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7 May 2024
South African man arrested for stabbing on cruise shipRead the Press Release
JUNEAU, Alaska – A South African man was arrested by the FBI today on criminal charges after disembarking a cruise ship in Juneau for allegedly stabbing multiple people with medical scissors while aboard the ship.
According to court documents, on May 6, 2024, Ntando Sogoni, 35, was working on the cruise ship when other ship employees observed the defendant attempting to deploy a lifeboat. Sogoni was contacted by ship security and escorted to the ship’s medical center for an assessment.
Upon arrival, Sogoni physically attacked a security guard and a male nurse inside an examination room and proceeded to enter another examination room where a woman, who is a U.S. citizen, was being examined. He grabbed a pair of scissors and stabbed the woman multiple times in the arm, hand and face. He also stabbed two security guards who intervened—one in the head and one in the back and shoulders. Sogoni was detained and held in the ship’s jail prior to his arrest.
Sogoni is charged with assault with a dangerous weapon within maritime and territorial jurisdiction in violation of 18 U.S.C. §113(a)(3). If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska and Special Agent in Charge Rebecca Day of the FBI Anchorage Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Anchorage Field Office and FBI Juneau Resident Agency, and the Coast Guard Investigative Service are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Schmidt is prosecuting the case.
A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Six Alleged MS-13 Members Indicted on Racketeering ChargesRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Six alleged members of the La Mara Salvartrucha, or MS-13 gang, have been charged with racketeering charges, announced Dena J. King, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of North Carolina. Two of the defendants are charged with murder in aid of racketeering. The indictment was returned by a federal grand jury on April 16, 2024, and was unsealed this morning.
Kyle Burns, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in North Carolina and South Carolina, Robert M. DeWitt, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Charlotte Division, and Chief Johnny Jennings of the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department join U.S. Attorney King in making today’s announcement.
The four individuals charged with racketeering (RICO) conspiracy are Fredy Mauricio Buruca, aka “Piranha,” “Machete,” and “Insoportable,” 26, of Salisbury, N.C.; Santos Guillermo Ramirez Mancia, aka “Azazel,” “Timido,” and “Johnny,” 32, of Annapolis, Maryland; Juan Francisco Sanchez Estrada, aka “Nene” and “Turbo,” 30, of Salisbury; and Luis Fernando Guardardo Moreno, aka “Fantasma” and “Scrappy,” 26, of El Salvador.
The two individuals charged with murder in aid of racketeering activity are Christian Alejandro Garcia Santa Cruz, aka “Crimen,” 31, and Aderly Jose Veliz-Ronquillo, aka “Chanchin,” 30, both of Annapolis.
Ramirez Mancia is also charged with accessory after the fact to murder in aid of racketeering.
“Street gangs threaten the well-being of our communities and spread violence, fear, and intimidation,” said U.S. Attorney King. “Our coordinated law enforcement efforts prioritize the investigation and prosecution of dangerous gangs to dismantle their operations and disrupt their criminal activities.”
“Finding, arresting and prosecuting those involved in gang activity greatly increases public safety and makes a dramatic impact in our communities,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Burns. “Cases like this reflect that great work that we and our law enforcement partners do to protect the homeland.”
“Violent gangs including MS-13 can wreak havoc in our communities. The FBI is committed to working with our local, state, and federal partners to target and dismantle gangs that threaten the safety and stability of our neighborhoods,” said Special Agent in Charge DeWitt.
According to allegations in the indictment, the defendants were leaders and members of the MS-13 sub-unit, or clique, known as the Hollywood Locos Salvadorians Clique (the HLS clique), which operated in and around the Western District of North Carolina and other areas in North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Washington, D.C., and elsewhere. From at least December 2018 and continuing through November 2022, as members of the HLS clique, the defendants allegedly were engaged in a pattern of racketeering activity that consisted of multiple acts and threats involving murder, kidnapping, extortion, robbery, and drug trafficking.
The investigation into the gang’s criminal activity revealed that these criminal acts were allegedly sanctioned by MS-13 leadership and were committed to promote a climate a fear and intimidation within the gang, to maintain the gang’s control and to expand its territory, to enforce discipline within the gang and punish any acts of disrespect, to intimidate witnesses and discourage cooperation with law enforcement, and to retaliate against rivals, or “chavalas.”
Participation in criminal activity was also intended to increase respect and ranking of members within the gang and to open the door to promotion to a leadership position. The indictment alleges that on November 6, 2022, Santa Cruz and Veliz-Ronquillo committed murder in aid of racketeering against a victim identified as W.G.M., for the purpose of gaining entrance to and maintaining and increasing position in the MS-13 enterprise. Santa Cruz and Veliz-Ronquillo allegedly used and carried a firearm during and in relation to W.G.M.’s murder. Later, Mancia allegedly assisted Santa Cruz and Veliz-Ronquillo in order to hinder or prevent their apprehension for murder.
Santa Cruz and Veliz-Ronquillo had their initial court appearances, and they are in federal custody. The remaining defendants are in local custody on state offenses and will be scheduled to appear on the federal charges before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in Charlotte.
The charges contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
In making today’s announcement U.S. Attorney King commended the FBI, HSI, and the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department for their investigation of the case, and thanked the Davidson County Sheriff’s Office, the Kannapolis Police Department, the Monroe Police Department, the Prince William County (Virginia) Sheriff’s Office, and the Annapolis (Maryland) Police Department for their invaluable assistance.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Erik Lindahl and David Kelly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Charlotte are prosecuting 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.
Sardis man sentenced to more than fifteen years in prison for illegal gun possessionRead the Press Release
Oxford, MS – A Sardis man was sentenced today to more than 15 years in prison for illegal possession of a firearm.
According to court documents, Jamaal Ellison, age 40, was stopped by an Oxford Police Department officer for speeding in January of 2022, but fled the scene in his car. Ellison crashed the car into a pole and attempted to flee on foot but was apprehended by the officer. Officers found a Glock.40 caliber pistol and ammunition in Ellison’s vehicle along with illegal narcotics, and Ellison admitted possessing the gun. Ellison, who had previously been convicted of multiple felonies involving the sale of narcotics, was sentenced pursuant to the Armed Career Criminal Act, which provides for a minimum sentence of 15 years and up to life imprisonment.
During a sentencing hearing on Tuesday, U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Ellison to 188 months in prison and five years of supervised release.
“Our communities should be able to expect that repeat felony offenders will face real consequences, and that those consequences will be heightened when that offender illegally possesses a firearm,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “This office will continue to work with partners like the Oxford Police Department, the Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Unit, and ATF to ensure that those consequences exist for criminals in the Northern District of Mississippi.”
“The sentence imposed today sends a message to the community that career criminals will be held accountable as we work to keep our neighborhoods safe as a top priority for ATF,” said ATF New Orleans Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson. “Sending a violent individual like this to prison is another example of our commitment to work tirelessly to protect our communities and hold accountable those who threaten our safety.”
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case in partnership with the Oxford Police Department and Lafayette County Metro Narcotics Unit.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Hampton 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.
Rochester man going to prison on child pornography charge involving cameras hidden in a church bathroomRead the Press Release
ROCHESTER, N.Y. - U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Stephen Nicot, 61, of Rochester, NY, who was convicted of receipt of child pornography, was sentenced to serve 144 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kyle Rossi and Meghan K. McGuire, who handled the case, stated that between 2012 and 2014, Nicot hid a camera in the bathroom of a church located in the Western District of New York. Nicot positioned the camera so that it would capture video and images of naked individuals using the shower in the church bathroom. He did this knowing some of the individuals would be under the age of 18 and he planned to display the video of the minors. On July 21, 2022, law enforcement executed a warrant at the Nicot’s residence and recovered a memory card and USB drive, which contained videos and images of at least five minor victims using the church bathroom and shower. Two cell phones were also seized, which contained naked images of a minor victim that were recorded by a camera hidden in a bathroom of Nicot’s residence.
The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Monroe County Sheriff's Office, under the direction of Sheriff Todd Baxter and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Child Exploitation Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia.
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Quincy Man Pleads Guilty to Hiding over $10 Million in Corporate IncomeRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Quincy man pleaded guilty yesterday to filing false tax returns on behalf of his company that hid over $10 million in corporate income.
Su Nguyen, 60, pleaded guilty to aiding and assisting the filing of false tax returns. U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young scheduled sentencing for Sept. 5, 2024. In October 2023, Nguyen was indicted by a federal grand jury.
Between 2016 and 2020, Nguyen was the owner and operator of General Employment Services (GES), a temporary employment agency operating in Massachusetts. Clients paid GES by check for the work performed by GES employees. Nguyen deposited a small number of client checks in a bank account that Nguyen used for GES business and reported that income to the IRS. However, Nguyen cashed the majority of client checks at a check casher located in Worcester and used that cash on himself and to pay some employees’ wages. In total, Nguyen cashed over $10 million in client checks and did not report that income or the wages paid in cash to the IRS. By doing so, Nguyen and GES failed to pay over $2 million in taxes.
