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Friday 19 April 2024
Gang Member Who Posed on Snapchat with Firearms Sentenced to over Two Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today to illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition while under house arrest for four state firearm charges.
Dumari Shakur Scarlett-Dixon, 22, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In October 2023, Scarlett-Dixon pleaded guilty to being an unlawful drug user in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
In 2021, as part of an investigation into violent crime in Boston, a Snapchat account was intercepted through a court order. Among the communications intercepted was a group “chat” comprised of members of rival gangs who regularly displayed images and videos of themselves in possession of firearms. Scarlett-Dixon, a member of Heath Street, a violent Boston gang, participated in the group chat. At the time he was intercepted, Scarlett-Dixon was on pre-trial release for four separate unlawful possession of a firearm cases in state court. As a condition of his release for those offenses, Scarlett-Dixon had been placed on home confinement with GPS monitoring at his grandmother’s residence in Weymouth. Scarlett-Dixon displayed images of himself on Snapchat in possession of firearms at his grandmother’s residence:
During a September 2021 search of Scarlett-Dixon’s grandmother’s residence, a Bersa 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol, 59 rounds of 9 millimeter and .380 caliber ammunition, and blunts of marijuana were seized from Scarlett-Dixon’s bedroom.
As a condition of his supervised release, Scarlett-Dixon was ordered to stay away from Heath Street gang members and the Bromley Heath housing development.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Division; and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division made the announcement. Special assistance in the investigation was provided by the Boston, Quincy and Lynn Police Departments and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Pohl of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
The operation was conducted is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. More information on the OCDETF program is available here: https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf/about-ocdetf.
Four District Men Indicted on 76 Federal Counts for Armed Carjacking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A 76-count superseding indictment was unsealed in U.S. District Court today charging four District men with conspiring to commit a total of 33 carjackings in Washington D.C. and Maryland between December 2022, and June 2023. The charges build on a previous superseding indictment that had charged three of the men with 33-counts covering a total of 11 carjackings. The most recent superseding indictment charges Cedae Hardy, 19, and newly added defendant Keyonte Rice, 19, with an attempted carjacking resulting in death where, during a failed January 4, 2023, carjacking, a 39-year-old man was shot and killed in the parking lot of an apartment complex in the 2600 block of Kirkwood Place in Hyattsville, Maryland. The suspect vehicle allegedly used in this homicide, which was taken in another armed carjacking on January 3, 2023 also allegedly committed by Hardy and Rice, was set on fire a few hours after the homicide.
Additional charges include conspiracy to commit carjacking; carjacking; attempted carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury; brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence; conspiracy to commit arson; aiding and abetting; interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle; and possession, sale, or receipt of a stolen vehicle.
The indictment was announced today by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
According to the indictment, between December 2022 and June 2023, Cedae Hardy, 19, Landrell Jordan III, 19, Malik Norman, 20, and Keyonte Rice, 19, and other uncharged co‑conspirators, conspired to carjack victims of their vehicles at gunpoint around the District of Columbia and Maryland and to sell the carjacked vehicles for profit or use them in future carjackings.
All four of the defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit carjacking. Hardy, aka “Peso,” is charged, alone and with various members of the conspiracy, in 24 of the carjacking counts. In addition to the January 4, 2023, attempted carjacking resulting in death, alleged to have been committed by Hardy and Rice, Hardy is further charged with attempted carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury for an April 18, 2023, carjacking in Hyattsville, Maryland, in which Hardy allegedly shot a rideshare driver multiple times at close range.
LEAD CHARGES AS OF APRIL 19, 2024
Defendant
Charges
Cedae Hardy
- Conspiracy to Commit Carjacking (1 count)
- Carjacking (20 counts)
- Attempted Carjacking Resulting in Death (1 count)
- Attempted Carjacking Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury (1 count)
- Attempted Carjacking (2 counts)
- Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence (20 counts)
- 9 Additional Carjackings or Attempted Carjackings Charged as Overt Acts in the Conspiracy
- Conspiracy to Commit Arson (1 count)
Landrell Jordan III
- Conspiracy to Commit Carjacking (1 count)
- Carjacking (3 counts)
- Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence (3 counts)
- 1 Additional Carjacking Charged as an Overt Act in the Conspiracy
Malik Norman
- Conspiracy to Commit Carjacking (1 count)
- Carjacking (5 counts)
- Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence (4 counts)
- 1 Additional Carjackings Charged as an Overt Act in the Conspiracy
Keyonte Rice
- Conspiracy to Commit Carjacking (1 count)
- Carjacking (5 counts)
- Attempted Carjacking Resulting in Death (1 count)
- Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence (5 counts)
- 4 Additional Carjackings or Attempted Carjackings Charged as Overt Acts in the Conspiracy
- Conspiracy to Commit Arson (1 count)
All four defendants are in custody.
Attempted carjacking resulting in death, as charged in this superseding indictment, carries a statutory maximum of life. Attempted carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury carries a statutory maximum of 25 years in prison. Carjacking carries a statutory maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. Brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence carries a mandatory minimum term of seven years in prison. Interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle and sale or receipt of a stolen vehicle each carry a statutory maximum of ten years in prison. Conspiracy to commit carjacking carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison. The charges also carry potential financial penalties. The maximum statutory sentence for federal offenses is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only. The sentence imposed will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office Violent Crimes Task Force and the Metropolitan Police Department Carjacking Task Force. Valuable assistance was provided by the Prince George’s County, Montgomery County, Takoma Park, and Hyattsville, Maryland, Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith Mayer-Dempsey and Paul V. Courtney, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Toth, of the Federal Major Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
23cr296
Former Police Officer Arrested for Online Enticement of A MinorRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, FL –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest and filing of a criminal complaint charging Josue Garriga III (34, Jacksonville) with online enticement of a minor child to engage in criminal sexual activity. Garriga is a former police officer with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
According to the criminal complaint, Garriga met the child victim at church around September 2023 and began pursuing a relationship with her via text messaging and WhatsApp. Messages recovered from the victim’s phone revealed Garriga sent communications expressing his sexual interest in the child. Garriga went to the victim’s house late at night on several occasions and visited her at a coffee shop on March 6, 2024. During the March 6 encounter, while in his vehicle outside the coffee shop, Garriga grabbed the child’s hand, put her hand down his pants, and requested the child perform oral sex on him. When the child refused, Garriga asked the child to kiss his genitalia and would not let the child leave until the child did so.
A complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. If convicted, Garriga faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force, to include Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Cofer Taylor and Kelly S. Milliron.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Former Employee of Beaver County Health Care Facility Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison Following Conviction on Federal Hate Crime Charges Related to Assaults Against Disabled ResidentsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Beaver County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court today for conspiring to commit and carrying out hate crimes against numerous severely disabled victims, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan sentenced Tyler Smith, 34, of New Brighton, Pennsylvania, to 120 months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Smith previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
“Today’s sentencing holds Tyler Smith accountable for the abhorrent and degrading assaults he and Zachary Dinell carried out against more than a dozen victims—simply because they were disabled,” U.S. Attorney Olshan said. “Hate crimes target and terrorize not just individuals but whole communities. Our hope is that today’s result brings some measure of closure to the victims’ families who have shouldered the crushing burden of Smith’s and Dinell’s conduct for so many years. This office and our partners at the FBI will continue to work every day to give voice to the voiceless and protect the most vulnerable members of our communities.”
“I hope today’s decision brings some comfort to the families impacted by this egregious crime,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek. “Today’s sentencing shows there is no room for hatred, and crimes against our most vulnerable citizens will be met with the force of justice. The FBI and our partners stand committed to safeguarding the rights and dignity of every individual.”
According to admissions made during Smith’s plea hearing, he and co-defendant Zachary Dinell were employees of an in-patient health care facility located in New Brighton, Pennsylvania. Residents of the facility suffered from a range of severe physical, intellectual, and emotional disabilities, and required assistance with all activities of daily life, including bathing, using the bathroom, oral hygiene, feeding, and dressing. As members of the facility’s Direct Care Staff, Smith admitted that he and Dinell were responsible for providing this daily assistance to residents.
From approximately June 2016 to September 2017, Smith admitted that he and Dinell engaged in a conspiracy to commit hate crimes against a total of 13 residents of the facility because of the residents’ actual or perceived disabilities. Many of the victims required the use of a wheelchair. Smith and Dinell carried out assaults in a variety of ways, including by punching and kicking residents, rubbing Purell hand sanitizer in their eyes, spraying mouthwash in their eyes and mouths, and, in one instance, removing a resident’s compression stocking in a manner intended to inflict pain. Several of these assaults were recorded on Dinell’s cell phone. In one instance, Smith admitted jumping on top of a 13-year-old minor while the child was lying prone on his bed with the lights off, and while Dinell filmed the incident on his cellular phone. Smith further acknowledged that immediately after recording the video, Dinell texted the video to him.
As part of the conspiracy, Smith also admitted that he and Dinell exchanged graphic text messages in which they expressed their animus toward the disabled residents, shared photographs and videos of residents, described their assaults, and encouraged each other’s continued abuse of residents.
Smith further admitted that he and Dinell were able to avoid detection by, among other things, exploiting their one-on-one access to residents of the facility and the fact that the victims were non-verbal and could not report the defendant’s alleged abuse. Due to their physical disabilities, the residents also were not able to defend themselves against the assaults.
Zachary Dinell previously pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment, followed by three years’ supervised release.
United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan and Assistant United States Attorneys Carolyn J. Bloch and Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the charges against Smith and Dinell.
Former CEO of Utah Charity Sentenced to Prison for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A Utah man was sentenced yesterday to one year and one day in prison for evading taxes on $1.3 million he was paid as part of a secret arrangement with a purported donor to the charity where he worked.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Ashley Robinson, of Farmington, was the CEO of a Salt Lake City-based charity that collected and distributed medical supplies overseas. As CEO, Robinson entered into a secret arrangement with a purported donor, Gurcharan “Jazzy” Singh. Singh provided medical supplies to the charity, making it appear as if these supplies had been donated to the charity. Robinson then arranged for the charity to sell the goods to a third-party, passing most of the sale proceeds back to Singh. As compensation, Singh then paid Robinson up to 10% of the total proceeds.
From 2013 through 2019, Robinson personally received $1.3 million from this scheme. Robinson did not report this income on his federal tax returns or pay tax on it. Instead, he used the funds to pay off the mortgage on his principal residence and to buy multiple luxury vehicles, including a Maserati, a Mercedes Benz and an Audi for a co-worker.
Robinson caused a tax loss to the IRS of $485,982.
In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Jill N. Parish for the District of Utah ordered Robinson to pay approximately $485,982 in restitution to the United States.
Singh was separately prosecuted in the Central District of California and sentenced to serve one year and one day in prison.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Boris Bourget of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan N. Reeves for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
Final Defendant Sentenced in Bribery Scheme Involving District Tax OfficialRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Arman Amirshahi, 46, was sentenced today to three years of probation and 200 hours of community service for paying bribes to a District tax official to evade his tax obligations. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, D.C. Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas, and the D.C. Chief Financial Officer Glen Lee.
Amirshahi was part of one of the several sophisticated and long-term bribery schemes helmed by co-conspirators Anthony Merritt, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, and Vincent Slater, former manager in the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR). In furtherance of the schemes, four business owners—including Amirshahi, Charles Zhou, Andre De Moya, and Davoud Jafari – paid cash bribes, through Merritt as middleman, to Slater, to evade their business taxes.
A former employee of the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, Merritt held himself out as a permit and licensing expediter and introduced the business owners to the scheme. For a cut of the bribe payments, Merritt handled communications with the business owners. Merritt ferried their cash bribe payments to Slater, and allowed Slater to maintain apparent distance from them as he fraudulently reduced their liabilities or intervened on their behalf within OTR. Slater resigned from OTR in December 2017, concluding the schemes, each of which had lasted over five years. Through their actions, the co-conspirators deprived the District of Columbia of approximately $3 million.
Each of the defendants was convicted for their roles in this conduct. Amirshahi and Zhou pleaded guilty to bribery in January 2019 and February 2019, respectively. In 2019, Slater, De Moya, and Merritt were charged in one indictment, and Slater, Jafari, and Merritt were charged in a second indictment. Slater pleaded guilty post-indictment in June 2020.
In June 2023, a jury convicted De Moya and Merritt of conspiracy, bribery, and wire fraud. In September 2023, Merritt pleaded guilty to the second indictment in which he was charged. In October 2023, the jury convicted Jafari of conspiracy, bribery, and wire fraud.
Merritt was sentenced to 110 months in prison for his central role in facilitating the separate conspiracies. For their respective roles, De Moya received a sentence of 30 months; Slater received a sentence of 27 months; and Jafari received a sentence of 24 months. Zhou, the first co-conspirator to cooperate with the government, was sentenced to five years of probation. Each defendant also was ordered to pay restitution and forfeit their ill-gotten gains, where applicable.
The businesses that benefited from the scheme included the concert venue Echostage as well as downtown bars and nightclubs such as Eyebar (later renamed Eden), Ultrabar, L8 Lounge, Barcode, Café Asia, Umaya, Zeba Bar, and Muse Lounge.
In addition to the probation and community service, Amirshahi was ordered to serve the first year of the sentence under home confinement except for employment, religious ceremony, treatment programs or medical appointments, or emergencies with notification to the probation office.
U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of the agencies who investigated the case, including the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General. He also credited the substantial assistance from the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Office of Integrity and Oversight. In addition, U.S. Attorney Graves expressed appreciation for the efforts of Paralegal Specialists Liliana Villamizar, Amanda Rhode, and Mariela Andrade, and former Paralegal Specialists Aisha Keys and Michon Tart.
Finally, Graves acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Macey, Emily Miller, and Timothy Visser, who prosecuted these cases through trial, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Gaston and former AUSA Amanda Vaughn, who participated in the underlying investigations and earlier court proceedings.
18cr0335
Federal Jury Finds Bloods Gang Member Guilty of Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal jury found a Brooklyn Center man guilty of possessing a firearm as a felon, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to the evidence presented at trial, in the early morning hours of September 28, 2019, Dante Jospeh Tyus, 30, a member of the Minneapolis Bloods street gang, was stopped by the Minnesota State Patrol for driving erratically. Tyus, who showed obvious signs of intoxication, was arrested for driving under the influence. Tyus’s vehicle was towed and impounded. After being booked at the Hennepin County Jail, Tyus made a series of recorded calls expressing concern to his girlfriend and enlisting her assistance in recovering a firearm that was hidden inside his vehicle. Law enforcement obtained a warrant to search the vehicle and recovered a 9mm semiautomatic handgun hidden inside a door panel.
