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Thursday 25 April 2024
St. Louis County Man Caught with Gun and Methamphetamine Sentenced to 160 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Wednesday sentenced a convicted felon caught with a rifle and methamphetamine to 160 months in prison.
Antwon Fulton was a passenger in a car with no front license plate and an expired temporary license tag on the rear when he was pulled over by St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers on May 6, 2021. Officers found a Chinese SKS semi-automatic rifle in the rear of the car, which belonged to Fulton, and a bag containing 27.05 grams of methamphetamine in the vehicle’s center console. Fulton is a convicted felon and is barred from possessing firearms.
Fulton, 33, of St. John, Missouri, pleaded guilty in December to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Goeke 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.
St. Louis Carjacker Sentenced to 105 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – On Thursday, U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk sentenced a man to 105 months in prison for a 2022 carjacking.
On July 7, 2022, outside a Family Dollar store at 6440 West Florissant Avenue in Jennings, La’Vontray Hayes-Williams pulled out a handgun and told the driver of a 2018 Nissan Sentra to “give me the car.” He then drove away with his girlfriend. The victim called police, who quickly spotted Hayes-Williams. Hayes-Williams fled, sparking a chase that lasted nearly ten miles and reached speeds of over 100 mph.
Fulton pleaded guilty in January to one count of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
The St. Louis County Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Nino Przulj 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.
South Bend Man Sentenced to 144 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
SOUTH BEND – Michael Querry, 52 years old, of South Bend, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to distribution of methamphetamine, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Querry was sentenced to 144 months in prison followed by 4 years of supervised release.
According to documents in the case, in the spring and summer of 2023, Querry supplied methamphetamine to multiple individuals in the South Bend area, and within a three month period, supplied law enforcement with nearly a pound and a half of methamphetamine. During the same period, traffic stops on Querry resulted in the recovery of a total of five and one-half ounces of methamphetamine.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives with assistance from the St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s Office, the Indiana State Police, the Mishawaka Police Department, the South Bend Police Department, the LaPorte County Sheriff’s Office, the Porter County Metropolitan Enforcement Group and the DEA Regional Drug Laboratory. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Katelan McKenzie Doyle.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Slidell Woman Pleads Guilty to Railroad Retirement FraudRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that TONYA BUTLER, of Slidell, La., age 55, pleaded guilty on April 22, 2024 before United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey to making false statements to the Railroad Retirement Board, in violation Title 45, United States Code, Section 359(a).
According to the bill of information and court records, from January 2022 to April 2022, BUTLER made false statements to the Railroad Retirement Board for the purpose of obtaining sickness benefits. In truth, BUTLER was working full-time for an interstate trucking company. Her false statements caused a loss of approximately $7,345.52.
Sentencing will be held on July 22, 2024. At that time, BUTLER faces up to one year in prison for the false statements count. She also faces up to $100,000 in fines, and up to one year of supervised release after conviction.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of Amtrak – Office of Inspector General and the Railroad Retirement Board - Office of Inspector General in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera of the Financial Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Sheldon, Iowa Woman Pleads Guilty to Meth and Fentanyl ConspiracyRead the Press Release
Kelli Biller, 38, from Sheldon, Iowa, pled guilty April 24, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City. Biller was convicted of one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and fentanyl.
At the plea hearing, Biller admitted that from about January 2022 through November 2023, she was involved in a conspiracy that distributed at least 1200 grams of methamphetamine and at least 200 grams of fentanyl. Biller admitted to facilitating the receipt of 2,000 fentanyl pills from a source in Sioux City to later distribute in the Sheldon and Primghar area. Biller further admitted to obtaining several ounces of methamphetamine from her source for redistribution in and around Northwest Iowa. During a traffic stop in Sioux City on November 10, 2023, agents seized 19 M30-type fentanyl pills from Biller.
Sentencing before United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Biller remains in custody of the United States Marshal pending sentencing. Biller faces a possible maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Shawn S. Wehde and was investigated by the Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-4010. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Second Defendant Pleads Guilty to Hacking Fantasy Sports and Betting WebsiteRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced the guilty plea today of KAMERIN STOKES, a/k/a “TheMFNPlug,” in connection with a scheme to hack user accounts at a fantasy sports and betting website (the “Betting Website”) and sell access to those accounts in order to steal hundreds of thousands of dollars from them. STOKES pled guilty today to conspiracy to commit computer intrusion before U.S. District Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “With today’s guilty plea, this Office has successfully prosecuted a second member of a scheme to hack fantasy sports and betting accounts and sell access to them online. Kamerin Stokes and his co-defendants greedily lined their own pockets by profiting off of harmful hacks that drained victims of hundreds of thousands of dollars and erode the public’s trust in online platforms. Hackers and cybercriminals who sell stolen information online should be warned that this Office is watching and will continue to protect internet-users from malicious actors.”
According to the charging documents and other filings and statements made in court
On or about November 18, 2022, several individuals launched a “credential stuffing attack” on the Betting Website. During a credential stuffing attack, a cyber threat actor collects stolen credentials, or username and password pairs, obtained from other large-scale data breaches of other companies, which can be purchased on the darkweb. The threat actor then systematically attempts to use those stolen credentials to obtain unauthorized access to accounts held by the same user with other companies and providers in order to compromise accounts where the user has maintained the same password. Here, in connection with the attack on the Betting Website, there was a series of attempts to log into the Betting Website accounts using a large list of stolen credentials.
Those individuals successfully accessed approximately 60,000 accounts at the Betting Website (the “Victim Accounts”) through the credential stuffing attack. In some instances, the individuals who unlawfully accessed the Victim Accounts were able to add a new payment method on the account, deposit $5 into that account through the new payment method to verify that method, and then withdraw all the existing funds in the Victim Account through the new payment method (i.e., to a newly added financial account belonging to the hacker), thus stealing the funds in the Victim Account.
Access to the Victim Accounts were sold on various websites that traffic in stolen accounts, which are frequently referred to as “Shops.” STOKES controlled his own Shop, used the alias, “TheMFNPlug,” and purchased Victim Accounts in bulk. STOKES obtained Victim Accounts from the Betting Website with a total listed account value of over $125,000 and then offered access to those accounts for sale on his Shop.
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STOKES, 21, of Memphis, Tennessee, pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit computer intrusion, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the judge. STOKES is scheduled to be sentenced by Judge Buchwald on August 15, 2024, at 11:00 a.m.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Mead and Micah Fergenson are in charge of the prosecution.
Seattle real estate owner indicted for $4.8 million tax evasion schemeRead the Press Release
Seattle – A 68-year-old Seattle real estate owner was indicted this week for tax evasion and making false tax returns, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Steven T. Loo is schedule for arraignment on May 2, 2024.
According to the indictment, Loo owned (in whole or part) and operated multiple businesses in western Washington and California. Several of the businesses owned real estate, and Loo hired property management companies to manage the properties. Loo had the property management companies send profits from the properties to two bank accounts he controlled. Loo spent this money for his benefit, or that of his family and friends. However, Loo did not declare that income -- over $4.8 million -- on his tax returns. Loo allegedly used a web of corporate entities and accounts to conceal the income from the IRS.
The indictment details eight properties owned by Loo via various limited liability companies (LLCs). The indictment alleges that income from the LLCs was funneled into bank accounts associated with two specific inactive entities that were established in Washington in 1999. Loo did not report this income to the IRS, nor did he file any forms that would account for this income for tax years 2015-2020. Loo allegedly told the property management companies how to label the funds sent to the inactive entities to make it appear they were fees for business services, when in fact they were profits that should be taxed as income. Loo failed to inform his tax return preparer of these funds that were income from his properties.
Loo is charged with six counts of tax evasion and six counts of making and subscribing to a false tax return.
Each count of tax evasion is punishable by up to five years of imprisonment. Making and subscribing to a false tax retuning is punishable by up to three years of imprisonment.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mike Dion and Sean Waite for the Western District of Washington and Trial Attorney Regina Jeon of the Department of Justice Tax Division.
loo_indictment.pdfScandia Pharmacist Pleads Guilty to Stealing Bottles of OxycodoneRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – A Scandia pharmacist has pleaded guilty to unlawfully taking bottles of oxycodone from her pharmacy for her own personal use, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to court documents, Kristie Marie Dezell, 46, was the pharmacist in charge at a pharmacy located in Maplewood, Minnesota. From March 2020, until June 2023, Dezell knowingly and intentionally obtained bottles of oxycodone for her own personal use from the pharmacy’s inventory. Dezell falsified the pharmacy’s records to conceal her actions.
Dezell pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Michael J. Davis to one count of obtaining possession of controlled substance by misrepresentation. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the Maplewood Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew D. Forbes is prosecuting the case.
Saratoga Springs Man Pleads Guilty to Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Christopher Barry, age 42, of Saratoga Springs, New York, pled guilty today to receiving child pornography.
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.
Barry admitted that between June 2021 and January 2022, he received child pornography, including images of prepubescent minors, and possessed two phones on February 9, 2023, containing child pornography.
Barry will be sentenced on August 27, 2024, by United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci. Barry faces at least 5 years and up to 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 5 years and up to life. The court may also impose a fine, restitution, and forfeiture of the phones Barry used to commit his offenses. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors. Barry must also register as a sex offender upon his release from prison.
HSI investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander P. Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting this case as part of Project Safe Childhood. Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Salvadoran Man Previously Deported on Eight Separate Occasions Pleads Guilty to Illegal ReentryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Salvadoran man has pleaded guilty today to unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation.
Melvin Alexander Orellana-Martinez, 54, pleaded guilty to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien before U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns. A sentencing date has not yet been scheduled by the Court.
On eight separate occasions between July 2007 and January 2020, Orellana-Martinez was removed from the United States. Between February 2008 and March 2019, Orellana-Martinez was convicted in California and Texas federal courts on five separate occasions of either illegal reentry or improper entry.
Orellana-Martinez was last deported from the United States on Jan. 14, 2020. Sometime after his January 2020 removal, Orellana-Martinez unlawfully reentered the United States. On Jan. 6, 2023, federal immigration authorities were notified that Orellana-Martinez had unlawfully reentered the United States after he was arrested on unrelated state charges.
