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10 May 2024
Colombian Businessman Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Money Laundering ConspiracyRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Colombian businessman has been sentenced for his participation in a money laundering conspiracy.
Willian Acosta-Calderin, 53, was sentenced on May 8, 2024 by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to 40 months in prison. The defendant will be subject to deportation proceedings upon completion of the imposed sentence. In February 2024, Acosta-Calderin pleaded guilty to money laundering conspiracy and conducting substantive money laundering transactions.
Beginning in 2016 and continuing until 2022, an investigation into a money laundering organization based primarily in Barranquilla, Colombia was conducted. An undercover agent infiltrated the organization by portraying himself as an international money launderer able to pick up bulk cash throughout the world, launder the proceeds through his United States-based accounts and send the money to Colombia through the Black Market Peso Exchange – a common method of trade-based money laundering used to repatriate the proceeds of drug trafficking to Colombia.
Acosta-Calderin was a business owner in Colombia who used his business bank account to receive drug proceeds in Colombia. During the course of the conspiracy, Acosta-Calderin received over $1.5 million in wire transfers to his account. After receipt, Acosta-Calderin withdrew the funds from his account to pay out the money in Colombia to the owners. Acosta-Calderin also created fake invoices to mask the true source of the funds and evade anti-money laundering protocols. Acosta-Calderin gave the fake invoices to the undercover agent to support the transactions. During text communications with the undercover agent, Acosta-Calderin said that he could receive up to $400,000 at a time without having to worry about regulators.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jared C. Dolan and Alathea E. Porter prosecuted the case.
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Chicago Man Sentenced to 32 Months for Acting as Money Courier in Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
LONDON, Ky. — An Indian national, most recently living in the Chicago area, Satishkumar Rameshchandra Patel, 39, has been sentenced to 32 months in federal prison, by U.S. District Judge Robert E. Wier, for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $631,336.40.
According to his plea agreement, Patel’s co-conspirators reached out to victims across the United States to defraud them out of significant sums of money. Often, Patel’s co-conspirators located in India reached out to victims by telephone and represented themselves to be government officials. The co-conspirators would convince the victims they were in some sort of legal or financial trouble, and requested the victims send payment to relieve the trouble or protect the victims from losing their savings. The victims, most of whom were in their late 60s or 70s, mailed cash shipments to fake names, at addresses in the Chicago area, in Central Kentucky, and elsewhere, where Patel and others would retrieve those packages. Victims lost anywhere from $9,000 to $375,000 through the scheme.
Other fraud schemes emanating out of the India-based call center for which Patel was employed included tech support scams, where victims were defrauded into believing their computer security company had issued them refunds for products in error. The victims were directed to the withdraw those excess refunds in cash and mail the cash to certain addresses located in the Chicago area and elsewhere in the United States, where Patel and others would retrieve those packages. The fake refunds were anywhere from $9,000 to $20,000.
In total, court records show that 9 victims were associated to Patel’s actions, resulting in a restitution amount of $631,336.40.
Under federal law, Patel must serve 85 percent of his prison sentence; and upon his release, Patel will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for three years.
Patel was charged alongside Kalpeshkumar Rasikbhai Patel. Anyone with additional information about this investigation and prosecution is urged to contact law enforcement, at the following: https://www.tigta.gov/hotline?type=IRSScamsandFraud.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Michael Stansbury, Special Agent in Charge, FBI, Louisville Field Office; Rana Saoud, Special Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigation, Nashville Field Office; Heather Mill, Acting Inspector General, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, and Gail Ennis, Inspector General, Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General, jointly announce the sentence.
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the FBI, HSI, TIGTA, and SSA-OIG. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kate Dieruf.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s efforts to identify and prosecute those persons who facilitate elder financial exploitation. The Department of Justice’s Elder Justice Mission – being carried out through the Kentucky Elder Justice Task Force – is to seek justice for victims of elder financial exploitation. Anyone who knows someone who may be a victim of an elder financial exploitation, is encouraged to contact law enforcement.
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Career Offender Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Cocaine DistributionRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Springfield man was sentenced yesterday for possessing cocaine intended for distribution while on supervised release for a prior heroin distribution conviction.
Hector Quinones, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Mark G. Mastroianni to 42 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. Quinones was indicted by a federal grand jury in April 2022.
At the time, Quinones was on supervised release for a 2018 conviction for conspiracy to distribute heroin in the District of Connecticut. Quinones was also convicted for possession with intent to distribute in the Rhode Island as well as a 2016 conviction for delivering heroin in Rhode Island. Quinones was sentenced to two years to be served consecutively for the supervised release violation.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration in New England; and Lawrence Akers, Superintendent of the Springfield Police Department made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd E. Newhouse of the Springfield Branch Office prosecuted the case.
CEO Convicted for $28M Long-Running Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A federal jury convicted a Hawaii man yesterday for his role in a more than a decade-long scheme to defraud investors of Semisub Inc. and Semisub LLC (collectively, “Semisub”) of over $28 million.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Curtiss E. Jackson, 71, of Honolulu, was Semisub’s CEO in addition to holding other corporate positions, and fraudulently solicited investments in Semisub. Jackson and his co-conspirator falsely told investors for years that the prototype vessel, Semisub One, was “weeks” or “months” away from beginning operations. Jackson also solicited funds based on false statements that Semisub had entered into agreements or developed relationships with government agencies and a private investment firm to build and sell a fleet of “Semisubs” for tens of millions of dollars—among other misrepresentations. As a part of the scheme, Jackson and his co-conspirator used investor funds to pay for luxury residences in Hawaii and California, a Mercedes-Benz automobile, luxury vacations, psychics, and marijuana.
Jackson also sent a death threat to his co-conspirator during the investigation. The text message contained a link to an online video entitled “Death of FBI Informants,” which had clips from a television series depicting the deaths of several characters who had cooperated with the FBI. Jackson further obstructed an official proceeding by attempting to flee the United States’ territorial waters aboard the Semisub One, which was subject to criminal forfeiture proceedings, on the day before his bond revocation hearing.
The jury convicted Jackson of securities fraud, conspiracy to commit mail fraud and wire fraud, mail fraud, wire fraud, witness tampering, and obstructing an official proceeding while on pretrial release. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 23 and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on each count and a consecutive 10 years in prison for committing an offense while on release. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Clare E. Connors for the District of Hawaii; Inspector in Charge Eric Shen of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Criminal Investigations Group; and Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Seattle Field Office made the announcement.
The USPIS and IRS-CI investigated the case.
Trial Attorneys Jennifer Bilinkas, Kate McCarthy, Christopher Fenton, and Matthew Reilly of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Margaret Nammar and Aislinn Affinito for the District of Hawaii are prosecuting the case.
Brooklyn Man Arrested for Bank Fraud and Identity TheftRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Brooklyn, N.Y. man was arrested today in connection with a scheme to steal over $3 million in COVID relief tax credits using the stolen identity of a corporate executive in New Jersey.
Isaiah Aaron Tenryk, 28, was charged with bank fraud and aggravated identity theft. Following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston earlier today, Tenryk was detained pending a hearing scheduled for May 16, 2024.
According to the charging documents, Tenryk used a fraudulent driver’s license as well as the name and Social Security number of a corporate executive in New Jersey to open an account at a bank in Boston. He then allegedly deposited an approximately $3 million Employee Retention Tax Credit check payable to the executive’s company into the fraudulent account.
The charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory two-years in prison in addition to any sentence imposed for bank fraud, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation Division, Boston Field Office; and Ketty Larco Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Bridgeport Fentanyl Dealer Involved in Overdose Death Sentenced to Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that DANIEL OLIVER, also known as “Chase,” 30, of Bridgeport, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Harford to 20 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for distributing fentanyl.
According to court documents and statements made in court, in the early morning hours of April 23, 2020, a 23-year-old woman was discovered unconscious in her bedroom of her Bronx, New York residence. Law enforcement and medical personnel responded to the scene and she was pronounced dead. Fentanyl and drug paraphernalia were recovered from the scene, and the victim’s autopsy found that she died of “acute fentanyl intoxication.” The investigation revealed that Oliver sold the victim fentanyl shortly before her overdose death; that he knew she had not used opioids for some time before the sale; that he warned her that the drugs could be more dangerous based on her period of sobriety; and that he deleted his Facebook account, which he used to communicate with the victim, shortly after the victim died.
In January 2021, Bridgeport Police made a controlled purchase of fentanyl and heroin from Oliver. On January 18, 2021, Oliver was arrested on state charges, and a court-authorized search of his residence revealed 140 folds containing a mixture of fentanyl and heroin, and a quantity of cocaine.
Oliver was arrested on a federal criminal complaint on September 1, 2022. On December 4, 2023, he pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute, and distribution of, a controlled substance. After a hearing on April 19, 2024, Judge Williams found that Oliver sold the fentanyl to the overdose victim that resulted in her death.
Oliver has been detained since his federal arrest.
This matter was investigated by the New York City Police Department, the Bridgeport Police Department, and the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Bridgeport High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force, which includes personnel from the DEA Bridgeport Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bridgeport, Norwalk, Stamford, Stratford, Milford, and Danbury Police Departments. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Ruff.
Border Patrol Agent Indicted for Child Pornography and Exploitation OffensesRead the Press Release
PHOENIX, Ariz. – Nereo Mejia Gomez, Jr., 41, of Yuma, was indicted by a grand jury on Tuesday for a series of child pornography-related offenses, including Production of Child Pornography and multiple counts of Distributing and Possessing Child Pornography. Gomez also was indicted for Possession of an Unregistered Firearm; specifically, a short-barreled rifle. A federal Magistrate Judge ordered that Gomez be released pending trial. Gomez is an agent with the United States Customs and Border Protection’s Border Patrol.
The indictment alleges that, between November 2022 and March 2023, Gomez produced child pornography four times involving a girl who was ages 15 and 16. The indictment also alleges that Gomez distributed child pornography five times in February and March 2024 using a facility of interstate commerce and possessed child pornography and an unregistered firearm in April 2024.
Production of Child Pornography carries a potential sentence of 15-30 years in prison, while each count of Distributing and Possessing Child Pornography carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Possession of an Unregistered Firearm carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. All child exploitation counts also carry a potential fine of up to $250,000 and a lifetime term of supervised release.
An indictment is simply a method by which a person is charged with criminal activity and raises no inference of guilt. An individual is presumed innocent until evidence is presented to a jury that establishes guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Homeland Security Investigations is conducting the investigation in this case. The United States Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, is handling the prosecution. The Yuma Sector of the Border Patrol has been cooperative in the investigation.
Gomez- IndictmentCASE NUMBER: CR-24-00783-PHX-SMB
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-060_Gomez# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.
9 May 2024
Yuba City Man Sentenced to 70 Months for Unlawfully Possessing and Selling GunsRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — On May 9, 2024, Billy Glyn Sims Jr. of Yuba City was sentenced to 70 months in prison for unlawfully dealing in firearms without a license and for being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, between April 1, 2022, and March 9, 2023, Sims, who is not a licensed firearms dealer, unlawfully engaged in the business of dealing in firearms. In three separate transactions in motel and apartment complex parking lots, Sims sold an FBI confidential source a Mossberg Shotgun, a Ruger single-action revolver, and a black powder revolver and a box containing .45 caliber ammunition. The transactions occurred in Yuba, Yolo, and Sutter Counties. At least one of the transactions occurred after Sims became aware that the source was a “double felon” and thus prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition. Sims also offered to sell the source several other firearms, including an AR-15 assault rifle, although these transactions were never completed. Sims was prohibited from possessing any firearms because of his own prior felony convictions, including for domestic violence and burglary.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justin L. Lee and Dhruv M. Sharma prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.