Because Tyus has prior felony convictions in Hennepin County, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
Following a four-day trial in U.S. District Court before Judge Susan Richard Nelson, Tyus was found guilty of possessing a firearm as a felon. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Minnesota State Patrol, and the Minneapolis Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carla J. Baumel and Allen A. Slaughter tried the case.Federal Jury Convicts Charvez Brooks After Trial for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – After a four-day trial, a federal jury has found Charvez Brooks, age 35, of Gwynn Oak, Maryland, guilty of illegal possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon, in violation of federal law.
The conviction was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) Baltimore Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimi of the ATF - Washington Field Division; Commissioner Richard Worley of the Baltimore Police Department (“BPD”), and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates.
According to the evidence presented at trial, in the days following the August 2019 shooting of an off-duty Baltimore police sergeant, Charvez Brooks was seen by a BPD Northeast District patrol officer driving a vehicle matching the description of the vehicle suspected of involvement in the shooting. Although Brooks was not involved in the shooting, he immediately fled when he saw the police, leading them on a 10-minute high-speed chase through northeast Baltimore. According to testimony at trial, during the flight, Brooks threw a loaded firearm out the window of his car into a parking lot on Belair Road. Two people, who were standing at a nearby bus stop, saw the firearm get thrown from the car and promptly flagged down police, who recovered the gun. As detailed in trial testimony, during a subsequent interview with the Baltimore Police, Brooks acknowledged that he threw the gun out of the window of his car. At the time of the incident, Brooks had previous felony convictions in Baltimore City, Baltimore County and Howard County Circuit Courts for burglary, assault, theft, and drug possession.
Brooks faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for illegal possession of a firearm. U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has not yet scheduled sentencing.
In August 2020, Brooks was convicted after a five-day federal trial for conspiracy to commit a commercial robbery in connection with the robbery of a gas station owner in January 2018. Brooks’ co-defendants were charged with the robbery in May 2018, but Brooks was not identified as the third participant until sometime later. Brooks was subsequently sentenced to 124 months in federal prison for that crime.
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.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF, BPD and Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anatoly Smolkin and Ari Evans, who are prosecuting the federal case. He also recognized the assistance of the Paralegal Specialist Kristy L. Penny.
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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Fargo Man Convicted of Possession of a Machinegun and an Unregistered SilencerRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced today that on April 11, 2024, Patrick Opdahl, age 24, from Fargo, North Dakota, appeared before U.S. District Court Chief Judge Peter Welte and after three days of trial, a jury found Opdahl guilty of Possession of a Machinegun and Possession of an Unregistered Silencer. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled.
On February 1, 2023, law enforcement was called to the residence of Patrick Opdahl that he shared with his parents. Law enforcement learned that during an argument with his parents, Opdahl pulled out a firearm and shot it into the ceiling. While his parents were able to escape unharmed, Opdahl refused to surrender leading to a several hour standoff with officers from the Fargo Police Department and Red River Valley Regional SWAT team. Eventually, negotiators were able to talk Opdahl into peacefully surrendering to law enforcement. Upon further investigation, law enforcement learned that Opdahl possessed several ghost guns, including a machinegun and firearm silencer.
Privately made firearms – more commonly known as “ghost guns” – are especially attractive to dangerous and prohibited persons because of their untraceable nature. In 2022, the Department of Justice recovered 25,785 ghost guns in domestic seizures, as well as 2,453 through international operations.
“Illegal machinegun conversion devices are a threat to the public and to the safety of law enforcement officers in North Dakota,” Schneider said. “This is especially true when ‘ghost’ guns are involved. The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to prioritize the federal prosecution of those who possess illegal firearms and individuals who possess firearms illegally.”
“Firearms violence should not be the solution we use to solve disagreements,” said Special Agent in Charge Travis Riddle, of the ATF St. Paul Field Division. “We are grateful for the great partnership with Fargo Police Department and for the work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, successfully prosecuting this case. Mr. Opdahl is rightfully going to be held accountable for his poor decisions.”
This case was investigated by the Fargo Police Department and ATF and prosecuted by AUSA Richard Lee and Trial Attorney Katherine Raut.
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Fairbanks man charged with stealing guns from local firearm storeRead the Press Release
FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment charging a Fairbanks man with stealing multiple guns from a local firearm dealer.
According to court documents, on March 10, 2024, Darel Puller, 25, stole 22 firearms from a local gun store in Fairbanks. Twenty-one of those firearms were part of the business inventory, as reflected in count one of the indictment. One firearm belonged to the store’s owner that was not part of the businesses inventory, as reflected in count two of the indictment.
The defendant will make his initial court appearance on a later date before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska and Chief Ron Dupee of the Fairbanks Police Department made the announcement.
The Fairbanks Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Anchorage Field Office and Seattle Field Division are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mac Caille Petursson and Carly Vosacek are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Ex-Employee of Federal Law Enforcement Agency Pleads Guilty to Kidnapping His Wife, Who was Murdered after the AbductionRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former federal employee pleaded guilty today to a federal kidnapping charge for plotting to abduct and kill his estranged wife, who was strangled to death in 2016.
Eddy Reyes, 38, of Covina, pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping resulting in death.
Reyes was a civilian employee of U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the time of his wife’s death and when he was arrested in this case in April 2021. He has been in federal custody since his arrest.
“We sincerely hope this successful prosecution brings some closure to the family of the victim, who was murdered in cold blood by her husband,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Those who commit horrific acts of violence of this sort will feel the full weight of the law.”
“Mr. Reyes meticulously planned the brutal murder of Claudia Sanchez Reyes and then covered his tracks to evade the scrutiny of law enforcement, a community to which he once belonged,” said Mehtab Syed, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The hard work by investigators and prosecutors in this case leading to today’s guilty plea will hopefully bring a measure of justice to Claudia’s family in El Salvador.”
According to his plea agreement, Reyes met the victim, Claudia Sanchez Reyes, in El Salvador in 2014. Reyes eventually married the victim and brought her and their son to the United States. Court documents previously filed in this case allege a history of domestic abuse by Reyes against his wife, who obtained temporary restraining orders against him in 2014 and 2016.
By 2016, Reyes suspected his wife was having an affair and he decided to kill her. Reyes then contacted his estranged half-brother – a one-time gang member and gravedigger in El Salvador identified in court documents as “P.O.,” who is now deceased – about killing the victim.
On May 6, 2016, Reyes telephoned his wife at her job and told her that he wanted to take her to dinner that night and told her not to take an Uber home, which was her usual practice. At approximately 8 p.m. that night, Reyes drove a rented Hyundai Santa Fe and picked her up from work, after previously lying to her that the vehicle was a gift.
Instead of taking his wife out to dinner, Reyes drove to his mother’s house in Orange, pulled into the garage and closed the door. Once the door was closed, P.O. jumped from the SUV’s cargo area into the back seat and grabbed the victim, who was in the front passenger seat. P.O. punched Claudia Reyes in the face, cutting her lip, then took a seat belt and strangled her. She was 21 years old. Reyes helped P.O. push the victim’s dead body from the front passenger seat into the SUV’s cargo area.
Reyes further admitted in court that, the following day, he drove to the Santa Ana apartment he shared with his wife, turned on her telephone he had turned off the night before, and, posing as his wife, used her phone to send a text message to one of her co-workers saying she would not be in to work that day. P.O., also using the victim’s phone, texted a paralegal working for the victim’s divorce lawyer that stated she no longer need the lawyer’s services.
P.O. also used Claudia Reyes’ phone to text her mother and, pretending to be the victim, he wrote that she had met another man, was leaving Reyes and their son, that she was about to disconnect the phone, and wishing her a happy Mother’s Day.
On May 19, 2016, Reyes drove to a parking lot at Los Angeles International Airport and threw in the trash a backpack containing a blanket and rags that P.O. used to wipe down the seatbelt and interior of the SUV where Claudia Reyes was killed.
After Reyes filed a missing person report four days later, police conducted an investigation that revealed co-workers heard Claudia Reyes fighting with her husband on May 6 soon before he picked her up in the rented SUV, according to the affidavit in support of a criminal complaint, which notes detectives later found a drop of Claudia Reyes’ blood in that vehicle and a cadaver dog indicated that a dead body had been in the SUV.
“In committing these acts, [Reyes] admits that he lured Claudia S. into the Hyundai Santa Fe on the night of May 6, 2016, with the promise of taking her to dinner, when in fact the plan was to kill her,” Reyes admitted in this plea agreement.
United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton scheduled an August 2 sentencing hearing, at which time Reyes will face a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment. In exchange for his confession, federal prosecutors have agreed to ask Judge Staton to sentence Reyes to no more than 30 years in federal prison.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Santa Ana Police Department, and the Orange County Violent Gang Task Force, which is comprised of several federal, state, and local agencies. Assistance was provided by Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Professional Responsibility, the Irvine Police Department, and the Transnational Anti-gang Unit of El Salvador.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory W. Staples of the Santa Ana Branch Office is prosecuting this case.
Dupree Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Dupree, South Dakota man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on April 15, 2024.
Jayme Lee Rivers, also known as Jayme Lee Two Crow, age 44, was sentenced to eight months in federal prison, four months in a residential re-entry center, five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Rivers was indicted by a federal grand jury in December of 2023. He pleaded guilty on February 29, 2024.
Rivers is required to register as a sex offender under federal law. Rivers had registered a homeless shelter in Rapid City as his primary address. He was kicked out of the shelter in April of 2023. Rivers chose not to update his registration until he moved from Rapid City to Dupree in late August of 2023.
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 U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
Rivers was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Drug and Ghost Gun Trafficker Sentenced to 87 MonthsRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – April 19, 2024
SAN DIEGO – Carlos Mendoza of San Diego was sentenced in federal court today to 87 months in prison following his admission that he trafficked in methamphetamine and ghost guns.
Mendoza pleaded guilty to selling methamphetamine to undercover federal agents in February of 2023. According to the plea agreement, Mendoza also admitted to illegally selling eight privately-made firearms, which are commonly referred to as “ghost guns.” Ghost guns are assembled from firearm parts and lack markings—or contain non-standard markings—which make them difficult to trace when recovered from a crime scene.
Mendoza’s arrest was part of the Privately Made Firearm Crime Reduction Project, which ran from February to May of 2023. The project was initiated to address gun violence and the proliferation of ghost guns in San Diego. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) used data analytics to determine areas where there was an increase in gun violence and where crime guns were being recovered. ATF and SDPD employed an intelligence-led policing effort throughout the 90-day initiative to determine where to place resources to have the greatest impact. The project resulted in the seizure of 165 ghost guns and the prosecution of 33 people, including Mendoza.
“Removing dangerous drugs and illegal guns from the street makes all of us safer,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Now we’ve removed a dealer from the equation, too.”
“Individuals who are engaged in the business of making firearms for livelihood or profit as opposed to personal use, must obtain a federal firearms license, and must comply with federal laws that require firearms to be serialized,” said ATF Los Angeles Field Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher Bombardiere. “ATF will continue to investigate criminal possession of ghost guns and those who traffick them with its local partners to make our communities safer.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shital H. Thakkar.
DEFENDANT Case Number 23-cr-01436-RBM
Carlos Mendoza Age: 31 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Distributing Methamphetamine – Title 21, U.S.C., Section 841(a)(1)
Maximum penalty: Life in prison and $10 million fine
AGENCY
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
District of South Dakota Seizes 368 Illegal Firearms in 2023Read the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that over the course of 2023, federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement agencies seized 368 firearms that were possessed in violation of federal law. In the same year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota charged approximately 93 defendants with illegally owning, possessing, using, or obtaining one or more such firearms.
“Through these firearm seizures, we are confident law enforcement agencies prevented countless violent and drug-related crimes from occurring in communities across South Dakota,” said U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is grateful for the strong law enforcement partnerships in South Dakota, which allow us to combine federal, state, and tribal resources to target some of the most dangerous individuals in our state and remove illegal firearms from our streets.”
Efforts to seize illegal firearms are the result of close cooperation between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), South Dakota State Highway Patrol, and numerous sheriff’s offices and police departments across the state, including Sioux Falls and Rapid City.
“Illegal firearms trafficking simply cannot be tolerated as it directly fuels violent crime within our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Travis Riddle, of the St. Paul Field Division. “We at ATF will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners across South Dakota to pursue these perpetrators of violence. We are grateful for the strong partnerships forged over the years that have led to these impactful investigations. We are also grateful for the U.S. Attorney’s Office here in South Dakota, which has been the essential catalyst in bringing these violent perpetrators to justice.”
“Maintaining strong partnerships within our law enforcement community is incredibly important to ensure successful firearm investigations like these,” said Jamie Holt, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) St. Paul Special Agent in Charge. “Investigating and prosecuting organizations and individuals involved in these types of crimes results in safer communities with less gun violence.”
Some of the major firearms-related cases prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2023 include:
United States v. Sam Boyd—In the fall of 2020, Defendant began obtaining methamphetamine from a co-conspirator in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Defendant then distributed the methamphetamine to others for distribution. Throughout the conspiracy, Boyd routinely possessed multiple firearms and ammunition, despite being prohibited from doing so due to a prior felony conviction. Boyd proceeded to trial and a jury found him guilty of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Prohibited Person. Boyd was sentenced to 23 1/3 years in federal prison. The case was investigated by the DEA, ATF, and Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team.
United States v. Weston Clausen, Jaylen Ducheneaux, and Ford Traversie—Three Defendants burglarized Reloaders Corner, a licensed federal firearm retailer in Isabel in August of 2022. The three Defendants broke into the firearms business after hours and stole 105 firearms, ammunition, and other items. Some of the firearms were then illegally trafficked to other individuals. Several of the stolen firearms have been recovered in various communities in South Dakota, Colorado, and throughout the Midwest. Tragically, one gun was recovered at the scene of a suicide by a 17-year-old teenager. All three Defendants pleaded guilty to Theft of Firearms from a Federal Firearm Licensee and Third-degree Burglary. Traversie was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison; Clausen was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison; and Ducheneaux was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison. All three Defendants were ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $20,188 to the victim for the unrecovered firearms. The case was investigated by the Dewey County Sheriff’s office and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe law enforcement, as well as the ATF, BIA, and FBI.
United States v. Travene Tyrone Myers—Defendant was arrested on July 10, 2023, after having been reported of using a firearm to threaten his then girlfriend. When officers searched Myers’ vehicle, they located a fully loaded, semi-automatic pistol under the driver’s seat, which Myers, a previously convicted felon, admitted to possessing. Myers was sentenced to seven years and eight months in federal prison. The case was investigated by HSI, the Sioux Falls Police Department, and ATF.