Each count of aiding and assisting the filing of false tax returns provides for a sentence of up to three years in prison, up to 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 T. Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston; and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Markham of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.
Physician and Owner of Bellflower Medical Clinic Pleads Guilty to Defrauding Medi-Cal Family Program Out of More Than $2.5 MillionRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California – The owner and sole physician at a Bellflower medical clinic has pleaded guilty to submitting millions of dollars’ worth of false claims to a Medi-Cal health care program that provides family planning services to low-income and uninsured patients, causing more than $2.5 million in losses, the Justice Department announced today.
Robert Eyzaguirre, 77, of Torrance, pleaded guilty to one count of health care fraud, a felony that carries a statutory maximum sentence of 10 years in federal prison.
According to his plea agreement, Eyzaguirre owned and operated Dr. Robert’s Medical Center, a Bellflower-based medical clinic enrolled as a Family Planning, Access, Care and Treatment (Family PACT) provider run through the Medi-Cal public health program that California administered under Medicaid. At this clinic, Eyzaguirre employed and supervised Gary Lee Didio, 54, of Huntington Beach, and Sandra Rios, 51, of South Los Angeles.
From at least December 2013 through January 2020, Eyzaguirre conspired with Didio and Rios to submit more than $4.6 million in fraudulent claims to the Family PACT program for family planning services that were never provided. Specifically, Rios picked random names from an online phone-and-address directory and created fake patient files, including inserting fake vital signs and patient notes.
Eyzaguirre signed the fake patient files, falsely representing that he had provided family planning services to those patients. Eyzaguirre sometimes signed blank patient forms before the false vital signs and notes had been added. The fake patient files were then submitted to the Family PACT program for reimbursement. The Medi-Cal program paid more than $2.5 million on the fraudulent claims submitted by Dr. Robert’s Medical Center.
Eyzaguirre also falsely certified in the fake patient files that laboratory tests were medically necessary. Didio and Rios then referred the names of fake patients to a laboratory in Northern California, which then paid an illegal kickback of $30 cash for each referral. In total, the laboratory paid more than $372,000 in illegal kickbacks for the referrals of fake Family PACT patients from Dr. Robert’s Medical Center. The Medi-Cal program paid more than $1 million on the fraudulent claims submitted by the laboratory related to the scheme.
When Eyzaguirre learned that law enforcement was investigating the fraudulent scheme, he attempted to conceal the criminal activity by instructing Didio to remove the fake patient files from Dr. Robert’s Medical Center and hide them offsite. Once the files had been moved, Eyzaguirre attempted to shred the fake patient files to prevent law enforcement from discovering them.
Eyzaguirre admitted in his plea agreement to abusing his position of trust as a physician and obstructing justice.
Rios and Didio have pleaded guilty to conspiring to receive illegal remunerations for healthcare referrals. They are expected to be sentenced in the coming months.
United States District Judge Jesus G. Bernal scheduled a sentencing hearing for Eyzaguirre on October 28.
The United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the California Department of Justice, Division of Medi-Cal Fraud and Elder Abuse investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Jason C. Pang of the General Crimes Section is prosecuting this case.
Petersburg, Illinois Man Pleads Guilty to Thirty-Four Felony Counts Involving Crimes Against ChildrenRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Petersburg, Illinois, man, Adam L. Power, 30, of the 500 block of 8th Street in Petersburg, Illinois, pleaded guilty to seven counts of production of child pornography, eight counts of distribution of child pornography, eighteen counts of receipt of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography on May 3, 2024, for his criminal actions between July 2022 and February 2023. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for September 5, 2024, at the U.S. Courthouse in Springfield, Illinois.
According to the facts in support of his plea, Power, while using online chatting applications such as Snapchat and Kik, identified himself as a minor female to get minor males to produce child pornographic images and videos of themselves. Additionally, Power distributed as well as received visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Power was originally arrested in Petersburg, Illinois, on March 21, 2023, and charged for possession of child pornography by the Menard County State’s Attorney’s Office. On June 30, 2023, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois in Springfield charged the defendant with production, distribution, and receipt of child pornography. A Grand Jury returned a ten-count indictment on July 6, 2023. Subsequently, on January 3, 2024, the Grand Jury returned a superseding indictment charging him with a total of thirty-four counts involving crimes against children. Power has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since June 30, 2023.
Each count of production of child pornography carries a statutory penalty of at least fifteen years with a maximum of thirty years’ imprisonment. The charges of receipt and distribution of child pornography carry a penalty of at least five years to a maximum of twenty years’ imprisonment; and for possession of child pornography, he can be penalized up to twenty years imprisonment.
Agencies participating in the investigation include the Department of Homeland Security, Illinois Attorney General’s Office, Athens Police Department, Illinois State Police, Petersburg Police Department, and the Menard County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanner K. Jacobs is representing the government in the prosecution.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Petersburg, Illinois Man Pleads Guilty to Thirty-Four Felony Counts Involving Crimes Against ChildrenRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – A Petersburg, Illinois, man, Adam L. Power, 30, of the 500 block of 8th Street in Petersburg, Illinois, pleaded guilty to seven counts of production of child pornography, eight counts of distribution of child pornography, eighteen counts of receipt of child pornography, and one count of possession of child pornography on May 3, 2024, for his criminal actions between July 2022 and February 2023. A sentencing hearing has been scheduled for September 5, 2024, at the U.S. Courthouse in Springfield, Illinois.
According to the facts in support of his plea, Power, while using online chatting applications such as Snapchat and Kik, identified himself as a minor female to get minor males to produce child pornographic images and videos of themselves. Additionally, Power distributed as well as received visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Power was originally arrested in Petersburg, Illinois, on March 21, 2023, and charged for possession of child pornography by the Menard County State’s Attorney’s Office. On June 30, 2023, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois in Springfield charged the defendant with production, distribution, and receipt of child pornography. A Grand Jury returned a ten-count indictment on July 6, 2023. Subsequently, on January 3, 2024, the Grand Jury returned a superseding indictment charging him with a total of thirty-four counts involving crimes against children. Power has remained in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service since June 30, 2023.
Each count of production of child pornography carries a statutory penalty of at least fifteen years with a maximum of thirty years’ imprisonment. The charges of receipt and distribution of child pornography carry a penalty of at least five years to a maximum of twenty years’ imprisonment; and for possession of child pornography, he can be penalized up to twenty years imprisonment.
Agencies participating in the investigation include the Department of Homeland Security, Illinois Attorney General’s Office, Athens Police Department, Illinois State Police, Petersburg Police Department, and the Menard County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tanner K. Jacobs is representing the government in the prosecution.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Pearl River Man Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute over 50 Grams of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – A Neshoba County man was sentenced to 34 months in federal prison for possessing over 50 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute.
According to court documents, Marcus Tubby, Jr., 31, possessed with intent to distribute methamphetamine in the Pearl River Community of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians. Tubby was indicted by a federal grand jury in September of 2023, and he pleaded guilty on February 7, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi, Regional Agent in Charge Whitney Woodruff of the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Anessa Daniels-McCaw of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Choctaw Police Department of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, the U.S. Department of Interior Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin J. Payne and Assistant United States Attorney Brian K. Burns.
PRESS RELEASE: Convicted Felon Who Assaulted Officer Sentenced to over 7 YearsRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – A federal judge recently sentenced a Memphis man to more than 7 years in federal prison for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. United States Attorney Kevin G. Ritz announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on November 2, 2022, officers approached a black Infiniti G37 backed into a parking space in front of a BP gas station in the Whitehaven community. Because of a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle, the officers told the driver, Tracey Shaw, 27, to roll down his window. Shaw refused; instead, he started the Infiniti and accelerated out of the parking lot, striking one of the officers with the car. Shaw then led officers on a car chase eastbound on Shelby Drive reaching speeds in excess of 100 miles per hour. After Shaw crashed the Infiniti on Tchulahoma Road, he fled on foot and hid in the backyard of a nearby residence. Officers arrested Shaw and recovered a Glock .40 caliber pistol with a 22-round extended magazine that Shaw had concealed behind the residence.
On August 16, 2023, Shaw pled guilty to being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. United States District Judge Mark S. Norris sentenced Shaw on May 2, 2024, to 92 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
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 PSN Gun Task Force investigated this case for federal prosecution with assistance from the Memphis Police Department.
United States Attorney Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Regina Thompson, who prosecuted this case, as well as law enforcement partners who investigated the case.