Woman Sentenced to 9 Years in Dark Web Murder-for-Hire PlotRead the Press Release
A Bedford woman who attempted to hire a hitman to kill her boyfriend’s lover was sentenced today to nine years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton.
Michelle Murphy, 58, was charged via criminal complaint in September 2023 and pleaded guilty in December 2023 to one count of murder-for-hire. She was sentenced Thursday by U.S. District Judge Mark Pittman.
According to court documents, Ms. Murphy used the dark web to attempt to pay a hitman $10,510 in Bitcoin to murder her boyfriend’s lover.
Blockchain analysis showed that Ms. Murphy used an ATM to convert cash into cryptocurrency on at least three occasions. On July 27, 2023, she transferred approximately 0.358 BTC ($10,510) to a Bitcoin wallet she believed belonged to the murder-for-hire recipient.
Agents subsequently confronted Ms. Murphy and the boyfriend in question. After being read her Miranda rights, Ms. Murphy admitted that when she found out her boyfriend was seeing another woman, she attempted to hire a hit man to kill the woman.
At Thursday’s sentencing hearing, prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed that it appeared the “hitman” who accepted funds from Ms. Murphy likely never intended to carry out the murder.
Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Bedford, Euless, Grapevine, and Hurst Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Weybrecht prosecuted the case.
Two additional men indicted for robberies of mail carriersRead the Press Release
MIAMI – On May 6, two additional men from Port St. Lucie were charged with armed postal robbery, among other charges.
Bernard Jerome Davis III, 20, and Jalen Dennis Elliott, 19, both of Port St. Lucie, Florida, were charged in a 16-count superseding indictment, along with Jamal Travon Brown Weathers, 23, of Fort Pierce, with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery, Hobbs Act robbery, postal robbery, armed postal robbery, attempted Hobbs Act robbery, illegal theft/possession of a U.S. Postal Service arrow key and use or carrying a firearm during a crime of violence. Brown Weathers was previously charged by a federal criminal complaint in December 2023.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Shaniek Mills Maynard ordered Brown Weathers, Davis and Elliott detained pending trial.
According to the criminal complaint, between Nov. 19, 2022, and Oct. 21, 2023, Brown Weathers, Davis and Elliott allegedly robbed at least six U.S. Postal letter carriers in St. Lucie, Brevard, Orange and Miami-Dade Counties.
Trial is scheduled to start on July 1 before U.S. District Court Judge K. Michael Moore, in Fort Pierce. If convicted of their charges, Brown Weathers and Davis face a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years up to the statutory maximum term of life in prison. Elliott faces up to the statutory term of 70 years in prison, if convicted.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Inspector in Charge Juan A. Vargas of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS), Miami Division, Chief Diane Hobley-Burney of the Fort Pierce Police Department, Chief Wayne A. Jones of the Miami Beach Police Department, Sheriff John W. Mina of the Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Wayne Ivey of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, Sheriff Keith Pearson of the St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office, and Chief Richard Del Toro Jr. of the Port St. Lucie Police Department made the announcement.
USPIS, the Fort Pierce Police Department, Miami Beach Police Department, Orange County Sheriff’s Office, Brevard County Sheriff’s Office, St. Lucie County Sheriff’s Office and Port St. Lucie Police Department investigated the case. Managing Assistant U.S. Attorney Carmen M. Lineberger is prosecuting it.
Customers are encouraged to report stolen mail as soon as possible by submitting an online complaint to the Postal Inspection Service at www.uspis.gov/report or calling 877-876-2455. The Postal Inspection Service is authorized to issue monetary rewards for the forcible assault, robbery or attempted robbery of any custodian of any mail, money, or other property of the United States under the control and jurisdiction of the Postal Service. Additionally, individuals are encouraged to report allegations of Postal Service employee misconduct, including attempts to corrupt a Postal Service employee, to the USPS OIG at 1-888-877-7644 or www.uspsoig.gov.
A criminal complaint and indictment contain mere allegations, and all defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 23-cr-14053.
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Troy Man Pleads Guilty to Unemployment Insurance FraudRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK –Jamaine Myers, age 46, of Troy, New York, pled guilty yesterday to conspiring to defraud the New York State Department of Labor (NYSDOL) by obtaining unemployment insurance benefits under the name of another person, including benefits funded by the federal government in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge, North East Region, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General (USDOL-OIG).
Myers admitted that he provided Carl J. DiVeglia III with the personal identifying information of a third party, which DiVeglia used to file a false claim via the NYSDOL website. DiVeglia previously pled guilty to fraudulently obtaining $1.6 million in unemployment insurance benefits as part of the scheme. Charges against one of Myers’s co-defendants, Todd Ward, are still pending. The other two co-defendants, Christopher Ward and Rocco Resciniti, previously pled guilty.
Myers faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and a term of supervised release of up to 3 years when he is sentenced on September 12, 2024, by United States District Judge Glenn T. Suddaby.
The FBI and USDOL-OIG are investigating this case, with assistance from the NYSDOL Office of Special Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph S. Hartunian and Joshua R. Rosenthal are prosecuting the case.
On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice 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, among other methods, 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 https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
Three Tennessee Physicians Sentenced for Roles in Drug Trafficking and Fraud SchemesRead the Press Release
FRANKFORT, Ky. – Three Tennessee physicians were sentenced on Wednesday and Thursday, by U.S. District Judge Gregory F. Van Tatenhove, following their convictions for conspiracy to illicitly prescribe controlled substances and related fraud and money laundering offenses. Evann Herrell was sentenced to 120 months in prison, Mark Grenkoski to 108 months, and Stephen Cirelli to 48 months.
Herrell, Grenkoski, and Cirelli worked at EHC Medical clinics, located in Harriman and Jacksboro, Tenn., that purported to offer treatment for opioid use disorder. At trial, the United States presented evidence that the defendants participated in a wide-ranging conspiracy to provide prescriptions for high doses and dangerous combinations of Suboxone and benzodiazepine-class drugs, to cash-paying customers. These drugs were then being sold, traded, and abused throughout southeastern Kentucky. The evidence further established that the defendants engaged in a conspiracy to falsify medical records, while supposedly treating patients, and that Herrell, Grenkoski, and another physician defendant, Keri McFarlane, conspired to cause millions of dollars in fraudulent submissions to Medicare, Kentucky Medicaid, and other health benefit programs for prescription drugs and urine drug testing.
Robert Taylor, who opened EHC Medical in 2013 and operated it through late 2018, pleaded guilty to a drug trafficking conspiracy charge and was sentenced in 2023 to 30 months in prison. He forfeited $13.8 million and paid an additional fine of $200,000. Lori Barnett, a registered nurse who helped Taylor supervise day-to-day operations, and three other physicians – Matthew Rasberry, Helen Bidawid, and Eva Misra – also pleaded guilty to related drug or money laundering charges. McFarlane is scheduled to be sentenced on July 10, 2024.
Under federal law, Herrell, Grenkoski, and Cirelli must serve 85 percent of their prison sentences. Upon their release from prison, they will be under the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office for two years.
Carlton S. Shier, IV, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Kentucky; Erek Davodowich, Acting Special Agent in Charge, DEA Louisville Field Division; Karen Wingerd, Acting Special Agent in Charge, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation; and Tamala E. Miles, Special Agent in Charge at the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), jointly announced the sentences.
The investigation was conducted by the DEA, IRS, and HHS, with support from the Kentucky Office of the Attorney General.
The United States was represented in the case by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Greg Rosenberg, Amanda Huang, and Andrew Smith. The case was prosecuted as part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, an initiative focusing on significant drug trafficking and money laundering criminal organizations.
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Three Individuals Facing Federal Charges for Swatting ActivitiesRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – A federal grand jury returned a superseding indictment on Tuesday, May 7, 2024 which was unsealed earlier today, charging Owen Jarboe, age 18, of Hagerstown, Maryland, Evan Strauss, age 26, of Moneta, Virginia, and Brayden Grace, age 18, of Columbus, Ohio, with conspiracy, cyberstalking, interstate threatening communications, and threats to damage or destroy by means of fire and explosives.
The superseding indictment was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron and Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office.
According to the six-count superseding indictment, from approximately December 10, 2023 through at least January 18, 2024, Evan Strauss, Owen Jarboe, and Brayden Grace, along with other conspirators, knowingly and unlawfully conspired to place and caused to be placed swatting calls to multiple police and emergency departments across the United States. The superseding indictment alleges that the defendants were part of an online group known as “Purgatory” and that they used multiple online social media platforms, including Telegram and Instagram, to coordinate and plan their swatting activities and to announce swats that they had conducted. The defendants and their conspirators often used shared scripts to obfuscate their phone numbers and identities.
Among the swatting incidents alleged in the superseding indictment are:
- a threat to burn down a residential trailer park in Alabama;
- a shooting threat against a teacher and unnamed students at a high school in Delaware;
- a shooting and bomb threat to the Albany International Airport in New York;
- a shooting and bomb threat against a casino in Ohio; and
- a multiple homicide event and shooting threat against individuals in a residence in Eastman, Georgia.
If convicted, each defendant faces a maximum sentence of 5 years in federal prison for each count of conspiracy, cyberstalking and interstate threat and a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison on each charge to damage or destroy by means of fire and explosive. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the FBI Baltimore Field Office for its outstanding work in the investigation and praised the Joint Terrorism Task Force, the Columbus, Ohio Police Department, Newark, Delaware Police Department, Lenoir City, Tennessee Police Department, Albany, New York Police Department, Albany County, New York Sheriff’s Office , Fairburn City, Georgia Police Department, Bethel Park, Pennsylvania Police Department, Giles County, Virginia Sheriff’s Office, Blue Springs, Missouri Police Department, Tarboro, North Carolina Police Department, Boston, Massachusetts Police Department, Dodge County, Georgia Sheriff’s Office, Houston County, Alabama Sheriff’s Office, and the FBI’s Mobile, Richmond, Boston, Charlotte and Cincinnati Field Offices for their valuable assistance. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kathleen O. Gavin and Robert I. Goldaris, who are prosecuting the case.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Three Arrested in Armed Robbery of Cash CourierRead the Press Release
BOSTON – Three men have been arrested and charged in connection with the February 2024 armed robbery of a cash courier in Swansea, Mass. The defendants are charged with robbing courier at gunpoint; zip-tying and pepper spraying victim; then burning the stolen getaway vehicle.
Steven Madison, 38, of Bridgewater; Christopher White, 37, of Raynham; and Quentin McDonald, 35, of Brockton, were each charged with one count of robbery interfering with interstate commerce, commonly referred to as Hobbs Act robbery; one count of arson of property used in or affecting interstate commerce; and one count of conspiracy. In addition, Madison and White were also charged with one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm.
The defendants were arrested yesterday and were detained pending a hearing scheduled for May 13, 2024.
According to the charging documents, in the early morning hours of Feb. 19, 2024, two men were seen on video stealing a rental van from a U-Haul Moving & Storage location in Abington, Mass. Later in the day an armed courier who worked for a company that provides secure cash transportation services for licensed cannabis companies arrived at a bank in Swansea, Mass. carrying approximately $436,200 in cash for deposit.
It is alleged that the U-Haul van pulled up alongside the courier and a masked man wearing a camouflaged vest exited the van and pointed a firearm at the courier before zip-tying the courier’s hands behind his back. It is further alleged that a second masked man exited the U-Haul van and quickly loaded the cash into the vehicle. After trying to disarm the courier, the two men allegedly forced the courier into the back seat of his own car, pepper sprayed him and closed the door.