The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The defendant will be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of the imposed sentence. 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.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Todd M. Lyons, Boston’s Field Office Director of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James J. Nagelberg of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
St. Croix Prison Guards Convicted of Assaulting Inmate and Falsifying Reports of the AssaultRead the Press Release
St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that a federal jury convicted two former Virgin Islands Correctional Officers of depriving an inmate of his rights under color of law and obstruction of an FBI investigation. After an eight-day trial, the jury returned guilty verdicts against Maxwell Bryan, 53, and Elvin Bloice, 72, both Correctional Officers at the John A. Bell Correctional Facility in St. Croix at the time of offenses. Bloice was also convicted of making materially false statements to the FBI.
“The United States Attorney’s Office is committed to upholding the civil and constitutional rights of all citizens, including inmates who must rely on correctional officers to protect them. This case warranted attention from the Department of Justice because of the Color of Law violations that makes it a crime for anyone to abuse their legal power or authority to deprive another of their rights”, United States Attorney Smith said.
According to the evidence presented at trial, on September 17, 2021, after refusing to return to his cell, Bryan cornered the inmate, lifted, and pushed him into his cell. Once in his cell, Bryan punched the inmate twice on his forehead and choked him. While the assault was underway, Bloice stood in front of the cell and partially closed the cell door to prevent the ongoing assault from being captured by the facility’s video cameras. Trial evidence further established that Bryan’s assault of the inmate was in retaliation to an incident that occurred on August 23, 2021, when the inmate kicked the door of Bryan’s vehicle. After the assault, both Bryan and Bloice knowingly submitted false incident reports denying any assault occurred. Thereafter, on October 4, 2021, Bloice again denied to the FBI that the assault ever occurred.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and prosecuted by United States Attorneys Evan Rikhye and Dan Huston. Deputy Chief Forrest Christian of the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division provided invaluable assistance in the prosecution of this case.
Richmond felon sentenced for illegally possessing a firearmRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to two years and three months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, at around 10:00 p.m. on Aug. 3, 2023, Richmond Police observed Walter Lavelle Allen, 25, displaying a firearm in an Instagram story that Allen posted at around 8:00 p.m. At around 11:30 p.m., a Richmond Police officer on foot patrol on North 25th Street found Allen asleep in the passenger seat of a parked vehicle, with the firearm, a loaded 9mm semiautomatic pistol, under Allen’s leg. The officer secured the firearm and detained Allen.
On June 23, 2020, Allen was convicted for possession with intent to distribute cocaine. As a previously convicted felon, Allen cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jason Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge M. Hannah Lauck.
Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen Hubbard, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia L. Norman prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-121.
Registered Sex Offender Is Sentenced to 31+ Years in Prison for Traveling to South Carolina to Engage in Sexual Activity with A MinorRead the Press Release
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Today, Michael John Worley, 51, of Canton, N.C., was sentenced to 382 months in prison for traveling to Fort Mill, South Carolina, to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor while being a registered sex offender, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. U.S. District Judge Martin Reidinger also ordered Worley to remain under court supervision for the rest of his life and to register as a sex offender after he completes his prison sentence.
Kyle Burns, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, and Sheriff Kevin Tolson of the York County Sheriff’s Office join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
According to court documents and court proceedings, in 2017, Worley was sentenced to 60 months in prison after pleading guilty to possession of child pornography in federal court in the Western District of North Carolina. As part of Worley’s judgement, he was ordered to a lifetime term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender. Court documents show that in March 2021, the York County Sheriff’s Office began an undercover operation to identify online child predators using social media and other messaging applications to contact minors. On March 12, 2021, Worley began communicating online with undercover sheriff deputies posing as a 15-year-old minor female. During their communications, Worley expressed his interest in engaging in illicit sexual acts with the underage female, knowing that the female he thought he was communicating with was a minor. Worley also referenced his prior federal conviction and said that he was not supposed to be talking to a minor, that he had been in trouble in the past, and that he did not want to get in trouble again. On March 27, 2021, Worley traveled from Haywood County in North Carolina to Fort Mill, for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with the minor. When Worley arrived at the residence in Fort Mill where he thought he was meeting the minor, he was arrested by the York County Sheriff’s Office.
“We are committed to actively investigating and prosecuting repeat predators like Worley to combat child exploitation and ensure the safety of our vulnerable young people,” said U.S. Attorney King. “Ensuring the safety of our children is paramount, and I commend Homeland Security Investigations and the York County Sheriff’s Office for their swift action in this case. Thanks to their work, children are protected from this dangerous individual.”
“We all can breathe a little easier knowing that a predator like Worley, who delights in the abuse and exploitation of children, is not roaming around our communities looking to victimize our children,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Burns Kyle Burns. “I am thankful for the great work done on this case and the amazing support of our law enforcement partners.”
“Let this send a strong message to any child predator, if you hunt our children, you will become the hunted,” said Sheriff Tolson.
On March 3, 2023, Worley pleaded guilty to attempting to use a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of producing child pornography. Worley is in federal custody and will be transferred to the custody of the U.S. Bureau of Prisons upon designation of a federal facility.
U.S. Attorney King credited HSI and the York County Sheriff’s Office with the investigation that led to today’s sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexis Solheim of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Asheville prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Princeton Couple Facing Federal Charges for $1 Million Mail and Identity Theft Scheme and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
EVANSVILLE- Michael Jerome Wright, 44, and Cortney Lashea Young, 35, both of Princeton, Indiana, have both been charged with mail theft. Wright is also charged with unlawful possession of a mail key, access device fraud, aggravated identity theft, possession of ammunition by a previously convicted felon, and possession of a machinegun. Young was also charged with possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon.
According to court documents, in October of 2023, law enforcement officials began receiving numerous complaints about mail theft and check forgery. The reported value of missing, forged, or counterfeited checks totaled more than one million dollars.
In March of 2024, Evansville Police Department Officer began surveilling local United States Postal Service (USPS) collection boxes. On five different occasions, investigators saw Wright open collection boxes with an arrow key around 4:30 in the morning, sort through the mail, then drive off with stolen mail. On at least two of those occasions, investigators saw Young behind the wheel of the getaway car.
The United States Postal Service uses a unique type of lock known as an “arrow lock” to secure USPS collection boxes, lockers, and apartment mailbox panels. These locks can only be opened with an arrow key. It is a crime for anyone not authorized by the Postal Service to knowingly have or use arrow keys.
On April 3, 2023, investigators saw Young drive Wright to a USPS collection box in Evansville. Wright exited the vehicle and took mail from the box. The couple drove away and were stopped by law enforcement officers. Officers searched the vehicle and uncovered an arrow key and stolen mail on the passenger floorboard. Included in the mail located in the vehicle were approximately 100 wedding invitations that had been placed in a USPS collection box the night before.
Investigators conducted a court-authorized search of Wright and Young’s apartment in Princeton and located numerous checks and their corresponding envelopes, many of which had been reported as stolen from the mail. The face value of the stolen checks was in excess of $1 million.
Investigators also found two handguns under the mattress in Young and Wright’s bedroom. One pistol was a partially 3D printed privately made firearm with no serial number. This type of weapon is commonly referred to as a “ghost gun” because it has no records related to its’ manufacture or sale. The second firearm was a Ruger LCP .380 caliber pistol. Investigators also recovered two 30-round extended magazines. The ghost gun had a machinegun conversion device, also called a “Glock switch,” installed, allowing it to fire as a fully-automatic weapon. Glock switches are themselves considered machineguns under federal law, whether or not they are installed in a firearm.
Wright has sustained multiple felony convictions including operating a vehicle as a habitual traffic violator, operating a vehicle while intoxicated, and dealing in a synthetic drug, as well as a murder conviction in Cook County, Illinois. Young has sustained a felony conviction for fraud. These prior felony convictions prohibit Wright and Young from ever legally possessing a firearm or ammunition.
The U.S. Secret Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Evansville Police Department investigated this case. Should Wright or Young be convicted, a federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Zachary A. Myers thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew B. Miller and Todd S. Shellenbarger, who are prosecuting this case.
A complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Out-of-State Gunmen Indicted for July Shooting That Injured TwoRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Daquawn Lubin, 29, of Maryland, and Jonathan Young, 34, of Virginia, are charged in a 14-count indictment, filed today in Superior Court, with conspiring to shoot and kill a victim in Southeast D.C., in July of 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela A. Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department.
The indictment charges Lubin and Young with conspiracy, two counts of assault with intent to kill while armed, possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, unlawful possession of a firearm, and other related offenses. According to the Government’s evidence, in the evening of July 24, 2023, Lubin and Young had a confrontation with A.A. at an apartment building in the 4600 block of Benning Road, Southeast. Afterward, the two defendants hid in the apartment building’s parking lot, armed with firearms and hidden by dark hooded sweatshirts and masks, lying in wait for the victim. As A.A. walked the dimly lit pedestrian walkway to his car, Lubin and Young burst out of hiding and fired off more than 20 gunshots, striking the victim eight times and twice striking a second victim, who was with A.A. Lubin and Young then fled the scene. Both victims survived.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Cocuzza.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal laws and every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
Norman Doctor Pays $60,000 to Settle Civil Penalty Claims Stemming from Allegations of Recordkeeping ViolationsRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – Ronnie Keith, DO (“Dr. Keith”), paid $60,000 to settle civil penalty claims stemming from allegations that he violated the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 and its regulations, announced United States Attorney Robert J. Troester.
Dr. Keith owns and operates Keith Medical Clinics with locations in Norman and Ardmore, Oklahoma. The United States alleges that from August 10, 2021, through August 10, 2023, Dr. Keith failed to maintain invoices for certain purchases of controlled substances and failed to document the date of receipt on certain receiving invoices. Dr. Keith also failed to maintain an initial inventory of all stocks of controlled substances on hand and failed to take a new inventory biennially. To resolve these allegations, Dr. Keith agreed to pay $60,000 to the United States.
In reaching this settlement, Dr. Keith did not admit liability, and the government did not make any concessions about the legitimacy of the claims. The agreement allows the parties to avoid the delay, expense, inconvenience, and uncertainty involved in litigating the case.
Recordkeeping is a vital part of managing controlled substances. Complete and accurate records help avoid diversions and losses of controlled drugs. A registrant who purchases controlled substances must comply with the inventory and purchase record requirements contained in the regulations implementing the Act. Failure to do so subjects the registrant to civil monetary penalties.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Office of Diversion Control. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ronald R. Gallegos and Amanda R. Johnson prosecuted the case.