Operator of Highrise Advantage, LLC, Pleads Guilty to Criminal Charges Related to over $57 Million in Investment Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Avinash Singh (42, Orlando) has pleaded guilty to two counts of wire fraud and three counts of money laundering. Singh faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for each wire fraud count and up to 10 years in federal prison for each money laundering count. Singh has also agreed to an order of forfeiture in the amount of $57 million, as well to the forfeiture of two personal residences, which were purchased with the proceeds of the wire fraud scheme and involved in the money laundering offenses. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
According to the plea agreement, Singh operated a company by the name of Highrise Advantage, LLC. From February 2013 to September 2020, Singh solicited and received more than $57 million from over 1,100 victims that was to be invested in retail foreign currency contracts (“forex”) through Highrise. To induce his victims to invest, Singh claimed that he had a proven track record of success as a forex trader, that he was going to use the funds for investments in forex, and that he would “guarantee” that his victims would not lose any funds for any trading losses. None of these representations were true.
Rather than invest his victims’ funds in forex trading as he had promised, Singh used funds from one investor to pay amounts owed to another investor. Singh did not invest the funds that he promised to invest. Instead, Singh misappropriated at least $45 million in the form of payments to other investors and millions of dollars in personal expenses.
This case was investigated by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Office of Inspector General, the St. Cloud IRS Federal Financial Crimes Task Force, and the State of Florida Office of Financial Regulation, with assistance from the U.S. Marshals Service. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Amanda S. Daniels. The asset recovery is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney Nicole M. Andrejko.
Operation Overdrive in Tampa Leads to Dozens of Arrests and Significant Drug SeizuresRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – Today, a Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)-led joint task force, designed to bring justice to Tampa’s most violent drug traffickers, announced the results of a 5-month, concentrated law enforcement effort. Roger Handberg, United States Attorney (USA) for the Middle District of Florida (MDFL) and Deanne Reuter, the DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge (SAC), joined Tampa Police Department (PD) Chief Lee Bercaw, and representatives from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Tampa Field Division, the United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Tampa Field Office, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) Tampa Regional Operations Center (TBROC), and the State Attorney’s Office (SAO) - 13th Judicial Circuit, to make the announcement this morning in Tampa, Florida.
In 2022, DEA initiated Operation Overdrive, a data-driven, intelligence-led approach using national crime statistics and CDC data to identify hot spots of drug-related violence and overdose deaths across the country, in order to devote its law enforcement resources to where they will have the most impact: the communities where criminal drug networks are causing the most harm.
Starting in October 2022 the DEA Tampa District Office-led team of local, state, and federal partners mapped, identified, arrested, and prosecuted more than a dozen drug-traffickers in three investigations under Operation Overdrive Tampa. Beginning in October 2022 through March 2023, investigators seized 2.1 kilograms of cocaine, 4.07 kilograms of fentanyl, 3.82 kilograms of methamphetamine, .05 kilograms of oxycodone, .65 kilograms of marijuana, and .82 grams of heroin.
“The U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to reducing violent crime and overdose deaths in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg. “That goal cannot be accomplished without the hard work and dedication of our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. We look forward to continuing our joint efforts to make the Tampa Bay area safer for its citizens.”
“Inherently, drug trafficking is linked to crime and violence, and no community, including Tampa, is immune. Operation Overdrive is an example of the important work we do together to keep our communities safe,” said Miami DEA Special Agent in Charge Deanne Reuter. “These results are a testament to the dangerous and important work of law enforcement, and the critical role our local, state and federal partner play in supporting their communities.”
"The success of ’Operation Overdrive’ is another example of the power of partnerships," said Tampa Police Chief Lee Bercaw. "By working together with our federal partners at the DEA, we were able to target the root causes of drug-related violence and overdoses in our community. The results of this joint initiative demonstrate our shared dedication to data-driven policing and our commitment to making Tampa safer, together."
FDLE Tampa Bay Special Agent in Charge Mark Brutnell said, “Fentanyl continues to be one of the top threats facing Florida and our nation and FDLE continues to tackle the issue head-on. We are committed to taking down entire drug rings and doing all we can to protect our Florida families.”
“I commend our statewide and local law enforcement partners for working collaboratively to tackle the fentanyl crisis that is impacting so many of our communities,” said State Attorney Suzy Lopez. “My office will vigorously prosecute drug dealers that are inflicting pain and suffering on families who have lost loved ones due to drug overdose. Together, we will continue to make meaningful strides toward reducing the number of fentanyl deaths and violent crime on the streets of Hillsborough County.”
The DEA Tampa DO and Tampa PD led the Operation Overdrive Tampa investigations with substantial assistance from ATF Tampa, USPIS Tampa, and FDLE – Tampa Bay ROC. The USAO MDFL and SAO – 13th Judicial Circuit handled the prosecutions.
If you are aware of controlled substance violations in your community, please submit your anonymous tip through the DEA online Tip Line at Submit a Tip | DEA.gov. Concerns about prescription drug abuse or diversion can be reported to the DEA through this link: RX Abuse Online Reporting (usdoj.gov).
Omaha Woman Sentenced for Conspiracy to Interfere with Commerce by RobberyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Adrionna Leeper, 25, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced May 3, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery. Chief United State District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Leeper to 75 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After she is released from prison, she will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $8,463.67.
On February 24, 2022, at 10:46 pm, Omaha Police Department (“OPD”) officers responded to a robbery and assault at the Midwest Smoke Shop at 7010 Dodge Street #105 in Omaha. The store employee stated that four parties were in the store, and the employee initially thought they were customers. One of the suspects demanded money and a cell phone from the employee. The employee declined and grabbed a baseball bat in order to defend himself. One of the suspects attempted to physically assault the employee. The suspects left the store without any money from the store, but one of the suspects did take money from a tip jar. Investigators believed, based on the video, that Ms. Leeper personally participated in this robbery with Quincy Louis.
On February 25, 2022, at 6:31 pm, OPD Officers responded to a robbery at the Family Dollar at 6618 North 30th Street in Omaha. Witnesses and store employees advised a male wearing a black hoodie, black pants, black shoes, and a black ski mask came into the store with a handgun and demanded cash from the register and safes. The suspect pointed the handgun at several people and even put it to the back of the store manager's head. The suspect then demanded the clerk put the money into a plastic bag from the store and then fled from the store northbound on foot. The suspect also demanded the employee remove the "tracked money" from the bag prior to taking the money and fleeing. The suspect obtained $1,342 from this robbery. Faye Lynn Hardesty worked at this store leading up to the robbery.
On February 25, 2022, at 7:05 pm, OPD Officers responded to a robbery at the Family Dollar at 2601 North 16th Street in Omaha. Witnesses advised a male wearing a black hoodie, black pants, black shoes, and a black ski mask came into the store with a handgun and demanded cash from the register. The suspect then had the clerk put the money into a bag from the store and fled southbound on foot.
A short time later, on February 25, 2022, at approximately 9:26 pm, OPD officers responded to a robbery at the Bucky's/ Casey's Gas Station at 2223 South 24th Street in Omaha. The clerk advised a male wearing a brown hoodie jacket and a black ski mask came into the store with a handgun and demanded cash from the register. The suspect then demanded the clerk put the money into a bag and ran from the store.
Less than an hour later, on February 25, 2022, at 10:01 pm, officers responded to a robbery at the MegaSaver Gas Station at 10707 Blondo Street in Omaha. The clerk advised a male, wearing a black hoodie, black pants and ski mask, entered the store and demanded money from the register. The suspect then had the clerk put the money into a bag from the store and fled southbound on foot. During this robbery, the suspect racked the gun and told a victim, “I’m not joking!”
Within approximately half an hour of the MegaSaver robbery, OPD officers responded to a robbery at the Casey's/ Bucky's Gas Station at 107 South 40th Street in Omaha. The clerk advised a male entered the store, showing a handgun, demanded money from the register and struck her in the head with the base plate of the firearm. The clerk was injured from the assault and received medical treatment for a cut to the right side of her head. Individuals on scene described the clerk as acting disoriented or confused. The suspect demanded the money be put into a plastic store bag and ran from the store. The suspect was described as a thinner male, wearing all black, a black ski mask, and a surgical mask over his mouth.
On February 26, 2022, at 11:58 pm, OPD Officers responded to a robbery at the Valero Select Mart Gas Station located at 2604 S 13th Street in Omaha. The clerk advised a male, wearing a black hoodie, pants and ski mask, armed with a black handgun, entered the store and threatened to shoot the employee. The suspect then demanded the clerk put the money from the cash register and safe into a plastic bag from the store along with Nebraska lottery scratch tickets. The cash taken during this robbery was approximately $4,000. Also on February 26, 2022, the suspect robbed a Kwik Shop in Ralston, Nebraska and took $135.68 from the register, $510 from the safe, Newport brand cigarettes and lottery tickets.
On February 27, 2022, at 1:04 am, Council Bluffs Police Officers were dispatched to a robbery at the Romantix store at 3216 151 Avenue, Council Bluffs, Iowa. The suspect was described as a male, wearing all dark clothing and a dark mask, armed with a handgun. The suspect demanded money from the business, and upon receiving money the suspect fled the business.