Surveillance footage showed that the courier managed to remove one hand from the zip-tie restraints while inside his vehicle, draw his firearm and fire four rounds in the direction of the U-Haul van as it fled the scene before calling 911.
After leaving the bank, the men allegedly drove the van to a nearby location in Swansea where they met with a third man driving an SUV. It is alleged that the men then transferred the stolen cash into the getaway SUV, burned the U-Haul van and fled.
A subsequent investigation allegedly identified Madison, White and McDonald as the individuals involved in both the robbery and arson. It is alleged that during a search of Madison’s residence in Bridgewater yesterday morning, an estimated $5,000 or more in cash was located in various amounts throughout the house, as well as a $47,000 Rolex watch, a sweatshirt similar to that worn by one of the robbers, a firearm, and ammunition. Following a search of White’s residence in Raynham, zip-ties, a black mask similar to that worn by one of the robbers, a firearm and ammunition were recovered.
According to the charging documents, both Madison and McDonald have prior state convictions for masked armed robbery, assault and battery by means of a dangerous weapon, and unlawfully possessing a firearm. White has prior state convictions for larceny and receiving stolen property.
The charge of Hobbs Act robbery provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of arson of property used in or affecting interstate commerce provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and up with 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. The charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm provides for a sentence of up to 15 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; John E. Mawn, Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Swansea Police Chief Mark Foley made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Bristol County District Attorney’s Office and the Bridgewater, Brockton and Raynham Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Reynolds III of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Syracuse Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of Methamphetamine and Fentanyl with the Intent to DistributeRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Jamall Harris, age 45, of Syracuse, pled guilty today to possession of methamphetamine and fentanyl with intent to distribute. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, made the announcement.
As part of his plea, Harris admitted that, on November 8, 2023, he possessed in his home and car over one kilogram of methamphetamine and a quantity of fentanyl, which he intended to distribute. He further admitted that, before he committed this offense, he had previously been convicted in United States District Court for the Northern District of New York of Conspiracy to Possess Heroin with the intent to distribute.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 10, 2024, in Syracuse, at which time Harris faces a maximum prison sentence of 30 years, a fine of up to $2,000,000, and a term of supervised release of at least 6 years and up to life. 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 Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is investigating the case with assistance from the United States Probation Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica N. Carbone is prosecuting the case.
Statement of U.S. Attorney Damian Williams on the Conviction of Bruce GarelickRead the Press Release
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Bruce Garelick was part of a sophisticated group of individuals invited to invest in Digital World Acquisition Corporation (DWAC), a special purpose acquisition company that had raised funds with the intention of later investing in a target company, Trump Media & Technology Group, not yet known to the public. When he was given that opportunity, Garelick promised to keep the information about DWAC’s interest in acquiring Trump Media secret and not use it to trade in the stock market. Garelick was also given a seat on DWAC’s board, which gave him direct access to additional non-public information regarding the acquisition. As a unanimous jury has just found, Garelick blatantly violated the law by using the information that he obtained as an insider at DWAC to trade and tip others. Garelick’s federal conviction is yet another stark reminder that insider trading is always a losing bet.”
St. Louis Man Convicted of the Robbery / Attempted Robbery of Four RestaurantsRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS –A jury on Wednesday evening convicted a St. Louis man of the robbery or attempted robbery of four restaurants in one week in 2020.
Jurors in U.S. District Court in St. Louis found Kammeron Davis, 33, guilty of three counts of robbery, one count of attempted robbery and three counts of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Evidence and testimony presented at the trial showed that Davis robbed a Penn Station restaurant in St. Louis on Sept. 13, 2020, by pointing a gun at employees and demanding money. Three days later, he tried to rob a Subway restaurant in Maplewood but was chased off by an employee with a broom.
Court exhibit.About 15 minutes later, Davis robbed a Subway in St. Louis by leaping over the counter and stealing money from the cash register while armed. On September 20, Davis and another person robbed a different Subway in St. Louis.
The robberies were captured on video, as was the car Davis used. Three people also identified Davis as the robber in court.
Davis is scheduled to be sentenced October 22. He faces a mandatory term of 21 years in prison for the firearm charges. The robbery and attempted robbery charges are each punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
The FBI, the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department and the Maplewood Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Donald Boyce and Cort VanOstran 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.
South Jordan Man Sentenced to 168 Months’ Imprisonment for Distribution of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE, Utah – James Weston Fawcett, 43, of South Jordan, Utah, was sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment, and a life term of supervised release after he admitted to uploading child pornography on a social media platform.
According to court documents and statements made at the change of plea hearing, Fawcett knowingly distributed material that contained child pornography between December 8, 2022 and January 15, 2023. Fawcett admitted he uploaded child pornography on two separate occasions to the social media platform “Wickr.” In total, Fawcett uploaded 18 videos and 11 images of child pornography to two chatrooms on the social media platform. At the time the files were uploaded, one of the chatrooms had approximately 200 members that could choose to preview or download the files to their phones or computers. Several of the videos contained images of children under the age of 12. During a search of Fawcett’s residence, officers found thousands of images of child pornography on his electronic devices. Officers also found an image of child pornography where Fawcett superimposed his face on the adult male pictured with a child.
The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Assistant United States Attorney Allison H. Behrens of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and 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.
Solar Energy Company Agrees to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Related to Paycheck Protection Program LoanRead the Press Release
AUSTIN – Freedom Solar LLC, a solar energy company that installs photovoltaic solar arrays for residential and commercial customers, has agreed to pay $425,710 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act in connection with a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan.
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act authorized forgivable PPP loans for small businesses experiencing economic uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic. In most cases, the maximum amount a small business could receive was 2.5 times its average monthly payroll. For purposes of calculating payroll costs, the CARES Act excluded any compensation to an individual employee in excess of an annual salary of $100,000.
Freedom Solar applied for a PPP loan in April 2020. The United States alleged that Freedom Solar failed to cap the annual salary of several employees at $100,000 when calculating its average monthly payroll. As a result, Freedom Solar overstated this number on its PPP loan application, which caused it to receive more PPP funds than it was entitled to receive. Freedom Solar later obtained forgiveness for the full amount of its PPP loan.
The civil settlement resolved a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The qui tam lawsuit is captioned United States ex rel. Mossburg v. Freedom Solar, LLC, et al., Case No. 1:23-cv-00908 (W.D. Tex.).
Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Parnham negotiated the settlement on behalf of the government.
The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.
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Six Men Charged with Conspiring to Distribute Cocaine Base and Fentanyl in RutlandRead the Press Release
Burlington, Vermont – The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that on April 3, 2024, a federal grand jury returned a Second Superseding Indictment charging Eddie Melendez, 30, Reuben Melendez, 28, and Serafin Melendez, 53, of Feeding Hills, Massachusetts, Mathew Ponce, 29, and Giovanny Guzman, 23, of Springfield, Massachusetts, and Anthony Baker, 31 of Rutland, Vermont, with conspiracy to distribute cocaine base and fentanyl in Vermont between August 2023 and January 12, 2024. Eddie Melendez, Reuben Melendez, Mathew Ponce, Anthony Baker, and Giovanny Guzman were also charged with additional violations of the Controlled Substances Act, including distribution of a controlled substance or possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
Each of the defendants has entered a not guilty plea to the charges during arraignments before United States Magistrate Judge Kevin J. Doyle in April and May 2024. Serafin Melendez, Eddie Melendez, Reuben Melendez, and Mathew Ponce were released on conditions pending trial. Anthony Baker and Giovanny Guzman were ordered detained pending trial.
The United States Attorney’s Office emphasizes that an indictment contains allegations only and that the above-named defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The defendants face up to twenty years of incarceration if convicted. The actual sentence, however, would be determined by the Court with guidance from the advisory United States Sentencing Guidelines and the statutory sentencing factors.
United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, Vermont State Police, Rutland City Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bennington County Sheriff’s Department.
The prosecutors are Assistant United States Attorneys Jason Turner and Jonathan Ophardt. Eddie Melendez is represented by John Claude Charbonneau, Esq. Reuben Melendez is represented by Mark Oettinger, Esq. Serafin Melendez is represented by Ian Carleton, Esq. Mathew Ponce is represented by Robert Behrens, Esq. Giovanny Guzman is represented by Robert Sussman, Esq. Anthony Baker is represented Richard Goldsborough, Esq.
Shelby Township Doctor Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison for Illegally Distributing More than 270,000 Opioid Pills worth more than $6.3 MillionRead the Press Release
DETROIT - Shelby Township physician Lawrence Mark Sherman, 75, was sentenced today to 12 years in prison based on his conviction following a jury trial on 20 charges related to the unlawful diversion of prescription drugs, announced U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison.
Joining Ison in the announcement were Special Agent in Charge Cheyvorea Gibson, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Detroit Division, and Special Agent in Charge Mario Pinto of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General’s (HHS-OIG) Chicago Regional Office.
Sherman was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Judith E. Levy, who presided over the trial. The charges on which he was convicted and sentenced stemmed from his involvement in the operation of Tranquility Wellness Center, Inc. from about March 2020 through June 2021. Sherman worked part-time at Tranquility Wellness Center, which operated first in Dearborn and later in Saint Clair Shores. Out of that clinic, Dr. Sherman unlawfully prescribed primarily Oxycodone, Oxymorphone , and Oxycodone-Acetaminophen 10- (Percocet), three of the most addictive prescription opioids. These prescription drugs are also among the most highly diverted prescription opioids due to their high street value.
Federal agents first executed search and arrest warrants against Sherman and Tranquility Wellness Center in June 2021. The other defendants charged in the case, including clinic operators Janeice Burrell and Angelo Smith, clinic employee Akeyla Bell, and Peter Burrell previously pleaded guilty and were sentenced.
According to the evidence presented at trial, Dr. Sherman conspired with the other defendants to illegally authorize more than 3,000 opioid prescriptions for supposed “patients” who did not have a legitimate medical need for the drugs, and who were typically brought to the clinic by “patient recruiters/marketers.” Tranquility Wellness Center accepted only cash, and charged patients not based on the service provided, but instead based on the quantity, type, and dosage of prescription opioids that the “patient” received. The clinic also charged cash for the creation of fraudulent medical records for the supposed “patients.” Janeice Burrell and Angelo Smith paid Dr. Sherman in cash or peer-to-peer money transfer application, and only paid him if he wrote controlled substance prescriptions, not based on any supposed “medical care.”
During the trial the jury heard evidence and testimony that Doctor Sherman issued more than 270,000 dosage units of Schedule II opioid prescriptions during the conspiracy. These controlled substances had a street value in excess of $6.3 million.
While the unlawful controlled substance prescriptions were paid for in cash, both controlled and non-controlled “maintenance” medications were billed to health care benefit programs by pharmacies. Billings to the Medicare and Medicaid programs for medically unnecessary prescription drug medications and maintenance medications during this conspiracy exceeded $500,000.
“My office will not waver in its commitment to aggressively identify, investigate, and prosecute doctors and other health care professionals who feed the opioid epidemic by writing illegal opioid prescriptions,” stated U.S. Attorney Ison. “Health care professionals have both an opportunity and a duty to help address the terrible impact the opioid epidemic has had on our community, but Dr. Sherman chose to only make it worse.”
"The sentencing of Dr. Sherman highlights the FBI's ongoing efforts against medical professionals who are using their position to line their own pockets while ultimately contributing to the opioid crisis," said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. "His actions endangered countless lives, which goes against the oath he took as a doctor. We remain committed to investigating health care fraud and holding those who exploit their positions accountable."