New Orleans Men Indicted for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Theft of Government Funds, and Making False Statements to Federal AgentsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that NEELY B. HARGIS (“HARGIS”), age 60, and JOSEPH T. TROTTA (“TROTTA”), age 60, both of New Orleans, were indicted on April 19, 2024 for Conspiracy to Commit Wire Fraud, Count One; Theft of Government Funds, Counts 2 and 3; and Making False Statements to Federal Agents, Counts 4 and 5; in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1349, 641, and 1001(a)(2), respectively.
According to the indictment, HARGIS and TROTTA, stole approximately $443,455.00 in Social Security Administration (“SSA”) and Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES ACT”) funds. An individual, W.S., received SSA monthly benefits beginning in March of 1992. W.S.’s monthly SSA benefits were directly deposited into her Capital One Bank (“Capital One”) account. W.S. lived on North Dupre Street in New Orleans, Louisiana until her death on August 30, 1999. From the time of W.S.’s death to July 6, 2020, the SSA deposited approximately $442,264.00 in SSA funds into W.S.’s Capital One account intended for W.S.
In November 2002, HARGIS and TROTTA purchased the North Dupre Street property. HARGIS and TROTTA were also the owners of a property located in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. HARGIS and TROTTA stole over $443,400.00 in government funds from the Capital One account belonging to W.S. Thereafter, HARGIS and TROTTA used those funds for personal expenses, e.g., auto loans, utility bills, credit cards, and health insurance bills. For example, HARGIS and TROTTA electronically transferred money from W.S.’s Capital One account to make fifty-two (52) payments totaling $61,495.00 to Ford Motor Credit, for the purchase of two Lincoln vehicles. Additionally, HARGIS and TROTTA electronically transferred money from W.S.’s Capital One account to make payments to the City of New Smyrna Beach Utility Commission for utility bills for the property located in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. According to the indictment, both HARGIS and TROTTA, lied to special agents with the Social Security Administration, Office of Inspector General, when they were interviewed about the theft of the Social Security funds from W.S.’s Capital One account.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendants must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
If convicted, HARGIS and TROTTA up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine as to Count One; up to ten (10) years imprisonment, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine as to Counts Two and Three; and, up to five (5) years imprisonment, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine as to Counts Four and Five. For each of the five counts, HARGIS and TROTTA also face payment of a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge the assistance of the Social Security Administration, Office of the Inspector General with this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Brian M. Klebba, Chief of the Financial Crimes Unit.
New Orleans Men Indicted for Federal Drug and Weapons OffensesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JOSEPH MILLER, age 21, and KENNETH TURNER, age 36, residents of New Orleans, were charged on April 19, 2024 in an eight-count indictment with violations of the Federal Controlled Substances and Gun Control Acts.
MILLER and TURNER are both charged in Count 1 with conspiracy to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, 400 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, and 50 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(A), and 841(b)(1)(B). Both men are also charged in Count 2 with possession of a firearm in furtherance of that drug trafficking conspiracy, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i). MILLER is charged in Counts 3 through 7 with five separate distributions of various quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(B), and 841(b)(1)(C). Finally, MILLER is charged in Count 8 with possession of a machinegun, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(o) and 924(a)(2).
If convicted of the drug trafficking conspiracy charged in Count 1, MILLER and TURNER each face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 - years and up to life in prison, up to a $10,000,000 fine, and at least five years of supervised release. If convicted of possessing firearms in furtherance of the drug trafficking conspiracy as charged in Count 2, each man faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up to life in prison, which must run consecutively to any other sentence, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to five years of supervised release. As to his five counts for distribution of fentanyl and methamphetamine, MILLER faces up to 20 years in prison, up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least three years of supervised release on Count 3, and a mandatory minimum sentence of five years up to 40 years in prison, up to a $5,000,000 fine, and at least four years of supervised release as to each of Counts 4 through 7. As to the charge of possession of a machinegun in Count 8, MILLER faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release. Both men also face payment of a $100 mandatory special assessment fee for each count with which they are charged.
U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Violating Federal Controlled Substances and Gun Control ActsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – NATHANIEL WILLIAMS, age 27, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on April 16, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Greg G. Guidry to 156 months in prison to be followed by 5 years of supervised release, along with a $300 mandatory special assessment fee, after pleading guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8); possession with intent to distribute cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C); and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A).
According to court documents, on March 29, 2023, WILLIAMS was conducting hand-to-hand drug sales near the Valero gas station on South Claiborne Avenue. When marked New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) vehicles arrived at the gas station, WILLIAMS fled across South Claiborne and threw a loaded gun onto the neutral ground. WILLIAMS then hid underneath a house nearby and discarded 66 baggies of cocaine before being apprehended by NOPD.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco, and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Distribution of Cocaine BaseRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – EDWARD MCMILLAN, age 25, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on April 17, 2024 by U.S. District Judge Jane T. Milazzo to 21 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, along with a mandatory $100 special assessment fee, after previously pleading guilty to distributing cocaine base, in violation of 21 U.S.C. §§ 841(a)(1) and 846(b)(1)(C).
According to court documents, on February 9, 2022, MCMILLAN sold cocaine base to a confidential informant for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives in Metairie, La.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Firearms, Tobacco, and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Weapons ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –RONALD JOHNSON, age 26, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty to a three-count superseding bill of information on April 16, 2024 before U.S. District Judge Jay C. Zainey. JOHNSON is the eighth and final defendant to plead guilty in this case.
JOHNSON pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute tapentadol and tramadol, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1), 841(b)(1)(C), and 841(b)(2); possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 924(c)(1)(A)(i); and to being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
According to court documents, JOHNSON distributed tapentadol and tramadol in New Orleans in 2022 and 2023. In May of 2023, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) executed a search warrant at JOHNSON’s residence. In JOHNSON’s bedroom, FBI agents found a Century Arms C39, 7.62x39 mm caliber semi-automatic pistol and an American Tactical MilSport 300BLK, multi-caliber semi-automatic pistol, both of which were loaded with high-capacity magazines. JOHNSON has felony convictions for first degree robbery and is prohibited from possessing firearms. FBI agents also found packs of tramadol and tapentadol that JOHNSON intended to sell in his residence.
As to his conviction for possession with intent to distribute tapentadol and tramadol, JOHNSON faces up to 20 years in prison, a minimum of three years of supervised release, and up to a $1,000,000 fine. As to his conviction for possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, he faces a minimum of five years and up to life in prison, which must run consecutively to any other sentence, and up to five years of supervised release. As to his conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition, JOHNSON faces up to 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and up to a $250,000 fine. Each count also carries a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.
New Haven Gang Member Admits Role in Murders, Other ShootingsRead the Press Release
TYJON PRESTON, also known as “TJ,” 21, of New Haven, pleaded guilty yesterday before U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to a racketeering offense stemming from his role in a violent New Haven street gang.
Today’s announcement was made by Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; John P. Doyle, Jr., State’s Attorney for the New Haven Judicial District; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; Robert Fuller, Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England; and New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in an effort to address violence in New Haven, the ATF, FBI, DEA and New Haven Police Department, working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, have been investigating an ongoing gang war between members and associates of the Exit 8 street gang and rival gangs in the Hill section and other areas of the city. The Exit 8 gang is named after the geographic area accessed by exiting Interstate 91 at Exit 8 in New Haven. Recently, younger members of Exit 8 are identifying themselves with the word “Honcho,” which is derived from the street name of an Exit 8 member who was murdered on Quinnipiac Avenue in February 2020.
The investigation revealed that Preston and other members of the Exit 8 gang engaged in drug trafficking, used and shared firearms, and, since June 2018, have committed at least three murders and 16 attempted murders. Exit 8 members and associates also stole vehicles, at times from outside of the state, and used those stolen vehicles when committing acts of violence. Gang members also promoted, coordinated, facilitated, and celebrated their narcotics distribution and acts of violence through text messaging and the use of social media applications and websites including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube.
Preston pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity, and specifically admitted that he took part in the following violent acts:
- On April 27, 2021, Preston and other Exit 8 members attempted to kill a rival gang member and shot him in the leg.
- On May 19, 2021, Preston and other Exit 8 members conspired to kill rival gang members, including one who was shot and killed on that date by another Exit 8 member.
- On May 20, 2021, Preston and other Exit 8 members shot and attempted to kill rival gang members.
- On July 5, 2021, Preston and another Exit 8 member shot and killed a 22-year-old woman after she made a rap song containing derogatory comments about Exit 8.
At sentencing, which is not scheduled, Preston faces a maximum term of imprisonment of life. Under the terms of a binding plea agreement, if accepted by the court, the parties have agreed that a sentence of between of between 264 months and 360 months of imprisonment is appropriate in this case.
Preston has been detained since September 9, 2021.
This investigation is being conducted by ATF, the FBI, the DEA, the New Haven Police Department, the Hamden Police Department, and the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police and the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tara E. Levens, Rahul Kale and Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis.
This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.
PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone. Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities. Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
New Hampshire Man Sentenced in Harvard University Bomb Extortion CaseRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Manchester, N.H., man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for making a series of extortionate bomb threats against Harvard University. The extortionate threats caused the evacuation of Harvard’s Science Center Plaza and surrounding academic buildings, and the controlled detonation of what was later determined to be a hoax device on April 13, 2023.
William A. Giordani, 55, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley to three years of probation. In January 2024, Giordani pleaded guilty to one count of concealing a federal felony.
In the early afternoon of April 13, 2023, Giordani placed a large tool bag, which concealed a locked safe containing fireworks and electrical wires, in the center of Harvard’s Science Center Plaza, where students and others had gathered. Shortly thereafter, a caller, using a voice changing app to conceal his identity, called the Harvard University Police Department (HUPD) and said that he had placed three bombs on the Harvard campus. The caller demanded an unspecified amount in Bitcoin to prevent the remote detonation of the bombs. In several ensuing calls, the caller told HUPD that he was serious about his demands and that they could find the first bomb in the Science Center Plaza.