On February 27, 2022, at 3:21 am, Bellevue Police officers were dispatched to a robbery at the QuikTrip Gas Station at 1311 Fort Crook Road, Bellevue, Nebraska. Upon arrival officers spoke to the clerk who advised a male wearing all black clothing and a ski mask robbed the store at gunpoint, then fled southbound on foot.
Approximately 90 minutes later, still on February 27, 2022, OPD officers responded to a robbery at a different QuikTrip gas station on 1704 South 72nd Street in Omaha. The clerk advised a male wearing a black hoodie and ski mask entered the store, pointed a black handgun at her and demanded money from the register. The suspect had the clerk put the money into a store plastic bag and ran from the store.
The next day, February 28, 2022, at approximately 10:32 pm, Omaha police officers responded to an attempted robbery call at a Smoke and Vape shop located at 4102 South 24th Street in Omaha. The employee reported a suspect in all dark clothing came to the door of the business, attempted to open it while it was locked, and then pointed a handgun at the employee when the suspect could not get in the business. The suspect said to the employee, “Open the door, and I won’t kill you.” The employee denied admittance, and the suspect fled the area.
Three robberies occurred in Lincoln, Nebraska on March 1, 2022. During the three business robberies, it was learned the suspect description was similar to the description of the suspect in the QuikTrip robbery and also that during one of the robberies, a clerk from one of the businesses had been "pistol whipped" by the suspect. Another customer was kicked in the head during one of the Lincoln robberies. The locations of the robberies in Lincoln were 2710 W Street; 4400 Cornhusker Highway ($500 was taken during this Kwik Shop robbery); and 3500 North 48th Street. Investigators on scene described the pistol-whipped employee as disoriented from the
injury and visibly hurt and bleeding on her face. The suspect with the gun told one customer who was not injured like the other customers, “I’m not going to hurt you because you’re black.”
Following those three robberies in Lincoln, another robbery occurred in Omaha on March 1, 2022, and during this robbery, officers were flagged down while the robbery was in progress. During this robbery, a female customer was ordered to the ground, and the suspect put a gun to her back and asked how much money was in her purse, and she said, “$100,” and the suspect said, “That’s it?” and moved on from her. This allowed officers to identify a suspect vehicle in relation to that robbery (identified a gray 2021 Nissan Versa with Florida plates). Officers were able to track down the getaway vehicle as it fled the scene of this fourth robbery on March 1, 2022. The driver of the vehicle proceeded to lead police officers on a high-speed pursuit. During the pursuit, one of suspects fired shots at the police cruiser and one of those shots struck the cruiser with police officers inside of it. The pursuit continued from Douglas County into Sarpy County, Nebraska to South 138th Street, Springfield, Nebraska where the pursuit ended. At the conclusion of the pursuit, four suspects were taken into custody out of the getaway vehicle and transported to OPD Headquarters for interviews. The suspects were identified as Quincy Louis, D’Juan Beverly, Jr, Adrionna Leeper, and Faye Lynne Hardesty. A black Glock43X firearm was recovered in the area that Quincy Louis was located and taken into custody.
All four defendants gave statements to police officers about the robbery spree, and multiple defendants identified Quincy Louis as the suspect going into the businesses with a handgun to rob them. Louis was voluntarily interviewed and admitted to committing the robberies in the series. Louis provided details of the robberies in Bellevue, Council Bluffs, Iowa, Lincoln, Omaha, and Ralston. Louis also admitted to firing shots at the pursuing officers. The corroborating details that Louis provided details that matched the robberies to include location, proceeds and method.
Investigators reviewed video surveillance of the robberies and noted that it appeared to them that the same hoodie, black with white drawstrings, was worn in all of the robberies and there were similarities in how the robberies were committed. There was consistency in the types of businesses that were targeted as well. All of the businesses obtained goods from outside the State of Nebraska at the time of the robberies, and the businesses had to close during the investigation of the scenes and lost customers during those timeframes or were unable to serve customers during the on-scene investigations.
Investigators in follow-up searches recovered not only the Glock handgun but also items that appeared to be taken during business robberies that were recovered in a personal handbag of Adrionna Leeper. One of the defendants indicated that all of the defendants shared in the proceeds of the robberies. Interviews amongst the defendants confirmed that Beverly, Jr. served as the getaway driver and that the female defendants assisted with casing businesses. Leeper was also identified as assisting Quincy Louis on video in the first robbery at the Midwest Smoke Shop on February 24, 2022.
Co-defendant Quincy Louis pled guilty to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He was sentenced to 240 months imprisonment and a 5-year term of supervised released. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $8,463.67.
Co-defendant D'Juan Beverly, Jr. pled guilty to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. He was sentenced to 240 months imprisonment and a 5-year term of supervised released. He was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $8,463.67.
Co-defendant Faye Hardesty pled guilty to conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery and discharging a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. She was sentenced to 78 months imprisonment and a 5-year term of supervised released. She was also ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $8,463.67.
This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Okmulgee Resident Sentenced to 50 Years for Double Murder in Indian CountryRead the Press Release
MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Austin Dean McMahan, age 24, of Okmulgee, Oklahoma, was sentenced to 600 months in prison on each of two counts of Second Degree Murder in Indian Country. The terms will be served concurrently.
The charges arose from investigations by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Okmulgee Police Department, and the Okmulgee County Sheriff’s Office.
On February 16, 2023, McMahan pleaded guilty to an Information of two counts of Murder in Indian Country-Second Degree. According to investigators, on April 7, 2020, McMahan killed two people at an Okmulgee residence. McMahan shot and killed the first victim during an argument. He then fired on a second victim who had attempted to come to the first victim’s aid. After the gun jammed, McMahan procured another firearm and shot the second victim multiple times. The crimes occurred in Okmulgee County, within the boundaries of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma.
The Honorable Ada E. Brown, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Texas, sitting by assignment, presided over the hearing in Muskogee. McMahan will remain in custody of the U.S. Marshal pending transportation to a designated United States Bureau of Prisons facility to serve a non-paroleable sentence of incarceration.
U.S. Department of Justice Organized Crime and Gang Section Trial Attorney Cesar Rivera-Giraud and Assistant United States Attorney Ryan Bondura represented the United States at sentencing.
Oil Tanker Engineers Plead Guilty to Charges of Concealing Vessel Pollution; Chief Engineer Also Pleads Guilty to Discharging Oily Waste Off Coast of New JerseyRead the Press Release
Two ship engineers on the oil tanker M/T Kriti Ruby pleaded guilty today to charges related to the concealment of pollution by falsifying records, with the chief engineer also pleading guilty to charges related to the discharge of oily waste into the sea from a commercial vessel near a petroleum terminal in Sewaren, New Jersey.
Chief Engineer Konstantinos Atsalis, 56, pleaded guilty to two counts of violating the Act to Prevent Pollution from Ships (APPS). Atsalis admitted that the vessel’s crew had knowingly bypassed required pollution prevention equipment by discharging oily waste from the vessel’s engine room through its sewage system into the sea, including near a petroleum offloading facility in Sewaren. Atsalis also admitted that he falsified the vessel’s oil record book (ORB) – a required log regularly inspected by the U.S. Coast Guard – by failing to record this illegal activity. Atsalis further admitted that he directed crew members to hide equipment used to conduct transfers of oily waste from the engine room bilge wells to the sewage tank before the Coast Guard boarded the vessel.
Second Engineer Sonny Bosito, 54, also pleaded guilty to violating APPS, admitting to concealing the discharge of oily waste into the sea through the vessel’s sewage system by causing a false ORB to be presented to the U.S. Coast Guard during its inspection of the vessel. Bosito further admitted to directing crew members to hide equipment used to conduct transfers from the bilge wells to the sewage tank before the Coast Guard’s inspection.
The maximum penalty of each charge is six years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss resulting from the offense.
The sentencing for both Atsalis and Bosito is scheduled for Oct. 22.
Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of the Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD), U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger for the District of New Jersey and Acting Special Agent in Charge Steven M. Frith of the U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service made the announcement.
The U.S. Coast Guard Investigative Service investigated the case.
Senior Trial Attorney Kenneth E. Nelson and Trial Attorney Lauren D. Steele of the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s Environmental Crimes Section, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen P. O’Leary for the District of New Jersey’s Office Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Unit and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine E. Ward for the District of New Jersey are prosecuting the case.
Ohio man pleads guilty to dumping 7,000 gallons of hazardous substance-contaminated wastewater into Scioto RiverRead the Press Release
TOLEDO - An Ohio man pleaded guilty to violating the Clean Water Act by dumping pollutants and hazardous substances into waterways that killed thousands of fish in the Scioto River.
According to court documents, on April 17, 2021, Mark Shepherd, age 72, Kenton, Ohio, negligently, and without a permit or in violation of a permit, discharged into the Scioto River near Kenton, Ohio, approximately 7,000 gallons of a substance containing ammonia, a pollutant and hazardous substance. The substances originated from Shepherd’s facilities—Cessna Transport Inc. and A.G. Bradley Inc.—which he owned and operated in the Northern District of Ohio, Western Division.