“Physicians and other medical providers who abuse their oath by unlawfully prescribing potentially dangerous and addicting opioids for financial gain, do so without regard for the wellbeing of their patients,” said Mario M. Pinto of the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Our office is committed to working together with our law enforcement partners to bring those who engage in unlawful and dangerous overprescribing to justice.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Andrew J. Lievense and Adriana Dydell. The Eastern District of Michigan is one of the twelve districts included in the Opioid Fraud Abuse and Detection Unit, a Department of Justice initiative that uses data to target and prosecute individuals that are contributing to the nation’s opioid crisis.
The case was investigated by special agents and task force officers of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Health and Human Services-Office of the Inspector General.
Settlement of Race Discrimination Lawsuit Against Cobb County Fire Department ReachedRead the Press Release
ATLANTA - A settlement has been reached with Cobb County, Georgia, through a consent decree, resolving the United States’ claims that Cobb County’s use of certain screening devices in its hiring process for entry-level firefighters resulted in a pattern or practice of discrimination against African Americans in violation of Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
Title VII is a federal statute that prohibits employment discrimination based on race, sex, color, national origin, and religion. Title VII prohibits not only intentional discrimination but also employment practices that result in a disparate impact upon a protected group unless the defendant can prove that such practices are job-related and consistent with business necessity.
“Every person, regardless of race, deserves an equal opportunity to compete for jobs. Employers should identify and eliminate policies and procedures that create a discriminatory impact on applicants based on race,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Our office will continue to devote resources to eliminate prejudicial policies that illegally deprive qualified candidates of a fair chance to compete for employment opportunities.”
“This settlement should send a strong message to employers that reliance on a job applicant’s credit history may be discriminatory and unlawful,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Consumer credit checks create a Catch-22 for people seeking access to job opportunities. Cobb County’s hiring practices created artificial barriers that prevented qualified Black job candidates from being considered for firefighter positions. Discriminatory barriers, like credit checks, not only cost candidates a fair chance at a job, they also prevent the public from being served by firefighters drawn from the most robust hiring pool possible.”
The lawsuit, filed in the Northern District of Georgia, alleges that the County engaged in discrimination with two parts of its entry-level firefighter hiring process. The United States’ lawsuit challenges the County’s use of a credit check to screen out firefighter candidates based on the County’s review of their credit histories. The lawsuit also challenges the County’s past use of a written examination designed to determine placement level in college classes as a method for ranking candidates to move forward in the firefighter hiring process. The County’s use of these employment practices disproportionately removed qualified African Americans from consideration for a firefighter position. The complaint further alleges that the credit check and the use of the written exam to rank applicants do not lawfully identify the best qualified candidates for the firefighter position.
Under the terms of the consent decree, which is subject to court approval, Cobb County will no longer use a credit check as part of its firefighter selection process, nor will it resume using the written exam as a rank-order selection device. The County will pay $750,000 in back pay to eligible African Americans who were denied employment because of the challenged employment practices, and will make up to 16 priority hires, with retroactive seniority, from the group of applicants disqualified by the challenged practices.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia brought this case in collaboration with the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section. The case was brought by Aileen Bell Hughes, Deputy Chief of the Public Integrity and Civil Rights Section, and DOJ Employment Litigation Section attorneys Brian McEntire and Juliet Gray.
Ensuring that local, county, and state governments comply with Title VII is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Employment Litigation Section of the Civil Rights Division and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Georgia. Additional information about the Civil Rights Division and the jurisdiction of the Employment Litigation Section is available on its websites at www.justice.gov/crt/ and https://www.justice.gov/crt/employment-litigation-section.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
San Francisco Resident Pleads Guilty to Stealing over $340,000 in Funds Intended for Low-Income FamiliesRead the Press Release
SAN FRANCISCO – Gregory Finkelson, a San Francisco resident, has pleaded guilty to one count of theft of government property in connection with his fraudulent receipt of hundreds of thousands of dollars in low-income housing benefits, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey; Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp; U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) Special Agent in Charge Mark Kaminsky; and IRS Criminal Investigation (CI) Special Agent in Charge Michael Mosley of the Oakland Field Office. Finkelson’s guilty plea was accepted by the Hon. James Donato, United States District Judge, on May 6, 2024.
The Section 8 Certificate Program is a rent subsidy program funded by HUD and administered jointly in San Francisco by HUD and the San Francisco Housing Authority (SFHA). The program is intended to help low- and moderate-income families afford housing, and it has income limits and other eligibility requirements that applicants must meet to qualify for assistance.
In his plea agreement, Finkelson, 64, admitted that, between approximately August 2006 and February 2020, he wrongfully claimed $341,455 in Section 8 Program subsidies by lying about his income and his ownership of (i) a San Francisco residence he purchased in 2005 that is now valued at approximately $2.4 million; and (ii) a business he ran out of his residence. He then used the funds he fraudulently obtained to benefit himself, including by funding his business, paying his credit card bills, and making payments on a timeshare in Hawaii.
“This defendant fraudulently obtained housing benefits designated for some of the neediest individuals in our society and used them to enrich himself,” said United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey. “I am proud of the work this Office does to prosecute those who defraud the government, particularly where, as here, it is low-income families who suffer the most as a result of the defendant’s selfish conduct.”
“Finkelson stole money that was intended to provide safe housing for low-income families and used it for his own self-enrichment,” said HUD OIG Special Agent in Charge Mark Kaminsky. “HUD OIG will continue to work with its law enforcement partners to diligently pursue and hold accountable bad actors who willfully misuse federal assets.”
“Today’s plea makes clear that greed does not pay. For years, Finkelson took advantage of Section 8 housing assistance funds by using nominee ownership to conceal his ill-gotten gains while simply lining his own pockets,” said CI Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Mosley. “Our agents are experts at following the money and building cases that help bring financial criminals to justice.”
Finkelson admitted that, as part of his scheme, he used the name of a Russian national living in Russia to purchase his San Francisco home, claiming, wrongfully, that she was his landlord and that he made rent payments to her. Finkelson also admitted he opened several bank accounts, including in the Russian national’s name, and that he used these bank accounts to conceal his use of the ill-gotten Section 8 Program subsidies.
Finally, pursuant to his plea agreement, Finkelson agreed to pay at least $341,455 in restitution, which represents the total amount he admitted he stole from the government.
Finkelson was indicted by a federal grand jury on July 25, 2023. He pleaded guilty this week to one count of theft of government property, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 641 & 2, for which he faces a statutory maximum prison term of 10 years. In addition, as part of any sentence, the court may order the defendant to pay a fine of up to $250,000 and to serve a term of supervised release of up to three years. However, any sentence will be imposed by the court only after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.
Judge Donato has scheduled Finkelson’s sentencing hearing for September 9, 2024.
Assistant United States Attorneys Christiaan Highsmith and Kevin Yeh are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Claudia Hyslop and Laurence Macaraeg. The prosecution is the result of a joint investigation by the FBI, HUD OIG, and CI, with assistance from SFHA.
San Felipe Man Sentenced for Abusive Sexual Contact of a MinorRead the Press Release
ALBUQUERQUE – A federal judge handed down a 48-month prison sentence to a San Felipe man who was convicted by a federal jury of abusive sexual contact.
There is no parole in the federal system.
According to evidence presented at trial and other publicly available court records, between August 13, 2016, and February 13, 2017, Kyle Aguilar, while intoxicated, touched the victim's genitalia and breasts over her clothing. On one occasion, Aguilar unlocked the door to the room where the victim was watching a movie, came into the room, and began massaging the victim's back before touching her breasts and genitals over her clothes.
Upon his release from prison, Aguilar will be subject to 5 years of supervised release and must register as a sex offender.
U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today.
The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Nicholas J. Marshall and Mia Ulibarri-Rubin are prosecuting the case.
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St. Croix Man Indicted on Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Ambrose Daniel, 44, of St. Croix, made his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Emile A. Henderson III after a federal grand jury returned an indictment charging Daniel with felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition and with unlawful possession of a machine gun.
According to court documents, on May 10, 2019, a federal search warrant was executed at Daniel’s residence in All for the Better, St. Croix. Federal agents recovered a Glock Model 21, .45 caliber pistol, 48 rounds of .45 caliber cartridges, and a machine gun device capable of converting a Glock pistol into a fully automatic firearm from Daniel’s residence. In 1997, Daniel was convicted of assault in the third degree in the Superior Court of the Virgin Islands. Said felony conviction prohibits Daniel from legally possessing a firearm. If convicted, Daniel faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Virgin Islands Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Huston. This case is part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods Initiative. Project Safe Neighborhoods is a nationwide initiative that brings together federal, state, local and tribal law enforcement officials, prosecutors, and community leaders to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in a community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. For more information on the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods, please see: https://www.justice.gov/psn.
United States Attorney Smith reminds the public that an indictment is merely a charging document and is not evidence of guilt. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
Rhode Island Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Wide-Ranging Fentanyl Trafficking Conspiracy That Spanned Across the CountryRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Rhode Island man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to his role in a fentanyl trafficking organization involved in the manufacturing and distribution of fentanyl pills that spanned across Massachusetts, Rhode Island, New York, Texas and North and South Carolina.
Erik Ventura, 35, pleaded guilty to a superseding indictment charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for Aug. 1, 2024. Ventura was arrested and charged in February 2022 and has remained in custody since.
In September 2019, an investigation began into a drug trafficking organization (DTO) based in Providence, Rhode Island and known to manufacture large quantities of fentanyl pills designed to appear like pharmaceutical grade oxycodone/Percocet pills and distribute them and other controlled substances throughout the United States. The investigation revealed that Ventura was a trusted member of the DTO and maintained one of the drug stash locations. Ventura transported cash and kilogram quantities of drugs to and from New York on behalf of the DTO, distributed thousands of fentanyl pills to wholesale customers in Massachusetts and was paid by the DTO for his work as a drug distributor. In February 2022, two industrial grade pill presses, approximately 20 kilograms of powdered fentanyl, pressed fentanyl pills and other items, including kilograms of pill binder used in the large-scale manufacturing of clandestinely pressed fentanyl pills, were seized.
The charge of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based on the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Harry T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement today. Special assistance in the investigation was provided by the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island; the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Providence Resident Agency; the Drug Enforcement Administration, Providence Field Office; Rhode Island State Police; and the Cranston, Warwick and West Warwick Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lindsey E. Weinstein and Kunal Pasricha of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit are prosecuting the case.
This operation 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. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
Retail Theft Ringleader SentencedRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – A Tulsa woman who led a large retail theft operation was sentenced today for one count of conspiracy; 165 counts of wire fraud; one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud; two counts of conspiracy to commit money laundering; and 40 counts relating to engaging in monetary transactions in property derived from specified unlawful activity.
U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Linda Ann Been, 51, to 64 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Judge Frizzell further ordered Been to pay $43,197.76 in restitution.
According to court documents, Been was indicted with 23 co-defendants in January 2022 and pled guilty in July 2022. Operation Booster Buster was a national investigation targeting a retail theft ring and its conspiracy to distribute stolen property throughout the country. Been paid “boosters” to steal property from various retail stores, including Walmart, Sam’s Club, CVS, Walgreens, and others. She then sold and shipped the stolen property to various operations outside of Oklahoma, where they would be sold online.
Been recruited the boosters and coached them on what to shoplift. She would then pay the boosters for the stolen property. If a booster was arrested, Been would either pay their bond or put money on their jail account to ensure the person would not cooperate with law enforcement.