HUPD discovered the device planted by Giordani, next to a bench in the center of Science Center Plaza and issued an emergency evacuation order of the area and nearby buildings. A responding bomb squad from the Cambridge Police Department assessed and disabled the device. No additional devices were found on campus that day.
A subsequent investigation revealed that Giordani had been recruited to join the extortion scheme via a craigslist.org advertisement. Once Giordani knew he had been recruited to assist in an extortionate bomb scheme, he had an obligation under federal law to report that scheme to authorities. Instead, he deleted incriminating text messages, told his girlfriend not to speak to anyone about it and went on the run from police.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Boston Division; Harvard University Police Chief Victor Clay; and Cambridge Police Commissioner Christine Elow made the announcement. Assistance was provided by the Nashua (N.H.) Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. McNeil of the National Security Unit prosecuted the case.
Nevada U.S. Attorney's Office and HUD Office of Inspector General Co-Host Roundtable on Sexual Harassment in HousingRead the Press Release
LAS VEGAS – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Nevada, the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Office of Inspector General hosted a roundtable yesterday for community members and organizations on Sexual Harassment in Housing.
“Tenants should feel safe and not live in fear of sexual harassment, sexual assault or sexual exploitation by their landlord or other people who have control over housing,” said U.S. Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada. “We are committed to working together to enforce the Fair Housing Act, protect victims, and hold violators accountable.”
“There is no place in our society for sexual misconduct, including sexual assault, sexual harassment, and unwelcome advances – and there is certainly no place for such behavior in HUD-assisted housing. This type of misconduct threatens an individual’s right to a safe living environment,” said HUD Inspector General Rae Oliver Davis. “Efforts like the roundtable today with our partners in the Nevada U.S. Attorney’s Office help demonstrate our unified approach to improve the quality of life for these tenants. We are committed to vigorously enforcing fair housing laws and holding to account those that would seek to exploit this vulnerable population.”
Participants included representatives from the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Housing Section; the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of Inspector General; the Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada; Silver State Fair Housing Council and Northern Nevada Legal Aid. These organizations work with the most vulnerable populations, who are at risk of becoming victims of sexual harassment in housing. Some of the attendees included representatives from fair housing organizations, shelters and transitional housing providers.
The Department of Justice, through the U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Civil Rights Division, enforces the Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, sex, familial status, national origin, and disability. Sexual harassment is a form of sex discrimination prohibited by the Act. Sexual harassment by landlords, property managers, maintenance workers, and others with power over housing often affects the most vulnerable populations – single parents, individuals who have financial difficulties, and people who have suffered sexual violence in the past. These individuals often do not know where to turn for assistance.
The Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division launched the Sexual Harassment Initiative to combat sexual harassment in housing. The Justice Department’s initiative seeks to identify barriers to reporting sexual harassment in housing, increase awareness of its enforcement efforts – both among survivors and those they may report to – and collaborate with federal, state, and local partners to increase reporting and help survivors quickly and easily connect with federal resources.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is collaborating with the Civil Rights Division to raise awareness of the options that are available to help individuals experiencing sexual harassment. Community organizations, such as legal services offices, fair housing organizations, domestic violence advocates, shelters, and transitional housing providers, can identify the misconduct and recommend that individuals report sexual harassment to the Justice Department.
The Justice Department brings cases each year involving egregious conduct, including allegations that defendants have exposed themselves sexually to current or prospective tenants, requested sexual favors in exchange for reduced rents or making necessary repairs, made unrelenting and unwanted sexual advances to tenants, and evicted tenants who resisted their sexual overtures.
If you or someone you know has information about or has been a victim of sexual harassment, sexual assault, or sexual exploitation in housing—even if the events occurred years ago—report it to the HUD Office of Inspector General Hotline at 1-800-347-3735 or visit the website at www.hudoig.gov/hotline. You may also file a complaint with HUD’s Office of Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at https://www.hud.gov/fairhousing/fileacomplaint.
Additionally, you can contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office by calling 702-388-6336 or emailing [email protected]; or the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division by calling 844-380-6178, as well as emailing [email protected]. More information about the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt.
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National Crime Victims’ Rights WeekRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona joins the Department of Justice and communities nationwide in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, April 21-27. This year’s theme “How would you help? Options, services, and hope for crime survivors,” emphasizes the importance of creating safe environments for crime victims. In these places, crime victims can share what happened to them, receive support, learn about life-saving services, and gain hope.
“Our community’s system of values is built on a shared commitment to seeing and serving our neighbors who have been harmed or taken advantage of,” said U.S. Attorney Escalona. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is a steadfast partner to help victims of crime remedy harm and rebuild a sense of safety after trauma has occurred.”
Over the past year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Alabama has provided direct services to over 650 crime victims. The office also worked alongside community partners to raise awareness about human trafficking and opioids and to host trainings and events for community members and law enforcement focused on those problem areas. The U.S. Attorney’s Office continues to maintain pivotal partnerships with One Place Metro Birmingham Family Justice Center, One Place of the Shoals, the National Children’s Advocacy Center, North Alabama Human Trafficking Task Force, and the Agency for Substance Abuse Prevention. These partnerships are key to expanding access to services and enabling crime victims to find the justice they seek, in whatever form that might take.
In addition, the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Financial Litigation Program (FLP) has worked tirelessly to recover illegally obtained funds and return them to crime victims. In 2023, the FLP collected over $11 million in restitution debts imposed in criminal cases. These funds were provided directly to crime victims. The FLP also collected nearly $400,000 in fines imposed in criminal cases in 2023.
“Rebuilding life after victimization is not a quick or simple process for survivors of crime,” added U.S. Attorney Escalona. “We are here to walk alongside victims, to help guide them through the justice system, and to connect them with resources within our community that can help them heal and move toward a safe and hope-filled future.”
The Justice Department’s Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) leads communities throughout the country in their annual observances of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW), during which victim advocacy organizations, community groups, and state, and local agencies traditionally host rallies, candlelight vigils, and other events to raise awareness of victims’ rights and services. For more information about this year’s NCVRW and how to assist victims in your own community, please visit the National Crime Victims’ Rights Week website.
The U.S. Attorney and staff will attend the following events in our local area to commemorate NCVRW 2024:
- One Heart in the Park hosted by the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office on Saturday, April 20, 2024, beginning at 11 a.m. at Linn Park.
- NCVRW Candlelight Vigil hosted by the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office, Bessemer Division on Thursday, April 25, 2024, beginning at 6 p.m. at Perfecting Reconciliation Church.
Montevallo Man Sentenced to More Than 33 years for Child Pornography CrimesRead the Press Release
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – A federal judge sentenced a Montevallo man for child pornography offenses, announced U.S. Attorney Prim F. Escalona and Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge Katrina W. Berger.
U.S. District Court Judge Anna Manasco sentenced Timothy Joseph Page, 40, to 405 months in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release. In December 2023, Page pleaded guilty to two counts of production of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. This conviction will require him to register as a sex offender in accordance with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act (SORNA).
According to the plea agreement, Page produced child pornography depicting a twelve-year-old female. He was also in possession of more than 400 images of child pornography, including images depicting prepubescent children.
The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
HSI investigated the case along with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office and Alabaster Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel S. McBrayer prosecuted the case.
Minnesota Businessman Sentenced for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A Minnesota businessman was sentenced today to 21 months in prison for evading the payment of federal individual income taxes he owed for the years 2007 through 2019.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Robert Wayne Schlosser owned and operated Custom Christmas Lighting, a business that installs Christmas lighting, special event lighting and decoration displays for its customers. In 2018, Schlosser filed for bankruptcy and listed the IRS as a creditor. At that time, Schlosser had unpaid debts due to the IRS going back to 2007.
As part of his bankruptcy, Schlosser was required to sign and file, under penalty of perjury, a bankruptcy petition and schedules providing information regarding his assets, income and other financial affairs. But the schedules he filed contained materially false statements and omissions regarding his assets and income. Schlosser also testified during bankruptcy proceedings and made materially false statements, specifically about his ownership of two speedboats. Schlosser evaded payment of his federal income taxes by filing false bankruptcy schedules and making false statements during bankruptcy proceedings that concealed assets from the IRS.
Schlosser’s conduct resulted in a total tax loss to the IRS of $429,848.
In addition to the prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Katherine M. Menendez for the District of Minnesota ordered Schlosser to serve three years of supervised release and pay a fine of $25,000 and $279,897.09 in restitution to the United States.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger for the District of Minnesota made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case. United States Trustee Trial Attorney Colin Kreuziger assisted with the investigation.
Trial Attorney Thomas Flynn of the Justice Department’s Tax Division prosecuted the case.
Media Advisory: U.S. Attorney Announces Winners of the Virtual Youth and Young Adult Poster Contest Commemorating National Crime Victims’ Rights WeekRead the Press Release
RALEIGH, N.C –U.S. Attorney Michael Easley announced the winners of a virtual poster contest held in conjunction with the Interagency Council and the Ship Outreach and Community Center. Students from the Poe Center for Health Education and Southeast Raleigh Magnet High School were invited to participate in the contest by developing a poster featuring butterflies in honor of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. Butterflies have long been used as a symbol of freedom and hope for victims. Twenty-four students participated in the virtual contest and winners were selected by staff at the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
“Crime takes a tremendous toll on innocent victims, often changing lives forever. Our mission cannot just be to prosecute offenders – we also must do all we can to help victims in their journey to find peace,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “The students who participated in this year’s poster contest are using art to cast a light of hope, lighting the path from being a victim to becoming a survivor.”
The poster winners include Tonaye Minggia, Malik Thompson, and Mia Mahoney.
For additional information about this year’s NCVRW and how to assist victims in your own community, please visit the United States Attorney’s Office website. For more ideas on how to support victims of crime, visit OVC’s website at www.ovc.ojp.gov.
Maryland Woman Convicted After Five-Day Trial for a Series of Fraud Schemes, Including Passport Fraud, Wire Fraud, and Bankruptcy FraudRead the Press Release
Greenbelt, Maryland – A federal jury convicted Charmaine Miesha Brown, age 45, of Lusby, Maryland, late yesterday for conspiracies to commit passport fraud and wire fraud, as well as bankruptcy fraud, and making a false statement in bankruptcy proceeding.
The guilty verdict was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Karen L. Brown Cleveland of the U.S. Department of the State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Washington Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Colleen Lawlor of the Social Security Administration - Office of Inspector General, Philadelphia Field Division; and Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari of the Department of Homeland Security.
