded with 16 rounds of 9mm ammunition.
The count of conspiracy charged in the complaint carries a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a fine of at least $5 million, with a mandatory minimum prison sentence of five years.
Franklin faces a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of at least $250,000 on the possession of ammunition by a convicted felon; a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of $1 million, on the distribution and possession with intent to distribute cocaine; and a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum of life in prison, which must run consecutive to any other punishment, and a fine of $250, 0000, for the possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
As part of this same investigation, Fakhir Johnson, 20, and Samaj Collins, 20, both of Newark, New Jersey, were charged by complaint on Sept. 11, 2023. Johnson was charged with one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon. Collins was charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents and task force officers of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Ross A. Marchetti, and the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Director of Public Safety Fritz G. Fragé, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the U.S. Marshals Service, under the direction of Juan Mattos Jr.
The investigation was conducted as part of the Newark Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The Newark VCI was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Newark. As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community. The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Jersey Division, the Department of Homeland Security – Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, Union County Jail, New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, New Jersey Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, and the Irvington Police Department.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys James Graham of the Organized Crime and Gangs Unit and Rebecca Sussman of the OCDETF Unit in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaints are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
franklin.complaint.pdf belletal.complaint.pdfDual Citizen Federally Charged After Agents Seize Nearly 200k Fentanyl Pills and Other Illicit DrugsRead the Press Release
Salt Lake City, Utah – A dual citizen living in Utah was indicted by a federal grand jury today in Salt Lake City for federal drug crimes after FBI agents seized a variety of narcotics, including approximately 196,000 fentanyl pills.
According to court documents, Francisco Jesus Bravo, 34, of West Valley City, Utah, became part of a criminal investigation in April 2024, by the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force for allegedly intending to distribute large quantities of narcotics into Utah. As part of the investigation, in May 2024, agents seized approximately 19,802 grams (package weight) of field-tested positive fentanyl that is estimated to be approximately 190,000 pills and a digital scale from Bravo’s storage unit in West Valley City.
Agents also seized approximately 2,968.5 grams (package weight) of field-tested positive methamphetamine; approximately 624.72 grams (package weight) of field-tested positive fentanyl that estimated to be approximately 6,000 pills; approximately 295.77 grams (package weight) of field-tested positive heroin; and a digital scale at Bravo’s residence in West Valley City. At a residence in Kearns, Utah, agents seized 860.28 grams (package weight) of field-tested positive heroin. As a result, Bravo was arrested.
Bravo is charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and possession of heroin with intent to distribute. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for June 13, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 at the United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City.
U.S. Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement.
The case is being investigated by the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force.
Assistant United States Attorney Seth Nielsen of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah 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 gun violence and other violent crime, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Customs and Border Protection Officer Convicted by Federal Jury of Receiving Bribes, Allowing Drug-Laden Vehicles to Enter the U.S.Read the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – June 12, 2024
SAN DIEGO – Former U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer Leonard Darnell George was convicted by a federal jury late Monday, June 10, of accepting bribes to allow vehicles containing methamphetamine and other illicit drugs to pass through the border into the U.S.
George was also convicted of allowing vehicles with unauthorized individuals to pass through his lane and into the U.S. while working for two separate criminal organizations.
During the trial, several witnesses testified that George agreed to allow drug-laden vehicles enter the U.S. through his lane in late 2021. George would notify members of the drug trafficking organization when he was at work, what lane he was on, and that they had one hour to reach his lane. However, in February 2022 after an alert placed by law enforcement agents on a suspected drug smuggling vehicle was flagged entering George’s lane, George was forced to send the vehicle to secondary revealing approximately 222 pounds of methamphetamine. Undeterred, George allowed a second drug-laden vehicle affiliated with the drug trafficking organization and traveling directly behind the flagged vehicle enter the U.S. with over 200 pounds of drugs. Text messages sent by George the following day reveal he received approximately $13,000 for the vehicle he allowed to enter the U.S. On the same day he received his bribe payment, George purchased a 2020 Cadillac CT5 for an associate of the drug trafficking organization as a gift. George delivered the Cadillac CT5 to the associate in Ensenada on Valentine’s Day.
Over the course of six months, George continued to allow vehicles containing drugs and undocumented individuals to enter the U.S. through his lane.George repeatedly omitted passengers and the true names of drivers coming through his lane, instead entering the names of others to conceal his criminal activities. Law enforcement agents and prosecutors identified approximately 19 crossings associated with the criminal organizations during the six-month time period. Text messages confirmed George agreed to allow vehicles through his lane for $17,000 per vehicle, $34,000 for two vehicles, $51,000 for three vehicles, or $65,000 for four vehicles. One text message confirmed that George received $68,000 after he allowed four vehicles from one organization to enter his lane in June 2022.
Testimony from a witness confirmed that George purchased vehicles, motorcycles, and jewelry with the proceeds of his illicit activities. Additionally, on George’s days off, he travelled to Tijuana to visit Hong Kong Gentlemen’s Club where he spent approximately $5,000 per trip. He would stand on the second level of the club and throw cash over the balcony to the dancers below, “showering” them with money. He would buy bottles of alcohol, and occasionally gifts, for dancers.
The extent of George’s relationship with traffickers revealed itself when prosecutors admitted a photograph of one of George’s trafficking associates taking a selfie in George’s CBP uniform jacket.