United States v. Harold Salway, Jr.—Over a 13-month period, Defendant purchased at least 43 firearms, acting as a straw purchaser for many of the transactions. More than a dozen of these firearms later showed up in crimes committed in Rapid City and on the Pine Ridge Reservation, including two homicides, two suicides, and other shots-fired calls. Law enforcement also located several juveniles involved in criminal activity who were found to be in possession of firearms purchased by Salway. He was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to unlawful user in possession of a firearm, use of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and false statement during the purchase of a firearm. The case was investigated by the ATF and the Rapid City Police Department.
United States v. Antoine Thomas—Defendant was arrested on February 10, 2022, in possession of nearly 550 grams of methamphetamine, 31 grams of M-30 pills containing fentanyl, multiple firearms, and ammunition. Thomas was previously convicted of robbery twice and also illegal possession of a firearm. He pleaded guilty to multiple drug and firearms charges and was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison. The case was investigated by the FBI, ATF, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sioux Falls Police Department.
This District of South Dakota’s prosecution of illegal firearms 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 of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Department of Defense Contractor Sentenced to More Than Eight Years for Receiving Child Sex Abuse Materials over the InternetRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Tyler Lee Murrell (27, Hillsboro, Tennessee) to eight years and one month in federal prison for receipt of child sexual abuse images. Murrell was also ordered to serve a 15-year term of supervised release and register as a sex offender. Murrell was arrested on July 17, 2023, and ordered detained pending the outcome of proceedings in this case. He entered a guilty plea on December 7, 2023.
According to court documents, in March 2023, the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) received information from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) about two CyberTipline Reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. These tips advised that child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) were suspected of being uploaded to a wireless cloud account. The subscriber information of the wireless account indicated the subscriber was Tyler Lee Murrell, with a residence in Jacksonville. Internet Protocol (IP) addresses were provided for the CyberTips and traced to a residence belonging to Murrell. Upon further investigation, JSO learned Murrell was likely a member of the military or a Department of Defense contractor and turned the investigation over to NCIS.
NCIS learned that Murrell worked for a company at Naval Air Station Jacksonville. NCIS obtained a search warrant for Murrell’s cloud account and located a video depicting CSAM from one of the CyberTips and additional files of CSAM. NCIS executed a search warrant and seized Murrell’s phone on June 28, 2023. A search of the phone resulted in the discovery of numerous files of CSAM, including 43 videos and 38 images of CSAM. There were also numerous discussions related to CSAM. In one, Murrell discussed engaging in sexual activity with a minor female child if he and the female he was chatting with had a child together. In response, the female sent Murrell two CSAM videos.
During an interview with law enforcement following his arrest, Murrell admitted to purchasing and receiving CSAM. He also admitted to speaking with an adult woman who would send him videos of CSAM.
This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Dark Web Vendor Sentenced for Distributing Narcotics and Ordered to Forfeit $150MRead the Press Release
An Indian national was sentenced today to five years in prison for selling controlled substances on dark web marketplaces and ordered to forfeit approximately $150 million.
According to court documents and in statements made in court, Banmeet Singh, 40, of Haldwani, India, created vendor marketing sites on dark web marketplaces, such as Silk Road, Alpha Bay, Hansa, and others, to sell controlled substances, including fentanyl, LSD, ecstasy, Xanax, ketamine, and tramadol. Customers paid with cryptocurrency for drugs ordered from Singh using the vendor sites. Singh then personally shipped or arranged the shipment of the drugs from Europe to the United States through U.S. mail or other shipping services.
From at least mid-2012 through July 2017, Singh controlled at least eight distribution cells within the United States, including cells located in Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, Maryland, New York, North Dakota, and Washington, among other locations. Individuals in these distribution cells received drug shipments and then re-packaged and re-shipped the drugs to locations in all 50 states, Canada, England, Ireland, Jamaica, Scotland, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Over the course of the conspiracy, the Singh drug organization moved hundreds of kilograms of controlled substances throughout the United States and established a multimillion-dollar drug enterprise that laundered millions of dollars of drug proceeds into cryptocurrency accounts, which ultimately became worth approximately $150 million.
Singh was arrested in April 2019 in London at the request of the United States and subsequently extradited to the United States in March 2023. He pleaded guilty on Jan. 26 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker for the Southern District of Ohio; Administrator Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Acting Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Cincinnati Field Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; and Postal Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) made the announcement.
The DEA, IRS-CI, HSI, USPIS, and the Upper Arlington and Columbus, Ohio, Police Departments investigated the case. The United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency, Crown Prosecution Service, and Central Authority provided significant assistance.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Singh from the United Kingdom.
Trial Attorney Emily Cohen of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Hunter for the Southern District of Ohio prosecuted the case.
Dominican Republic Man Sentenced to 10 Years on Cocaine Trafficking ConvictionRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Ruben Reyes, 37, of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced to 120 months incarceration by Chief Judge Robert A. Molloy, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute While on Board a Vessel Subject to the Jurisdiction of the United States.
According to court documents, on November 18, 2020, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations intercepted a vessel traveling from St. Thomas towards Puerto Rico at approximately one mile southwest of Savana Island. The vessel was operating without navigational lights, and individuals on board the vessel were observed throwing black objects overboard into the ocean. Agents placed markers in the locations where the objects were discarded while they continued to pursue the vessel. Reyes, Jorge Romero Amaro, Giovanni Graciani, Hector Rivera Concepcion and Pedro Luis Sayan Villanueva were found on board the vessel and seven duffle bags containing approximately 198 kilograms were recovered from the ocean.
This case was investigated by Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel H. Huston and Natasha Baker. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Cleveland man sentenced to more than 30 years in prison for his role in large-scale drug trafficking organizationRead the Press Release
AKRON – Brandon Bryant, 28, of Cleveland, was sentenced 365 months (more than 30 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, distribution of controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and use of a communications facility in furtherance of a drug felony. Bryant was ordered to serve a lifetime term of supervised release following his release from prison, and will also forfeit drug-related assets, including a Rolex watch, $13,093 in U.S. Currency, and two vehicles.
According to court documents, Bryant was a member of a large-scale fentanyl trafficking organization that operated on Cleveland’s eastside between September 2019 and February 2022. Bryant received large amounts of fentanyl from his codefendant Devonn Fair. Bryant then redistributed that fentanyl to customers in the Cleveland area. Fair and Bryant maintained multiple residences on the east side of Cleveland for the purpose of distributing and storing controlled substances. The organization drew fentanyl customers from as far away as Trumbull, Medina, Wayne, and Lorain Counties.
Bryant was one of 24 defendants charged in this indictment. All 24 defendants have been convicted and sentenced. Other defendants previously sentenced in this case include:
• Devonn Fair, who was the organization’s primary fentanyl supplier and also sold fentanyl to customers (sentenced to 420 months in prison)
• Ramel Drew, who sold fentanyl to the organization’s customers (sentenced to 327 months in prison)
• Branea Bryant, who laundered the organization’s drug proceeds (sentenced to 290 months in prison)The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cartel, Gang, Narcotics, and Laundering Task Force (CGNL) and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CID), with assistance from the Cleveland Division of Police, the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office, the Ohio Investigative Unit, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Cleveland Heights Police Department, the Southeast Area Law Enforcement Task Force (SEALE), the ATF, the U.S. Marshal’s Service, the DEA, and the Cuyahoga County Regional Forensic Science Laboratory.
This case was prosecuted as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
The specific mission of the OCDETF Cleveland Strike Force (SF) is to disrupt and dismantle major criminal organizations and subsidiary organizations, including criminal gangs, transnational drug cartels, racketeering organizations, and other groups engaged in illicit activities that present a threat to public safety and national security and are related to the illegal smuggling and trafficking of narcotics or other controlled substances, weapons, humans, or the illegal concealment or transfer of proceeds derived from such illicit activities in the Northern District of Ohio. The OCDETF Cleveland SF is comprised of agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Border Patrol, and the Cleveland Division of Police, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys James Lewis, Joseph Dangelo, and James Morford.
Chicago Chiropractor Convicted of Federal Health Care Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago chiropractor has been convicted of federal health care fraud charges for billing a private insurer for nonexistent services.
CLARENCE W. BROWN III owned and operated Dr. CB3 Wellness, Inc. and Apex Integrated Medical Center, Ltd. in Chicago. From 2016 to 2020, Brown submitted fraudulent claims to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois for purported health care services that Brown knew were not actually provided to patients. Some of the fraudulent claims were for services purportedly provided on dates when Brown was not in Illinois. Brown prepared false patient medical records and other documents to support his fraudulent claims. Brown billed BCBS approximately $1.3 million for services purportedly provided to members of two families that were not actually provided, and, as a result, fraudulently obtained approximately $750,000 from the carrier.
After a two-week trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago, a jury on April 12, 2024, convicted Brown, 48, of Chicago, on all nine health care fraud counts against him. Each count is punishable by up to ten years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge John F. Kness set sentencing for July 23, 2024.
The conviction was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Misty N. Wright and Andréa L. Campbell.
California and South Dakota Women Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine through the MailRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Harrison, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on April 15, 2024.
Anita M. Kenyon, 41, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Her co-conspirator, Deena Lee Rodriguez, 43, of Sacramento, California, was sentenced on May 25, 2023, to eight years and one month in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Kenyon and Rodriguez were indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in August of 2022. Rodriguez pleaded guilty on March 14, 2023, and Kenyon pleaded guilty on July 19, 2023.
This conspiracy consisted of Rodriguez obtaining methamphetamine in California, then sending packages containing that methamphetamine in the mail to Kenyon in South Dakota. One of the suspicious drug-laden packages was seized by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and subsequently searched. Investigators learned that Kenyon and Rodriguez were involved in distributing approximately three quarters of a pound of methamphetamine in this manner.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
Kenyon and Rodriguez were immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service after their respective sentencings.
Cabecilla De Alto Rango De LA MS-13 Instruído De Cargos Según Una Acusación Formal Del Gran Jurado (Indictment) Por TerrorismoRead the Press Release
Hoy, Fredy Iván Jandres-Parada, también conocido como “Lucky de Park View” y “Lacky de Park View”, un cabecilla de alto rango de La Mara Salvatrucha, también conocida como la MS-13 fue instruído de cargos en el Tribunal Federal en Central Islip, Nueva York ante el Juez Magistrado Federal Steven L. Tiscione. Jandres-Parada y otros 13 cabecillas de alto rango de la MS-13 fueron acusados formalmente en diciembre de 2020, por delitos de terrorismo relacionados con su dirección de las actividades criminales transnacionales de la organización criminal en los Estados Unidos, El Salvador, México, y otros lugares durante las últimas dos décadas. Específicamente a Jandres-Parada se le imputan cargos de conspiración para proporcionar y ocultar apoyo material a terroristas, conspiración para cometer actos de terrorismo que trascienden las fronteras nacionales, conspiración para financiar el terrorismo y conspiración para el narcoterrorismo. Durante más de tres años, Jandres-Parada era prófugo de la justicia, pero fue detenido por el FBI y HSI antes este mes y tuvo su primera comparecencia en el Tribunal Federal en el Distrito Sur de California, donde se dió la orden de trasladarle bajo custodia al Distrito Este de Nueva York.
Breon Peace, Fiscal Federal de los Estados Unidos para el Distrito Este de Nueva York (EDNY), Mehtab Syed, Director Adjunto Encargado en Funciones de la Oficina Regional de Los Ángeles del FBI, y Ivan J. Arvelo, Agente Especial Encargado en Funciones de la Oficina Regional de HSI en Nueva York anunciaron la detención e instrucción de cargos de Jandres-Parada.
“Se alega que Jandres-Parada, un líder de alto nivel en la MS-13, participó en el tráfico de estupefacientes, en muestras públicas y privadas de violencia y en el terrorismo - todo en búsqueda de poder para la organización” dijo el Fiscal Federal Peace. “Esta detención es un logro monumental para nuestra Oficina y los socios internacionales, recalcando nuestra dedicación para desmantelar la MS-13 y su reino de terror, donde sea que se escondan.”
El Sr. Peace expresó su agradecimiento a la Oficina Regional del FBI en Los Ángeles y a la Unidad Contra Pandillas para Calles Seguras de la División de Investigaciones Criminales, y a la Unidad contra Pandillas Nacionales y Delitos Violentos del HSI y a la Oficina Regional en Nueva York por encabezar las investigaciones de la MS-13. Además dió las gracias a los Agregados Legales del FBI en la Ciudad de México y San Salvador, las Oficinas Regionales del FBI y HSI en San Diego, al Agregado de HSI en la Ciudad de México, al Agregado en Tijuana, al Agregado Adjunto del USMS en la Ciudad de México, y a los Oficiales de los Estados Unidos de Aduanas y Protección de las Fronteras en el Puerto de Entrada de San Ysidro por el apoyo crítico que proporcionaron relacionado con la detención, y a la Oficina del Fiscal Federal y al Servicio de Marshals para el Distrito Sur de California por coordinar la comparecencia inicial del acusado en San Diego. El Sr. Peace también agradeció a numerosos componentes del Departamento de Justicia que contribuyeron a esta Acusación Formal del Gran Jurado (Indictment), incluyendo la Sección Contra el Terrorismo de la División de Seguridad Nacional, y a la Oficina Ejecutiva de los Grupos de Trabajo Contra el Crimen Organizado.
“La detención de Jandres-Paarada muestra el compromiso del FBI para proteger al pueblo norteamericano persiguiendo proactivamente a los líderes de más alto rango en la MS-13 para desmantelar esta organización criminal transnacional, que figura entre las más violentas en el mundo entero” dijo Mehtab Syed, Director Adjunto en Funciones Encargado de la Oficina Regional del FBI en Los Ángeles. “Este esfuerzo colaborativo entre muchas agencias abarcaba desde una de nuestras costas hasta la otra, y llevó a esta captura exitosa.”
“Fredy Ivan Jandres-Parada, (a/k/a) “Lucky”) ha sido un prófugo de la Justicia en la Lista de los Más Buscados del HSI desde 2021. Como uno de los miembros fundadores de la pandilla callejera MS-13, se alega que Jandres-Parada es responsable por ordenar actos de violencia contra pandillas rivales, contra las autoridades de orden público, y contra civiles. Sin embargo el reino de violencia de Jandres-Parada terminó cuando fue detenido en una operación conjunta de HSI y el FBI”, dijo Darren B. McCormack, Agente Especial Encargado en Funciones de la Oficina Regional de HSI en Nueva York. “Con la detención de uno de los más buscados de HSI, felicito a HSI en Nueva York, a nuestra División en Long Island, y a nuestros compañeros en las fuerzas de órden público por su compromiso constante y su empeño para asegurar que se haga justicia para las víctimas incontables que han sido afectados por la violencia de la MS-13”.