As detailed in trial testimony, in January 2014, Charmaine Miesha Brown, a United States citizen, married Andrews Oduro Brown, a/k/a “Andrews Oduro,” a Ghanaian national who entered the United States in May 2013. In 2021, Oduro obtained legal permanent resident status in the United States through his marriage to Brown.
According to trial testimony, including testimony from Brown, and court documents, from December 2014 through April 2021, Brown and Oduro conspired to obtain United States passports for Oduro’s children, who were non-United States citizens, through false statements and fraudulent identity documents.
For example, the evidence established that on December 1, 2014, Brown submitted an application for a passport in the name of Brown’s child, Child C, who is a U.S. citizen, but bearing the photograph of Oduro’s child, Child A, who was born in Ghana and is not a U.S. citizen. After the application was approved, Child A traveled from Ghana to the United States using the fraudulently obtained U.S. passport. On March 16, 2015, Brown and Oduro applied for a passport in Child A’s own name and submitted a fraudulent Ghanaian birth certificate in support of the application, falsely stating that Brown was Child A’s birth mother. As detailed at trial, on March 17, 2020, Brown and Oduro applied for a passport in the name of Child B, Oduro’s non-U.S. citizen child, and again submitted a fraudulent Ghanaian birth certificate in support of the application, falsely stating that Brown was Child B’s birth mother. After the application was approved, Child B used the fraudulently obtained U.S. passport to travel into the U.S.
Further, the evidence proved that from August 2016 through April 2021, Brown and Oduro conspired to receive payments from the state of Maryland’s Child Care Scholarship Program to which they were not entitled. The Child Care Scholarship Program, formerly known as the Child Care Subsidy Program, provides reimbursement for childcare and direct payments to providers of childcare to low-income families. Brown falsely reported to the state of Maryland that a friend, Individual 1, was watching her children. Brown also falsely represented that Oduro was an “absent parent,” when in fact Oduro lived in the same home. In addition, the trial evidence established that Individual 1 visited the United States in 2011 to 2012 before returning to Ghana and could not have provided the childcare services. Instead, Oduro posed as Individual 1 and obtained payments from the state of Maryland between 2016 and 2021 to provide childcare to his and Brown’s own children .
Finally, according to trial testimony and court documents, on March 5, 2018, Brown and Oduro defrauded creditors and the bankruptcy trustee, by filing a fraudulent Chapter 7 bankruptcy petition in the United States Bankruptcy Court for the District of Maryland, using the name and partial social security number of Individual 1, seeking the discharge of thousands of dollars in debts and tax obligations to the state of Maryland that Oduro incurred using the name and PII of Individual 1. Court records show that Brown filled out the petition documents. On June 21, 2018, Oduro appeared at the discharge hearing in the bankruptcy court and identified himself as Individual 1, presenting a Pennsylvania identification that Brown and Oduro had fraudulently obtained in the name of Individual 1. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, as a result of the fraudulent bankruptcy petition in the name of Individual 1, Oduro and Brown caused the entry of an order discharging debt that Oduro incurred in the name of Individual 1.
Brown faces a maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit passport fraud; a maximum of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to commit wire fraud; a maximum of five years in prison for bankruptcy fraud; and a maximum of five years in prison for a false statement in a federal bankruptcy proceeding. U.S. District Judge Theodore D. Chuang has scheduled sentencing for Brown on July 23, 2024.
On December 14, 2023, Andrews Oduro Brown, age 41, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit passport fraud, aggravated identity theft, and bankruptcy fraud. Judge Chuang sentenced Oduro to 28 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release and ordered Oduro to pay restitution of $127,951.22.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General, and the Department of Homeland Security - Office of Inspector General for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorney Coreen Mao and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Gustavo Ruiz, who are prosecuting the federal case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Manhattan Fentanyl and Methamphetamine Trafficker Sentenced to 270 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that MOUNIR MRABET was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Jed S. Rakoff to 270 months in prison for trafficking wholesale quantities of fentanyl and methamphetamine in and around midtown Manhattan. On November 9, 2023, a jury convicted MRABET of narcotics conspiracy, narcotics trafficking, and a firearms offense.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “The defendant flooded the streets of New York with methamphetamine and fentanyl and kept a gun as part of his drug operations. He sold these dangerous drugs to other dealers in wholesale quantities and even stored and sold these drugs in hotel rooms with abject disregard for those he endangered. This sentence is a just punishment for an individual who chose to profit from destroying others and actively contributed to a drug crisis that continues to claim lives across our city and our nation.”
According to public filings and the evidence presented at trial:
From at least late 2021 to January 2023, MRABET coordinated with suppliers in Mexico and California to receive boxes of crystal methamphetamine and fentanyl in the mail. He then worked with co-conspirators to distribute wholesale quantities of these drugs to other drug dealers in New York City, and he kept a gun and used threats to promote his drug operations. For example, in October 2022, he texted a fellow dealer, “I will fucking shoot u one day,” and “Now bring me a pound.” MRABET’s voice was also captured on a video depicting stacks of cash, bundles of apparent drugs, and a revolver. Additional videos, photographs, and text messages confirmed that MRABET stored and sold drugs out of hotel rooms.
After MRABET was recorded selling drugs to an undercover detective, including fake oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl, law enforcement agents conducted a search of his Manhattan apartment and seized 24 pounds of crystal methamphetamine and, from the scaffolding outside his window, approximately half a pound of fentanyl powder.
The evidence at trial included the defendant’s own texts arranging sales to co-conspirators and texts from customers who described being sickened by his drugs. The evidence also included numerous videos and photographs of drugs and drug proceeds, including some that depicted MRABET pouring and weighing containers of crystal methamphetamine and wrapping and spritzing a scented spray on stacks of cash.
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In addition to the prison term, MRABET, 40, of New York, New York, was sentenced to five years of supervised release.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of Task Force Officers assigned to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, Homeland Security Investigations, the New York City Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jane Y. Chong and Edward C. Robinson Jr. are in charge of the prosecution.
Man sentenced to prison for international parental kidnapping of two small childrenRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On April 23, a man was sentenced to 16 months in federal prison for the international parental kidnapping of his two young daughters to Morocco and Turkey.
In August 2019, the children’s mother asked the defendant for a divorce. While the children’s mother was in the Dominican Republic, Hamilton Alexander Merilus, aka Salahudin Sabah Alexander Amhadulla-Merilus, 43, fraudulently obtained full custody of their two small children—then two and four. To fraudulently obtain custody of the children, Merilus lied to a Broward County Circuit Court judge claiming that the children’s mother had abandoned the family and he was unaware of her whereabouts.
While the children’s mother was in the Dominican Republic, Merilus sent her an audio message stating that she would never see her children again and that he would do his best to “disappear.”
When the children’s mother returned to the United States, she was unable to locate Merilus or their children. After she learned that Merilus had fraudulently obtained full custody of the children, she filed for and obtained joint and ultimately full custody of the two children; Merilus purposefully ignored the court’s orders.
On Nov. 7, 2022, Merilus left the United States and flew with the children to Morocco. After Moroccan authorities conducted a wellness check in July 2023, Merilus flew with the children to Antalya, Turkey to continue evading authorities.
During the international kidnapping, Merilus left the two small children behind in Morocco and Turkey on at least three occasions. In those instances, he traveled to the United States and claimed that the children were with their mother. On another occasion, Merilus said that they were with his mother in Jacksonville, Florida. Merilus was arrested in Arizona on Aug. 9, 2023.
On Oct. 5, 2023, after over four years apart, the two children now nine and seven, were reunited with their mother in Turkey.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida and Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI, Miami Field Office, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Raag Singhal. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Alexandra D. Comolli and Stephanie Hauser prosecuted this case.
FBI Miami investigated the case with assistance from the FBI’s Legal Attaché Offices in Ankara and Rabat.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, 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 the Project Safe Childhood initiative and for information regarding Internet safety, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-60154.
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Man Who Fled Scene after Contributing to Overdose Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
A man who distributed heroin and fentanyl to a victim who subsequently overdosed was sentenced today to more than 19 years in federal prison.
Jacob Lee Blauer, age 32, from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 29, 2023 guilty plea to distribution of a controlled substance resulting in serious bodily injury.
Evidence in the case established that on November 7, 2022, in Cedar Rapids, Blauer prepared a shot of heroin and fentanyl and gave it to another person. The victim used the drugs and immediately overdosed. Blauer left the scene. Emergency personnel arrived and revived the victim with Narcan. After this incident, Blauer continued to sell heroin and fentanyl.
Blauer was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Blauer was sentenced to 236 months’ imprisonment and must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Blauer 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 Devra T. Hake and was investigated as part of the Northern Iowa Heroin Initiative and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Drug Enforcement Administrative and the Cedar Rapids Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-CR-61. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Man Charged with Murder on Taos PuebloRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A man is facing federal charges for allegedly murdering his former roommate.
Zebadiah Romero, 35, a non-Indian, appeared in federal court for an initial appearance where the Court temporarily detained him pending a detention hearing, which is scheduled for April 25, 2024.
Court documents alleges that on October 30, 2023, Romero shot and killed John Doe, an enrolled member of the Taos Pueblo, in his residence on the Taos Pueblo.
Romero is charged with first degree murder and using and carrying a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, discharging said firearm.
If convicted, Romero faces up to life in prison.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today.
The Santa Fe Resident Agency of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Taos Pueblo Department of Safety and the Albuquerque Police Department. Assistant United States Attorneys Jesse Pecoraro and Mark Probasco are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Local nail salon owner sentenced to prison for placing arson device in competing salonRead the Press Release
CINCINNATI – A local nail salon owner was sentenced in U.S. District Court to 46 months in prison for attempting to set a competing nail salon in Monroe, Ohio, on fire.
Kim Lien Vu, 46, of Liberty Township, Ohio, admitted in her guilty plea in September 2023 that she conspired to commit malicious destruction via fire.
Vu, who owns her own nail salon, developed animosity towards individuals at a competing nail salon and, beginning in December 2022, approached her employee about a plot to exact revenge on the competing salon.
Vu and her employee, co-defendant Cierra Marie Bishop, 30, of Hamilton, Ohio, eventually discussed the idea of setting the other salon on fire. Bishop began work to design a remote-controlled incendiary device that could start a fire within a small box. The two women frequently texted about the plan, which they referred to as Job 1.