“With this verdict, the jury sent a clear message to anyone considering trading in their badge for cash,” said U.S. Attorney Tara K. McGrath. “Abandoning the integrity of the uniform for the conspiracy of drug trafficking is a path to a criminal conviction.”
“As persons in positions of public trust, we are relied upon to serve and protect the American people,” said FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge, Stacey Moy. “We also rely on each other to uphold that sacred oath. Should that oath be violated, the FBI and it's law enforcement partners remain steadfast in our pursuit of justice, even if it means holding ourselves accountable.”
“CBP does not tolerate misconduct within its ranks,” said Special Agent in Charge Elizabeth Cervantes of CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility, San Diego Field Office. “The Office of Professional Responsibility’s efforts in this case and this latest court decision are a testament to CBP’s commitment to preserving the honor of its overwhelmingly professional workforce, and to its core values of vigilance, integrity, and service to country.”
“Today’s conviction shows HSI’s and our law enforcement partners dedication to dismantling criminal organizations and holding those criminals that enable their illicit activity accountable,” said Chris Davis, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego. “There is no place in law enforcement for those who dishonor their badge and oath to protect our communities and our country.”
“The Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General is grateful for the continued collaboration with our law enforcement partners as we fight corruption along our Southern Border,” said Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari. “This guilty verdict sends a clear message that federal employees who violate the law will be held accountable for their actions.”
The case was tried and prosecuted by lead Assistant U.S. Attorney Bianca Calderon-Peñaloza and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon J. Kimura.
George’s sentencing is scheduled for September 13, 2024, at 9 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Todd W. Robinson.
SUMMARY OF CHARGES Case Number 23CR1291
Receiving Bribe by Public Official – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 201
Maximum penalty: Fifteen years in prison
Conspiracy to Import Controlled Substances – Title 21 U.S.C., Sections 952, 960, 963
Maximum penalty: Life in prison with a 10-year mandatory minimum
Bringing in Certain Aliens for Financial Gain – Title 18 U.S.C., Section 371, Title 8 U.S.C., Section 1324(a)(2)(B)(ii)
Maximum Penalty: Ten years in prison
Bringing in Certain Aliens for Financial Gain – Title 18 U.S.C., Section 371, Title 8 U.S.C., Section 1324(a)(2)(B)(ii)
Maximum Penalty: Ten years in prison
INVESTIGATING AGENCIES
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General (DHS OIG)
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)
Customs and Border Protection – Office of Professional Responsibility (CBP OPR)
Cincinnati area man sentenced to 78 months in prison for laundering proceeds from online romance-fraud conspiracyRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – De-love Kofi Amuzu, 25, of Fairfield, Ohio, was sentenced in U.S. District Court here today to 78 months in prison for his role as a money launderer in a romance fraud conspiracy that targeted elderly victims looking for companionship online.
According to court documents, members of the conspiracy created fake online dating profiles using stolen photographs and false information, then communicated with the victims via chats, texts and phone calls while pretending to be the imaginary person pictured in the profile. They commonly claimed to be living abroad to explain why they could not meet in person.
The conspirators instructed the victims to transfer money, often tens of thousands of dollars at a time, to accounts controlled by Amuzu. They also commonly instructed victims to mail Amuzu cash or other items of value, like Rolex watches and iPhones. After receiving the victims’ money, Amuzu laundered it to accounts in Ghana. Investigators tracked more than $1.1 million in fraud proceeds that flowed through Amuzu’s accounts. Amuzu was ordered to pay $835,487.65 in restitution.
“According to court documents, several victims lost so much money to the scheme that they were forced to declare bankruptcy,” said Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio. “Anyone who suspects they or a loved one is a victim of such a fraud can report it by calling 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.”
A federal grand jury indicted Amuzu in 2022. He pleaded guilty on Feb. 2, 2024, to conspiring to launder money. His case was announced in October 2022 as part of the Justice Department’s National Elder Justice Sweep, an initiative to increase awareness of the various fraudulent schemes targeting the elderly.
Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Elena Iatarola, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; Butler County Prosecutor Michael T. Gmoser and Butler County Sheriff Richard K. Jones announced the sentence imposed today by U.S. District Judge Timothy S. Black. U.S. Attorney Parker also recognized the contributions of Garrett Baker and Susan Monnin of the Butler County Prosecutor’s Office, as well as Butler County Prosecutor’s Office Investigator Steve Isgro. Assistant United States Attorney Julie D. Garcia is representing the United States in this case.
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Chesapeake man who was arrested with drugs and firearm while in a car with children is sentenced to federal prisonRead the Press Release
NORFOLK, Va. – A Chesapeake man was sentenced today to six years in prison after being caught with heroin and fentanyl as well as a firearm.
According to court documents, from November 2022 through June 2023, Travis Morris, aka Black, 39, distributed fentanyl and heroin in Chesapeake. On multiple occasions from Dec. 12, 2022, to June 20, 2023, Morris sold a mixture of heroin and fentanyl to a confidential informant.
On June 23, 2023, Chesapeake Police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Morris was a passenger. Officers conducted a K9 sweep of the vehicle, followed by a search of both the vehicle and Morris. Officers recovered 120 white capsules containing a heroin/fentanyl mixture, digital scales, a .22 caliber pistol, two cellular telephones, and $3,993.88 in cash. The other passengers in the vehicle were Morris’ girlfriend and her three minor children.
The total converted weight of the controlled substances recovered by law enforcement during the investigation is 26 kilograms. On Feb. 1, Morris pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin and possessing a firearm in furtherance of and during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Mark G. Solesky, Chief of Chesapeake Police; and Jason Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyssa Miller, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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. 2:23-cr-131.