Twenty of Been’s co-defendants pled guilty and have been sentenced.
Been was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
Homeland Security Investigations, IRS-Criminal Investigation, the Tulsa Police Department, Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office, and Tulsa County Sheriff’s Office conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Reagan V. Reininger prosecuted the case.
Repeat Sex Offender Sentenced to 40 YearsRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Roland Vance Watson, 55, of Hickory, N.C., was sentenced today to 40 years in prison followed by a lifetime of supervised release for producing child pornography and committing a felony involving a minor while being required to register as a sex offender, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Watson was also ordered to serve a lifetime of supervised release and will be required to register as a sex offender after he is released from prison.
Kyle Burns, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, and Chief Reed Baer of the Hickory Police Department join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
The criminal investigation began in January 2023, after law enforcement received information from a concerned adult that Watson had exchanged inappropriate text messages with a minor female. According to filed court documents and today’s sentencing hearing, investigators determined that, between August 2021 and February 2023, Watson had sexually abused three minor females on multiple occasions. Three cell phones seized from Watson and Watson’s home were forensically analyzed and multiple sexually explicit text messages were recovered between Watson and one of the minors. In some of the texts, Watson induced the minor to send him explicit images and videos of herself in exchange for gifts and candy. The phones also contained child pornography produced by Watson that depicted Watson sexually abusing the minors and other sexually explicit images and videos featuring the minors in various states of undress.
According to court records, in 1991, Watson was sentenced to five years in prison for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl in New Jersey. As part of Watson’s sentence, he was ordered to register with the Sex Offender Registry Board in any state or jurisdiction where he worked or resided. Court documents show that after Watson moved to North Carolina, he failed to register as a sex offender.
Watson will remain in federal custody pending placement by the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
The investigation was conducted by HSI and the Hickory Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel Cervantes, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte, prosecuted the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Repeat Drug Offender Sentenced to More Than 16 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE – A Camden man was sentenced today to 200 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release on one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute More than 50 Grams of Methamphetamine. The Honorable Judge James M. Moody Jr. presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court documents, in March of 2023, detectives with the Fourth Judicial District Drug Task Force learned that Ronald Antonio Moorehead, age 43, of Camden, Arkansas was transporting methamphetamine into Northwest Arkansas area for distribution. On May 13, 2023, detectives surveilled Moorehead inside a vehicle parked in residential neighborhood in Fayetteville, Arkansas. Thereafter, law enforcement made contact with Moorehead, who was on active parole supervision at the time. A subsequent search of his vehicle revealed approximately 500 gross grams of methamphetamine and a distribution amount of cocaine.
Moorehead was subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury on multiple counts related to drug trafficking. On November 3, 2023, he pleaded guilty to Possession with the Intent to Distribute more than 50 grams of Methamphetamine. At sentencing, the United States provided the Court with evidence that Moorehead had a lengthy criminal history, which included multiple prior convictions related to drug trafficking.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Fourth Judicial District Drug Task Force investigated the case.
Deputy Criminal Chief Dustin Roberts prosecuted the case for the United States.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov
Registered Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Attempted Enticement and Child Pornography ChargesRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, R.I. – A registered sex offender residing in North Smithfield admitted to a federal judge on Wednesday that he posed as a 17-year-old boy and engaged in a series of explicit online communications with two young teenage boys living in Florida; that he attempted to obtain sexual explicit videos and images of the boys; that he sent them obscene videos of himself engaged in sexual activity; and that he attempted to arrange a meeting with a person whom he believed to be one of the boys to engage in illicit sexual activity, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Nicholas Sannicandro, 34, charged by way of indictment pleaded two counts of attempted inducement of a minor to engage in illicit sexual activity, two counts of attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor, one count of possession and access with intent to view child pornography, and one count of commission of an offense by a registered sex offender. No plea agreement was been filed in this matter.
Sannicandro admitted that beginning in January 2021, and continuing into June 2021, he began separately communicating with two Florida minor, = boys, whom he met through an Instagram account. He admitted that he had sexually explicit communications with each of the boys. During those communications Sannicandro asked each of them to send him sexually explicit videos and image of themselves.
Additionally, during what he thought were ongoing communications with one of the boys, but were actually with an undercover officer who had taken over the boy’s account, Sannicandro invited the boy to visit him in Rhode Island; discussed sexual acts that he wanted to engage in with the boy; and twice sent him videos of himself engaged in sexual activity.
Sannicandro was arrested at a Warwick marina on June 22, 2021, where he was expecting to meet with the boy. The meeting had been arranged by the North Port, FL, undercover officer posing online as the boy and by the FBI.
Sannicandro also admitted to the court that he possessed child pornography on his phone, which was seized from him upon his arrest, and that as a result of prior convictions involving child pornography and attempted dissemination of obscene material to minors in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, he was a registered sex offender at the time he committed these crimes.
Sannicandro is scheduled to be sentenced in this latest matter on September 19, 2024. The defendant’s sentences will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Denise M. Barton and John P. McAdams.
The matter was investigated by the FBI and North Port, FL, Police Department.
United States Attorney Cunha thanks the Rhode Island State Police, members of the Rhode Island State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Warwick Police Department for their assistance in the arrest of Sannicandro.
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Redding Man Sentenced to 41 Months in Prison for Being a Felon in Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Gabriel Joseph Detrant, 50, of Redding, was sentenced today to 41 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on Feb. 2, 2021, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle Detrant was driving in Redding. Detrant stopped the vehicle, and he and a passenger fled on foot. The officers found a Baikal Makarov, Model IJ-70 9 mm handgun loaded with eight rounds by the driver’s seat. Officers later found Detrant hiding nearby in possession of a magazine loaded with eight 9 mm rounds. Detrant is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition because he has multiple prior felony convictions, including a 2018 conviction in Shasta County for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Shasta County District Attorney’s Office, the Redding Police Department, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant United States Attorney Haddy Abouzeid prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the U.S. 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.
Recidivist drug dealer returning to prison for distributing cocaine and fentanylRead the Press Release
RICHMOND, Va. – A Hopewell man was sentenced today to five years and three months in prison for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl.
According to court documents, on Aug. 22, 2022, Hopewell police encountered an Audi vehicle stopped in a roadway within a trailer park. When the officers illuminated the vehicle, the driver, Riezon Mekhi Murphy, 24, turned off the headlights of his vehicle and reversed down the roadway to a grassy area. At that time, two other individuals who had been seated together in the front passenger seat of the Audi got out of the car and raised their hands.
An officer requested that Murphy lower his window, then observed an open bottle of tequila and currency strewn about the car. During a lawful search of the Audi, investigators located a loaded 9mm pistol under the driver seat and a gray backpack in the back passenger area, which belonged to Murphy. The backpack contained $1000 in cash, along with several individual baggies that contained approximately 45 grams of heroin/fentanyl mixture, 4.7 grams of fentanyl, 26 grams of cocaine, 96 grams of methamphetamine, and 220 grams of marijuana.
Murphy was previously convicted of distributing marijuana and possessing a .380 caliber handgun. Six months later, Murphy was convicted for possession of marijuana and a concealed firearm. Four months later, Murphy was again arrested and convicted of selling Schedule I or II controlled substances and driving on a suspended license. Murphy was discharged from supervised probation on Feb. 7, 2022, six months before his arrest in this case.
Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jason Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Greg Taylor, Chief of Hopewell Police Department, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Robert E. Payne.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter S. Duffey and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Devon E. Schulz, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, prosecuted the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-101.
Readout of Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco’s Trip to California and Participation in the 2024 RSA Cybersecurity ConferenceRead the Press Release
Deputy Attorney General (AG) Lisa Monaco traveled to San Francisco this week to participate in the 2024 RSA Cybersecurity Conference and underscore the Justice Department’s efforts to combat cybercrime and other persistent and emerging threats to national security, including the abuse of disruptive technologies, particularly AI.
In a keynote conversation at RSA on “Artificial Intelligence: The Ultimate Double-Edged Sword,” the Deputy AG highlighted how the Justice Department is developing guardrails to harness the benefits of AI to fulfill the Department’s mission, while mitigating the risks posed by misuse. She spoke to AI’s potential to help identify, disrupt, and deter criminals, terrorists, and hostile nation-states — and shared how the Department is using AI tools to speed up response times to a variety of threats. She stressed that existing laws offer a firm foundation to confront misuse of AI, even as the legal framework around AI evolves. Deputy AG Monaco warned of AI’s potential to supercharge existing threats to election security — in a year when over half the global population will vote — and she urged vigilance in the face of AI’s potential to accelerate online hate and disinformation, imitate trusted sources of information, and proliferate deepfakes.
The Deputy AG was interviewed by former FBI Deputy Director Sean Joyce at the 14th Annual Executive Dinner at RSA, where she discussed the progress of the Department’s Justice AI Initiative. Launched by the Deputy AG in February at the University of Oxford, Justice AI brings together stakeholders across industry, academia, law enforcement, and civil society to share expertise on both the promise of AI and the perils of its misuse.
At the RSA CEO Roundtable, she joined other senior government officials and leaders across the cybersecurity industry to discuss combating cyber threats, including the importance of public-private collaboration to the Department’s cyber strategy of protecting victims and prioritizing disruptions. Strong public-private partnerships have accelerated both the speed and scale of the Justice Department’s disruptive operations and have proven critical to dismantling nation-state-controlled botnets, taking down darknet marketplaces, and disrupting major ransomware gangs — such as the LockBit group, whose creator and administrator the Deputy AG announced was charged in the latest phase of a targeted international law enforcement operation.
The Deputy AG also led a roundtable convening, hosted by the Aspen Institute, with technology, financial, and venture capital executives to discuss the collective risks posed by the theft and abuse of disruptive technologies, especially AI, in a heightened geopolitical risk environment. She emphasized the work of the Justice Department’s Disruptive Technology Strike Force, a multi-agency effort to stop adversaries from siphoning our most critical technologies and innovations.
While in California, the Deputy AG visited the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of California in Sacramento. In meetings with U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert, his leadership team, and the prosecutors and professional staff of the office, she thanked them for their hard work and dedication to the Department’s mission. Deputy AG Monaco also sat down with local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to discuss their collaboration to tackle violent crime and other public safety challenges.
Parcel Interdiction Operation Results in Multiple Seizures of Drugs and GunsRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – The U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia is pleased to announce the results of a coordinated multi-agency, two-week parcel interdiction operation that resulted in the seizure of illegal drugs and firearms being shipped through the district.
“We are relentless in our efforts to identify, disrupt, and prosecute those who use the U.S. Mail to traffic illegal drugs and firearms,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Our continued collaboration with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners is a priority crucial to curtailing the illegal flow of drugs and weapons into our communities. Those contemplating illegal shipments of such contraband should be aware of the serious consequences of committing this crime.”
“The U.S. Postal Inspection Service seeks to identify, disrupt, and dismantle drug trafficking organizations that attempt to illegally utilize the mail system,” said Tommy D. Coke, Inspector in Charge of the Atlanta Division. “I commend the hard work and countless hours put forth by all of our law enforcement partners to coordinate resources to combat illicit drug activity.”
During a two-week period in March 2024, a team of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies conducted an operation targeting suspicious parcels in the mail stream. This coordinated effort, by the U.S. Attorney’s Office and multiple District Attorneys’ Offices, federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, resulted in the seizures of fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, psilocybin (mushrooms), oxycodone, Xanax, steroids, marijuana, numerous firearms, and large amounts of currency suspected of being related to narcotics trafficking. To date, the operation has resulted in the arrests of four individuals for drug trafficking offenses.