Según la Acusación Formal (Indictment), y documentación pertinente radicada en la Corte, Jandres-Parada y sus coacusados forman parte de la estructura de mando y control de la MS-13, que consiste en la Ranfla Nacional, Ranfla en Las Calles, y Ranfla en los Penales. Juegan un papel importante de liderazgo en las operaciones de la organización en El Salvador, México, los Estados Unidos, y en todo el mundo. En total, 27 de los líderes de más alto rango de la MS-13 han sido imputados con cargos en el Distrito Este de Nueva York en esta Acusación Formal del Gran Jurado (Indictment), y la Acusación Formal (Indictment) relacionado de los Estados Unidos v. Arévalo-Chávez, et al.
Además se alega que, en aproximadamente 2002, Jandres-Parada, sus coacusados, y otras cabecillas de la MS-13 empezaron a establecer una estructura de hierarquía de mando y control muy organizada como mecanismo para hacer cumplir sus decisiones y ejecutar su órdenes, aún estando encarcelados. Dirigían actos de violencia y asesinatos en El Salvador, los Estados Unidos y en otros lugares, establecieron campamentos de entrenamiento estilo militar para miembros de la MS-13 y obtuvieron armas militares tales como fusiles, pistolas, granadas, artifactos explosivos improvisados, y lanzacohetes. Además, comenzando en aproximadamente 2012, Jandres-Parada y otros miembros de la Ranfla Nacional negociaron con funcionarios del gobierno de El Salvador (GOES) para obtener beneficios y concesiones del gobierno. Para extorsionar esos beneficios y concesiones, la MS-13 participó en muestras públicas de violencia para amenazar e intimidar a las poblaciones civiles, poner en su mira a las fuerzas GOES de orden público y a oficiales militares, y a manipular el proceso electoral en El Salvador.
Además según se alega, la Ranfla Nacional dirigía la expansión de las actividades de la MS-13 por todo el mundo, incluyendo los Estados Unidos y México, donde Jandres-Parada y otros líderes de alto rango, fueron enviados para organizar las operaciones, establecer vínculos para obtener drogas y armas de fuego de carteles Mexicanos tales como los Zetas, el Cartel del Golfo, el Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), y el Cartel de Sinaloa, y participar en la trata de personas y contrabando. La Ranfla Nacional también dirigía a la membresía numerosa de la MS-13 en los Estados Unidos, para su participación en actividades criminales, tales como el narcotráfico y la extorsión para recaudar dinero para apoyar las actividades terroristas de la MS-13 en El Salvador y otros lugares. Jandres-Parada, que antes vivía en el área de Los Ángeles, antes de ser deportado a El Salvador, tenía un puesto clave coordinando la comunicación y la actividad criminal entre la Ranfla Nacional y las cabecillas de la MS-13 en los Estados Unidos, México y otros lugares.
Y por último, se alega que la Ranfla Nacional y que la estructura transnacional del liderazgo de la MS-13 han dado órdenes a miembros en los Estados Unidos para cometer actos de violencia para promover sus objetivos e implementar reglas para la MS-13, establecerse en algunas partes de los Estados Unidos, incluyendo el Distrito Este de Nueva York, donde, bajo el liderazgo y las reglas de los acusados, la MS-13 ha cometido asesinatos, atentados de asesinatos, agresiones, secuestros, narcotráfico, extorsión de personas y negocios, y obstrucción de la justicia, y ha enviado las cuotas y ganancias de la actividad criminal a través de giros electrónicos a los líderes de la MS-13 en El Salvador. Por ejemplo, la División en Long Island de esta Oficina ha procesado a cientos de líderes, miembros y asociados de la MS-13 por llevar a cabo más de 70 asesinatos en el Distrito Este de Nueva York desde 2009 hasta hoy.
Uno de los coacusados de Jandres-Parada, César Humberto López-Larios, también conocido como “El Grenas de Stoners” y “Oso de Stoners”, y dos acusados relacionados con la Acusación Formal (Indictment) de Arévalo-Chávez, Jorge Alexander De La Cruz, también conocido como “Cruger de Peatonales” y Francisco Javier Román-Bardales, también conocido como “Veterano de Tribus” siguen en libertad. Se anima a los miembros del público que tengan información sobre sus paraderos que se pongan en contacto en la línea gratis del FBI línea de información sobre MS-13, 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713) o la línea de información de HSI al (866) 347-2423 o https://www.ice.gov/webform/ice/tip/form. Juntos, el FBI y el HSI ofrecen una recompensa de $20,000 por información que lleva a la detención y condena de los prófugos.
Estos cargos son alegatos, y se presume la inocencia del acusado hasta y cuando se pruebe su culpabilidad más allá de una duda razonable en una Corte de Justicia. Si es condenado, Jandres-Parada confronta una condena máxima de cadena perpetua en prisión.
La imputación en este caso viene del Grupo de Trabajo Conjunto Vulcan (JTFV) que fue creado para combatir a la MS-13, encabezado por el Fiscal Adjunto John J. Durham de EDNY, y compuesto de las Oficinas de las Fiscalías Federales en todo el país, incluyendo el Distrito de Nueva Jersey, el Distrito Norte de Ohio, el Distrito de Utah, el Distrito de Massachusetts, el Distrito Este de Texas, el Distrito Sur de Nueva York, el Distrito Sur de la Florida, el Distrito Este de Virginia, el Distrito Sur de California, el Distrito de Nevada, el Distrito de Alaska, y el Distrito de Columbia, además de la División de Seguridad Nacional del Departamento de Justicia y la División Criminal. También el FBI, HSI, la DEA, el Bureau de Alcohol, Tabaco, Armas de Fuego y Explosivos, el USMS, la Junta Federal de Prisiones, y la Agencia de Estados Unidos para el Desarrollo Internacional, Oficina del Inspector General. Todos han sido socios esenciales y han promovido las investigaciones del JTFV.
La causa por parte del Gobierno será procesada por los Fiscales Federales Adjuntos John J. Durham, Paul G. Scotti, Justina L. Geraci, y Megan E. Farrell de la División Criminal de la Oficina en Long Island.
Acusado Recién Detenido en la Custodia de los Estados Unidos.
FREDY IVAN JANDRES-PARADA (“Lucky de Park View” y “Lacky de Park View”)
Age: 47Acusado Detenido Antes en la Custodia de los Estados Unidos.
ELMER CANALES-RIVERA (“Crook de Hollywood”)
Age: 48Acusados Prófugos de la Justicia:
CESAR HUMBERTO LOPEZ-LARIOS (“El Grenas de Stoners” y “Oso de Stoners”)
Age: 45BORROMEO ENRIQUE HENRIQUEZ (“Diablito de Hollywood”)
Age: 45EFRAIN CORTEZ (“Tigre de Park View” y “Viejo Tigre de Park View”)
Age: 54RICARDO ALBERTO DIAZ (“Rata de Leewards” y “Mousey de Leewards”)
Age: 51EDUARDO ERAZO-NOLASCO (“Colocho de Western” y “Mustage de Western”)
Age: 51EDSON SACHARY EUFEMIA (“Speedy de Park View”)
Age: 49JOSE FERNANDEZ FLORES-CUBAS (“Cola de Western”)
Age: 49LEONEL ALEXANDER LEONARDO (“El Necio de San Cocos”)
Age: 44JOSE LUIS MENDOZA-FIGUEROA (“Pavas de 7-11” y “Viejo Pavas de 7-11”)
Age: 59HUGO ARMANDO QUINTEROS-MINEROS (“Flaco de Francis”)
Age: 51SAUL ANTONIO TURCIOS (“Trece de Teclas”)
Age: 45ARISTIDES DIONISIO UMANZOR (“Sirra de Teclas”)
Age: 46E.D.N.Y Causa No: 20-CR-577 (JMA)
Auburn Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing a Firearm as a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Jason P. Benedict, age 47, of Auburn, New York, pled guilty today in federal court in Syracuse to possessing a 20-gauge shotgun as a convicted felon, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division.
As part of his guilty plea today, Benedict admitted that on January 21, 2023, he possessed and then transferred a Hawk Industries 20-gauge shotgun to another person in Syracuse. The shotgun (as well as drugs, cash, and drug paraphernalia) was seized by ATF and DEA during the execution of a search warrant at the other person’s Syracuse residence in June 2023.[1] A search of telephone text messages revealed that Benedict previously possessed and delivered the shotgun to the other person on January 21, 2023. Jason Benedict admitted in court today that he knew he was previously convicted in 2011 in Onondaga County Court of Criminal Sex Act in the Second Degree, a felony for which he was sentenced to serve five years in prison.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 23, 2024, in Syracuse, at which time Benedict faces a maximum sentence of 15-years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a term of post-incarceration supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
The United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Southwick is prosecuting the case.
[1] The other person is charged with federal firearms and drug felony offenses. His case is currently pending in federal court, and he is presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Statement on the 29th Anniversary of the Oklahoma City BombingRead the Press Release
The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in recognition of the 29th anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing, which took place on April 19, 1995, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma:
“Twenty-nine years after the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, we continue to remember the 168 people, including 19 children, who were stolen from their loved ones, as well as the hundreds who were injured and forever changed. We continue to mourn alongside the families and the entire Oklahoma City community devastated by the attack.
“On this day, twenty-nine years ago, I watched in horror from my desk at the Justice Department as reports came in that there had been an explosion at the Murrah building in Oklahoma City. My colleagues and I gathered in front of a TV in my office and saw our first glimpse of the aftermath of the horrific attack. Forty-eight hours later, I traveled to Oklahoma to represent the United States in the first court hearing of the perpetrator, Timothy McVeigh.
“I will never forget the devastation that was inflicted on the entire Oklahoma City community. I will also never forget the extraordinary grace and love the community demonstrated in the face of that horrific tragedy. The Justice Department will never forget those who were lost, and we remained committed to working to prevent and disrupt such horrific attacks before they can occur.
“That means continuing to counter the threat that both foreign and domestic terrorism pose to our country as we grapple with a heightened global threat environment.
“It means continuing to hold accountable those who target Americans who serve the public with threats and acts of violence.
“And it means doing this work without ever losing sight of our responsibility to protect the civil rights of everyone in our country.
“As we mark 29 years since April 19, 1995, we renew our commitment to remembering what happened, to honoring those we lost, and to doing everything in our power to prevent future tragedies.”
Arrests Made in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
JACKSON COUNTY, FLORIDA - In early 2023, Investigators with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office’s Narcotics Division, alongside Special Agents and Task Force Officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Panama City Residence Office, initiated an investigation targeting a drug trafficking organization (DTO) led by Michael Termaine Bell, Sr. from Jackson County. The investigation identified the command-and-control structure of the Bell DTO and its role in the distribution of multiple kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, cocaine, crack cocaine, ALPHA-PIHP (“molly”), and fentanyl, throughout the region. These illicit substances were distributed in wholesale quantities by the Bell DTO for several years to local retail distributors. The retail distributors sold them to citizens in Jackson County and the surrounding region, many of whom suffer from ongoing drug addictions.
Throughout the investigation, dozens of individual organizational members were identified, most of whom have numerous arrests for drug charges, weapon possession, and violence. Approximately 29 of those members were identified for arrest and indictment.
As of Thursday, April 18, 2024, 20 members of the Bell DTO have been arrested as a result of this investigation. Seventeen organizational members will face state charges, and three will face federal indictments. Throughout the course of this investigation, more than 3.7 kilograms of Marijuana, more than 430 grams of ALPHA-PIHP (“molly”), 1.4 kilograms of cocaine, 1,290 grams of methamphetamine, and 104 grams of fentanyl have been seized, as well as several firearms.
This is an ongoing investigation, and there will be more arrests made in this case. Michael Termaine Bell, Sr., who we believe to be the leader of this DTO, is still at large. If you have any information on his whereabouts, please call our office at (850) 482-9648 or Chipola CrimeStoppers at (850) 526-5000. We will not stop searching for him until he is in custody.
Sheriff Edenfield would like to thank Northern District of Florida United States Attorney Jason Coody, State Attorney for the 14th Judicial Circuit Larry Basford, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Resident Agent in Charge George Kissell of the DEA Panama City Resident Office, the Florida National Guard Counter Drug Program, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Seminole County, Georgia Sheriff’s Office, Chattahoochee Police Department, and Chipley Police Department for their assistance during this investigation.
“We will continue to fight against those who distribute drugs in our community and fight for the safety of our citizens,” Sheriff Edenfield said.