On Feb. 5, surveillance camera footage shows Bishop and a friend, co-defendant Makahla Ann Rennick, 19, of Hamilton, Ohio, entering the competitor salon. Rennick had made an appointment for a pedicure under the name “Katelynn,” at the direction of Vu for Rennick to get the latest nail appointment she can and to “Just use another name. Sound white.” Rennick is shown receiving her nail services.
Vu was traveling to or already at a property she owned in Virginia to have a ready alibi.
During Rennick’s appointment, Bishop entered and exited the salon, looking for a place to plant the device. Eventually, Bishop walked to the restroom area in the rear of the salon and tucked the device under a salon desk before leaving.
A salon employee then found the suspected device, which smelled like gasoline. The employee opened the package, seeing that it looked like an explosive device, and took it outside near the salon’s dumpsters. The employee later went back outside to check on the device and noticed that box had begun to catch on fire.
Monroe police officers and fire department responded to a call reporting a dumpster fire near the salon.
Vu was in constant contact with Bishop throughout the planning of the device.
The three women were indicted by a federal grand jury in February 2023. Bishop has pleaded guilty and is currently awaiting sentencing.
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; Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF); Shawn Gibson, Acting Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI); and Monroe Police Chief Bob Buchanan announced the sentence imposed on April 24 by U.S. District Judge Matthew W. McFarland. Assistant United States Attorney Timothy S. Mangan is representing the United States in this case.
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Livestock show secretary admits to nearly $200,000 embezzlement schemeRead the Press Release
CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas - A 67-year-old Sandia resident has pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud as part of a scheme to defraud the Nueces County Junior Livestock Show (NCJLS), announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Sara Rene Chapman worked for NCJLS as a secretary from 2010 until 2023. As part of her plea, she admitted that from approximately 2018 to 2023, she used NCJLS bank accounts to pay her own personal credit card bills through the use of wire transfers. The scheme resulted in a loss of approximately $172,069.17.
As part of her job, Chapman had access to the NCJLS bank accounts and was responsible for paying authorized NCJLS expenses. In 2018, Chapman began using the bank accounts to pay her monthly credit card bill and continued for over four years.
U.S. District Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos has set sentencing for July 23. At that time, Chapman faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine as well as full restitution to the NCJLS.
Chapman was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing.
FBI conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Martin is prosecuting the case.
Lexington Physician Pays $200,000 to Settle Civil Penalty Claims Stemming from his Alleged Failure to Retain Records Relating to Purchasing Schedule II Controlled SubstancesRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – James K. Robberson, M.D. (“Dr. Robberson), paid $200,000 to settle civil penalty claims stemming from allegations he violated the Comprehensive Drug Abuse Prevention and Control Act of 1970 (“Act”) and its regulations, announced United States Attorney Robert J. Troester.
During the relevant time, Dr. Robberson practiced medicine in Lexington, Oklahoma. As a registrant under the Act, Dr. Robberson was required to maintain controlled substance records as set forth in the Act and its implementing regulations.
Recordkeeping is a vital part of managing controlled substances. Complete and accurate records help avoid diversions and losses of controlled drugs. The record keeping requirements relating to Schedule II controlled substances are particularly vital because Schedule II controlled substances are those having a high potential for abuse that may lead to severe psychological or physical dependence.
The regulations implementing the Act require a registrant seeking to purchase Schedule II controlled substances to fill out the purchaser portion of a DEA Form-222, specify the descriptions and amounts of Schedule II substances being ordered, make a copy for the purchaser’s files, and provide the annotated form to the seller. When the order is filled, the purchaser is required to annotate his or her copy of the Form-222 with the date of receipt and the quantity or number of bulk containers received. The purchaser must retain a copy of each executed DEA Form-222. Failure to comply disrupts the closed system created by the Act, increases the potential for diversion, and subjects the registrant to civil monetary penalties.
The United States alleges that from May 5, 2021, to February 6, 2023, Dr. Robberson failed to maintain DEA Forms 222 for certain purchases of Schedule II controlled substances. To resolve these allegations, Dr. Robberson agreed to pay $200,000 to the United States.
In reaching this settlement, Dr. Robberson did not admit liability, and the government did not make any concessions about the legitimacy of the claims. The agreement allows the parties to avoid the delay, expense, inconvenience, and uncertainty involved in litigating the case.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Office of Diversion Control. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amanda R. Johnson and Ronald R. Gallegos prosecuted the case.
Las Cruces Man Guilty of Possessing Unregistered Short-Barreled Rifle and Illegally Receiving Ammunition While Under IndictmentRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A Las Cruces man was convicted by a federal jury of federal firearms and ammunition offenses including possession of a short-barreled AR-15.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on September 2, 2022, in connection with a homicide investigation, search warrants were executed by the Dona Ana County Sheriff’s Office on a residence Delbert Tyler Trevino, 32, was house sitting and a truck he had driven during that time. During the search, law enforcement officers recovered a short-barreled American Tactical, model Omni Hybrid, multicaliber rifle in the closet of the spare bedroom where Trevino was staying at the time.
It was later determined that the barrel of said rifle was approximately ten inches in length and that the rifle was not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
Prior to possessing the unregistered short-barreled rifle, Trevino was under indictment for three felony crimes in El Paso County, Texas. While under indictment, Trevino illegally purchased, and therefore received, 5.56mm and 9mm ammunition from Sportsman’s Warehouse in Las Cruces, New Mexico, on two separate occasions in July and August of 2022. During the execution of the search warrants on September 2, 2022, 5.56mm and 9mm ammunition matching the description of the ammunition Trevino purchased from Sportsman’s Warehouse were recovered from Trevino’s bedroom. Spent 9mm casings were also recovered from the property and the truck Trevino was driving.
The Court ordered that Trevino remain in detention pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, Trevino faces up to ten years in prison for the short-barreled rifle charge and up to five years in prison for each of the illegal receipt of ammunition charges. Trevino is subject to up to three years of supervised released following his term of imprisonment.
There is no parole in the federal system.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Glen Henderson, Inspector in Charge of the Phoenix Division of the Postal Inspection Service, made the announcement today.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated this case with assistance from the Doña Ana County Sheriff’s Office and the Las Cruces Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maria Y. Armijo and Ry Ellison are prosecuting the case.
The homicide investigation remains pending. If you have any information relating to this matter or other crimes committed by Trevino, please contact the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives at 1-888-ATF-TIPS or [email protected].
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La Crosse Man Sentenced to 7 Years for Drug Trafficking and Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Benjamin W. Thoreson, 43, La Crosse, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 7 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a felon and possessing methamphetamine for distribution. Thoreson pleaded guilty to these charges on February 1, 2024. He was also ordered to serve a three-year term of supervised release.
On August 2, 2023, Thoreson was arrested for violating the conditions of his state supervision and admitted to having a handgun in his waistband. The arresting officer recovered a loaded Ruger LCP .22 caliber handgun and 14 grams of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia in the backpack that Thoreson was carrying. Thoreson is prohibited from legally possessing a firearm because of prior felony convictions.
At sentencing Judge Peterson recognized that Thoreson struggled with addiction. Judge Peterson determined, however, that Thoreson’s chances of relapsing and returning to criminality was high, which made him a danger to society and required a longer period of incarceration.
The charges against Thoreson were the result of an investigation conducted by the La Crosse Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Corey Stephan prosecuted this case.
This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms.
Kenner Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug and Weapons ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA –ALTON GRAYSON, age 37, a resident of Kenner, La., pleaded guilty on April 18, 2024 before U.S. District Judge Eldon E. Fallon to possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of a substance containing methamphetamine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(B) and being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8).
According to court documents, in January of 2023, GRAYSON was pulled over by a Kenner Police Department officer for traffic violations. Inside GRAYSON’s car were large bags of multicolored pills containing methamphetamine that GRAYSON intended to sell. GRAYSON also possessed a stolen Kimber Model Ultra TLE II, .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol. GRAYSON is prohibited from possessing a firearm because of prior felony convictions, including a conviction for possession with intent to distribute heroin.
As to his drug trafficking conviction, GRAYSON faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 5 years up to a maximum sentence of 40 years imprisonment, up to a $5,000,000 fine, and at least four years of supervised release. As to his firearm conviction, GRAYSON faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 15 years, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to three years of supervised release. Each count also carries a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the Kenner Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David Berman of the Violent Crime Unit.
Justice Department and FTC Submit Joint Comment to FERC Explaining that Common Ownership by Investment Companies Can Raise Competition ConcernsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Antitrust Division and Federal Trade Commission (FTC) today jointly submitted a public comment to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) urging it to consider the competitive risks of common ownership when assessing acquisitions involving less than a controlling interest in competing firms.
As the Justice Department and FTC’s joint comment explains, competition is a core component of FERC’s “public interest” analysis in its Section 203 review. The joint comment states that partial acquisitions, including acquisitions involving common ownership in which individual investors hold non-controlling interests in firms that have a competitive relationship that could be affected by those joint holdings, can lessen competition in three ways. First, partial acquisitions can give the partial owner the ability to influence the competitive conduct of the target firm. Second, partial acquisitions can reduce incentives for firms to compete even absent direct control or influence. Third, partial acquisitions can facilitate an anticompetitive information exchange between competing firms by giving them or their common owners access to non-public, competitively sensitive information.
FERC is requesting public comments as it reviews its current policy on financial investment company ownership of electric utilities, specifically regarding FERC’s blanket authorizations for investment company ownership of public utilities under Section 203 of the Federal Power Act. Under its current policy, FERC assumes that certain transactions are in the public interest and grants blanket authorizations approving the transactions.
The agencies applaud FERC for undertaking this inquiry and encourage FERC to consider the competitive consequences of common ownership in deciding whether to revise its current blanket authorization policy.
Justice Department Seeks Injunction Against California Tax Return Preparer for Allegedly Filing Fraudulent ReturnsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department filed a civil complaint today in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of California against a California tax return preparer.
The complaint seeks to enjoin Maria Guitron, also known as Maria Lopez, both individually and doing business as Angel’s Bookkeeping & Tax Service, from owning or operating a tax return preparation business and preparing federal income tax returns for others.