Charlotte Man Pleads Guilty to Wire Fraud for Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Frank Lynold Mercado, 26, of Charlotte, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud for defrauding over 100 victims of more than $700,000 through a fraudulent investment scheme, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina.
Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, joins U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to plea documents and today’s court proceedings, from July 2019 to December 2022, Mercado executed an investment fraud scheme in which he caused more than 100 investors to suffer almost $700,000 in losses. Mercado’s victims included friends, former co-workers, and other social acquaintances. Mercado induced the victims to invest their money by holding himself out to be an expert in options trading with years of experience and a successful track record. As part of the scheme, Mercado falsely represented to victim investors that he would use their money for options trading and similar investments through his hedge fund, Tiger-Wolf Capital, LLC (Tiger-Wolf Capital). Instead of investing the funds as promised, Mercado used a substantial portion of the investors’ money to fund his personal lifestyle, including to make large credit card payments and pay for personal expenditures such as Airbnb rentals, restaurants, and bars. As Mercado admitted in court today, he also used the investors’ money to make Ponzi payments to previous investors.
Court documents show that with the money that he did invest, Mercado suffered trading losses and then lied to investors about the performance of their investments. For example, Mercado periodically sent updates to victim investors through emails, text messages, or screenshots of purported account portals that reflected fictitious trading gains. He also made false and fraudulent statements to investors about substantial returns on their investments in order to induce his victims to invest additional money with him and/or to leave their current investments with him.
Mercado was released on bond following his plea hearing. The wire fraud charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 20 years. A sentencing date has not been set.
On May 30, 2024, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced the filing of a complaint against Mercado in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of North Carolina, charging Mercado and Tiger-Wolf Capital with securities violations.
U.S. Attorney King commended the FBI for their investigation of the case and thanked the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for their coordination and assistance.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Frick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte is prosecuting the case.
Casper man found guilty on federal firearm offensesRead the Press Release
Frank Ray Berris, 53, of Casper, Wyoming, was convicted by a federal jury for being a felon in possession of firearms and ammunition. The verdict was reached on Jun. 11, following a two-day trial held before U.S. District Court Judge Kelly H. Rankin.
According to evidence presented at trial, on Feb. 3, a Wyoming Highway Patrol (WHP) trooper conducted a traffic stop, near Casper, on a black Ford Explorer being driven by Berris. The defendant, who considers himself a “sovereign citizen,” was driving with fictitious license plates that said, “United States of America Republic Diplomat Foreign National” and “UCC1-308.” Berris was unable to provide proof of a valid driver’s license, insurance, or registration. While talking with Berris, the trooper noticed a pistol in a holster between Berris and the console and an AR-style rifle between the console and the passenger seat. Berris had a warrant for his arrest. Following a three-hour standoff where the defendant refused to exit his car and told officers they would have to kill him, Berris eventually surrendered and was arrested.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant on the vehicle and seized a semiautomatic rifle, two semiautomatic pistols, and ammunition of various calibers. Berris was a convicted felon so he was prohibited by federal law from possessing any firearms or ammunition.
Berris was indicted by a grand jury and pleaded not guilty to the charges in March 2024. He represented himself at trial. Sentencing has been set for Sep. 3, 2024. He faces up to 15 years in federal prison and up to $250,000 in fines.
WHP, Natrona County Sheriff’s Office and Mills Police Department responded to the scene and special agents with Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and FBI investigated this crime. Assistant U.S. Attorney Makenzie Morrison and Executive Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Sprecher prosecuted the case.
Case No. 24-00034
Carmel Man Sentenced to 22 Years in Federal Prison for Sexual Exploitation and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
INDIANAPOLIS- Thomas Cade Martin, 27, of Carmel, Indiana, has been sentenced to 275 months in federal prison, followed by 20 years of supervised release, after pleading guilty to distribution of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and possession of child sexual abuse material. He also admitted to sexually exploiting a minor victim in Carmel. Martin was also ordered to pay $10,000 in restitution and must register as a sex offender wherever he lives, works, or goes to school.
According to court documents, in late 2022, Carmel Police Department officers received a report of sexual exploitation of a male minor victim. The report found that Thomas Martin asked Minor Victim 1, a 15-year-old male, to meet in-person after being introduced through Grindr, an online dating application. Martin continued conversations with MV1 through Instagram and Snapchat, initially lying about his identity and age in order to groom MV1.
Over the course of three weeks, Martin met MV1 in-person on multiple occasions at his Carmel apartment and other public locations to engage in sexual intercourse. Martin also engaged in grooming behaviors, such as purchasing clothes and dinners for MVI, and even buying the child a birthday cake when he turned 16 years old.
A search of Martin’s cellphone recovered multiple sexually explicit “live photos” produced by Martin of the victim, as well as other images taken of the two together at local restaurants and public meeting spots in Carmel.
“Martin sexually abused and exploited a 15-year-old boy, having gained his adoration and trust online. Taking advantage of vulnerable teens for sexual gain is a despicable crime that merits significant prison time,” said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Indiana, Zachary A. Myers. “The sentence imposed today should serve as a warning to would-be groomers and offenders: if you solicit and exploit minors for sex, you will spend many years in federal prison.”