The Ohio Department of Natural Resources determined that the discharge killed 43,094 fish, including black bass, flathead catfish, sunfish, and minnows, valued at $22,508.60. The contaminants flowed approximately 18 miles downstream from where Shepherd illegally dumped it.
“This type of behavior is unacceptable,” said U.S. Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko for the Northern District of Ohio. “The Scioto River is home to abundant fish and other wildlife, and it is a valuable community resource, flowing through more than 230 miles of Ohio. As the guilty plea demonstrates, anyone caught illegally discharging substances into our district’s waterways that harm our environment will face prosecution. Our office is committed to preserving our natural resources for Ohio communities to enjoy for generations to come.”
The fish kill was originally reported by a local fisherman in Hardin County. The area in which the dumping occurred is routinely used for recreational fishing. According to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, in 2009, a water quality sample not far from the fish kill site listed the area as “Generally High-Quality Water.”
“Illegal dumping of pollutants into the Scioto River in Hardin County, Ohio not only violated the Clean Water Act, but also harmed aquatic species,” said Special Agent in Charge Tyler Amon of EPA’s Criminal Investigative Division in Ohio. “This guilty plea illustrates EPA’s and its partners commitment to protecting the environment and ensuring accountability for those that fail to abide by our nation’s environmental laws.”
“There’s a right way and a wrong way to do business – and when your business pollutes Ohio’s natural resources, you will be held accountable,” Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said. “I’m grateful for our many partners who work together to keep our land, water and air clean.”
Sentencing is slated for Aug. 12, 2024.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Matthew Simko. The case was investigated by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office-Environmental Enforcement Unit, the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
If you have information or see activity that you believe is a potential or immediate environmental problem, please call the Ohio EPA 24-hour Hotline at 800-282-9378 or the U.S. EPA Emergency Number at 800-424-8802.
New Jersey Doctor Sentenced to 26 Months in Prison for Health Care Fraud Targeting AmtrakRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A New Jersey doctor was sentenced today to 26 months in prison for participating in a health care fraud scheme to defraud Amtrak, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Muhammad Mirza, 51, of Cedar Grove, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit health care fraud. Judge Arleo imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From April 2017 through June 2022, Mirza and his conspirators agreed to engage in a scheme to bill the Amtrak health care plan for fraudulent claims for services that either were never provided or were medically unnecessary. They would recruit Amtrak employees to participate in the scheme by paying them to allow the conspirators to use their patient and insurance information to submit false and fraudulent claims. Mirza and his conspirators submitted false and fraudulent claims that caused Amtrak losses of more than $1.3 million.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Arleo sentenced Mirza to two years of supervised release and ordered restitution of $1.37 million.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Amtrak Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael J. Waters; special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Frank A. Tarentino III in New York; and the Amtrak Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Sam Dotson, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine M. Romano of the Health Care Fraud Unit in Newark.
New Iberia Man Sentenced for Possession of Unregistered SilencersRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Brennan James Comeaux, 50, of New Iberia, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge David C. Joseph for possession of silencers that were not registered by him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. Comeaux was sentenced to 24 months in prison, followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to information introduced in court, on or about June 2, 2022, Comeaux knowingly possessed numerous silencers and silencer parts, including two silver and three black completed firearm silencers. Law enforcement agents recovered these silencers pursuant to a search warrant that was executed at Comeaux’s residence. Agents also found multiple firearm manuals explaining how to modify and assemble firearms and silencers. Comeaux pleaded guilty to the charge on February 6, 2024.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Casey Richmond.
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 make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. PSN is part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. To learn more about Project Safe Neighborhoods, go to www.justice.gov/psn.
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Nebraska Man Sentenced to 15 Years in Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute MethRead the Press Release
A Nebraska man who planned to distribute methamphetamine, was sentenced on May 7, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City.
Calvin Wright, 33, from Creighton, Nebraska, pled guilty on January 24, 2024, to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Wright was previously convicted of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine in 2016 in Nebraska.
Evidence at the plea and sentencing hearings showed that on July 5, 2023, in Sioux City, Iowa, law enforcement stopped a vehicle in which Wright was a passenger. Due to suspicious activity, a K-9 was deployed and indicated the presence of a controlled substance in the vehicle. In a backpack which had been between Wright’s legs in the vehicle, law enforcement found approximately 95 grams of pure methamphetamine, scales, and drug paraphernalia.
Sentencing was held before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Wright was sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment and must serve a term of ten years supervised release following imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Wright remains in custody of the United States Marshal until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Patrick T. Greenwood and was investigated by Tri-State Drug Task Force based in Sioux City, Iowa, that consists of law enforcement personnel from the Drug Enforcement Administration; Sioux City, Iowa, Police Department; Homeland Security Investigations; Woodbury County Sheriff’s Office; South Sioux City, Nebraska, Police Department; Nebraska State Patrol; Iowa National Guard; Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement; United States Marshals Service; South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation; and Woodbury County Attorney’s Office.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-4052.
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Mother and Daughter Team Sentenced to Prison for Jailhouse Unemployment Insurance FraudRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Makiah Miles, 30, of Compton, California, was sentenced yesterday to 21 months in prison and Apryl Weston, 51, of Santa Maria, California, was sentenced yesterday to 5 months in prison and 5 months home detention for submitting fraudulent unemployment insurance claims to the California Employment Development Department (EDD) in the names of inmates, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Miles was an inmate at the Central California Women’s Facility in Chowchilla, California, and Weston is her mother. Miles had previously been convicted of DUI manslaughter.
From June through December 2020, Miles obtained other inmates’ names, dates of birth, and social security numbers and sent that information to Weston to submit claims in those inmates’ identities as well as Miles’ own identity. The underlying applications misrepresented that Miles and the other inmates worked as childcare providers, cosmetologists, hairdressers, and other occupations, that they last worked within the prior few months and recently became unemployed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that they were currently available to work. The fraudulent claims were worth nearly $250,000.
This case is the product of an investigation by FBI, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation’s Investigative Services Unit, and the EDD. Assistant United States Attorney Joseph Barton is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of the California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force, which is one of the interagency COVID-19 fraud strike forces established by the United States Department of Justice. The California Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources in the Eastern and Central Districts of California, and focuses on large-scale, multistate, and egregious pandemic relief fraud. The strike force uses prosecutor-led, and data analyst-driven, teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief money.
Mobile Man Sentenced to More Than Three Years in Prison for Illegally Possessing a MachinegunRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Mobile man was sentenced to 37 months in prison for illegally possessing a machinegun.
According to court documents, Naquarius Isaiah Braxton, 23, was arrested in March 2023 after he led Mobile police on a high-speed car chase. Braxton refused to stop for police after running a stop sign and failing to signal a turn. During the chase, Braxton exceeded 80 miles per hour through a residential neighborhood, lost control of his car, and struck a brick mailbox. Braxton then bailed out of the car and fled on foot with a Glock pistol in his right hand. Officers caught Braxton in the backyard of a house and took him into custody. Officers found Braxton’s .40 caliber Glock pistol lying in the grass nearby. The pistol was illegally modified with a machinegun-conversion device, commonly referred to as a “Glock switch,” which rendered the pistol a fully automatic weapon.
After arresting Braxton, officers searched the car that he had abandoned. On the driver’s seat where Braxton had been sitting, officers found a 60-round drum magazine containing 38 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition and a full-faced ski mask. On the front floorboard, officers found two plastic baggies containing marijuana. Federal agents executed search warrants for Braxton’s Instagram accounts, which contained evidence of his possession of illegally modified weapons. Specifically, Braxton’s accounts contained numerous pictures and videos of Braxton holding Glock pistols equipped with machinegun-conversion devices and drum magazines, including the pistol that officers seized from him on March 4, 2023.
In addition to the 37-month prison sentence, Senior United States District Judge William H. Steele ordered Braxton to serve a three-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge Steele ordered Braxton to pay $100 in special assessments.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Mobile Police Department investigated the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Missouri Sex Offender Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison for New Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Henry E. Autrey on Tuesday sentenced a registered sex offender who sought child pornography from a 13-year-old to 20 years in prison.
Jace Chandler Hickman, now 42, of Washington County, Missouri, was a registered sex offender in October of 2019, when he began using Facebook messenger to communicate with a 13-year-old girl. Hickman told the victim that he was 19, and later said he was 16. He engaged in sexually explicit communications with her and repeatedly asked her to video chat and to meet him in person. He did convince her to send him an explicit photo.
Hickman, who used the names Chandler Scott and Chandler Dickman on Facebook, was convicted in Maries County, Missouri in 2018 of two counts of possession of child pornography.
Hickman pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in February to one count of possession of child pornography. Due to his prior conviction, the crime carried a mandatory minimum prison term of 10 years and a maximum of 20 years.