The complaint alleges that Guitron and others at Angel’s Bookkeeping & Tax Service, which is in Modesto, have allegedly prepared tax returns for customers that falsely understated their federal income tax liabilities by fabricating businesses and business expenses and fabricating and inflating deductions for child, dependent and education expenses.
The complaint goes on to allege that from 2011 to 2019, the IRS sent Guitron at least 11 letters notifying her of issues with the tax returns she prepared or sought improvements in her preparation. The complaint also alleges the IRS previously found that Guitron had violated due diligence requirements when determining her customers’ eligibility for tax credits in 2013 and 2014, imposing fines of $23,000 against her in 2015. Despite repeated written warnings and prior fines, Guitron and Angel’s Bookkeeping & Tax Service allegedly continued to prepare and file thousands of false tax returns every year.
As the complaint states, the IRS reviewed tax returns from 2019 through 2023 and interviewed a random sample of 51 customers of Angel’s Bookkeeping & Tax Service from the 2019 tax year. According to the complaint, the IRS found that of those 51 customers, 38 had returns that understated their tax liabilities, resulting in approximately $103,474 in lost tax revenue to the United States from those returns alone. The complaint alleges that Guitron and Angel’s Bookkeeping & Tax Service have prepared and filed more than 2,000 tax returns each year since 2019, likely resulting in millions of dollars each year in direct financial harm to the United States in lost tax revenue. Guitron’s conduct also allegedly harmed customers by exposing them to statutory penalties and accruing interest for tax underpayments.
Deputy Assistant Attorney General David A. Hubbert of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
Return preparer fraud is one of the IRS’ Dirty Dozen Tax Scams and taxpayers seeking a return preparer should remain vigilant against dishonest tax preparers. The IRS has information on its website for choosing a tax return preparer and has launched a free directory of federal tax preparers. The IRS also offers guidance on the credentials and qualifications that taxpayers should seek from their return preparer.
In the past decade, the Justice Department’s Tax Division has obtained injunctions against hundreds of unscrupulous tax preparers. Information about these cases is available on the Justice Department’s website. An alphabetical listing of persons enjoined from preparing returns and promoting tax schemes can be found on this page. If you believe that one of the enjoined persons or businesses may be violating an injunction, please contact the Tax Division with details.
Guitron Complaint Filed.pdfJustice Department Recognizes Crime Victim Services Professionals and Survivors at 2024 National Crime Victims’ Service Awards CeremonyRead the Press Release
Assistant Attorney General Amy L. Solomon of the Office of Justice Programs and Director Kristina Rose of the Office for Victims of Crime today recognized eight individuals and organizations for their advocacy, innovation and research on behalf of victims of crime.
“We recognize the individuals and organizations represented here that go above and beyond to assist others in their time of crisis,” said Assistant Attorney General Solomon. “They are the ones who ensure that crime victims and survivors aren’t forgotten. They provide them with the support they need today and the encouragement and hope they will need tomorrow.”
The event’s theme, “How would you help? Options, services, and hopes for crime survivors,” is a call-to-action for society to create safe environments for crime victims to share what happened to them. By doing so, we’re able to offer support, options for life-saving services and, most importantly, hope.
“Since 1981, the nation has formally honored victim service providers and allied professionals, many of whom were driven to this work because of trauma they experienced personally,” said Director Rose. “It is an honor to recognize these individuals and organizations for dedicating themselves not only to making a difference to victims and survivors of crime, but to entire communities and society as a whole.”
The following is a list of the 2024 NCVRW award recipients:
- The Allied Professional Award recognizes individuals from a specific discipline that work alongside the victim assistance field. Recipients:
- Director Joan Meunier-Sham, MS, RN, of the Massachusetts Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner Program, Boston
- Jocelyn Mejia, social worker, Imperial County Department of Social Services, Children and Families Division, El Centro, California
- The Building Knowledge Through Research Award recognizes individual researchers or research teams that made a significant contribution to the nation’s understanding of crime victim issues. Recipients:
- Michelle S Ballan, Ph.D., MSW, Professor and Associate Dean for Research, School of Social Welfare and Director, Leadership Education in Neurodevelopmental and related Disabilities Center, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York
- Hope Research Center, The University of Oklahoma, Tulsa, Oklahoma
- The National Crime Victim Service Award honors extraordinary efforts to provide direct services to crime victims. Recipients:
- Angela McCown, LMFT, Director, Victim Services Division, Texas Department of Criminal Justice, Austin, Texas
- Herman Millholland, Independent Consultant, Millholland & Associates, Los Angeles
- The Survivor Voices Award honors crime victims and survivors whose perseverance and determination in the aftermath of victimization was the catalyst for implementing. Recipient:
- Aswad Thomas, MSW, Vice President, Alliance for Safety and Justice & National Director of Crime Survivors for Safety and Justice, Atlanta
- Tomorrow’s Leader Award honors a youth who has dedicated their efforts to supporting survivors. Recipient:
- Elijah Lee, Youth Activist, Hear Our Voices, Virginia
During National Crime Victims’ Rights Week, victim advocacy organizations, community groups as well as state, local and Tribal agencies traditionally host rallies, candlelight vigils and other events to raise awareness of victims’ rights and services.
To learn more about NCVRW and past award recipients, visit www.ovc.ojp.gov/ncvrw.
- The Allied Professional Award recognizes individuals from a specific discipline that work alongside the victim assistance field. Recipients:
Iowa Nurse Practitioner Agrees to Pay over $50,000 to Resolve Suit Alleging Fraudulent Durable Medical Equipment (DME) Prescriptions, KickbacksRead the Press Release
Ashley Brown, DNP, ARNP, from Des Moines, Iowa, has agreed to pay $52,560 to the United States to resolve allegations that she violated the False Claims Act, 31 U.S.C. § 3729, by signing hundreds of medically unnecessary prescriptions for expensive orthotic braces in exchange for kickback payments of $20 per patient. The full claims against Brown are contained in a Civil Complaint filed earlier this month in the United States District Court in Cedar Rapids.
“Our office will aggressively pursue any medical providers that seek to profit by outsourcing their medical decision-making,” said Timothy T. Duax, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Iowa. “We will continue to work with our federal and state partners to identify and hold these providers accountable to the public.”
The complaint alleged that from approximately April 17, 2020, to May 19, 2021, Brown, an advanced registered nurse practitioner, knowingly caused the submission of over $1 million in false claims to Medicare. Specifically, the complaint alleged that Brown wrote hundreds of prescriptions for orthotic braces that were unreasonable, not medically necessary, and in contravention of both state and federal law. The complaint refers to several patients who stated that they did not know Brown and did not need or request the orthotic braces Brown prescribed to them, including an Elkhart resident to whom Brown prescribed a left knee brace even though the patient’s left leg had been amputated years prior.
The complaint alleged that Brown spent as little as nine seconds reviewing patient records before approving the braces. Brown is alleged to have falsely represented she established valid prescriber/patient relationships when, in fact, she had no contact with her ‘patients’ at all. The complaint also alleged Brown received $20 per patient reviewed, sometimes resulting in Brown receiving hundreds of dollars for mere minutes of review.
The claims asserted against Brown are allegations only; there was no determination of liability.
The case was handled by Assistant United States Attorney Brandon J. Gray and was investigated by the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 1:24-cv-00036.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Investment Professional Indicted on Multi-Million-Dollar Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Craig Allen, executive officer of C.M. Allen Capital Management, Inc., has been indicted on charges arising from a multi-million-dollar fraud scheme that defrauded investors across the United States.
“Allen abused his clients’ trust by allegedly stealing millions of dollars to support his lavish lifestyle,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “The defendant deceived and falsified documents to conceal his thefts to provide his investors with a false sense of financial security. We will continue to prosecute individuals who cheat investors out of their hard-earned money.”
“While it is easy to dismiss financial fraud cases as being almost benign because of their lack of violence, there is, however, a very real victimization felt and lives are changed forever,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “The FBI is hopeful that Allen’s indictment will send a strong message to anyone who would try to take advantage of unsuspecting investors for their own personal greed.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the indictment, and other information presented in court: Allen, the sole shareholder and executive officer of C.M. Allen Capital Management, Inc., allegedly defrauded dozens of investors across the country through his management of the Cheetah Fund. Around February 2019, prospective investors received documents that reported Cheetah achieved annual investment returns as high as seventy-three percent.
Once invested in Cheetah, clients received fraudulent monthly account statements showing false investment gains, and tax documents reporting the false gains. Allen allegedly misled investors to believe the tax forms were prepared by Cheetah’s purported auditor at an accounting firm. But the Fund did not employ an auditor and Allen reported gains when the Fund continuously lost money. In addition to these misrepresentations, Allen used money from new investors to repay prior investors, and to fund his lifestyle. Cheetah investors lost more than $7 million because of Allen’s investment fraud scheme.
Craig Murfee Allen, 53, of Atlanta, Georgia, was indicted by a federal grand jury on February 23, 2024. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) also provided valuable assistance. The SEC has filed a separate civil case, SEC v. Craig Allen, Case Number 1:24-cv-01771-SDG.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Natasha Cooper and Christopher J. Huber are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Illinois Man Sentenced to 96 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
HAMMOND – Oliver Coverson, 41 years old, of Calumet City, Illinois, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after pleading guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud and one count of Aggravated Identity Theft, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
Coverson was sentenced to 96 months in prison, 2 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay $1,013,543.86 in restitution to the victims of the offenses.
According to documents in the case, between May 2019 and December 2020, Coverson supervised and executed a scheme to fraudulently obtain over $3.3 million from the proceeds of 17 stolen business checks. Coverson and his co-conspirators registered fictitious corporations with the Indiana and Illinois Secretaries of State, opened fraudulent corporate bank accounts, and deposited the stolen checks into the fraudulent accounts. Coverson’s actions contributed to the loss of $1,013,543.86 to multiple banks and businesses.
This case was investigated by United States Postal Inspection Service, with assistance from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Office of Inspector General, and the Lake County Sheriff’s Office. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Abizer Zanzi and Zachary D. Heater.
Illinois Man Pleads Guilty in Odometer Tampering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
An Illinois man pleaded guilty today in connection with a years-long fraud conspiracy to roll back the odometer readings on hundreds of used cars.