“This defendant earned his lengthy prison sentence by propagating the online victimization of minors and by seeking out and abusing a victim here in Indiana,” said Special Agent in Charge Herb Stapleton of the Indianapolis Federal Bureau of Investigation. “Thanks to the dedication of our crimes against children investigators, in partnership the Carmel Police Department, this individual will be behind bars for a very long time.”
“The Carmel Police Department has teams dedicated to preventing and solving child exploitation. We are proud to work closely with our federal and local partners in bringing justice to those who are victims of these cases. The work done by all involved in Mr. Martin’s case shows our dedication to protecting our most valuable asset, our children. This type of heinous crime simply will not be tolerated,” said Carmel Police Chief, Drake Sterling.
The Federal Bureau of Investigations and Carmel Police Department investigated this case. The sentence was imposed by U.S. District Court Judge James P. Hanlon.
U.S. Attorney Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorney Tiffany J. Preston, who is prosecuting this case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc
This investigation was conducted by the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, a multiagency task force led by the Indiana State Police that investigates and prosecutes persons who use the internet to sexually exploit or entice children. Each year, Indiana ICAC investigators evaluate thousands of tips, investigate hundreds of cases, and rescue dozens of children from ongoing sexual abuse. Visit https://www.in.gov/isp/icactf/ to learn more about their efforts.
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Canadian national accused of attempted coercion and enticement, child pornography crimesRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Canadian national who is accused of traveling to Montana to engage in illicit sexual conduct and was arrested in Billings in an undercover investigation appeared for arraignment today on charges, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Andrew Scott Brown, 43, of Sylvan Lake, Alberta, Canada, pleaded not guilty to an indictment charging him with attempted coercion and enticement, three counts of distribution of child pornography and travel with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. If convicted of the most serious crime, Brown faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $250,000 fine and five years to a lifetime of supervised release.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. Brown was detained pending further proceedings.
In court documents, the government alleged that from Jan. 27 through May 6, at Billings and in Canada, Brown used the internet and a cellular telephone to attempt to entice and coerce an individual he believed had not attained the age of 18 to engage in sexual activity. Brown also is accused of sending images that contain Child Sexual Abuse Material to an undercover law enforcement persona. In January, an undercover detective with the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office posted a message on a social media site, and a suspect with the username of “Eagle_Tiger” responded. The undercover persona identified herself as a 12-year-old girl, while “Eagle_Tiger” identified himself as a 42-year-old named Andrew, from Alberta, Canada. As further alleged, conversations led to Andrew discussing wanting to have sex with the persona and sending CSAM to the persona. Law enforcement arrested Brown on May 6 when he traveled to Billings to meet with the undercover persona.
An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office, Billings Police Department and the FBI conducted the investigation.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC.
PACER case reference. 24-80.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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Camden County Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Camden County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 33 months in prison for possessing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Robert Giles, 73, of Collingswood, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb to an indictment charging him with one count of possession of child pornography. Judge Bumb imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On April 15, 2022, agents with FBI served a search warrant at Giles’s residence and discovered electronic devices that belonged to Giles. A forensic examination of those devices revealed over 45,000 unique files containing videos and images of children being sexually abused.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Bumb sentenced Giles to 10 years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $186,500 in fines.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Wayne A. Jacobs in Philadelphia, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Collingswood Police Department.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Johns of the Criminal Division in Camden.
Burlington County Man Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for $4 Million Money Laundering SchemeRead the Press Release
CAMDEN, N.J. – A Burlington County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 33 months in prison for illegally laundering the proceeds of a mail fraud scheme, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Pablo Estrada, 27, of Florence, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before Chief U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb to an information charging him with one count of money laundering. Judge Bumb imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From August 2020 through January 2023, Estrada received money from victims of various scams, including a lottery scam – an advance fee fraud which begins with victims receiving an unexpected notification that they have won large sums of money in a lottery, but are required to pay various fees and expenses before their winnings can be released to them. Estrada deposited the money into various bank accounts that he maintained for purposes of receiving criminal proceeds. He transferred the funds to other bank accounts, keeping a percentage for himself. Estrada laundered more than $4 million in this manner.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Bumb sentenced Estrada to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution of $4.21 million.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited postal inspectors with the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Newark, under the direction of Inspector in Charge Christopher A. Nielsen, Philadelphia Division; special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Thomas Mahoney; and special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jenifer L. Piovesan in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the Burlington County Prosecutors Office under the direction of LaChia L. Bradshaw and the Florence Township Police Department under the direction of Brian Boldizar.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel A. Friedman of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Camden.
Brooklyn Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Traffic Firearms into BrooklynRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Ariana Charles pleaded guilty to trafficking firearms and conspiring to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge William F. Kuntz II. The defendant was charged in January 2024 under the provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the first federal statute specifically designed to target gun trafficking, which Congress and the President enacted in June 2022. When sentenced, Charles faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment for the controlled substance distribution conspiracy and 15 years’ imprisonment for firearms trafficking.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Frank A Tarentino III, Special Agent-in-Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division (DEA) and Edward A. Caban, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the guilty plea.
“This Office has made it a top priority to stop the illicit flow of firearms and drugs into our community and today’s guilty plea is the result of those ongoing efforts,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Gang members, felons and violent individuals who use deadly weapons to inflict irreparable harm on our community do not come into possession of these instruments of death out of thin air; instead, they rely on traffickers like this defendant, who must be held accountable for their role in the violence that results from the use of these weapons.”