The FBI, the St. Clair Police Department, and the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kyle Bateman 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 Department of Justice Criminal Division'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, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Mississippi Woman and Alabama Man Sentenced to Prison for Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute 991 Grams of MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
Gulfport, MS – A Moss Point woman and a Grand Bay, Alabama man were sentenced in federal court for their involvement in a conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 991 grams of methamphetamine.
Linda Renee Mizell, 41, was sentenced to 75 months in prison and Charles Oliver Trahan, II, 51, was sentenced to 155 months in prison.
According to court documents, in early 2023, law enforcement officers received information that Mizell was selling methamphetamine in Jackson County, Mississippi. Further investigation revealed that Mizell was working with Charles Trahan to sell the methamphetamine. Law enforcement identified and corroborated trips where Trahan traveled from Alabama to Mizell’s residence.
On August 22, 2023, officers observed Trahan leaving Mizell’s residence and initiated a traffic stop which led to the recovery of 991 grams of methamphetamine. Trahan was placed under arrest and analysis of his cell phone revealed that he had frequent contact with Mizell, and that multiple digital cash payments were sent from Trahan to Mizell. Agents executed a search warrant on Mizell’s residence and recovered a digital scale and methamphetamine paraphernalia.
On September 19, 2023, a federal grand jury indicted Mizell and Trahan. Both defendants subsequently pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Anessa Daniels-McCaw of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement.
The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the South Mississippi Metro Enforcement Team.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Erica Rose prosecuted the case.
Minnesota Man Sentenced to over Eight Years in Prison for Tax Fraud SchemeRead the Press Release
A Minnesota man was sentenced today to 108 months in prison for wire fraud and assisting in the preparation of false tax returns.
According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2012 to 2018, Beau Wesley Gensmer, of Prior Lake, developed a scheme to file 63 false tax returns that claimed fraudulently inflated tax refunds on behalf of unwitting taxpayer clients. In furtherance of his scheme, Gensmer hired two tax returns preparers, including one based in Anchorage, Alaska, to whom he knowingly emailed false information, including fraudulent business losses and charitable contributions.
The return preparers relied on the information provided by Gensmer, and as a result, prepared and electronically filed false returns for each of his clients. Gensmer charged his clients a commission of approximately 30% for each fraudulent refund. In total, Gensmer caused a tax loss to the IRS of approximately $6.7 million.
As part of his scheme, Gensmer also provided “audit protection services” to clients who were audited by the IRS for the fraudulent tax returns he helped prepare. Gensmer submitted false documents to the IRS during these audits.
In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge John R. Tunheim for the District of Minnesota ordered Gensmer to serve three years of supervised release and to pay $4,716,732.35 in restitution to the United States.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger for the District of Minnesota made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Dominick Giovanniello and former Trial Attorney Ahmed Almudallal of the Tax Division prosecuted the case.
Memphis Man Sentenced for Possession of Goods Stolen from Semi-TrailerRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN - A federal judge recently sentenced a Memphis man to 46 months in federal prison for possessing goods that had been stolen from a semi-trailer traveling from Ontario, Canada, which was parked in Memphis overnight. United States Attorney Kevin Ritz announced the sentence today.
According to information presented in court, on May 5, 2022, after 3:00 A.M., Memphis Police officers were flagged down by a truck driver and his wife who reported that their parked semi-trailer had been burglarized. The victims told officers that they felt movement in the back of the trailer, and while they were investigating, a shot was fired. The victims reported that at least six DuroMax Dual Fuel generators had been stolen out of the trailer. Investigators tracked the generators to the residence of Andre Treadwell, 32, where they discovered five of the stolen DuroMax generators, a pair of bolt cutters, a Palmetto State Armory AR-15 rifle, various live rounds of ammunition, and several bottles of Jimador Tequila that were reported stolen from an earlier shipment.
On January 30, 2024, Treadwell pled guilty to possession of the stolen generators as well as possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. On May 3, 2024, United States District Thomas L. Parker sentenced Treadwell to 46 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system.
The case was investigated by the Memphis Cargo Theft Task Force, a multi-agency task force formed in 2008 by the Federal Bureau of Investigation to focus on cargo and major theft in Shelby County. The Memphis Police Department provided additional assistance in this case.
United States Attorney Ritz thanked Assistant United States Attorney Eileen Kuo, who prosecuted this case, as well as law enforcement partners who investigated the case.
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For more information, please contact Tjuana Holmes at (901) 544-4231 or [email protected]. Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on Twitter at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.
Mason City, Iowa Man Sentenced to 18.5 Years Federal Imprisonment for Conspiracy to Distribute MethamphetamineRead the Press Release
A man from Mason City, originally from Alabama, was sentenced May 6, 2024, to more than 18 years in federal prison. Tristan Walker, age 44, received the prison term after a January 2, 2024, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine.
Evidence in the case revealed between October 2022, and December 2022, Walker knowingly and intentionally conspired and to distribute 195 grams of pure “ice” methamphetamine. Walker has an extensive criminal history, including convictions for attempted first degree murder (two counts), domestic battery, domestic abuse assault causing bodily injury, assault causing bodily injury, accessory after the fact, burglary, and going armed with intent.
Walker was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand to 222 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Walker is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was investigated by the Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s office and Iowa Department of Public Safety – Division of Narcotics and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ron Timmons.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 23-3019.
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Mason City Man Pleads Guilty to Possession of a Firearm by a Prohibited Person and Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled SubstanceRead the Press Release
A man who possessed a firearm as a prohibited person and possessed methamphetamine with the intent to distribute pled guilty May 3, 2024, in federal court in Sioux City.
Tirrell Harlan Hopkins, Jr., age 23, from Mason City, Iowa, was convicted of one count of possession of a firearm by a prohibited person and one count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance.
At the plea taking hearing, Hopkins admitted that on or about November 18, 2023, in Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, he knowingly possessed a firearm, a Springfield Armory, Model: Saint, Caliber: 5.56 NATO, Type: Pistol. At the time, Hopkins possessed the gun, he knew he was a user of illegal drugs, had been convicted of a felony, and convicted of a crime of domestic violence, all of which prohibited him from legally possessing a gun.
Hopkins also admitted that on or about November 18, 2023, in the Northern District of Iowa, he was in possession of methamphetamine, and intended to distribute some or all of the methamphetamine to another person.
Sentencing before United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand will be set after a presentence report is prepared. Hopkins remains in custody of the United States Marshal after the guilty plea and will remain in custody pending sentencing. Hopkins faces a potential of a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years’ imprisonment and a possible maximum sentence of life imprisonment, a $2,000,000 fine, and 6 years of supervised release following any imprisonment.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). PSN is 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 case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Kevin C. Fletcher and was investigated by the Mason City Police Department, Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office, Iowa State Patrol, Cerro Gordo County Attorney’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigations Laboratory, and the United States Marshal’s Service.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl.
The case file number is 24-CR-03008.
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Man Convicted in Cold Case Murder on Military Base in GermanyRead the Press Release
A federal jury in Pensacola, Florida, convicted a former U.S. Army soldier yesterday for the murder of a pregnant, 19-year-old fellow soldier on a U.S. Army base in Germany more than 22 years ago.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on Nov. 3, 2001, Shannon L. Wilkerson, 43, beat and strangled Amanda Gonzales to death in her barracks room at Fliegerhorst Kaserne, then a U.S. Army base in Hanau, Germany. Wilkerson was a member of the U.S. Armed Forces at the time of the offense but was later discharged.
“The defendant violently beat and murdered Amanda Gonzales—a fellow soldier who was pregnant at the time—at a U.S. Army base in Germany in 2001,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “His conviction yesterday, more than two decades later, is a testament to the Justice Department’s unrelenting pursuit of justice. Many dedicated law enforcement officers and prosecutors persisted for years, pursuing every available lead and never wavering in their search for evidence to hold the victim’s killer to account for his heinous crime.”
“The murder of Amanda Gonzales and her unborn child was a horrific act of violence,” said U.S. Attorney Jason R. Coody for the Northern District of Florida. “This decades-long investigation and resulting prosecution demonstrate the unwavering resolve of our law enforcement partners and their commitment to use every tool available to protect Americans, especially those serving our country.”
“Twenty-two years ago, Shannon Wilkerson brutally murdered Amanda Gonzales, who he believed was pregnant with his child,” said Executive Assistant Director Timothy R. Langan Jr. of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch. “Yesterday’s conviction is a testament to our unwavering commitment of pursuing justice for victims of violent crime. Through the collaboration of law enforcement, the FBI and our partners will continue to seek justice for victims, no matter how long it takes.”
The jury convicted Wilkerson of second-degree murder. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 8 and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The FBI New York Field Office investigated this case, with assistance from the Department of Army’s Criminal Investigative Division, which originally investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Patrick Jasperse of the Criminal Division’s Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney David L. Goldberg for the Northern District of Florida are prosecuting the case.