According to court documents, Laith Ghzo, 37, of Oak Lawn, admitted that he purchased high-mileage vehicles at auto auctions and caused the odometers of those vehicles to be rolled back to false, lower mileage readings. Ghzo also admitted that he then altered the rolled back vehicles’ title paperwork to match the false and lower mileage readings, and subsequently submitted those altered titles to the Illinois Secretary of State to obtain “clean” titles reflecting the false, lower mileage. With the false and lower mileage titles, Ghzo then sold the vehicles to other unsuspecting car dealers, who then sold them to unsuspecting consumers.
“According to the National Highway Traffic Administration, odometer fraud causes more than $1 billion per year in losses to consumers,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Odometer fraud is a crime that predominately affects the economically vulnerable, who are simply looking for transportation to work or to school but who cannot afford to purchase a new car. We thank our partners for bringing this matter to our attention.”
Ghzo pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Oct. 1 and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s Office of Odometer Fraud Investigation and U.S. Postal Inspection Service are investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Joshua D. Rothman and Thomas S. Rosso of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kartik Raman for the Northern District of Illinois are prosecuting the case.
Houston Man Sentenced after Traveling to Tulsa to Engage in Sex with a MinorRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge John F. Heil, III sentenced Lee Finch, II, 49, of Houston, Texas, for Coercion and Enticement of a Minor and Travel[ing] with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct. Judge Heil ordered that Finch serve
180 months imprisonment, followed by lifetime supervised release. Upon his release, Finch will also be required to register
as a sex offender.According to court records, Finch started coercing and abusing the 12-year-old victim in Jun. 2016 during “sleepovers” at his house. In Sep. 2016, Finch moved to Houston, Texas. He would travel back to Tulsa to have sexual intercourse with the minor. From Jun. 2017 through Feb. 2018, the abuse continued while the minor victim lived with Finch and his family in Houston, Texas. When the minor victim relocated back to Tulsa, Finch continued the abuse through sexually explicit text messages that corresponded with flight records back to Tulsa.
In Apr. 2018 the minor victim’s mother found the text messages. She reported the sexually explicit messages to the Tulsa Police Department (TPD). In Dec. 2018, Finch was charged in Tulsa County District Court with the State charge of lewd or indecent proposal to a child and ordered to not have contact with the minor. Despite the no-contact order, Finch encouraged the minor to lie to law enforcement and continue their “relationship.”
Finch pleaded guilty in Jun. 2020 to a State charge of Using a Computer to Violate Oklahoma Statutes. He was sentenced to five years in the custody of the Department of Corrections, with all time suspended. Finch was ordered to not have contact with the victim but continued to contact the minor victim.
In Apr. 2021, the mother and minor victim returned to TPD. The minor disclosed the full extent of the “relationship” with Finch. The victim admitted to being dishonest with law enforcement and fully believed they were in a “relationship.”
Federal charges for Coercion and Enticement of a Minor were filed on Apr. 18, 2023. As the investigation continued, Finch was additionally charged with Travel[ing] with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct. On Sep. 13, 2023, Finch pled guilty to Coercion and Enticement of a Minor and Travel[ing] with Intent to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct. At sentencing, he was ordered to serve 15 years in federal custody in the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
Finch will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The Homeland Security Investigations and Tulsa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Dunn prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page.
Four indicted for scheme to smuggle people into the United States for profitRead the Press Release
Seattle – A federal grand jury in Seattle has indicted four people for a conspiracy to smuggle non-citizens across the northern border for profit, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. The group has been connected to two smuggling episodes in November and December 2023. The four named in the indictment were arrested Seattle, Chicago, and Santa Rosa, California. They will be transported to Seattle for arraignment in the weeks ahead.
According to a criminal complaint and the indictment, the four conspirators have been linked to two smuggling events involving eight different citizens of India. The defendants are charged with conspiracy to bring in and transport non-citizens for profit, eight counts of bringing a non-citizen into the U.S. at a place other than a designated Port of Entry and eight counts of attempted illegal transportation of a non-citizen for financial gain.
The defendants are: Rajat Rajat, 26, of Santa Rosa, California who was arrested in Chicago; Sushil Kumar, 35, of Santa Rosa, California; Bobby Joe Green, 67, of Santa Rosa, California; and Sneha, 20, a citizen of India who is in the U.S. on a student visa and goes by just her last name. She was arrested in Renton and released on an appearance bond.
According to records filed in the case, on November 27, 2023, a motion-activated camera caught multiple people jumping a fence near the Boundary Village Apartments. The fence is a quarter mile east of Peace Arch Park. Border Patrol agents near the apartments saw five people run to a white minivan. The vehicle was stopped by Border Patrol. Five citizens of India were in the van with Bobby Joe Green as the driver. The investigation revealed that Kumar and Rajat directed the non-citizens on where and how to cross the border, and that Rajat paid Green to transport the non-citizens from the border. Rajat asked for monetary payments from the non-citizens for being smuggled into the U.S.
Similarly, in December 2023, Rajat contacted three citizens of India in Peace Arch Park and allegedly directed them how to cross through the park and get into a car driven by Sneha. The car was stopped, and the non-citizens were interviewed. They indicated they had promised to make monetary payments to be smuggled into the U.S. Rajat was picked up near the border after Sneha and the three Indian nationals had been taken into custody.
All of the charges in the indictment are punishable by up to ten years in prison.
The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the U.S. Border Patrol.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Jin Kim.
rajat_indictment.pdfFour More Co-Conspirators Charged in Alleged Nationwide Abusive-Trust Tax Shelter SchemeRead the Press Release
A superseding indictment was returned yesterday by a federal grand jury in Denver charging four people with conspiring with Larry Conner and Timothy McPhee to defraud the IRS. Connor and McPhee had previously been indicted for conspiring to defraud the IRS related to the same scheme in September 2023.
According to the superseding indictment, from February 2018 until September 2023, Marcia Predmore, Roderick Prescott, Suzanne Thompson and Weldon Wulstein allegedly conspired with Conner, McPhee and others to promote, sell and implement an abusive-trust tax shelter scheme. The superseding indictment further charges Thompson and Wulstein with assisting in the preparation of false income tax returns on behalf of clients who used the shelter. Predmore and McPhee had previously been charged with tax evasion related to their use of the tax shelter to conceal their own income from the IRS. Conner and McPhee had also previously been charged with assisting in the preparation of false income tax returns on behalf of clients who used the shelter.
According to the superseding indictment, the shelter was marketed as a way for business owners to avoid paying federal income taxes on nearly all of their business income. Conner and McPhee allegedly instructed clients to use the fraudulent tax shelter by assigning nearly all of their business income to a series of sham trusts and a purported “private family foundation” to create the illusion that the income did not belong to the client. Conner and McPhee then allegedly referred the clients to handpicked tax-return preparers for the preparation of false individual income tax returns that did not report the income assigned to the trusts or that was donated to the foundation. In reality, however, the clients allegedly retained full control and use of that income. Although the income assigned to the sham trusts was reported on tax returns for the trusts, those tax returns allegedly offset the income with improper deductions, including donations, to report $0 in taxes owed.
As to Prescott, the superseding indictment charges that through his business, The Stewardship Institute, Prescott promoted the “private family foundation” that was advertised as the final step of the tax shelter. Prescott allegedly taught about the foundation at workshops he hosted with Conner, McPhee, Predmore and others. Prescott allegedly advised clients how to spend the funds “donated” to their private family foundations for their own personal use and to disguise the transactions to make them appear charitable. Prescott also allegedly oversaw the preparation of the instruments used to create the so-called private family foundations.
The superseding indictment alleges that Conner, McPhee and Predmore referred clients to Thompson for bookkeeping services and Wulstein for return preparation services. Thompson allegedly operated a bookkeeping firm called The CFO Agency; Wulstein allegedly operated a return preparation firm called Wulstein Financial Services. Thompson and her employees allegedly prepared financial statements for clients who used the abusive-trust tax shelter and sent those financial statements to Wulstein for the preparation of false tax returns.
If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for conspiring to defraud the United States. Conner, McPhee, Thompson and Wulstein also face a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of assisting in the preparation of a false tax return. McPhee and Predmore face a maximum sentence of five years in prison for each count of tax evasion. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation is investigating the case.
Trial Attorneys Amanda R. Scott and Lauren K. Pope and Senior Litigation Counsel Corey J. Smith of the Tax Division are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Four Admit Bank Fraud Linked to Stolen MailRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Four people from Warren County, Missouri have pleaded guilty to federal charges related to the theft of mail, checks and other personal information.
Elijah Briggs, 42, pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court in St. Louis to three counts of bank fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft. Jessica Kirkpatrick, 44, pleaded guilty in a separate hearing Wednesday to two counts of bank fraud.
Reuben Kim, 36, pleaded guilty April 2 to two counts of bank fraud. Holly Naylor, 41, pleaded guilty in August to two counts of bank fraud.
Briggs admitted stealing U.S. mail from mailboxes and blank checks from homes while working as a contractor. In 2019, he accessed a couple’s online bank account and transferred money to a PayPal account and accounts in the names of other victims of identity theft. He also stole a check from the couple’s neighbor’s mailbox and deposited the altered check, causing a loss of $1,264.
Briggs was later caught with stolen mail belonging to dozens of people, more than 30 stolen debit or credit cards and over 100 checks in the names of other people. The total dollar amount on the stolen or fraudulent checks was $116,279. Briggs also had a notebook containing the names and personally identifiable information of several other people.
In 2021, Briggs stole and used a credit card from the home of his employer’s client, and then tried to cash his payroll check multiple times. He also created fraudulent checks that were deposited by Kirkpatrick, Naylor and Kim. His laptop contained images of fraudulent checks totaling $35,098.
In October of 2021, St. Charles Police Department officers stopped Briggs and found drugs, blank check paper and stolen or fraudulent checks totaling $40,423.
In their guilty pleas, Kirkpatrick, Naylor and Kim admitted cashing fraudulent checks created by Briggs.
Bank fraud is punishable by up to 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine or both prison and a fine. Each aggravated identity theft charge is punishable by two years in prison, consecutive to any other charge.
This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Warren County Sheriff’s Department, the St. Charles Police Department, the St. Peters Police Department, and the Wentzville Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Klocke prosecuted the case.