April Federal Grand Jury 2023-B Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the April Federal Grand Jury 2023-B Indictments.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Edy Adonay Ayala-Carbajal. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Ayala-Carbajal, 36, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed in Sep. 2011, at or near Dallas, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ammon Brisolara is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-122
Dylan Lee Boyd. Aggravated Sexual Abuse by Force and Threat in Indian Country; Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country; Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor in Indian Country; Commission of Felony Sex Offense Involving a Minor by a Registered Sex Offender. Boyd, 27, of Quapaw and a member of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, is charged with knowingly engaging in a sexual act by force and threat with a minor victim under 16 years old in Nov. 2020. He allegedly knowingly engaged in sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact with the minor victim. Boyd is further charged with committing a felony offense with a minor while being required to register as a sex offender. The Quapaw Nation Marshals Service is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey P. Todd is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-114
Darrius Malik Brown. Possession of a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number; Receipt of a Firearm While Under Indictment for a Felony; Distribution of Fentanyl; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime (superseding). Brown, 25, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a handgun with the serial number removed. He allegedly possessed a firearm while he was under indictment. Brown knowingly distributed fentanyl and possessed a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Elmore is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-083
Chaz Chinsethagid. Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor; Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography; Possession of Child Pornography in Indian Country. Chinsethagid, 33, of Jenks, is charged with attempting to persuade, induce, and entice, an individual whom he believed had not attained the age of 18 years, to engage in sexual activity. He is further charged with knowingly receiving, possessing, and distributing visual images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Chinsethagid allegedly possessed visual images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations, Tulsa Police Department, Collinsville Police Department, and Creek County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-123
Eric Enslow. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Obstructing, Delaying, and Affecting Commerce by Robbery; Carrying, Using, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. Enslow, 35, transient, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition knowing he was previously convicted of felonies in Iowa. He allegedly affected interstate commerce by robbery and brandished a firearm during a crime of violence. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney John E. Brasher is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-124
Juan Jose Huerta; Miguel Angel Huerta; Carlos Pena-Villalba; Jose Fernando Flores Carillo; Roberto Carlos Valle. Drug Conspiracy (Count 1); Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (Counts 2 & 8); Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute (Counts 3, 5 & 13); Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime (Counts 4, 6, 9, 11 & 14); Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises (Counts 7 & 15); Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute (Count 10); Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (Count 12). Juan Huerta, 57, a Mexican National; Miguel Huerta, 27, of Broken Arrow; Pena-Villalba, 53, a Mexican National; Carillo, 24, a Mexican National; Valle, 45, a Mexican National are charged with conspiring to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine. Juan Huerta and Pena-Villalba are charged with allegedly possessing more than 500 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Valle is further charged with knowingly possessing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and more than 40 grams of fentanyl with intent to distribute. Juan Huerta and Miguel Huerta are further charged with knowingly possessing more than 40 grams of fentanyl with intent to distribute. Carillo allegedly also possessed fentanyl with intent to distribute. All are charged with possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking and with maintaining a residence to distribute drugs. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Tulsa Police Department, and the Broken Arrow Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Nasar is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-118
Olegario Pinales Cobarrubias. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Cobarrubias, 42, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed in May 2008, at or near Del Rio, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mandy M. Mackenzie is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-115
Edwin Orlando Rios-Mejia. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien; Tampering with Evidence. Rios-Mejia, 25, a Honduras national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed in Sep. 2019, at or near Houston, Texas. He is further charged with evidence tampering. U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cheryl L. Baber is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-116
Juan Daniel Rodriguez; Adrian Hernandez Barrios; Adolfo Jacobo; Jesus Ponce Alcaraz; Aureliano Rodriguez Hernandez; Felecia Martinez, Luis Martinez; Marco Antonio Monreal Lopez; Juan Luis Luna; Bulmaro Martinez; Cesar Barrera-Gonzalez; Jorge Mario Piedra Hernandez. Drug Conspiracy (Count 1); Drug Conspiracy (Count 2); Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime (Count 3); Distribution of Methamphetamine (Counts 4 through 6); Distribution of Methamphetamine (Count 7); Distribution of Methamphetamine (Count 8); Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (Counts 9 & 11); Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises (Counts 10, 12 & 14); Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (Count 13); Distribution of Cocaine (Counts 15 & 16) (superseding). Rodriguez, 18, of Tulsa; Barrios, 28, of Tulsa and a Mexican national; Jacobo, 28, of Tulsa; Alcaraz, 30, a Mexican national; Aureliano Hernandez, 38, a Mexican national; Felecia Martinez, 39 of Tulsa and a member of the Potawatomi Nation; Luis Martinez, 37, a Mexican national; Lopez, 41, a Mexican National; Luna, 41, a Mexican National are charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. Barrios, Jacobo, Alcaraz, Barrera-Gonzalez, 27, a Mexican national, Bulmaro Martinez, 38, a Mexican national, Jorge Hernandez, 38, a Mexican national are also charged with conspiring to distribute cocaine. Barrios is further charged with possessing a firearm while drug trafficking, and intentionally distributing methamphetamine and more than 50 grams of a mixture that contains methamphetamine. Rodriguez is charged with allegedly distributing more than 500 grams of a mixture that contains methamphetamine. Rodriguez, Aureliano Hernandez, and Felecia Martinez are further charged with maintaining a residence to distribute methamphetamine. Additionally, Felecia Martinez is charged with possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute and Alcaraz is further charged with distributing cocaine. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam D. McConney is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-078
Gerson Armando Romero Salazar. Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm. Salazar, 22, an El Salvador national, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition knowing he was unlawfully in the United States. The Homeland Security Investigations and Broken Arrow Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shakema M. Onias is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-125
Richard Joseph Schweiger. Felon in Possession of a Firearm (Count 1); Drug Conspiracy (Count 2); Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury (Counts 3 & 6); Distribution of Heroin Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury (Count 4); Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Death; Prior Conviction Allegation for a Felony Drug Offense (Count 5) (superseding). Schweiger, 48, of Sapulpa, is charged with possessing a firearm knowing he was previously convicted of felonies in Louisiana and Oklahoma. He is charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl since January 2022. It is alleged that during that time, Schweiger distributed fentanyl or heroin to at least three individuals, which resulted in serious bodily harm. He is further charged with knowingly distributing fentanyl, which resulted in the death of Barbara Ann Martin. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Creek County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Flesher is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-009
Brian Thomas Tate. Leaving the Scene of a Personal Injury Accident in Indian Country. Tate, 40, of Oilton and a member of the Pueblo of Laguna, is charged with failing to stay at the scene of an accident and rendering reasonable assistance to those injured in the accident. The FBI, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and Creek County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Ihler is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-129
Stanley Wayne Zackery, Jr. Assault of an Intimate/Dating Partner by Strangling and Suffocating and Attempting to Strangle and Suffocate in Indian Country; Robbery in Indian Country; Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country; Domestic Assault in Indian Country by a Habitual Offender. Zackery, 41, of Weleetka and a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, is charged with assaulting a dating partner by strangling and suffocating the victim. He is accused of taking property of value from the victim by force and violence. Zackery is charged with assaulting the victim which resulted in serious bodily injury. Additionally, he is further charged with domestic assault after receiving felony convictions for domestic assault in Okfuskee District Court and the Eastern District of Oklahoma Federal Court. The FBI and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Weems is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-117
Activity in the U. S. Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
Firearms Offenses
Charles Michael Carsten, age 35, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on Apr. 16. According to court documents, Cheyenne Police Department officers were dispatched to a call of a man using drugs in a parking lot. When an officer approached the vehicle, Carsten reached for the center console several times. As the officer told Carsten to keep his hands visible, the officer noticed a firearm in the center console. Another firearm, loaded with 16 rounds of ammunition was next to the driver’s seat. The officer was able to secure Carsten in his patrol car without incident. Carsten had numerous small blue fentanyl pills in his possession and is a previously convicted felon. The defendant pleaded guilty on Jan. 8. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan C. Coppom.
Anthony Oliva, 27, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced to 76 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Apr. 15. According to court documents, on Jul. 6, 2023, Wind River Police Department officers received a report of a possible drunk driver. Officers conducted a traffic stop on Oliva and noticed a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. Oliva was uncooperative and eventually arrested. A subsequent search of the vehicle recovered two 9mm semi-automatic pistol and several magazines. The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge on Jan. 23. The crime was investigated by the Wind River Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy W. Gist.
Nathan Gossens, 31, of Billings, Montana, was sentenced to time served plus three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on Apr. 8. According to court documents, U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement responded to a report of someone who had been camping in a day-use only area in Wyoming. The officer made contact with Gossens who was wearing a pistol on his hip. Gossens was cooperative and secured the pistol without incident, but he had a prior felony conviction and was prohibited from possessing a firearm. Gossens pleaded guilty to the charge on Jan. 24. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan C. Coppom.
Thursday 18 April 2024
York County Man Indicted for Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Porfirio Peralta-Nunez, age 45, of York, PA, was indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges.
According to U.S. Attorney Gerard Karam, the indictment alleges that between November 2022 and October 2023, Peralta-Nunez engaged in a conspiracy to traffic cocaine into York County. The indictment further alleges that on October 23, 2023, Peralta-Nunez possessed five kilograms or more of cocaine with the intent to distribute the controlled substance.
The case was investigated by the York County Drug Task Force, along with the Drug Enforcement Agency and the York City Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Monroe is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The maximum penalty for the offenses is life imprisonment, a five-year term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a $10,000,000 fine. A sentence for each of these offenses also includes a period of supervised release following imprisonment.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Western Washington Carjacking Task Force part of federal effort to combat violent crimeRead the Press Release
Seattle – U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman announced today that the Western District of Washington is one of seven districts that are adding a carjacking task force to focus efforts and resources on this important public safety threat.
“Our task force harnesses the resources of the FBI, ATF, the Seattle Police and Kent Police Departments. Prosecutors will look at all carjacking incidents in the district to see if federal prosecution is appropriate,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “Where adults are using juveniles to commit these crimes, we will explore significant federal penalties to hold the adults accountable.”
“The Justice Department has no higher priority than keeping our communities safe. We do so by targeting the most significant drivers of violent crime and by acting as a force multiplier for our state and local law enforcement partners. We’re seeing results — with violent crime declining broadly nationwide,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Today, we are launching seven new carjacking task forces across the country to build on the success of task forces in Chicago, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Tampa, where available data shows that carjacking rates are now falling. When prosecutors, officers, agents, and analysts come together to crunch data, share intelligence, and apply best practices, we can make real progress in the fight against all forms of violent crime, including carjacking.”
“Addressing violent crime is a task that takes teamwork.” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “I am proud to join with our law enforcement partners in the Seattle area to protect the communities we all call home.”
In keeping with the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime, the task forces represent a strategic enforcement priority for the department, focusing federal resources on identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the most significant drivers of violent crime.
Building on the initial efforts of and best practices learned from carjacking task forces in the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the District of Columbia, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and the Middle District of Florida, the following offices in seven other districts are announcing the creation of carjacking task forces in their communities:
- District of Oregon
- Eastern District of Texas
- Northern District of Alabama
- Northern District of California
- Eastern District of Louisiana
- Southern District of Mississippi
- Western District of Washington
Carjacking and other violent crime task forces have proven to be an effective part of successful violent crime reduction strategies by focusing on significant crime drivers and taking violent offenders off the streets of our communities. For example, carjackings in Philadelphia declined by 31 percent from 2022 to 2023, and armed carjackings are down 28 percent in the District of Columbia this year to date compared to the same period in 2023. In Chicago, carjackings decreased 29 percent from the high in 2021 through the end of 2023.
The newly formed task forces will be led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices, FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with state, local and other law enforcement partners. At an initial kickoff meeting, the task force members will come together to outline how they will share and act promptly on information related to car thefts, carjackings and the recovery of stolen or suspect vehicles. The task forces will also collaborate on how to use federal sentencing enhancements for cases where adults use juveniles to commit carjackings, as well as working with state and local authorities to ensure the appropriate handling of juvenile suspects. The task forces will also assist state and local officials who wish to seek Justice Department grant funding for juvenile intervention and diversion resources.
Webb City Woman Sentenced to 20 Years for Kidnapping Conspiracy, Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Webb City, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court today for her role in a kidnapping conspiracy that resulted in the torture and death of the victim, and for illegally possessing a firearm.
Amy Kay Thomas, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 20 years in federal prison without parole.
On April 27, 2023, Thomas pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnapping and to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Thomas is the fourth defendant to be sentenced in this case. James B. Gibson, also known as “Gibby,” 41, of Neosho, Mo., was sentenced on Monday, April 15, to 30 years in federal prison without parole. Russell Eugene Hurtt, also known as “Uncle,” 52, of Greenwood, Mo., was sentenced on Tuesday, April 16, to seven years in federal prison without parole. Lawrence William Vaughan, also known as “Scary Larry,” 52, of Neosho, was sentenced on Nov. 7, 2013, to 25 years in federal prison without parole.
Two co-defendants have pleaded guilty and await sentencing in this case. Sentencing hearings have not yet been scheduled for Freddie Lewis Tilton, also known as “Ol’ Boy,” 51, and Carla Jo Ward, 50, both of Joplin, Mo.
Thomas admitted that she participated in a conspiracy to kidnap the victim, identified as “M.H.,” in July 2020. Tilton offered Ward and Vaughan $5,000 each to locate and secure M.H. for him. Ward picked up M.H., whom she knew was being sought by Tilton, and took him to Vaughan’s residence. Vaughan texted Tilton, stating “Call me quickly handing (M.H.) to you.” Vaughan and Tilton continued communicating throughout the early morning hours of July 15, 2020. Vaughan sent a text message to Tilton that read, “He’s got 2 guns.” A few hours later, Vaughan sent a text message to Tilton that read, “OK we’ve got both his guns put up,” and “Guns are secure I’m waiting for you.”
Tilton, Thomas, and Gibson arrived at Vaughan’s residence in the early morning hours of July 15, 2020. They bound M.H.’s hands with handcuffs, and duct tape was placed around his mouth and other parts of his body. Gibson, Thomas, and others assaulted M.H. for a period of time. M.H. was cut, beaten, and shot at. Gibson burned M.H. with a blowtorch. Tilton fatally shot M.H. in the head. Thomas and others cleaned up the blood and damage created during the assault and shooting of M.H. They wrapped M.H.’s body in plastic wrap and Thomas, Tilton, and Gibson transported it to Hurtt’s property.
Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Hurtt’s property on July 28, 2020, based on information that a deceased body was located on the acreage. When officers attempted to contact the occupants of the residence, Tilton fired multiple shots from inside the residence at the officers. Tilton was apprehended.
Officers found M.H.’s body on the property. Officers searched the residence and found a Rigarmi .25-caliber pistol, an Ithaca .22-caliber rifle, a Remington .22-caliber rifle without a serial number, a Harrington and Richardson 12-gauge shotgun, a Ruger 9mm handgun, and a Taurus 9mm handgun without a serial number.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Thomas has two prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance and prior felony convictions for forgery, possession of ephedrine with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine, and distribution of a controlled substance.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the FBI, the Newton County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Neosho, Mo., Police Department, the Joplin, Mo., Police Department, the Ozark Drug Enforcement Team, and the Cherokee County, Kan., Sheriff’s Department.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Wauchula Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell has sentenced Richard Aldo Melendez (36, Wauchula) to 14 years in federal prison for his role in a methamphetamine trafficking ring. Melendez entered a guilty plea on August 28, 2023.
According to court documents, Melendez conspired with Ellen Jean Bivens (25, Zolfo Springs) and Abdon Rivera, Jr. (33, Lake Wales) to distribute methamphetamine in the Middle District of Florida. In late 2022, Melendez sold methamphetamine to undercover agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Then, in January 2023, troopers from the Florida Highway Patrol, in coordination with DEA, stopped Melendez and Bivens as they were returning from a trip to Texas. A search of their vehicle yielded nearly 15 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Bivens was previously sentenced to 37 months in federal prison. Rivera has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David P. Sullivan.