Madera Felon Sentenced to 34 Months for Unlawfully Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Evan Moore, 40, of Chowchilla, was sentenced yesterday to 34 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on Dec. 18, 2022, Madera Police officers stopped Moore after observing several traffic violations. Moore was found to be in possession of 1.24 pounds of marijuana, a digital scale, and zip-loc baggies. Hidden underneath the steering column, officers located a Glock 19 handgun. Because of his criminal record, including two prior convictions for illegally possessing firearms, Moore may not lawfully possess firearms or ammunition.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Madera Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Antonio J. Pataca 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.
Lodge Grass man sentenced to 15 years in prison for role in large-scale meth trafficking ring on Crow Indian Reservation; assault of womanRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — A Lodge Grass man who admitted running a large-scale, multi-state methamphetamine trafficking organization from his home on the Crow Indian Reservation and beating a woman with a weapon was sentenced today to 15 years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.
The defendant, Wendell Monroe Lefthand, 55, pleaded guilty in December 2023 to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Lefthand also pleaded guilty in a separate case to assault of a spouse resulting in substantial bodily injury and assault with a dangerous weapon.
U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court sentenced Lefthand to 15 years in prison and five years of supervised release for the drug conviction and to four years in prison and three years of supervised release for the assault convictions, with the sentences to run concurrent to each other.
In the drug trafficking case, the government alleged that beginning in June 2022, federal law enforcement, in a collaborative effort with local and tribal law enforcement, conducted a large-scale investigation centered on multiple properties on the Crow Indian Reservation. The properties, including one referred to as Spear Siding, were a source of supply of meth for both the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Indian reservations and elsewhere. Lefthand was one of the major players affiliated with the investigation, and Spear Siding was his family residence.
The government further alleged that of 26 defendants related to the investigation, Lefthand is at the top portion of the conspiracy, along with his sister and co-defendant, Frederica Lefthand. Until his arrest in June 2022 on another matter, Lefthand was the person running the operation with an individual, identified as co-defendant 1, and supplied a significant portion of the meth sold on the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Indian reservations and in neighboring cities and towns. Although incarcerated for most of the investigation, Lefthand had been operating the drug trafficking ring from Spear Siding long before his arrest and played a significant role even after his arrest. Lefthand had a previous Washington source, who introduced him to co-defendant 1. When co-defendant 1 moved onto the Spear Siding property, business started booming. In addition, the government alleged that Lefthand was selling one pound of meth per week and possessed firearms. Investigators learned there were usually 30 to 50 firearms on the Spear Siding property and that Lefthand acquired them by trading drugs for guns. Frederica Lefthand was sentenced to 24 years in federal prison for her conviction in the case.
In the assault case, the government alleged that on April 4, 2021, Lefthand struck the victim, identified as Jane Doe, with an iron bar after a night of consuming alcohol on property outside of Lodge Grass, on the Crow Reservation. Jane Doe’s adult daughter and two minor children witnessed the assault, and all four ran from the property and hid in a ditch before flagging down a ride. Jane Doe was treated for injuries a few days later.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the drug trafficking case. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lori Harper Suek and Kelsey Hendricks prosecuted the assault case. The Bureau of Indian Affairs and FBI conducted the investigation.
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Lee’s Summit, Belton Men Indicted for Robbing Commerce BankRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Lee’s Summit, Mo., man and a Belton, Mo., man were indicted by a federal grand jury today for robbing Commerce Bank.
Gerrad Deshaun Rivera-Willis, 24, of Lee’s Summit, and Rathell Qauvon Ross, 27, of Belton, were charged in an indictment returned by a federal grand jury in Kansas City, Mo. Today’s indictment replaces a criminal complaint that was filed against both men on April 23, 2024. They remain detained in federal custody without bond.
The federal indictment alleges that Rivera-Willis and Ross stole $2,033 from Commerce Bank, 8901 State Line Road in Kansas City, Mo., on April 22, 2024.
According to an affidavit filed in support of the original criminal complaint, Rivera-Willis dropped off a robbery note with a teller and grabbed the cash that was sitting on the counter during a transaction with a customer. Rivera-Willis then took cash out of a teller’s drawer, walked behind the counter, and had the teller show him that the opened safe was empty. Ross placed a note on the counter and was then handed cash by the teller.
Rivera-Willis and Ross allegedly fled from the bank in a stolen white Dodge Charger with all blacked-out tinted windows, all black wheels, a rear spoiler, blacked-out taillights, and the word "Dodge" across the top of rear window. The vehicle was wrecked in the vicinity of Gregory and Paseo, the affidavit says, and investigators saw Rivera-Willis and Ross running from the vehicle.
Ross, the passenger, was found by a police dog hiding behind the garage of a residence in the 1800 block of East 70th Street. Ross was hiding under a pile of rubbish covered by a tarp.
Rivera-Willis, the driver, was later found sitting on the front stoop of a residence in the 7000 block of Paseo Avenue and arrested. A police dog and his handler walked the scent path taken by Rivera-Willis and found the stolen money in a cinder block near another residence.
The charge contained in this indictment is simply an accusation, and not evidence of guilt. Evidence supporting the charge must be presented to a federal trial jury, whose duty is to determine guilt or innocence.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean T. Foley. It was investigated by the FBI and the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department.
Lake Elsinore Man Who Distributed Fentanyl to Victim Who Took the Drug and Died Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A Riverside County man, who admitted to selling fentanyl to a 33-year-old man who ingested the powerful synthetic opioid and suffered a fatal overdose, was sentenced today to 240 months in federal prison.
Sergio Maya, 33, of Lake Elsinore, was sentenced by United States District Judge Mark C. Scarsi, who also ordered him to pay $19,848 in restitution.
Maya pleaded guilty on February 12 to one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. The 20-year prison sentence is the maximum possible penalty under federal law.
On the early morning of May 26, 2022, Maya met the victim – identified in court documents as “C.A.” – near the victim’s Lake Elsinore apartment and knowingly distributed fentanyl to the victim. Later that day, the victim used the fentanyl Maya had distributed to him and then suffered a fatal overdose.
“The recklessness of this defendant resulted in the victim’s untimely death and his loved ones in mourning,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Today’s 20-year prison sentence sends a message to drug dealers who kill their customers that my Office will seek and obtain the stiffest penalties under the law.”
“We are deeply appreciative of our ongoing partnership with the U.S. Attorney's Office in combating perpetrators who distribute deadly fentanyl within our community,” said Riverside County District Attorney Michael A. Hestrin. “Our collaboration with the U.S. Attorney's Office on cases incorporating federal statutes often allows for more significant prison sentences for these dangerous criminals. I extend my sincere gratitude to our dedicated staff for their diligent investigation of the Maya case, and to the U.S. Attorney's Office for their successful prosecution efforts. I hope this verdict brings some measure of closure and justice to the victim’s family members.”
“The sentencing of this defendant reinforces the steadfast commitment of the DEA and our law enforcement partners to holding individuals accountable for the distribution of illegal drugs poisoning our nation,” said Matthew Allen, DEA Special Agent in Charge Los Angeles Field Division. “I am proud of the hard work and driven determination of our Riverside District Office investigators and the entire prosecution team, all of whom work tirelessly every day to keep our communities safe from the fentanyl epidemic.”
“We are grateful for the partnership with the Department of Justice and the dedication of our assistant U.S. attorneys who ensure justice for the victims and their families who have been harmed by the distribution of fentanyl,” said Riverside County Sheriff Chad Bianco.
The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office investigated this matter.
Special Assistant United States Attorney Stephen T. Merrill of the Riverside Branch Office prosecuted this case.
Kings County Man Charged in Operation Red Reaper Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Louie Molina, 52, of Hanford, was sentenced yesterday to 14 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, in March 2019, various agencies partnered in Operation Red Reaper, an investigation into the Nuestra Familia prison gang and the Norteño street gang in Kings County. During the investigation, recorded interceptions on a wiretap revealed that Molina was supplying methamphetamine to a codefendant, who was a target of the investigation. On May 3, 2019, Molina delivered about a half a pound of methamphetamine to his codefendant. Law enforcement officers then attempted a to conduct a traffic stop on his car, but Molina sped off and led them on a high-speed chase. During the pursuit, Molina tossed the additional pound of methamphetamine out of his car. After apprehending Molina, the officers recovered the methamphetamine.
This case was the product of an investigation by the Kings County Gang Task Force, Agents of the Special Operations Unit which is a team of agents from the California Department of Justice and the California Highway Patrol, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, the FBI, the Kings County District Attorney's Office, and the Tulare County Sheriff's Office. The DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, and Homeland Security Investigations all assisted with the takedown. Assistant United States Attorney Justin J. Gilio 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.
The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. For more information about Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, please visit Justice.gov/OCDETF.
Justice Department and Department of Health and Human Services Highlight Progress by State of Alabama to Implement Environmental Justice Reforms in Lowndes CountyRead the Press Release
The Justice Department and Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced today progress by the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) in providing access to basic sanitation services, abating exposure to raw sewage from inadequate onsite wastewater systems and improving health outcomes for the predominantly Black communities of Lowndes County, Alabama.