According to the indictment, statements made during the plea proceeding and court documents, Charles personally sold 18 firearms to an undercover law enforcement officer (the “UC”) in residential areas of Brooklyn in broad daylight, including in and around the New York City Housing Authority’s Breukelen Houses, outside other apartment buildings and in shopping center parking lots. The UC told Charles and her co-conspirators that he was a drug dealer who needed guns and was going to resell them. Several guns sold by Charles were purchased in Virginia and Georgia and then transported to New York. Among other weapons, Charles sold a firearm with a defaced serial number and several semi-automatic rifles.
Charles also sold drugs to the UC, including crack cocaine and fentanyl. Some of the fentanyl she sold had been disguised as Oxycodone pills.
Four of Charles’s co-conspirators are awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to conspiring to traffic firearms into Brooklyn in the first case in New York to publicly charge the gun trafficking provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.
The case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Amir, Irisa Chen and James R. Simmons are in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
ARIANA CHARLES
Age: 28
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-8 (WFK)
Brooklyn Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Interstate Transportation of Stolen GoodsRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Brooklyn, New York, man was sentenced today to 48 months in prison for transporting stolen jewelry across state lines, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Tony Newton, 62, of Brooklyn, New York, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to an indictment charging him with two counts of interstate transportation of stolen goods. Judge Cecchi imposed the sentenced today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On June 1, 2022, and July 16, 2022, Newton transported stolen jewelry across state lines from Middlesex and Union counties, New Jersey, to New York. Newton admitted to two additional burglaries of mall jewelry stores in Bay Shore, New York, and Milford, Connecticut. The four burglaries and thefts resulted in retail losses of $804,227.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Cecchi sentenced Newton to three years of supervised release, ordered restitution of $804,227 and forfeiture of $804,227.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited FBI Newark’s Transnational Organized Crime Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor William Daniel and Chief Harvey Barnwell; officers of the Edison Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Tom Bryan; and officers of the Elizabeth Police Department, under the direction of Director Earl Graves and Chief Giacomo Sacca, with the investigation. He also thanked officers of the Suffolk County, New York, Police Department and the Milford, Connecticut, Police Department.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Farhana C. Melo of the OCDETF/Narcotic Unit in Newark.
Brooklyn Man Charged with Firearms Trafficking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Earlier today, at the federal courthouse in Brooklyn, a four-count indictment was unsealed charging Tony Terry with conspiring to illegally traffic firearms from Georgia to Brooklyn, New York. Terry was arrested this morning and is scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon before United States Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Bryan Miller, Special Agent-in-Charge, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and Edward A. Caban, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the arrest and charges.
“As alleged, the defendant brought deadly weapons from Georgia to the streets of East New York, Brooklyn, a community that has suffered terribly from gun violence,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “My Office and our law enforcement partners are working tirelessly to investigate, prosecute and disrupt the flow of illegal guns along the Iron Pipeline, and keep them out of the hands of criminals who have no respect for the law or human life.”
Mr. Peace thanked the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia for their assistance in the case.
“This indictment underscores the unwavering commitment of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to disrupt the flow of illegal guns into our streets,” stated ATF Special Agent-in-Charge Miller. “Those who purchase and traffic guns to sell to those who cannot legally obtain them are a threat to our community. Disrupting firearms trafficking schemes like this is a top priority for us. The ATF NY/ NYPD’s Joint Firearms Task Force Joint is dedicated to ensuring the safety of our communities. We extend our gratitude to our colleagues in ATF Atlanta’s Savannah Field Office & Eastern District of New York for their assistance. For those engaging in gunrunning conspiracies in NY, justice will be served in court.”“This indictment underscores the NYPD’s commitment to eradicating the illicit firearms supply chain that continues to threaten our communities,” stated NYPD Commissioner Caban. “I commend the diligent efforts of our NYPD investigators, especially our brave undercover officer in this case, along with our colleagues at the ATF and the office of the U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District for their critical role in removing these guns—and those who peddle them—from New York City’s streets.”
As set forth in the indictment and other filings, on November 22, 2022 and November 28, 2022, Terry traveled to Savannah, Georgia where members of his family served as straw purchasers for multiple firearms from licensed firearm dealers. Terry then returned to Brooklyn where a co-conspirator sold two of the firearms. On December 6, 2022, Terry sold a Taurus 9mm G2e handgun to an undercover NYPD officer in East New York, Brooklyn.
The straw purchasers, Jose Marrero and Jacqueline Christmas, were indicted and prosecuted by the United States Attorneys’ Office for the Southern District of Georgia for an additional 15 firearms they purchased on behalf of the defendant. Marrero pleaded guilty and was sentenced in May 2024 to 18 months in prison. Christmas pleaded guilty in March 2024 and is awaiting sentencing.
The charges in the indictment are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Assistant United States Attorney Raffaela S. Belizaire is in charge of the prosecution.
The Defendant:
TONY TERRY
Age: 35
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-244 (CBA)
Battle Creek Man Who Possessed and Sold Machineguns Sentenced to 10 Years for Possessing over Four Kilograms of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Travon Deshaun-Roderick Mansker, 26, of Battle Creek, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for possessing over four kilograms of methamphetamine. Mansker also possessed several firearms as a felon and two of the weapons had been modified to meet the federal definition of “machineguns”.
“We choose our cases carefully, focusing the longer sentences we often secure on those who pose the greatest threat,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “Travon Mansker is one of those people. He was a large-scale pill dealer selling methamphetamine masked as Adderall. And he was trafficking illegal firearms calibrated to cause maximum harm. As we’ve done here, we will continue to focus our limited resources on those who supply the firearms and drugs that cause so much pain in our communities.”