United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee Commemorates National Crime Victims’ Rights WeekRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee and the Department of Justice’s Office of Victims of Crime (“OVC”) will join communities nationwide in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and celebrating victims’ rights, protections, and services. This year’s observance takes place April 21-27, 2024, and features the theme, “How would you help? Options, services, and hope for crime survivors.” The theme aims to ensure that everyone in a community knows where and how crime victims and survivors can find help — including friends, family members, colleagues, neighbors, service providers, or other trusted members of the community.
Each year in April, the Department of Justice and United States Attorney’s Offices observe National Crime Victims’ Rights Week nationwide by taking time to honor victims of crime and those who advocate on their behalf. According to a report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 2022, there were nearly 20 million crime victimizations in the United States. More than 6.6 million were the result of violent crimes, including rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault. Of that 6.6 million, only about 42% were reported to police.
The United States Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week to bring greater sensitivity to the needs and right of victims of crime.
Here, in the Western District of Tennessee, we have a dedicated Victim Witness Coordinator who supports federal crime victims by providing victims with essential services, including referrals to counseling, securing temporary housing, assisting with access to victim’s compensation funds, and accompanying victims to court proceedings to provide support and guidance. These services provide victims with tools to reshape their futures.
The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems, by disseminating state-of the art knowledge and practices across the United States, and providing grants for the implementation of these crime-fighting strategies. Because most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods, the federal government can bae effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter partnerships with these officers. National Crime Victims’ Rights Week resources can be found at https://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw.
More information about the Office of Justice Programs and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
U.S. Attorney's Office Launches Carjacking Task ForceRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon announced today that it will join 10 other U.S. Attorney’s Offices in establishing a multi-agency task force to address carjacking, an important public safety threat impacting communities in Oregon and beyond.
“We are pleased to join our Justice Department colleagues from across the country in taking this important, targeted step to address carjacking, a dangerous, violent crime. We thank all our law enforcement partners for their ongoing commitment to protecting Oregonians through this and other violent crime reduction efforts.” said Natalie Wight, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
“The Justice Department has no higher priority than keeping our communities safe. We do so by targeting the most significant drivers of violent crime and by acting as a force multiplier for our state and local law enforcement partners. We’re seeing results — with violent crime declining broadly nationwide,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Today, we are launching seven new carjacking task forces across the country to build on the success of task forces in Chicago, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Tampa, where available data shows that carjacking rates are now falling. When prosecutors, officers, agents, and analysts come together to crunch data, share intelligence, and apply best practices, we can make real progress in the fight against all forms of violent crime, including carjacking.”
In keeping with the Justice Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime, the District of Oregon carjacking task force will focus federal resources on identifying, investigating, and prosecuting individuals responsible for committing carjackings and related crimes throughout the state.
Carjacking task forces have proven to be an effective part of successful violent crime reduction strategies by focusing on a significant driver of crime and taking violent offenders off the streets. For example, carjackings in Philadelphia declined by 31 percent from 2022 to 2023, and armed carjackings are down 28 percent in the District of Columbia so far this year compared to the same period in 2023. In Chicago, carjackings decreased 29 percent from their high in 2021 through the end of 2023.
Local efforts to combat carjacking have already produced positive results. On Tuesday, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a three-count indictment charging, Raheim Carter, 41, a Portland resident, with carjacking, using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence, and illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. On March 15, 2024, Carter and an accomplice are alleged to have stolen a vehicle at gunpoint from a North Portland resident. Carter and the accomplice are alleged to have approached the victim while he was unloading groceries from his vehicle, demanded he hand over his keys at gunpoint, and drove off with the vehicle. The case was investigated by the Portland Police Bureau with assistance from the FBI.
The newly formed carjacking task forces will be led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) with state and local law enforcement partners.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit Highlights Success of Project Safe Neighborhoods InitiativeRead the Press Release
BOISE – U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced the results of three separate firearms and ammunition cases in Southern Idaho today that were prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods initiative.
“Our mission is to keep Idahoans safe from violence, and this means enforcing the law that prohibits convicted felons from possessing firearms and/or ammunition, especially those offenders with prior violent felony convictions such as these defendants,” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “I am grateful to our prosecutors and our law enforcement partners for their dedication to these critical cases, which help keep Idaho a safe and wonderful place to live.”
- Convicted Felon and Domestic Abuser Sentenced to 87 Months for Unlawfully Possessing Firearms, Including a Ghost Gun.
In one case, Brent Logan, 35, of Boise, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford to 87 months in federal prison for unlawful possession of a firearm. According to court records, in the winter of 2023, officers responded to a report of domestic violence. Logan was found in possession of five firearms, including a personally manufactured firearm, also known as a ghost gun. At the time of the offense, Logan was on probation for two prior convictions involving domestic violence and was prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior felony conviction for aggravated assault.
Judge Brailsford also ordered Logan to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Logan pleaded guilty to the federal charge in December 2023.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit thanked the Violent Crimes Unit of the Boise Police Department and the ATF for their investigation on this case.
This case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelsey Manweiler.
- Garden Valley Man Sentenced to 66 months for Unlawfully Possessing Ammunition.
In another case, Forest Saba, 39, of Garden Valley, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford to 66 months in federal prison for unlawful possession of ammunition. According to court records, on September 28, 2022, Boise police officers were providing an escort to Saba’s estranged wife due to domestic violence and stalking concerns. Officers observed a vehicle following the wife. Saba was a passenger in this vehicle. Officers conducted a traffic stop on the vehicle and Saba fled on foot. Officers eventually arrested him. In Saba’s pocket, officers located ammunition and two knives.
At the time of his arrest, Saba was prohibited from possessing ammunition due to three prior felony convictions, including a conviction for aggravated battery. This is Saba’s third federal firearms conviction.
Judge Brailsford also ordered Saba to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. The district court found Saba guilty after a stipulated bench trial in October 2023.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit commended the cooperative efforts of the Boise Police Department and the ATF, which led to the charge.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Francis Zebari and Christian Nafzger.
- Nyssa Man Sentenced to 10 Years for Unlawfully Possessing Ammunition.
In a third case, Oscar Garcia, 38, of Nyssa, Oregon, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Amanda K. Brailsford to 120 months in federal prison for unlawful possession of ammunition. According to court records, on December 22, 2022, officers attempted to arrest Garcia on a warrant for violations of his supervised release. He refused to pull over in Payette, Idaho and began a high-speed chase, reaching speeds of 110 mph. He drove into Oregon and crashed his vehicle in Nyssa and attempted to flee on foot. He was ultimately apprehended and searched. He possessed a .40 caliber magazine containing 14 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition.
At the time of his arrest, Garcia was prohibited from possessing ammunition due to a 2011 conviction in the U.S. District Court, District of Idaho, for conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise and attempted murder in aid of racketeering. Garcia had previously been convicted in Oregon of manslaughter I, assault II, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, escape III, and assault IV.
Judge Brailsford also ordered Garcia to serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence and pay a $1,000 fine. Garcia pleaded guilty to the federal charge in October 2023.
U.S. Attorney Hurwit credited the United States Marshal Service, the Malheur County Sheriff’s Office, the Ontario Police Department, the Fruitland Police Department, the Payette County Sheriff’s Office, the Nyssa Police Department, and the ATF, for their collaborative work on this case.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christian Nafzger.
These three cases are 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 Logan case was prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney hired by the Treasure Valley Partnership and the State of Idaho to address gang crimes. The Treasure Valley Partnership is comprised of a group of elected officials in southwest Idaho dedicated to regional coordination, cooperation, and collaboration on creating coherent regional growth.
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U.S Attorney Will Thompson Honors Crime Victims and Advocates at Operation Reach Out 2024 Opening CeremonyRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson presented the 2024 Excellence in Victim Advocacy and Justice Awards today during the Opening Ceremony for the 23rd Annual Operation Reach Out at the Robert C. Byrd U.S. Courthouse.
Operation Reach Out recognizes crime victims and those who serve them, and is sponsored by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia and the Operation Reach Out Committee.
The 2024 Excellence in Victim Advocacy and Justice Awards honorees are:
- The West Virginia Supreme Court of Appeals, for its Remote Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Outreach Project. This initiative allows victims in a growing number of counties to file petitions and participate in court hearings remotely, without having to be in the same building as the people from whom they are seeking protection. The entire Supreme Court - Chief Justice Tim Armstead, Justice Elizabeth D. Walker, Justice John A. Hutchison, Justice William R. Wooton and Justice C. Haley Bunn - and project officials attended today’s ceremony to accept the award.
- The Mercer County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, Lt. S.A. Sommers of the Mercer County Sheriff’s Department, Elizabeth Street of the West Virginia Department of Human Services, Child Protect of Mercer County, and Guardian Ad Litem Michael Magaan for their roles in the successful prosecution of Eric Shawn Phillips, 43, of Princeton. Phillips was sentenced on November 13, 2023, to 30 years in prison, to be followed by a lifetime of supervised release, and ordered to pay $7,200 in restitution for enticement of a minor.
- Special Agent Brian Morris of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for his role in the successful prosecution of Larry Allen Clay Jr., 58, and Kristen Naylor-Legg, 30, of Gauley Bridge. Naylor Legg was sentenced on August 31, 2023, to nine years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor under the age of 18. Naylor-Legg provided her 17-year-old female relative to Clay so he could engage in sexual intercourse with the minor. At the time, Clay was an employee of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department and the Chief of Police for the Gauley Bridge Police Department. A federal jury convicted Clay on April 28, 2023, of conspiracy to engage in sex trafficking of a minor via coercion, sex trafficking of a minor via coercion, and two counts of obstruction of justice. Clay awaits sentencing.
- Mission West Virginia for promoting positive futures by working to ensure every child has a loving family and the knowledge to make positive choices for a healthier future. Mission West Virginia has been a longtime partner of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia as it recruits and trains foster families and provide support and services to relatives or kinship families caring for youth.
- YWCA Charleston for its continuing commitment to communities throughout Kanawha, Clay and Boone counties. YWCA Charleston provides crucial services to domestic violence and trafficking victims, such as emergency and transitional housing, counseling and court advocacy. YWCA Charleston is also a longstanding and valued partner of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
The ceremony also featured a special Tree of Remembrance, upon which victims and survivors placed signed cards in memory of a loved one or for themselves as a survivor.
“As you look at the tree, we don’t just see pieces of paper. The toughest part of my job and my career, over the last 27 years, has been some of the photographs and videos that I’ve had to see,” said Thompson, a former Boone County Circuit Court judge. “Some of those, I don’t have to carry around in my wallet or anything of that nature. They are forever burned in my brain.”
Operation Reach Out aims to raise awareness of victims’ rights, educate the public about the various organizations that provide services to crime victims, and promote crime prevention and safety.
Operation Reach Out is held in coordination with National Crime Victims' Rights Week (NCVRW), which is being commemorated this year on April 21-27. The 2024 NCVRW theme is “How would you help? Options, services, and hope for crime survivors.”
The Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime, within the Office of Justice Programs, leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week to bring greater sensitivity to the needs and rights of victims of crime.
More information about the Office of Justice Programs and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov. More information about Crime Victim’s Rights Week can be found at https://ovc.ojp.gov/program/national-crime-victims-rights-week/overview.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia.
Video of the ceremony is available on the office's YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNnPK9Bc00U
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Two Hampton Roads men sentenced for armed robbery of USPS mail carrierRead the Press Release
NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Two Virginia men were sentenced to four years in prison for their roles in the armed robbery of a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) mail carrier.
According to court documents, on May 9, 2023, O’Sirus Landres Charles Ford, 21, of Chesapeake, Virginia, robbed a Hampton mail carrier at gunpoint for his “arrow” key, the master key used to access blue collection boxes, outdoor parcel lockers, and apartment mailbox panels, and recruited Jayden Stukes, 21, of Suffolk, Virginia, to assist him in the robbery. Ford specifically wanted to steal a key in the Newport News/Hampton area and requested that Stukes drive him “across the water.” Stukes agreed and informed Ford he would be with Da’Twan Watson, 24, of Chesapeake, and that Watson was “a lock.”
When Ford, Stukes, and Watson met at the rental car that Ford had used the previous day for another armed robbery – that time, of a mail carrier in Norfolk – they were unable to gain entry to the vehicle, so Stukes arranged for another of his friends to drive the group. Ford, Stukes, and Watson were all armed with handguns and had masks to cover their faces. After they crossed Hampton Roads, Ford diverted the car from the original destination, the downtown Newport News Post Office, and instead directed the vehicle around a light industrial-commercial area of Hampton. Ford and Watson exited the vehicle to continue hunting down the mailman on foot, and Stukes remained in the car with his friend and communicated with Ford using social media to help him find the USPS target (the victim mail carrier).
Watson and Ford encountered the mail carrier on Galax Street in Hampton. Only Ford was armed, but both he and Watson were fully masked as Watson approached from the side. Ford approached the carrier from Galax Street, brandished his firearm, and said, “Give me your keys or I’m gonna shoot you.” He then repeated his demand and began counting down from five. The victim gave Ford his USPS arrow key. Ford and Watson then fled, eventually meeting with Stukes and the driver in an apartment complex nearby before she drove the group back across the water.
Watson and Stukes pleaded guilty to interfering with commerce by robbery and aiding and abetting. Stukes was sentenced yesterday; Watson was sentenced today.
On Dec. 21, 2023, Ford pleaded guilty to one count of conspiring to interfere with commerce by robbery and one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of, a crime of violence. Ford is currently scheduled to be sentenced May 2.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Ajay Lall, Acting Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service – Washington Division; Jimmie Wideman, Chief of Hampton Police; and Steve R. Drew, Chief of Newport News Police, made the announcement after Watson was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Elizabeth W. Hanes.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julie Podlesni and Mack Coleman prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:23-cr-51.
Two Drug Traffickers Arrested on Federal Charges for Premeditated Robbery Scheme Ending in Murder and ArsonRead the Press Release
ROANOKE, Va. – A federal grand jury in Roanoke has charged a pair of Central Virginia men with multiple federal crimes related to a 2023 drug robbery and murder where one defendant sought to dispose of the victim’s body by setting it aflame.
In an indictment returned April 11, 2024, the grand jury alleges that Joseph Richard Walker, a.k.a. “Joe,” 30, of Roanoke, and Garrett Isaac Williams, a.k.a. “Gary,” “Taz,” and “Tez,” 21, of Lynchburg, conspired to traffic marijuana; committed robbery; and conspired to commit robbery. Additionally, the indictment alleges Walker discharged a firearm to further the drug trafficking and robbery; possessed firearms as a prohibited person; and committed arson.