The parcel interdiction team included the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, West Metro Regional Drug Enforcement Office, Bartow-Cartersville Drug Task Force, Bartow County Sheriff’s Office, Calhoun Police Department, Carroll County Sheriff’s Office, Haralson County Sheriff’s Office, Polk County Sheriff’s Office, Rome/Floyd Metro Drug Task Force, Sandy Springs Police Department, and the Atlanta-Carolinas HIDTA. The Cherokee Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, the Tallapoosa Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, and the Coweta Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office also provided invaluable support to the operation and subsequent investigations.
The Office of the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia recommends that parents and children learn about the dangers of drugs at the following websites: www.justthinktwice.gov; www.operationprevention.com/; and www.dea.gov/onepill.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Old Town Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing Child Sexual Abuse MaterialRead the Press Release
BANGOR, Maine: An Old Town man pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court in Bangor to possessing child pornography involving a child under 12.
According to court records, between October and December 2022, Matthew Podlaski, 40, searched the internet for, and downloaded images of, the sexual abuse of young children, storing the images on multiple devices. Investigators seized 14 devices belonging to Podlaski, including laptop computers, flash drives and external storage devices.
Podlaski faces up to 20 years imprisonment and a maximum fine of $250,000, followed by five years to life of supervised release. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Homeland Security Investigations investigated the case.
To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – in legal terms, "child pornography” – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are shared or viewed. File a report with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at https://report.cybertip.org or 1-800-843-5678. If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741.
Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc.
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Oklahoma Woman Sentenced to More Than 16 Years in Federal Prison for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
FAYETTEVILLE – A Oklahoma woman was sentenced yesterday to 200 months in prison followed by five years of supervised release on one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine. The Honorable Judge James M. Moody Jr. presided over the sentencing hearing in the United States District Court in Fayetteville.
According to court documents, during January of 2023, detectives with the Fourth Judicial District Drug Task Force learned that Cerina Lynn Boehrer, age 40, of Ada, Oklahoma was transporting methamphetamine from Oklahoma to the Northwest Arkansas area for distribution. On February 3, 2023, detectives intercepted Boehrer as she was traveling in Fayetteville, Arkansas and discovered approximately one pound of methamphetamine and a firearm in her vehicle.
The suspected methamphetamine was sent to the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Laboratory and tested positive for methamphetamine.
U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement.
The Fourth Judicial District Drug Task Force investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Briana Robbins prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov.
New Orleans Man Sentenced for Narcotics and Firearm ViolationsRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – DARRAN BOYKINS, a resident of New Orleans, was sentenced on May 2, 2024, by U.S. Chief District Judge Nanette Jolivette Brown, to 57 months incarceration after previously pleading guilty to Count 1 of an indictment. Chief Judge Brown also ordered that BOYKINS be placed on supervised release following 3 years of imprisonment. BOYKINS must also pay a mandatory $100 special assessment fee.
Count 1 charged BOYKINS with possession of ammunition by a convicted felon in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1).
According to court documents, on March 20, 2021, New Orleans Police Department officers responded to an aggravated assault with a firearm at a residence in the Seventh Ward neighborhood of New Orleans. During the investigation, officers discovered ammunition in a dresser in the residence, along with BOYKINS’s Louisiana identification card. BOYKINS had prior felony convictions punishable by a term of imprisonment in excess of one year, that made his ammunition possession illegal. Most recently, BOYKINS was convicted on January 23, 2019, in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime Unit.
Mexican National Sentenced to more than 11 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine ChargeRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan T. Lehr announced that Emeterio Sepulveda-Moreno, age 43, of Sinaloa, Mexico, was sentenced today in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, after having pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Sepulveda-Moreno to 135 months’ imprisonment. After completing his term of imprisonment Sepulveda-Moreno will be deported to Mexico as he is not a United States citizen.
On June 22, 2021, a cooperating defendant was arrested after a search warrant executed on his Omaha residence revealed 28 one-pound packages of crystal meth, and $18,754 in narcotics proceeds. In a post-arrest interview, the cooperator admitted to his involvement in distributing meth and identified Sepulveda-Moreno as an individual responsible for delivering hundreds of pounds of meth to Omaha, including the 28 pounds found in the cooperator’s possession. The cooperator described a June 19, 2021, delivery of drug proceeds to Sepulveda-Moreno at an Omaha gas station in exchange for the meth he was caught with 2 days earlier. Agents retrieved video surveillance from the gas station showing the cooperator giving Sepulveda-Moreno a black suitcase containing drug proceeds. A short time later at a different location, Sepulveda-Moreno delivered the meth to the cooperator.
The $18,754 seized on June 22, 2021, was previously forfeited to the United States as proceeds from narcotics trafficking, and the cooperator was previously sentenced to 151 months’ imprisonment.
This case was the result of an investigation by Homeland Security Investigations.
Mexican National Found Guilty of Drug and Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
EL PASO – A federal jury convicted a Mexican national of one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine; one count of straw purchasing firearms; one count of trafficking in firearms; and one count of conspiracy to smuggle bulk cash.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Rene Hernandez-Cordero, 52, of Ciudad Juarez was involved in an organization that smuggled firearms into the Republic of Mexico and methamphetamine into the United States.
In August 2023, Hernandez and co-defendant Jesus Gerardo Ramos, 53, of El Paso, met at a gas station in El Paso with the purpose of obtaining 20 AK-47 type firearms and two Barrett .50 caliber rifles which would have been smuggled to Mexico. Evidence produced at trial showed that this particular group smuggled hundreds of firearms from the United States into Mexico from August of 2022 to August of 2023.
Co-defendants Ramos and Brian Alexis Munoz-Castro, 21, of El Paso pled guilty to one count of trafficking in firearms. Munoz also pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
Hernandez and Munoz face up to 10 years to life in prison on the methamphetamine conspiracy charge. Hernandez, Munoz and Ramos face up to 15 years in prison for each of the firearm charges and Hernandez faces up to 10 years in prison for the cash smuggling charge. Munoz is scheduled for sentencing July 10 and Ramos is scheduled for sentencing July 17, 2024. Hernandez is scheduled for sentencing on August 8, 2024.
All defendants have remained in custody since their arrests in August 2023.
The firearms charges are new offenses under the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw purchasing of firearms. They also carry potential fines of up to $250,000.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi- jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
The specific mission of the OCDETF El Paso / Las Cruces Strike Force is to target drug trafficking organizations along the southwest border that dominate the illicit drug trade and who are largely responsible for the violence plaguing the border communities. The OCDETF Strike Force Enforcement Group is comprised of agents and officers from Drug Enforcement Administration, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Customs and Border Protection Office of Field Operations, Homeland Security Investigations, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorneys for the Western District of Texas in conjunction with an attorney from Customs and Border Protection Office of Chief Counsel.
U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the OCDETF El Paso/Las Cruces Strike Force Enforcement Group 3 investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Myers and Special Assistant U. S. Attorney Shannon Holderfield from Customs and Border Protection Office of Chief Counsel are prosecuting the case.
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Member of Violent Gang Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Racketeering, Drug and Firearm OffensesRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today in connection with his role in Cameron Street, a violent Boston gang.
Paulo Santos, a/k/a “Bucky,” 35, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 10 years in prison and four years of supervised release. In January 2024, Santos pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise (commonly referred to as RICO conspiracy), possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, and being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
According to court documents, Cameron Street is a violent gang based largely in the Dorchester section of Boston that uses violence and threats of violence to preserve, protect and expand its territory, promote a climate of fear and enhance its reputation. Cameron Street members possess, carry and use firearms to murder and assault gang rivals as well as protect narcotics and drug proceeds.
As part of his role in the gang, Santos and another Cameron Street member assaulted and robbed a rival gang member outside the Dorchester District Court on Dec. 6, 2019. In a video posted on Snapchat later that day, Santos identified the victim as a rival gang member, chased him, and shouted to another Cameron Street member, “Get him!” On the video, the victim shielded his face while he was punched and kicked repeatedly. Santos and the other Cameron Street member then robbed the victim of his sneakers and took them as a trophy. The video included captions that praised Cameron Street and denigrated the victim’s gang.
At the time of Santos’ arrest, approximately 900 grams of cocaine, 500 grams of marijuana, a loaded Smith and Wesson .38 caliber revolver and $15,597 in cash were seized from his stash house in Hingham.
This is Santos’ third firearm conviction. For his last unlawful possession of a firearm conviction, Santos served a four-to-five-year state prison sentence.
This operation 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. 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.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office; Suffolk, Plymouth, Norfolk and Bristol County District Attorney’s Offices; and the Canton, Quincy, Randolph, Somerville, Brockton, Malden, Stoughton, Rehoboth and Pawtucket (R.I.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl and Charles Dell’Anno of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.
The details contained in the charging document are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in the court of law.
May Federal Grand Jury 2024-A Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the May Federal Grand Jury 2024-A 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.
Filiberto Almaguer-Estrada. Felon in Possession of a Firearm; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute. Almaguer-Estrada, 30, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition knowing he was previously convicted of felonies. He is further charged with knowingly possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Attila Bogdan is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-149
Eduardo Agustin Barrera-Lopez; Marco Antonio Lopez-Damian; Dennis Manuel Salazar-Lopez. Drug Conspiracy; Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Possession of Heroin with Intent to Distribute. Barrera-Lopez, 38, Lopez-Damian, 26, Salazar-Lopez, 22, all Mexican nationals, are charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine and heroin starting in Oct. 2023. They are further charged with intentionally possessing methamphetamine and heroin with intent to distribute. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Attila Bogdan is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-148
Kelly Wayne Bolden. Distribution of Child Pornography. Bolden, 47, of Tulsa, is charged with knowingly distributing visual images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. The FBI is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Ihler is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-146
Jeffery John Bowers. Arson in Indian Country. Bowers, 41, of Bartlesville and a member of the Delaware Tribe of Indians, is charged with maliciously setting fire to a dwelling in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Bartlesville Fire Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle W. Hulgaard is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-135
Kyle Jackson Fugate. Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor (Counts 1 & 4); Destruction of Evidence (Count 2); Attempted Production of Child Pornography (Count 3) (superseding). Fugate, 26, of Owasso and a member of the Osage Nation, is charged with knowingly attempting to persuade two persons whom he believed were under the age of 18 to engage in sexual activity. He is further charged with the destruction of evidence. Additionally, Fugate coerced and enticed a minor child to share a photo depicting sexually explicit conduct. The Homeland Security Investigations and Rogers County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey P. Todd is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-101
Cory Lamar Jackson; Nicholas Ryan Ransom. Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute. Jackson and Ransom, are both 34 and from Springfield, Missouri. They are charged with knowingly possessing cocaine with intent to distribute. The Drug Enforcement Administration and Oklahoma Highway Patrol are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Niko Boulieris is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-140
Amber Dawn Knight. Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute; Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises. Knight, 36, of Collinsville and a member of the Cherokee Nation, is charged with knowingly possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute. She is further charged with maintaining a residence to distribute methamphetamine. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Mayes Country Sheriff’s Office, the Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, and the Oklahoma Highway Patrol are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Nasar is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-147
Misael Ramirez-Benitez. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Ramirez-Benitez, 43, an El Savador national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed in Oct. 2019, at or near Alexandria, Louisiana. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ammon Brisolara is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-139
Rayes Angel Sanchez. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Receipt of a Firearm by Person Under Indictment for a Felony. Sanchez, 25, and a member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition knowing he was previously convicted of a felony. He is further charged with possessing a firearm knowing he was under indictment. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-141
Ronna Marie Stone. Second Degree Burglary in Indian Country. Stone, 46, of Tulsa and a member of the Chippewa Cree Tribe, is charged with breaking into a residence with intent to steal property. The FBI and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Aaron M. Jolly is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-142
Maryland Man Pleads Guilty to $3.6M Covid-19 Relief FraudRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO, NC – BENNETT ABABIO of Maryland pled guilty today to one-count of conspiracy to commit offenses against the United States related to a scheme to file fraudulent loan applications seeking approximately $3.6 million in forgivable Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans that the Small Business Administration (SBA) guaranteed under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.