The conviction arises from an April 27, 2023, search of a Battle Creek residence where investigators seized over four kilograms of orange powder methamphetamine, 14 firearms, approximately a thousand rounds of ammunition, various high-capacity magazines, pill presses, and other drug trafficking paraphernalia. As part of his guilty plea, the defendant admitted that he intended to press the methamphetamine into pills and distribute the pills to others. The defendant had previously sold pills during the investigation that were designed to appear like the commercial drug Adderall.
Of the 14 firearms seized on April 27, two of the guns had been modified to meet the federal definition of “machineguns.” Evidence in the investigation also showed that the defendant had sold four machinegun conversion devices designed to turn AR-style firearms into fully automatic machineguns in March and April 2023. Finally, five of the firearms were “privately made firearms” or “ghost guns” designed to be untraceable to law enforcement.
A photograph of the evidence seized from the search is provided below:
“Mr. Mansker’s time as a peddler of poison in west Michigan has come to an end,” said Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge of Detroit Field Division of the Drug Enforcement Administration. “His sentence clearly demonstrates our collective resolve to safeguard our communities from the threats of drugs and firearms.”
“Removing violent offenders from our communities is ATF’s highest priority,” said ATF Detroit Field Division Special Agent in Charge James Deir. “Mansker sold poison in our community while armed with illegally modified firearms. This sentence should serve as a clear message to all armed drug traffickers in the state of Michigan, if you’re packing a firearm illegally while peddling your poison, pack your bags for prison.”
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Battle Creek Police Department (BCPD), with additional support by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). Assistant U.S. Attorney Vito S. Solitro prosecuted the case.
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Athens, Georgia, Woman Indicted on Cyberstalking and Threat OffensesRead the Press Release
NASHVILLE – An Athens, Georgia, woman is facing federal criminal charges in the Middle District of Tennessee after law enforcement officers executed multiple search warrants, including a search warrant on her home, announced United States Attorney Henry C. Leventis.
The indictment, returned on May 15, 2024, by a federal grand jury, charges Gabryele “Gabby” Watson, 26, with two counts of cyberstalking and one count of interstate transmission of threats to kidnap or injure. Watson is accused of cyberstalking by engaging in an adoption scam targeting a couple living in the Middle District of Tennessee and transmitting an interstate threat during her communication with the couple.
If convicted, Watson faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each count.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Nashville Resident Agency, Memphis Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Monica R. Morrison of the Middle District of Tennessee and Senior Trial Attorney Mona Sedky of the Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section of the Department of Justice are prosecuting the case.
If you believe that you or someone you know may be a victim of, or have any information about, the conduct alleged in the indictment, please contact your local FBI field office or visit the FBI's website at www.fbi.gov/WatsonAdoptionFraud or the United States Attorney’s Office’s website at www.justice.gov/usao-mdtn/victim-witness-assistance/gabryele-watson.
An indictment is merely an allegation. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Albuquerque Man Pleads Guilty to Manufacturing and Selling Machinegun Conversion DevicesRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – An Albuquerque man pleaded guilty in federal court to engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license and possession of a machine gun conversion device.
According to court documents, in December 2022, the ATF identified an Instagram user as possibly being in possession of and selling illegal machine gun conversion devices, which modify firearms to make them fire fully automatic. The ATF identified the user as Joe Jasso, 20, by the distinctive tattoo on his hand.
In January 2023, the account was deleted.
A new Instagram account was identified by the ATF in January 2023, which appeared to belong to Jasso based on the same hand tattoos being visible on posts on the account.
On February 3, 2023, undercover detectives from the Albuquerque Police Department contacted Jasso through Instagram and set up a controlled purchase of machine gun conversion devices from Jasso and his mother, Rachael Jasso. During the transaction, Jasso explained to the undercover detective how to install the conversion device onto a firearm and confirmed that it would allow the firearm to shoot fully automatic. Jasso also offered to obtain an assault rifle auto sear to sell to the undercover officer.
On February 16, 2023, federal law enforcement agents and local law enforcement executed a search warrant at Jasso’s residence in Albuquerque. Inside the home, law enforcement located and seized:
- Approximately ten firearms,
- Five machine gun conversion devices,
- A large amount of ammunition,
- Numerous ammunition magazines (both loaded and unloaded), and
- A 3D printer.
As part of his guilty plea, Jasso admitted he knew the conversion devices met the federal definition of a firearm and that he did not have a license to engage in the business of selling firearms.
The Court ordered that Jasso remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled.
At sentencing, Jasso faces up to 10 years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Jasso will be subject to up to three years of supervised release.
Jasso’s co-defendant, Rachel Jasso, is currently scheduled to stand trial on July 8, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Brendan Iber, Special Agent in Charge of the Phoenix Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, made the announcement today.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel A. Hurtado is prosecuting the case.
Machine gun conversion devices and auto sears are illegal devices designed to modify a semi-automatic firearm so it is capable of fully automatic fire, that is, continuous firing with a single trigger pull. The possession, manufacture, and/or sale of machine gun conversion devices without proper licensing is a federal offense punishable by severe penalties, including up to 10 years in prison and fines up to $250,000. The use of machinegun conversion devices poses a significant public safety risk, as they transform semi-automatic firearms into dangerous machine guns capable of causing catastrophic harm.