“There is no higher priority for my Office than keeping our communities safe by prosecuting violent crime,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “The federal charges brought in this case show the determination of the United States Attorney’s Office — and our local, state, and federal partners — to hold those who commit these acts accountable.”
“Our dedication to protecting the public from violent offenders in collaboration with our partners is unwavering. We will continue to work together to make our communities safer,” FBI Richmond Special Agent in Charge Stanley M. Meador said. “This indictment highlights the steadfast commitment of federal, state, and local partners to hold violent criminals accountable.”
“These two arrests are the result of the exceptional and relentless investigative work of law enforcement from a myriad of agencies," said Colonel Gary T. Settle, Virginia State Police Superintendent. "Within 48 hours, our special agents had identified Walker and Williams as the murder suspects and had state charges placed thanks to the collaborative efforts of the Star City Drug and Violent Crime Task Force, the US Marshals Service, FBI, Roanoke City Police, Roanoke County Police, the Bedford County and Roanoke City Commonwealth's Attorneys, and Bedford County Sheriff's Office.”
According to court records and public documents, beginning around January 2023, Walker and Williams conspired to sell large amounts of marijuana that they bought from the victim in York, Pennsylvania. By early April 2023, the defendants had accrued a $40,000 drug debt to the victim. Rather than pay the debt, they arranged a final marijuana delivery from the victim and planned to rob him when he arrived. On April 17, 2023, the victim traveled to Walker’s house in southeast Roanoke, where Walker shot the victim twice in the head and stole the marijuana. After killing the victim, Walker loaded his body into the trunk of the car and drove to a rural road in Bedford County where Walker set fire to the car.
The Virginia State Police and Federal Bureau of Investigation, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, the Roanoke City Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, the Roanoke City Police Department, the Roanoke County Police Department, the City of Lynchburg Police Department, and the Bedford County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office are investigating the case.
The Star City Drug and Violent Crime Task Force also aided in the investigation and is comprised of officers from the Roanoke City Police Department, Roanoke County Police Department, City of Salem Virginia Police Department, the Vinton Police Department, and Virginia State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation's Salem Field Office.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Drew O. Inman and M. Coleman Adams are prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Two Council Bluffs Residents Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Council Bluffs man was sentenced on April 11, 2024, to 180 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to count one of a three-count indictment. His co-defendant was sentenced on December 11, 2023, to 120 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to two counts of a three-count indictment.
According to public court documents Diana Morales, 30, was a drug supplier to co-defendant Donavan Edward Belt, 25, who distributed methamphetamine in the Council Bluffs metropolitan area. In February 2023 law enforcement completed a controlled buy at the residence of Morales and Belt resulting in the seizure of 112.97 grams of actual methamphetamine. A subsequent search warrant resulted in the seizure of additional methamphetamine.
Belt must serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. Morales must serve a three-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement Task Force and the Council Bluffs Police Department investigated the case.
Twelve Indicted for Drug Trafficking in Northern PanhandleRead the Press Release
WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Twelve people from Ohio and West Virginia have been charged with distributing cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl.
United States Attorney William Ihlenfeld announced that ten individuals from the Greater Cleveland area plus two more from the Ohio Valley have been indicted on federal drug trafficking charges. The cases were investigated by multi-jurisdictional drug task forces based in Weirton, Wheeling, and Moundsville which are comprised of local, state, and federal agents.
“We have recently experienced a surge of drug traffickers from Northern Ohio traveling to West Virginia to sell drugs and engage in violence,” said U.S. Attorney Ihlenfeld. “Our drug task forces responded swiftly to this influx and as a result, we were able to build cases, obtain indictments, and push back against the threat.”
The individuals charged and the allegations each face are as follows:
- Deangelo Smith, age 45, Cleveland (cocaine distribution in Ohio County);
- Derrick Leflore, 35, Cleveland (cocaine distribution in Ohio County);
- Dontrell Ivery, 46, Cleveland (cocaine distribution in Ohio County);
- Alexander Davis, 43, Cleveland (methamphetamine distribution in Ohio County);
- Tiajuana Sharnna Greer, 29, Cleveland (cocaine distribution in Ohio County);
- Ahmere Williams, 20, of Akron (methamphetamine distribution in Marshall County);
- Demarcus R. Brown, 21, Akron (methamphetamine/fentanyl distribution in Marshall County);
- Michael J. Lloyd, Jr., 21, Akron (methamphetamine/fentanyl distribution in Marshall County);
- Sirvonte R. Suggs, 18, Akron (methamphetamine/fentanyl distribution in Marshall County);
- Stephan G. Ward, 32, Akron (methamphetamine/fentanyl distribution in Marshall County);
- Carol Hope Lucscious, 36, Wheeling, WV (cocaine distribution in Ohio County); and
- David Bushovisky, 47, Moundsville, WV (methamphetamine distribution in Marshall County)
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Clayton Reid and Carly Nogay are prosecuting the cases on behalf of the United States.
The matters were investigated by the Ohio Valley Drug Task Force, the Hancock-Brooke-Weirton Drug Task Force, and the Marshall County Drug Task Force, each one a HIDTA-funded initiative.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Traffickers sent to prison after multi-kilogram narcotics smuggling attemptRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – Two men have been sentenced for their roles in a cocaine smuggling operation, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Argelio Chavero, 51, Alton, and Agustin Romero Jr., 41, U.S. citizen residing in Mexico, pleaded guilty April 24, 2023, and Dec. 19, 2022, respectively, to importing 12 kilograms of cocaine from Mexico.
Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now imposed a 188-month-term of imprisonment for Chavero, while Romero received 57 months. Both must also serve five and three years of supervised release, respectively, following their sentences. At the hearing, the court heard additional evidence of Chavero’s lengthy criminal history which includes a prior attempt to smuggle 14 kilograms of marijuana in a vehicles’ spare tires and gas tank through the Falfurrias Border Patrol checkpoint. In addition, the court heard that drug trafficking runs in the Chavero family as his brother is also in federal custody for a 2021 conviction of importing meth. In handing down the sentence, the court noted that Chavero has led a life crime.
On April 24, 2021, Romero drove to the Hidalgo Port of Entry attempting to enter the United States from Mexico. Upon an x-ray inspection of the vehicle, law enforcement noticed anomalies in the gas tank. Further inspection revealed, four kilograms of marijuana and 12 kilograms of meth concealed within 33 packages inside the gas tank.
Chavero recruited Romero and provided him with a vehicle at the Mexican entrance to the Port of Entry. Chavero initially denied knowledge of Romero and the vehicle; however, authorities confronted Chavero with photographs of him driving the vehicle with Romero as passenger.
Both will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura Garcia prosecuted the case.
Tioga County Man Sentenced to More Than 13 Years for Possessing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – David P. VanHousen, age 54, formerly of Newark Valley, New York, was sentenced today to 160 months (13 years, 4 months) in federal prison for possession of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
As part of his prior guilty plea, VanHousen admitted that, while civilly committed at the Central New York Psychiatric Center in Marcy, New York following several sex offense and child pornography-related convictions, VanHousen possessed numerous images and videos of child pornography on a contraband cellular telephone.
VanHousen was previously convicted in 2001 of Sexual Misconduct and Rape in the Third Degree in New York State court and Transportation of Child Pornography in federal court.
United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby also sentenced VanHousen to serve a life term of supervised release following his release from prison, at which time VanHousen will also be required to register as a sex offender.
This case was investigated by the FBI Mid-State Child Exploitation Task Force, comprised of FBI Special Agents and Investigators of the New York State Police, Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NYSP-BCI). The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adrian S. LaRochelle and Jessica N. Carbone as a 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.
Three Men Sentenced for Federal Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
MARTINSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Three men have been sentenced to federal prison for firearms violations.
Julian McGuire, age 35, of Martinsburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 46 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release for unlawful possession of firearms. According to court documents and statements made in court, officers were called to a domestic disturbance at McGuire’s home. After a search of the home and McGuire’s vehicle three firearms and firearms parts were discovered. McGuire is prohibited from having firearms because of a prior felony drug conviction.
Aiyontae Michael Moye, age 20, of Baltimore, Maryland, was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison and three years of supervised release for making a false statement during the purchase of a firearm. According to court documents and statements made in court, an investigation of shots being fired in Cumberland, Maryland led investigators to Moye. It was later discovered that Moye, who is prohibited from possessing firearms, had another individual straw purchase the firearm for him.
Talten Dominic Hall, Jr., age 39, of Edinburg, Virginia, was sentenced to 84 months in prison and five years of supervised release for possession of a firearm in connection to a drug trafficking crime. According to statements made in court, Hall fired a gun outside of a nightclub in Martinsburg. He was later found with two firearms. Hall is prohibited from having firearms because of three domestic battery and assault convictions in Virginia. Hall will be on supervised release for five years following his prison sentence.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley Crockett prosecuted the McGuire and Moye cases on behalf of the United States and Assistant U.S. Attorney Eleanor Hurney prosecuted the Hall case.
The following investigative agencies were involved in the various investigations: the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office; the Alleghany County Sheriff’s Office (MD); the West Virginia State Police; the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office; and the Loudon County, Virginia, Sheriff’s Office.
U.S. District Judge Gina M. Groh presided.
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Three Accused of Transporting Stolen Goods from St. Louis CountyRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – Three men from Florida have been accused of transporting hundreds of thousands of dollars in stolen property out of the St. Louis area.
Benjamin Andres Ovalle-Taibo, now 31, Jonathan Vejar-Caro, 31, and Henry Jose Ferreira-Perez, 20, were each indicted in U.S. District Court in St. Louis on Nov. 1, 2023, on one count of transportation of stolen goods.
Ferreira-Perez appeared in court Thursday and pleaded not guilty. The other two are in custody in Florida.
The indictment accuses the three men of transporting more than $5,000 in stolen goods. A motion seeking to have Ferreira-Perez detained until trial says he and his associates traveled from Florida to St. Louis County on June 9, 2023, where they stole hundreds of thousands of dollars’ worth of items. A detention motion for Vejar-Caro says he arrived in the United States from Chile in February of 2023. In court Thursday, Ferreira-Perez said he is from Venezuela.
Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The case was investigated by the FBI and Ladue Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cort VanOstran is prosecuting the case.
Thirty-Seven Gang Members and Associates Sentenced in Large-Scale Racketeering and Drug Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
The 37th and final defendant was sentenced today in a Northern District of Mississippi case that targeted the violent activities, drug trafficking, and money laundering of the Simon City Royals prison gang.
Joshua Miller, 33, of Jackson, Mississippi, was sentenced to 16 years and eight months in prison for Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) conspiracy, including conspiracy to murder, related to his participation in the Simon City Royals.
“The Simon City Royals gang engaged in murder and torture and smuggled drugs and other contraband into prisons,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Today’s sentencing of 37 gang members ends the gang’s reign of terror in the communities and prisons of Mississippi. This prosecution demonstrates the Justice Department’s resolve, along with our law enforcement partners, in holding violent criminal gang members to account.”
“Society simply cannot function if criminals and gangs are allowed to inflict violence on individuals and communities without consequences, and this years-long investigation and prosecution demonstrates that such criminality will not go unchecked,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner for the Northern District of Mississippi. “I want to express extreme gratitude to our law enforcement partners for their tremendous efforts in putting an end to the reign of terror perpetrated by the Simon City Royals members and affiliates convicted in this case.”
According to court documents, the Simon City Royals were a violent prison gang operating primarily in the Mississippi Department of Corrections, but with members and associates acting on their behalf outside of prison throughout Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, Tennessee, and elsewhere. Through their sophisticated structure and an alliance with the violent Gangster Disciples gang, the Simon City Royals engaged in a host of criminal activities, including murder, attempted murder, assault, kidnapping, robbery, extortion, witness tampering, money laundering, interstate travel in aid of racketeering, large-scale drug trafficking, and fraud.
“This investigation shows the dedication of the ATF and its law enforcement partners to making our neighborhoods safer by disrupting and dismantling these violent gangs wherever they exist,” said Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) New Orleans. “We will continue to be aggressive in stopping their criminal activities, bringing them to justice, and making an impact on reducing violent crime in our communities.”
“This final sentencing shatters the myth of the Simon City Royals’ invincibility,” said Special Agent in Charge Steven L. Hofer of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Orleans Field Division. “Keeping our communities safe is the DEA’s unshakeable mission. This message goes out to all who peddle drugs and unleash gun violence: law enforcement is relentless. We will never stop, not on the streets, not behind bars. We will dismantle these violent gangs, bringing the full force of the federal government to bear, and ensure they no longer terrorize our communities.”
The Simon City Royals were responsible for the brutal murder of a prison inmate in 2018, when a Simon City Royals leader issued a “kill on sight” order, directing any gang member who encountered the targeted inmate to murder him. In January 2018, Dillon Heffker and Robert Williams acted on the order, stabbing the victim dozens of times with improvised prison knives. Leaders of the Simon City Royals rewarded Heffker and Williams for the murder by arranging for hundreds of dollars to be directed to their prison commissary accounts.
“In over 40 years of working with law enforcement and the State and federal courts in Mississippi, this case took as many serious offenders off the street as any I can remember,” said U.S. Marshal Daniel R. McKittrick. “Thanks to all the agencies that work together to try and keep our communities safe.”
“The U.S. Secret Service is committed to investigating and pursuing those who aim to exploit our nation’s financial systems in order to further a criminal enterprise,” said Resident Agent in Charge Kyle Smith of the U.S. Secret Service’s Jackson Resident Office. “Thanks to the hard work of our law enforcement partners, a violent gang was dismantled and the individuals involved can now be held responsible for their crimes.”
The Simon City Royals were also responsible for the savage kidnapping and torture of a former gang member for perceived violations of the gang’s code of conduct. In 2015, a member of the Simon City Royals kidnapped the victim at knifepoint and forced him into a hotel room. There, Simon City Royals members and associates tied the victim to a chair, interrogated him, tortured him, and burned off his Simon City Royals tattoo.
In addition, the Simon City Royals engaged in widespread drug trafficking, including smuggling large quantities of methamphetamine, marijuana and synthetic marijuana, heroin, and benzodiazepines into dozens of Mississippi state prison facilities. The gang distributed these dangerous substances, including nearly 100% pure crystal methamphetamine, to inmates throughout the prison system.