According to court documents, between May 2020 and December 2021, ABABIO conspired to submit fraudulent Paycheck Protection Program loan and forgiveness applications for himself and others, including an individual located in Greensboro, North Carolina. ABABIO owned, or partially owned, five companies for which ABABIO submitted fraudulent PPP applications. In total, ABABIO received $2,581,833 in PPP loans for his companies. The PPP applications contained false statements about the payroll expenses of each company, which the SBA used to calculate the amount of PPP funds to which the applicant-companies would be entitled. Separately, ABABIO helped others prepare fraudulent PPP applications, resulting in over $1 million in additional PPP loans being disbursed to ABABIO’s clients.
Sentencing is scheduled to take place on Tuesday, September 10, 2024, at 10:30 a.m. in Greensboro, North Carolina, courtroom number one, before United States District Judge William L. Osteen, Jr. At sentencing, ABABIO faces a maximum sentence of five in prison, a period of supervised release of up to three years, and monetary penalties.
The Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation is investigating the case, and it is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Waid.
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Man Who Carried Out Machete Attack on NYPD Officers in Times Square on New Year’s Eve 2022 Sentenced to 27 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Trevor Bickford, 20, of Wells, Maine, was sentenced to 324 months in prison for attempting to kill officers and employees of the U.S. Government and persons assisting them during his brazen attack using a machete-style knife against three New York City Police Department (NYPD) officers in Times Square on Dec. 31, 2022. Bickford pleaded guilty to terrorism charges on Jan. 11.
“Today’s sentence holds Trevor Bickford accountable for his premeditated 2022 terrorist attack in Times Square during which he attempted to kill three NYPD officers in a violent rampage,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The Justice Department is deeply grateful to the NYPD for its quick actions and bravery in disrupting this New Year’s Eve attack, and for the work it does every day to keep New Yorkers safe. The Justice Department will always stand by its state and local law enforcement partners as we work together to counter the threat of terrorism, and that includes being relentless in prosecuting those who seek to harm officers.”
“The defendant’s brutal ambush of three New York City police officers keeping watch over New Year’s Eve celebrations was a premeditated act of terrorism,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “Police officers work tirelessly to protect the communities they serve and assaults on them are reprehensible. He planned, prepared, and travelled to conduct a savage attack in support of his violent ideology and now he is being held accountable for his actions.”
“Inspired by radical Islamic extremism, Trevor Bickford brutally attacked three NYPD officers who were just doing their jobs by protecting the public during the Times Square New Year’s Eve festivities,” said U.S. Attorney Damian Williams for the Southern District of New York. “Thankfully, one officer’s quick-thinking actions stopped the defendant’s attack while minimizing risk to the innocent bystanders who easily might have become additional victims of the defendant’s heinous violence. Less than a year and a half after his attack, Bickford has been convicted and now sentenced to 27 years in prison. Bickford’s conviction and sentence demonstrate that cowardly acts of terrorism will be met with law enforcement’s unwavering resolve to protect New York City, our country, and our core values of freedom and democracy.”
According to court documents, In December 2022, Bickford, a U.S. citizen and resident of Maine, traveled from Maine to New York City to, in his own words, wage jihad and kill as many targets as possible. He targeted one of the most densely populated areas in the United States at one of the most densely populated times possible: Times Square on New Year’s Eve. It was there that Bickford ambushed three NYPD officers, declared “Allahu Akbar,” an Arabic phrase meaning “God is great” that other radical Islamic extremists have similarly proclaimed while carrying out terrorist attacks, and swung his blade at their heads, seriously injuring all three officers. Bickford also tried to grab one of the NYPD officers’ guns during his attack. One of the victims that Bickford struck managed to shoot Bickford in the shoulder, halting his brutal rampage before he could attack and possibly kill others. Bickford later proudly declared that he carried out his attack to wage jihad and proclaimed that his goal was to kill as many military-aged men who worked for the U.S. Government as he could, before himself becoming a martyr in the attack.
The machete-style knife, which has a blade more than a foot long, that Bickford used to carry out his attack.Bickford’s violent rampage on Dec. 31, 2022, was premeditated. He consumed materials espousing radical Islamic ideology – including materials promoting the Taliban and reflecting the teachings of Sheikh Abu Muhammad Al-Maqdisi, a prominent radical Islamic cleric who was a spiritual mentor of al Qaeda – and contemplated ways to wage jihad. As he immersed himself deeper into this propaganda, Bickford devoted himself to violent Islamic extremism and pursuit of the jihad that he would eventually unleash in the heart of New York City. In the months leading up to his attack, Bickford focused on traveling overseas to support the Taliban in Afghanistan or elsewhere. He planned to ally himself with the Taliban to fight against governments that, in his view, oppress Muslims and to wage jihad against officials of governments that he believes are anti-Muslim, including the U.S. government. Ultimately, Bickford decided that he would not travel overseas and instead turned his attention to an attack here in the United States. This decision resulted in Bickford perpetrating his attack in Times Square on New Year’s Eve in 2022.
Near the scene of the attack, law enforcement officers recovered a book from Bickford’s backpack with the following passage highlighted: “Fight in the Name of Allah and in the Cause of Allah. Fight against those who do not believe in Allah. Wage a holy war.” In addition, Bickford had used an encrypted application and secure browser on his cellphone to conduct extensive research in advance of his attack, including research about al Qaeda (including internet searches for “Al Qaeda recruitment”); about waging jihad; about his eventual time (New Year’s Eve) and place (Times Square) of attack (including “how often do the police patrol in NYC” and “New Years Eve 2023 itinerary in New York City Times Square”); about potential weapons he could use to carry out his attack (including “[g]un buying laws for New York City” and “Do you need to pass a background check for a used gun”); and various ways to incapacitate, injure, and kill his potential targets (including “[w]hat are the terms for taking slaves in Islam” and whether Islam “permit[s] rape of female prisoners of war”). Finally, less than an hour before his attack, Bickford watched an Al Qaeda propaganda video imploring viewers to “fight” as he finalized his targets.
The FBI New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which consists of investigators and analysts from the FBI, the NYPD, and over 50 other federal, state, and local agencies, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew J.C. Hellman, Sarah L. Kushner, and Kaylan E. Lasky for the Southern District of New York are prosecuting the case, with valuable assistance from Trial Attorney D. Andrew Sigler of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section.
Man Who Carried Out Machete Attack on NYPD Officers in Times Square on New Year’s Eve 2022 Sentenced to 27 Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Merrick B. Garland, the Attorney General of the United States; Christopher A. Wray, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”); and James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the FBI, announced that TREVOR BICKFORD was sentenced today to 27 years in prison for attempting to kill officers and employees of the U.S. Government and persons assisting them during his brazen attack using a machete-style knife against three New York City Police Department (“NYPD”) officers in Times Square on December 31, 2022. BICKFORD pled guilty on January 11, 2024, before U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel, who imposed today’s sentence.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Inspired by radical Islamic extremism, Trevor Bickford brutally attacked three NYPD officers who were just doing their jobs by protecting the public during the Times Square New Year’s Eve festivities. Thankfully, one officer’s quick-thinking actions stopped the defendant’s attack while minimizing risk to the innocent bystanders who easily might have become additional victims of the defendant’s heinous violence. Less than a year and a half after his attack, Bickford has been convicted and now sentenced to 27 years in prison. Bickford’s conviction and sentence demonstrate that cowardly acts of terrorism will be met with law enforcement’s unwavering resolve to protect New York City, our country, and our core values of freedom and democracy.”
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland said: “Today’s sentence holds Trevor Bickford accountable for his premeditated 2022 terrorist attack in Times Square during which he attempted to kill three NYPD officers in a violent rampage. The Justice Department is deeply grateful to the NYPD for its quick actions and bravery in disrupting this New Year’s Eve attack, and for the work it does every day to keep New Yorkers safe. The Justice Department will always stand by its state and local law enforcement partners as we work together to counter the threat of terrorism, and that includes being relentless in prosecuting those who seek to harm officers.”
FBI Director Christopher A. Wray said: “The defendant’s brutal ambush of three New York City police officers keeping watch over New Year’s Eve celebrations was a premeditated act of terrorism. Police officers work tirelessly to protect the communities they serve and assaults on them are reprehensible. He planned, prepared, and traveled to conduct a savage attack in support of his violent ideology, and now he is being held accountable for his actions.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “Today, Trevor Bickford was handed a deserved punishment for intentionally committing an act of terrorism against New York City and police officers sworn to protect it. Thankfully, these brave police officers fulfilled their duty and stopped Bickford's brutal attack before he could cause more harm. The FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Force in New York remains determined to bring to justice anyone attempting to commit violence in the name of terrorism to ensure the safety of New York.”
According to court documents and statements made during court proceedings:
In December 2022, BICKFORD, a U.S. citizen and resident of Maine, traveled from Maine to New York City to, in his own words, wage jihad and kill as many of his targets as possible. He targeted one of the most densely populated areas in the U.S. at one of the most densely populated times possible: Times Square on New Year’s Eve. It was there that BICKFORD ambushed three NYPD officers, declared “Allahu Akbar,” an Arabic phrase meaning “God is great” that other radical Islamic extremists have similarly proclaimed while carrying out terrorist attacks, and swung his blade at their heads, seriously injuring all three officers. BICKFORD also tried to grab one of the NYPD officers’ guns during his attack. One of the victims that BICKFORD struck managed to shoot BICKFORD in the shoulder, halting his brutal rampage before he could attack and possibly kill others. BICKFORD later proudly declared that he carried out his attack to wage jihad and proclaimed that his goal was to kill as many military-aged men who worked for the U.S. Government as he could, before himself becoming a martyr in the attack. The machete-style knife, which has a blade more than a foot long, that BICKFORD used to carry out his attack is shown below:
BICKFORD’s violent rampage on December 31, 2022, was premeditated. He consumed materials espousing radical Islamic ideology — including materials promoting the Taliban and reflecting the teachings of Sheikh Abu Muhammad Al-Maqdisi, a prominent radical Islamic cleric who was a spiritual mentor of al Qaeda — and contemplated ways to wage jihad. As he immersed himself deeper into this propaganda, BICKFORD devoted himself to violent Islamic extremism and pursuit of the jihad that he would eventually unleash in the heart of New York City. In the months leading up to his attack, BICKFORD focused on traveling overseas to support the Taliban in Afghanistan or elsewhere. He planned to ally himself with the Taliban to fight against governments that, in his view, oppress Muslims and to wage jihad against officials of governments that he believes are anti-Muslim, including the U.S. Government. Ultimately, BICKFORD decided that he would not travel overseas and instead turned his attention to an attack here in the United States. This decision resulted in BICKFORD perpetrating his attack in Times Square on New Year’s Eve in 2022.