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11 June 2024
די פאראייניגטע שטאטן גייט אריין אין אן אפמאך-מעמאראנדום מיט דער ניו יארק סטעיט אפיס פון געריכט אדמיניסטראציע צו פארזיכערן צוטריט צו ראקלענד קאונטי דראג באהאנדלונג געריכט פאר באטייליגערס מיט באגרענעצטע קענטשאפט פון ענגלישRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, דער US אדוואקאט פאר דער דרום דיסטריקט פון ניו יארק, און Kristen Clarke, די אסיסטענט גענעראל פראקוראר פון דער יוסטיץ דעפארטמענט'ס בירגעררעכט דיוויזיע, האבן היינט געמאלדן אז די US האט זיך ארייגעלאזט אין אן אפמאך-מעמאראנדום ("MOU") מיט דער ניו יארק סטעיט פאראייניגטע געריכט סיסטעם, אפיס פון געריכט אדמיניסטראציע ("OCA"), צו לייזן דער איבערקוק פון דער ראקלענד קאונטי דראג באהאנדלונג געריכטס אויספאלג פון טיטל VI פון דער בירגערגעריכט אקט פון 1964, וואס פארבאט דיסקרימינאציע אויפן גרונט פון ראסע, פארב, און נאציאנאלע אפשטאם קעגן באקומערס פון פעדעראלע פינאנציעלע הילף. פארבאטענע דיסקרימינאציע קען כולל זיין פארפעלן צו צושטעלן באדײטפולע שפראך צוטריט.
US אדוואקאטDamian Williams האט געזאגט: "מיטגלידער פון דער קאמיוניטי זאלן נישט ווערן אפגעזאגט באדײטפולע צוטריט צום געריכט פראצעס און פראגראמען וואס באטן אָן אלטערנאטיווען צו טרעדיציאנעלע אורטייל צוליב זייער באגרענעצטע קענטשאפט פון ענגליש. מיר דאנקען דעם ראקלענד קאונטי דיסטריקט אדוואקאטס אפיס און OCA פאר מיטארבעטן מיט אונדז צו פארזיכערן אז די ראקלענד קאונטי דראג באהאנדלונג געריכט איז גרייט פאר אלע בארעכטיגטע באטייליגערס, און מיר האפן אז דער אפמאך-מעמאראנדום וועט דינען אלץ א מאדעל פאר אלע געריכטן אין דעם דיסטריקט צו פארזיכערן באדײטפולע צוטריט צו מענטשן מיט באגרענעצטע קענטשאפט פון ענגליש, אין צושטימונג מיט טיטל VI."
אסיסטענט גענעראל פראקוראר Kristen Clarke האט געזאגט: "פארזיכערן גלייכע יוסטיץ לויטן געזעץ מיינט דאס צו טאן אויף א יושרדיגן אופן, גענױ, און פארשטענדליך פאר אלעמען, אבער דאס געשעט נישט נאר אז מענטשן וואס געפונען זיך אין דער געריכט פראצעס קענען קאמוניקירן איינער מיטן אנדערן. מענטשן זאלן נישט געשטראפט ווערן צוליב זייער באגרענעצטע קענטשאפט פון ענגליש און זאלן באקומען די שפראך הילף סערוויסעס וואס זיי נייטיגן זיך, צו קענען זיך באטייליגן יושרדיג אין געריכט פראצעדורן און געריכט באפוילענע טרענירונג אדער היילונג פראגראמען. דער הסכם שטייט אלץ א מאדעל צו פארזיכערן צוטריט צום געריכט, אריינגערעכנט געריכטליכע פראגראמען און סערוויסעס, פאר אלע מענטשן, נישט קוקנדיג אויף זייער קענטשאפט פון ענגליש, און צייכנט אן די אקציעס וואס נייטיגן זיך כדי אוועקצונעמען די פארשטעלעכצער פאר געריכט נוצערס מיט באגרענעצטע קענטשאפט פון ענגליש.
לויט די MOU און פובליק איינגעבנס און דעקלעראציעס:
אין יאנואר 2023, האט דער אפיס איבערגעקוקט א קאמפלעינט וואס טענה'ט אז מענטשן מיט באגרענעצטע קענטשאפט פון ענגליש ("LEP") קענען זיך נישט אינגאנצן באטייליגן אין דער ראקלענד קאונטי דראג באהאנדלונג געריכט ווייל דער געריכט האט נישט צוגעשטעלט קײן איבעזעץ און אויסטייטש סערוויסעס. באלד דערנאך, האט OCA זיך ארייגעמישט אין דעם צוטריט צו די שפראך פראצעדורן פאר דער ראקלענד קאונטי דראג באהאנדלונג געריכט און סוף כל סוף האט איבערגענומען די פאראנטווארליכקייט פארן געריכט אין מארץ 2024. דער אפיס, בשותפות מיט דער בירגעררעכט דיוויזיע, האט געארבעט מיט דער OCA און די ראקלענד קאונטי דיסטריקט אדוואקאטס אפיס, וואס האט אנגעפירט דעם דראג באהאנדלוג געריכט פאר מארץ 2024, צו אידענטיפיצרן נייטיגע רעפארמען צו פארזיכערן אז אלע LEP מענטשן וואס קוואליפיצירן זיך צו באטייליגן אין דעם דראג באהאנדלונג געריכט זאלן האבן באדײטפולע צוטריט צו שפראכן.