Prior to Miller’s sentencing, his co-conspirators were sentenced to the following terms of imprisonment:
- Allen Posey, 48, of Jackson, 20 years;
- Jonathan Davis, 39, of Chattanooga, Tennessee, 30 years and five months;
- Jeremy Holcombe, 43, of Meridian, Mississippi, 20 years;
- Jonathan Burnett, 39, of Birmingham, Alabama, 22 years and six months;
- Hank Chapman, 38, of Riply, Mississippi, three years;
- Jason Hayden, 42, of Picayune, Mississippi, five years;
- Gavin Pierson, 33, of San Diego, 21 years and 10 months;
- Justin Shaw, 36, of Holly Springs, Mississippi, 25 years;
- Bobby Brumfield, 44, of New Orleans, 15 years and eight months;
- Jordan Deakles, 31, of Gulfport, Mississippi, two years and six months;
- Bryce Francis, 43, of Columbus, Ohio, 15 years;
- Anthony Murphy, 30, of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, 10 years;
- Chancy Bilbo, 31, of Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, 20 years;
- Dillon Heffker, 32, of Bay St. Louis, 35 years;
- Douglas Jones, 34, of Jackson, 19 years and seven months;
- Cody Woodall, 31, of Gulfport, five years;
- Michael Muscolino, 43, of Phoenix, five years;
- Valerie Madden, 54, of Chicago, two years;
- Samuel Conwill, 45, of Tupelo, Mississippi, time served of 20 months;
- Jason Collins, 40, of Loraine, Ohio, five years;
- Justin Leake, 43, of Meridian, 25 years;
- Michael Dossett, 42, of Carriere, Mississippi, six years and six months;
- Angel Labauve, 43, of Picayune, Mississippi, nine months;
- Bruce Floyd, 42, of Senatobia, Mississippi, 10 years and five months;
- Jacquelyn Harmon, 33, of Senatobia, one year and months;
- Cody Myrick, 33, of Grenada, Mississippi, one year and eight months;
- Craig Thomas, 36, of Grenada, two years and three months;
- Arvis Tolbert, 43, of Hurley, Mississippi, three years;
- Preston Edwards, 36, of Jackson, 21 years and 10 months;
- Catherine Perry, 41, of Tupelo, five years;
- John Brooks, 37, of Greenwood, Mississippi, 10 years;
- Alana Dickey, 21, of Holly Springs, five years of probation;
- Austin Ruby, 35, of Holly Springs, 10 years;
- Chris Vincent, 20, of Gulfport, five years and two months;
- Trevor Overby, 45, of Jackson, time served of 18 months; and
- Anthony Rouse, 33, of Picayune, 10 years.
The ATF, DEA, the U.S. Marshals Service, the U.S. Secret Service, the FBI Jackson Field Office, the Mississippi Department of Corrections, and dozens of local law enforcement agencies across multiple states investigated the cases, with valuable assistance from the Tupelo Police Department, Marshall County Sheriff's Department, Benton County Sheriff's Department, and Tippah County Sheriff’s Department.
Trial Attorney Ben Tonkin of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Stringfellow for the Northern District of Mississippi prosecuted the cases, with valuable assistance from former Assistant U.S. Attorney Annette Williams for the Southern District of Mississippi.
Texas man sentenced to over 6 years for distributing Spice to AlaskaRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A Texas man was sentenced to six and a half years in prison and three years’ supervised release for trafficking more than 21 kilograms of the drug known as Spice from Texas to Alaska.
“Spice” is a generic term for synthetic cannabinoids, which are mind-altering chemicals that are formed by dissolving psychotropic drugs in acetone and spraying them on dried plant material.
According to court documents, between 2020 and 2022, law enforcement officers intercepted over 21 kilograms of Spice that Jacob Trujillo, 36, of San Antonio, shipped through the mail to local distributors in Alaska.
Trujillo also laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in two separate bank accounts between January 2020 and October 2021.
“Starting in 2015, Spice was flooding the streets of Anchorage, resulting in an influx of medical emergency response calls related to Spice use and six fatal overdoses outside the Brother Francis Shelter,” said U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker for the District of Alaska. “This sentence represents one of the final pieces in a joint effort to get Spice off our streets and bring justice to the culprits who brought it to our great state.”
“The Drug Enforcement Administration works everyday with our partners to ensure Alaska is safe from those who seek to target the vulnerable for profit,” said David F. Reames, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “The sentence that Mr. Trujillo received for harming our community serves as a reminder of the seriousness with which we all take this threat.”
“Alaskans have seen first-hand the harm that synthetic cannabinoids, or “Spice,” has caused to our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS:CI), Seattle Field Office. “Mr. Trujillo is facing the consequences of his actions, and his sentencing is evidence of IRS:CI’s commitment to keeping harmful and illegal drugs off our streets.”
The DEA Anchorage Field Office and Seattle Division Office, and IRS:CI Seattle Field Office investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Schroeder prosecuted the case.
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Sterling businessman indicted for Covid-19 relief fund fraudRead the Press Release
ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment charging a Sterling businessman with wire fraud involving Covid-19 relief funds.
According to court documents, Kent Tompkins, 55, made false statements about his criminal history on Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications for his business, J & B Construction. In 2018, the defendant was indicted on multiple felony grand theft charges in South Dakota and was convicted in August 2020.
During the alleged scheme, Tompkins applied for two EIDL loans—one in May 2020 and one in November 2021. On both applications, which were submitted after he had been indicted and arraigned in South Dakota, Tompkins falsely stated that he had not been presently or recently subject to an indictment or arraignment for formal criminal charges. On the second application, Tompkins also provided false information about his prior conviction and probation.
Tompkins allegedly obtained over $95,000 in relief funds through the first loan application and attempted to obtain $276,500 through the second loan application.
Tompkins is charged with wire fraud in violation of 18 U.S.C. §1343. The defendant made his initial court appearance on April 17 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Deborah M. Smith of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska.
U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska, Special Agent in Charge Weston King of the Small Business Association Office of Inspector General Western Regional Office and Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement.
The Small Business Association Office of Inspector General and FBI Anchorage Field Office are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Brickey is prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Justice Department in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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St. Louis Man Sentenced to 150 Months in Prison for Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark on Thursday sentenced a man arrested by police after a shooting in 2023 to 150 months in prison..
Robert Eutz III, 44, pleaded guilty in January to one felony count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. He admitted that St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers stopped his car shortly after a March 30, 2023 shooting in the 3500 block of Lafayette Avenue. Officers found 10mm ammunition and spent casings in the car and a 10mm Glock handgun, 23.67 grams of raw fentanyl and 111 capsules containing fentanyl in a safe in the vehicle, Eutz’s plea agreement says.
The shooting victim, who had been hit multiple times, identified Eutz as the shooter. Witnesses identified his vehicle. The casings from the shooting scene matched the gun and spent casings recovered from Eutz’s vehicle. As a convicted felon, Eutz is barred from possessing a firearm.
The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Szczucinski prosecuted the case.
Spencer Man Sentenced to More Than Thirteen Years’ Imprisonment for Second Federal Drug ConvictionRead the Press Release
A man who had previously been convicted of Conspiracy to Manufacture and Distribute Methamphetamine in 2004 was sentenced April 17, 2024, to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and will spend more than 13 years in federal prison.
Todd Williams, age 57 from Spencer, Iowa, received the prison term after a November 1, 2023, guilty plea to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine.
Evidence showed on March 4, 2023, after receiving information that Williams was possessing and selling methamphetamine, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Williams’ residence in Spencer, Iowa. During the execution of the search warrant, law enforcement seized approximately 2.7 pounds of methamphetamine and approximately $50,000 in cash. Williams was not present during the execution of the search warrant but was observed by law enforcement driving by. Law enforcement attempted to traffic stop Williams who then led law enforcement on a short pursuit driving at speeds up to 100mph before being stopped and arrested.
Williams was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Williams was sentenced to 158 months’ imprisonment and must also serve an 8-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Williams 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 Jack Lammers and Patrick Greenwood and investigated by Spencer Police Department, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, Estherville Police Department, the Iowa Great Lakes Drug Task Force, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the Iowa DCI Laboratory.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-4061. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Southbury Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of Sawed-Off Shotguns and SilencersRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division, announced that ANTHONY ENGLEHARDT, 44, of Southbury, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to a firearm offense related to his unlawful possession of sawed-off shotguns and silencers.
According to court documents and statements made in court, shortly before midnight on March 13, 2023, Torrington Police received a report that Englehardt used a rifle and shot a hole in the ceiling of a Torrington residence, and then left the residence. At the time, Englehardt was subject to a protective order issued by the Waterbury Superior Court that required him to surrender all of his firearms and ammunition. At approximately 12:30 a.m. on March 14, 2023, Connecticut State Police stopped Englehardt’s vehicle, took him into custody, and charged him with multiple offenses. Later that day, a search of Englehardt’s Southbury residence revealed 10 firearms, six silencers, more than 1,000 rounds of ammunition, and various firearms parts and accessories. Three of the firearms were sawed-off shotguns and were not registered pursuant to the National Firearms Act. The six silencers also were not registered.
Englehardt pleaded guilty to possession of unregistered National Firearms Act firearms and silencers, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. A sentencing date is not scheduled.
Englehardt has been detained since his federal arrest on May 25, 2023.
This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police, Torrington Police Department, and Southbury Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Margaret M. Donovan and Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis, with the assistance of Law Student Intern Eli Scher-Zagier.
South Texas woman sentenced for weapons cache exportationRead the Press Release
McALLEN, Texas – A 33-year-old San Juan resident has been ordered to federal prison for attempting to exit the country with three dozen AK-47 and AR-15 rifles and other weapons and ammunition, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
Jessica Alvarado pleaded guilty Jan. 25 to smuggling goods from the United States.
U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez has now ordered Alvarado to serve 46 months in federal prison to be immediately followed by three years of supervised release. At the hearing, the court heard how these types of weapons are typically those that end up in the hands of cartel members in Mexico and the dangers that are associated with their use. In handing down the sentence, the court noted the dangers associated with these firearms and the individuals they endanger. The court also heard that at the time of the offense, Alvarado admitted to dealing cocaine on several occasions.
“Alvarado tried to sneak dangerous weapons across our southern border which could have had devastating effects,” said Hamdani. “This sentence should serve as a warning - put guns in the hands of others illegally and pay a hefty price with your freedom. An AK-47 or AR-15 doesn’t belong in the hands of a criminal.”
“Drugs and guns are a deadly combination,” said Special Agent in Charge Craig Larrabee, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) San Antonio. “This sentencing serves as a warning to those who attempt to export weapons into Mexico and distribute highly addictive narcotics like cocaine. HSI will aggressively pursue violators and hold them accountable. This investigation demonstrates the strength of collaborative law enforcement efforts in the Rio Grande Valley and our strong partnership with the U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
On Jan. 31, 2023, Jessica Alvarado attempted to depart the United States via the Hidalgo Port of Entry driving a Ford F-150. At the time, she denied having any firearms.
However, authorities noticed the bed of the pickup truck was abnormally elevated and referred the vehicle to secondary inspection. A search resulted in the discovery of 33 AK-47 variant rifles, three AR-15 rifles, a .22 caliber long rifle, two .45 caliber handguns and 39 ammunition magazines. Alvarado did not possess a license to export firearms from the United States.
The investigation led to a search at her residence in San Juan where law enforcement also found approximately 499 grams of a packaged white powdery substance that tested positive for the characteristics of cocaine and more than $13,000 in bulk U.S. currency.
Alvarado was permitted to remain on bond and will surrender at a later date to serve her sentence.
HSI conducted the investigation with the assistance of Customs and Border Protection and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lee Fry and Cahal P. McColgan prosecuted the case.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program. In May 2021, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced a new effort to reduce violent crime, including the gun violence that is often at its core. Integral to that effort was the reinvigoration of PSN, a two-decade old, evidence-based and community-oriented program focused on reducing violent crime. The updated PSN approach, outlined in the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime is guided by four key principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results of our efforts. The fundamental goal is to reduce violent crime, not simply to increase the number of arrests or prosecutions.
South Carolina Man Charged with Sextortion That Caused DeathRead the Press Release
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Glenn Daeward Boyd, 35, of Kershaw, South Carolina, was charged in a 7-Count indictment, alleging he engaged in attempted extortion, stalking, and 5 counts of wire fraud. The indictment is attached.
“Nationally and here in Michigan we have seen a startling increase in the number of sextortion crimes – like we have alleged here – that result in the victim’s death,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten. “We are fully committed to holding perpetrators of these crimes accountable. At the same time, I strongly urge everyone who carries a device or is active online to remain aware that criminals constantly troll the internet and social media, to not assume people are who they say they are, and to know that if you make a mistake, law enforcement is eager and ready to help.”
The indictment alleges Boyd committed these crimes from August 2-4, 2023. According to the indictment, Boyd posed as an 18-year-old woman on a dating website, and he sent a nude image to the victim. While continuing to pose as the woman, Boyd told the victim he was actually 15. Boyd then posed as the 15-year-old’s grandparents, telling the victim the grandparents would report the victim as a pedophile to his family, friends, and the police unless paid. The indictment further alleges the victim died by suicide as a result of Boyd’s sextortion.
“Our deepest sympathies are with the family and loved ones of the victim at the center of this case, said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “Sextortionists use any means necessary to exploit and deceive their targets, counting on the victim's feelings of shame and fear to achieve their goals. The FBI has several resources available to anyone who believes they may be a victim of a sextortion scheme. If you are uncomfortable reporting this crime to the FBI directly, you can rely on a trusted individual to do so on your behalf by calling 1-800-CALL-FBI or submitting a tip online at tips.fbi.gov.”
The FBI provides the following six tips on how people can protect themselves from sextortion schemes:
- Be selective about what you share online. If your social media accounts are open to everyone, a predator may be able to figure out a lot of information about you.
- Be wary of anyone you encounter for the first time online. Block or ignore messages from strangers.
- Be aware that people can pretend to be anything or anyone online. Videos and photos are not proof that people are who they claim to be. Images can be altered or stolen. In some cases, predators have even taken over the social media accounts of their victims.
- Be suspicious if you meet someone on one game or app and this person asks you to start talking on a different platform.
- Be in the know. Any content you create online—whether it is a text message, photo, or video—can be made public. And nothing actually “disappears” online. Once you send something, you don’t have any control over where it goes next.
- Be willing to ask for help. If you are getting messages or requests online that don’t seem right, block the sender, report the behavior to the site administrator, or go to an adult. If you have been victimized online, tell someone.
If you have information about or believe you are a victim of sextortion, contact your local FBI field office, call 1-800-CALL-FBI, or report it online at http://tips.fbi.gov. More information is available at https://www.fbi.gov/how-we-can-help-you/safety-resources/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/sextortion.
The charges in an indictment are merely accusations, and a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in a court of law.
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