Near the scene of the attack, law enforcement officers recovered a book from BICKFORD’s backpack with the following passage highlighted: “Fight in the Name of Allah and in the Cause of Allah. Fight against those who do not believe in Allah. Wage a holy war.” In addition, BICKFORD had used an encrypted application and secure browser on his cellphone to conduct extensive research in advance of his attack, including research about al Qaeda (including internet searches for “Al Qaeda recruitment”); about waging jihad; about his eventual time (New Year’s Eve) and place (Times Square) of attack (including “how often do the police patrol in NYC” and “New Years Eve 2023 itinerary in New York City Times Square”); about potential weapons he could use to carry out his attack (including “[g]un buying laws for New York City” and “Do you need to pass a background check for a used gun”); and various ways to incapacitate, injure, and kill his potential targets (including “[w]hat are the terms for taking slaves in Islam” and whether Islam “permit[s] rape of female prisoners of war”). Finally, less than an hour before his attack, BICKFORD watched an Al Qaeda propaganda video imploring viewers to “fight” as he finalized his targets.
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In addition to the prison term, BICKFORD, 20, of Wells, Maine, was sentenced to a lifetime of supervised release.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding efforts of the New York Joint Terrorism Task Force of the FBI, which consists of investigators and analysts from the FBI, the NYPD, and over 50 other federal, state, and local agencies, and thanked the Counterterrorism Section of the Department of Justice’s National Security Division for their assistance.
This case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and International Narcotics Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew J.C. Hellman, Sarah L. Kushner, and Kaylan E. Lasky are in charge of the prosecution, with assistance from Trial Attorney D. Andrew Sigler of the Counterterrorism Section.
Longtime treasurer pleads guilty to stealing nearly $1 million in campaign fundsRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A Columbus man who served as a campaign treasurer for more than 100 candidates since the 1980s pleaded guilty in federal court to wire fraud related to stealing nearly $1 million in campaign funds.
William Curlis, 76, was charged by a bill of information in April 2024. He pleaded guilty today to one count of wire fraud.
According to the court documents, from 2008 until June 2023, Curlis defrauded candidates of approximately $995,231 of campaign funds.
As part of his plea, Curlis admitted that he wrote checks from the bank accounts of certain candidates and one PAC to himself for personal use. The defendant transferred funds between campaign accounts without candidates’ knowledge to conceal the deficit he created.
For example, from 2000 to 2023, Curlis was the primary signatory on at least 111 bank accounts, and of those, he was the only signatory on 108 accounts.
Curlis wrote at least 179 checks to himself from campaign accounts belonging to 18 different candidates and one PAC.
Curlis sold his home in 2016 to cover the cost of campaign expenses, including campaign media costs and account balances, to prevent the discovery of his theft.
Wire fraud is a federal crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison. As part of his plea, Curlis will pay $995,231 in restitution.
U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker, FBI Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose and Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost announced the guilty plea offered on May 8 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Norah McCann King.
This case was investigated by the FBI’s Southern Ohio Public Corruption Task Force, which includes agents and officers from the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations (BCI), Columbus Division of Police and Ohio Auditor’s Office. The Ohio Secretary of State’s office was also an integral part of the investigation.
Deputy Criminal Chief Jessica W. Knight is representing the United States in this case.
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Lincoln Man Convicted for Possession of Ammunition by A FelonRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Leonard G. Pfarr, 33, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced on May 9, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln for possession of ammunition by a felon. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Pfarr to 16 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Pfarr’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release.
Pfarr was arrested by officers with the Lincoln Police Department on active state arrest warrants. A pat search was conducted incident to arrest, and an object identified as a .40 caliber Smith and Wesson round was found in Pfarr’s pocket. Pfarr has been convicted on three different occasions of crimes punishable by more than one year of imprisonment. Markings on the recovered ammunition indicate it was manufactured outside of the United States and transported in interstate commerce to Nebraska.
This case was investigated by the Lincoln Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Leader of Brooklyn-Based Elite Assassin Millas Gang Sentenced to 23 Years in Prison for Racketeering Conspiracy and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Quandel Smothers, also known as “Chucky,” was sentenced by United States District Judge Kiyo A. Matsumoto to 23 years in prison for racketeering conspiracy and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime in connection with his leadership of the East New York-based Elite Assassin Millas (E.A.M.), a set of the Bloods street gang. Smothers was convicted of the charges by a federal jury in February 2023 following a two-week trial. Smothers conspired with other gang members and associates to deal drugs, commit fraud and to murder or attempt to murder their rivals from 2006 to 2019, resulting in multiple shootings that left one individual dead and several other victims permanently disabled.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, announced the sentence.
“Smothers, who fancied himself the gang’s “Godfather” and East New York his ‘Gun Town,’ deserves the decades behind bars imposed today for leading a criminal enterprise that endangered the community with their mindless killing, shootings and assaults of rivals,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “This Office and our law enforcement partners have dismantled the Elite Assassin Millas and will continue the important work of ridding our district of violent groups that have no respect for the law or human life.”
Mr. Peace thanked the Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office, and the New York City Police Department for outstanding work in the case.
As proven at trial, E.A.M. operated primarily in East New York, which the gang referred to as “Gun Town.” The gang made money through fraud and drug dealing, particularly sales of crack cocaine and marijuana. Smothers rose to the leadership position of E.A.M. through violence and fear. E.A.M. members reporting to Smothers referred to themselves as “Homicide Town.” Smothers agreed with other gang members and associates to deal drugs, commit fraud, and to murder or attempt to murder their rivals from 2006 to 2019, resulting in numerous shootings.
On April 30, 2011, Smothers, the so-called “Godfather” or “GF” of E.A.M., shot a fellow E.A.M. member in the torso and leg over a drug and loyalty-related dispute, causing the victim’s leg to be amputated. Over the years that Smothers led the gang, his underlings engaged in feuds with other local street gangs in East New York that frequently resulted in shootouts between the groups. As a result of shootings, two individuals were paralyzed by members of E.A.M., and one victim — Michael Tenorio — was murdered.
All six other members and associates of E.A.M. that were charged with the defendant have pleaded guilty to crimes including murder, conspiracy to commit murder, assault, and interstate stalking causing life threatening injury. Tyshawn Corbett was sentenced to 45 years’ imprisonment; Marlon Bristol was sentenced to 135 months’ imprisonment; Devon Bristol was sentenced to 80 months’ imprisonment; Desmonn Beckett was sentenced to 64 months’ imprisonment; and Andrew Campbell was sentenced to 30 months’ imprisonment. Qawon Allen is awaiting sentencing.
This case is being prosecuted as part of the joint federal, state, and local Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) Program, the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.
The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Matthew Galeotti, Genny Ngai and Jonathan Siegel are in charge of the prosecution with the assistance of Paralegal Specialist Brittany Wissel.
The Defendant:
QUANDEL SMOTHERS (also known as “Chucky”)
Age: 32
Brooklyn, New YorkDefendants Who Pleaded Guilty
TYSHAWN CORBETT (also known as “Reck”)
Age: 32
Brooklyn, New YorkQAWON ALLEN (also known as “40” and “Phorty Wap”)
Age: 28
Brooklyn, New YorkDESMONN BECKETT (also known as “Des”)
Age: 30
Brooklyn, New YorkDEVON BRISTOL (also known as “D”)
Age: 32
Brooklyn, New YorkMARLON BRISTOL (also known as “Marlo”)
Age: 35
Brooklyn, New YorkANDREW CAMPBELL (also known as “Phaze”)
Age: 27
Brooklyn, New YorkE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 20-CR-213 (KAM)
Lame Deer man sentenced to three years in prison for sexually abusing a minor; assaulting partnerRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Lame Deer man who admitted sexually abusing a minor and assaulting his partner on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation in two separate cases was sentenced on Wednesday to a total of three years and one day in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today.
David Benjamin Wick, Sr., 44, pleaded guilty in December 2023 to sexual abuse of a minor and in January, he pleaded guilty to assault resulting in substantial injury to a spouse, dating or intimate partner.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court sentenced Wick to two years in prison on the charge of sexual abuse of a minor and to one year and a day on the assault charge, to run consecutive to the sexual abuse sentence.
In court documents, the government alleged that in 2019, Wick, then 39, had sexual intercourse with a 15-year-old girl on the Northern Cheyenne Indian Reservation. Wick and the girl had connected through Facebook, and Wick invited her to his trailer to drink alcohol. Wick was charged federally sexual abuse of a minor and released on conditions. In January 2023, Wick assaulted his partner after becoming upset and accusing her of cheating on him. Wick kicked his partner and repeatedly struck her in the face and head while calling her names. The victim was treated for significant trauma.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The FBI and Bureau of Indian Affairs conducted the investigation.
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Kerrville Man Who Made Terrorist Threats Sentenced on Firearm ChargesRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – A Kerrville man was sentenced yesterday to 60 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, on May 27, 2021, Coleman Thomas Blevins, 31, sent a social media post stating, “I’m going to Walmart,” which was followed by a picture of Blevins holding a black assault-style rifle. Blevins then sent another message stating, “I have no problem spending the rest of my life in prison for Shootings (sic) up Walmart.” The next day officers executed a search warrant at Blevins’ apartment and found 556 rounds of ammunition. In addition, a black AR-15 .223 rifle with four magazines was found in a vehicle belonging to Blevins’ roommate. The rifle matched the rifle Blevins was holding in the picture he posted.
Subsequent investigation into Blevins’ social media activity revealed three other occasions where Blevins had recently posted pictures of himself holding firearms or ammunition. On November 28, 2023, Blevins pled guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Blevins was prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition because he was previously convicted of a felony drug offense.
“Threats to carry out mass shootings are reprehensible,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza. “Thanks to the quick work of our law enforcement partners, this threat remained just that and did not turn into a tragic event. This case demonstrates our commitment to peel back the veneer of online anonymity and aggressively pursue and prosecute those who threaten harm to our community.”
“Blevins threatened to commit violent acts and had access to weapons that would have allowed him to carry out those threats,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the FBI's San Antonio Field Office. “We want to thank Kerr County Sheriff's Office for their continued assistance in ensuring the safety of our citizens.”
The FBI, with assistance from the Kerr County Sheriff’s Office, investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Eric Fuchs and Kelly Stephenson prosecuted the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
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KC Father, Son Indicted for Illegal Firearms Trafficking, Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., father and son have been indicted by a federal grand jury for selling firearms without a license, illegally possessing firearms, and drug trafficking.
Nathan Caldwell, Sr., also known as “Prince Bossalinie,” 52, and Nathan Caldwell, Jr., 32, were charged in a 29-count indictment that was returned under seal by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo., on Tuesday, May 7. That indictment was unsealed and made public today upon their arrest and initial court appearances.
The federal indictment alleges the Caldwells have aided and abetted each other to engage in the business of dealing in firearms, although they are not licensed dealers, since Dec. 20, 2023.
Nathan Caldwell, Sr., is also charged with 10 counts of being a felon in possession of firearms, eight counts of distributing methamphetamine, one count of distributing cocaine, one count of distributing marijuana, and two counts of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime.
Nathan Caldwell, Jr., is also charged with three counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm and three counts of distributing marijuana.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition.
Nathan Caldwell, Sr., has two prior felony convictions for being a felon in possession of a firearm and prior felony convictions for aiding a felon, attempted aggravated assault, attempted possession of cocaine, conspiracy to commit robbery, and possessing cocaine.
Nathan Caldwell, Jr., has a prior felony conviction for assault.
The charges contained in this indictment are simply accusations, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charges must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica L. Jennings. It was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Project Safe Neighborhoods
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.