בשעת'ן איבערקוקן דעם ענין, האט דער ראקלענד קאונטי דיסטריקט אדוואקאטס אפיס און OCA אנגענומען עטליכע פירמאטיווע טריט צו צושטעלן באדײטפולע צוטריט פאר געריכט באטייליגערס מיט LEP, ארײנגערעכנט זיך אונטערנעמען צו צושטעלן אויסטייטש סערוויסעס פאר אלע געריכט פראצעדורן, זיך פארבונדן מיט ראקלענד קאונטי דראג באהאנדלונג געריכט פאראינטערעסירטע צדדים, און אידנטיפיצירן א לאקאלע היילונג פראוויידער צו צושטעלן גערוכט-באפוילענע היילוג סערוויסעס אין שפאניש.
לויטן MOU, וועט די OCA אננעמען נאך שריט צו פארזיכערן באדײטפולע צוטריט פאר LEP באטייליגערס אין דער ראקלענד קאונטי דראג באהאנדלונג געריכט. די שריט זענען כולל איבערזעצן אלע דאקומענטן צו שפאניש, קרעאל, און אידיש, און נאך אנדערע שפראכן אויב פארלאנגט, מפרסם זיין די דראג באהאנדלונג געריכט פראגראם אין די צוגעגעבענע שפראכן, און פארזיכערן היילונג פרוויידערס וואס וועלן אנבאטן געריכט-באפוילענע דראג היילונג פראגראמען אויף אן אופן וואס שטעלט צו באדײטפולע צוטריט צו מענטשן מיט LEP, אומזיסט צו באטייליגערס.
אינפארמאציע וועגן טיטל VI און באגרענעצטע קענטשאפט פון ענגליש איז דא צו באקומען אויף www.lep.gov. מיטגלידער פון דער פובליק קענען באריכטעווען מעגליכע בירגעררעכט פארברעכנס אין דער דרום דיסטריקט פון ניו יארק אויף https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/civil-rights אדער מיט דער דעפארטמענט פון יוסטיץ'ס בירגעררעכט דיוויזיע אויף www.civilrights.justice.gov/report/.
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Mr. Williams האט באדאנקט די בירגעררעכט דיוויזיע, פעדעראלע קאארדינאציע און אויספיר אפטייל, פאר זייער מיטארבעטן צו לייזן דעם ענין.
דער קעיס ווערט באהאנדלט דורך דער אפיס פון בירגעררעכט טייל אין דער ציווילע דיוויזיע. אסיסטאנט US אדוואקאט Christine S. Poscablo איז דער ממונה אויף דער קעיס.
Yakima Man Sentenced to 16 Years in Federal Prison on Drug Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
Yakima, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced today that Jacob Rodney Penny, age 44, of Yakima, Washington, was sentenced after pleading guilty to one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute 400 Grams or More of a Mixture or Substance Containing a Detectable Amount of Fentanyl and one count of Felon in Possession of a Firearm. United States District Judge Mary K. Dimke imposed a sentence of 192 months imprisonment to be followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, on May 13, 2022, the victim of a residential burglary saw a Craigslist Ad for ski equipment that matched items that had been stolen. Law enforcement contacted the seller and asked to purchase the skis. After agreeing to price, the seller said his friend would deliver the skis to the Wolf Den in Wapato, Washington and would be driving a newer white Chevy Tahoe. At the arranged time, Penny arrived at the location, driving a white Tahoe. Law enforcement conducted a traffic stop and detained Penny, who told investigators he knew he was being detained because of the “stupid skis.” Penny also stated he was making the delivery because the skis did not fit in his friend’s vehicle.
Law enforcement executed a search warrant on the Tahoe, locating four large bags that contained hundreds of fentanyl pills, two smaller bags containing between 100 and 200 fentanyl pills each, a small quantity of methamphetamine, a scale with drug residue, two 9mm pistols, and $2,600 in cash.
“I am grateful for the Yakima County Sheriff’s Office for their tremendous investigation in this case. What began as an investigation into a set of stolen skis, led to the discovery of deadly fentanyl, which could have claimed the lives of those, who call the Yakima Valley home,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “My office, working with our law enforcement partners, are committed to stopping the spread of illicit narcotics in Eastern Washington. By working together, we can make our communities safer and stronger for everyone.”
“Sometimes an unexpected break leads to success,” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “In this case, a property crime led to sending a drug trafficker to federal prison. The FBI and our partners will continue working to keep these dangerous drugs off the streets and out of our communities.”
This case was investigated by the FBI. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Thomas Hanlon.
Woman who Sent Fentanyl Mixture into Jail Sentenced to 71 Months in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A woman who sent controlled substances into a jail was sentenced on June 10, 2024, to 71 months in federal prison.
Brookelyn Marie Lindquist, age 42, from Waterloo, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 11, 2024 guilty plea to one count of distribution of a controlled substance.
Lindquist sent multiple packages to another individual in jail. That individual was in prison pending sentencing for a federal drug trafficking conviction. Inside these packages, Lindquist sent the individual controlled substances that included a mixture of fentanyl and heroin. When the individual used the controlled substances sent by Lindquist, they suffered an overdose. Lindquist was on state parole at the time of her conduct due to another drug trafficking conviction.
Lindquist was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge C.J. Williams. Lindquist was sentenced to 71 months’ imprisonment. She must also serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole L. Nagin, and it was investigated by the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Waterloo Police Department, the Black Hawk County Sherriff’s Office, and the Tri-County Drug Task Force.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 23-CR- 2079. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.