Today’s announcement comes one year after the Justice Department and HHS secured an interim resolution agreement with ADPH following its investigation into whether ADPH violated Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI) and Section 1557 of the Affordable Care Act (Section 1557). Title VI prohibits recipients of federal funds from discriminating on the basis of race, color or national origin in their federally funded programs and activities. Section 1557 provides that an individual shall not be excluded from participation in, denied the benefits of or subjected to discrimination under any health program or activity, any part of which is receiving federal financial assistance, based on the grounds prohibited under Title VI.
“Advancing environmental justice is a top priority for the Justice Department,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department's Civil Rights Division. “Through this agreement, the Justice Department and HHS are working rigorously to ensure that residents of Lowndes County can access basic sanitation needs. We will continue working with the community and the state’s Department of Public Health to implement all of the reforms in our agreement. The Lowndes County community deserves nothing less.”
“For decades, Lowndes County residents have endured living without basic sanitation and wastewater disposal services. The disproportionate impact of this on Black, low-income, rural residents — who, for generations, have suffered through illness, infectious diseases and public health risks simply for living in their own neighborhoods — is unacceptable,” said Director Melanie Fontes Rainer of the HHS Office for Civil Rights. “The work by HHS and the Justice Department here is significant in working with the State of Alabama. Today’s update shows the progress made by the state to address these issues. Environmental justice is critical for people across the country and we will continue to fight to ensure that this community and others are is safe from environmental hazards.”
ADPH has taken the following actions to advance sustainable and equitable solutions for onsite wastewater management for Lowndes County residents:
- Selected the first set of residences whose wastewater systems will be installed or repaired for free via a local, not-for-profit entity that will manage ADPH’s Lowndes County Septic System Improvement Program;
- Suspended criminal enforcement of state sanitation laws in Lowndes County against residents without the means to purchase functioning, ADPH-permitted septic systems;
- Conducted a public health information campaign, including the development and dissemination of flyers concerning the health risks associated with exposure to raw sewage, how to mitigate exposure to raw sewage and proper septic system maintenance;
- Launched its Environmental Health Assessment (Assessment) to identify and prioritize residences for septic system installations or repairs based on data analysis of which homes face the most serious environmental and health risks from exposure to raw sewage;
- Created and filled a Lowndes County Community Liaison position and an outreach/grant manager position for Lowndes County and Black Belt communities to oversee implementation of ADPH’s Public Health and Infrastructure Improvement Plan (PHIIP); and
- Submitted the PHIIP, which sets forth plans to avert future public health risks and implement sanitation solutions for the community.
ADPH encourages Lowndes County residents who are required to use onsite septic systems for wastewater management to complete the Assessment. Residents can access the Assessment at epiweb.adph.state.al.us/redcap/surveys/?s=xamaxkhdrxxxldle. More information on ADPH’s septic system installation program is available at www.alabamapublichealth.gov/onsite/sewage.html or by contacting ADPH at (334) 206-5371 or at www.alabamapublichealth.gov/environmental/septic-system-program.html. ADPH will not use the information collected by the Assessment for any other purposes, including issuing citations for alleged violation of sanitation laws.
The Civil Rights Division’s Federal Coordination and Compliance Section and the HHS Office for Civil Rights conducted this investigation jointly with the support of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Alabama.
Individuals who believe their civil rights have been violated can file a complaint with the Civil Rights Division at www.civilrights.justice.gov/report/. Additional information about the HHS Office for Civil Rights is available on its website at www.hhs.gov/ocr. If you believe that you or someone else has been discriminated against in programs or activities that HHS directly operates or to which HHS provides federal financial assistance, you may file a complaint at ocrportal.hhs.gov/.
Justice Department Strengthens Efforts, Builds Partnerships to Address the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous PersonsRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS – The U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of South Dakota joined its partners across the federal government, as well as people throughout American Indian and Alaska Native communities, in recognizing May 5 as National Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Awareness Day. The District of South Dakota U.S. Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell and other District staff will also be hosting and attending events throughout the month of May.
In recognition of MMIP Awareness Day, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland highlighted ongoing efforts to tackle the MMIP and human trafficking crises in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, and other pressing public safety challenges, like the fentanyl crisis, in Tribal communities.
“There is still so much more to do in the face of persistently high levels of violence that Tribal communities have endured for generations, and that women and girls, particularly, have endured,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “In carrying out our work, we seek to honor those who are still missing, those who were stolen from their communities, and their loved ones who are left with unimaginable pain. Tribal communities deserve safety, and they deserve justice. This day challenges all of us at the Justice Department to double down on our efforts, and to be true partners with Tribal communities as we seek to end this crisis.”
To raise awareness of MMIP issues, U.S. Attorneys and MMIP personnel have been engaging in events with Tribal and law enforcement partners, communities, and stakeholders across the United States, and will continue to do so in the month ahead. On April 17-18, 2024, U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell, First Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregg Peterman, MMIP Regional AUSA Troy Morley, and National Native American Outreach Services Liaison Marlys Big Eagle participated in an MMIP Conference hosted by the Oglala and Rosebud Sioux Tribes; on April 30, 2024, Ramsdell, Morley, and Big Eagle joined a panel discussion at the Yankton Community Library; on May 5, 2024, Morley participated in an MMIP Awareness Walk in Porcupine, SD; on May 6, 2024, Morley, Big Eagle, and AUSA Heather Knox presented at South Dakota’s MMIP Awareness and Training Program; and on May 14, 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota, in conjunction with the Department of Justice’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program, will host an MMIP Summit, where leaders from South Dakota’s nine federally recognized tribes will learn about law enforcement resources and Tribal Community Response Plans.
Justice Department Prioritization of MMIP Cases
Last July, the Justice Department announced the creation of the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Regional Outreach Program, which permanently places five MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorneys and five MMIP coordinators throughout the country to provide specialized support to U.S. Attorneys’ offices as those offices address and combat MMIP issues. This support includes assisting in the investigation of unresolved MMIP cases and related crimes, as well as promoting communication, coordination, and collaboration among federal, Tribal, local, and state law enforcement, and non-governmental partners on MMIP issues. The MMIP Regional Outreach Program has divided its resources into five regions—the Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Southeast Regions. The District of South Dakota falls within the Great Plains Region and serves as a host district for one of the five MMIP Regional AUSAs. As previously indicated, Troy Morley has been selected to serve the Great Plains Region as the MMIP Regional AUSA.
In November of 2023, Troy Morley, MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorney (AUSA) for the District of South Dakota, bought to closure a cold case that was 31 years old. In 1992, in Roberts County, Jay Adams Jr. of Sisseton, South Dakota, killed a minor victim, in the heat of passion, by inflicting fatal blunt force trauma to her head. Adams signed documents admitting he used violent force to inflict the injury upon the victim in the early morning hours of September 4, 1992. Adams did not seek medical attention for the victim and later the same day discovered she had died. Adams feigned ignorance as to the cause of the victim’s injury. Earlier in 2023, new evidence came to light which implicated Adams in the death of the victim. Sentencing is scheduled for June 3, 2024.
“Cold cases are not closed cases in the U.S. Attorney’s Office,” said Alison J. Ramsdell, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Dakota. “As this tragic case demonstrates, no matter how long it takes, we remain committed to working alongside our law enforcement partners to bring the perpetrators of these heinous crimes to justice. It is our hope that the cases prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s office offers some measure of closure to victims’ families and helps honor the sacred memory of missing and murdered Indigenous persons.”
The MMIP regional program prioritizes MMIP cases consistent with the Deputy Attorney General’s July 2022 directive to U.S. Attorneys’ Offices promoting public safety in Indian country. The program fulfills the Justice Department’s promise to dedicate new personnel to MMIP consistent with Executive Order 14053, Improving Public Safety and Criminal Justice for Native Americans and Addressing the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous People, and the Department’s Federal Law Enforcement Strategy to Prevent and respond to Violence Against American Indians and Alaska Natives, Including to Address Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons issued in July 2022.
Not Invisible Act Commission Response
The Department’s work to respond to the MMIP crisis is a whole-of-Department effort. In March, the Departments of Justice and the Interior released their joint response to the Not Invisible Act Commission (NIAC)’s recommendations on how to combat the missing or murdered Indigenous peoples (MMIP) and human trafficking crises. The NIAC response, announced by Attorney General Garland during a visit to the Crow Nation, recognizes that more must be done across the federal government to resolve this longstanding crisis and support healing from the generational traumas that Indigenous peoples have endured throughout the history of the United States.
The Department is in the process of implementing its response now, addressing several areas in the near term, including:
- Improving coordination, funding, and operations of efforts to combat MMIP and human trafficking;
- Enhancing research to better trace the underlying causes of MMIP and human trafficking, to reduce barriers to accessing resources, and to identify data sharing opportunities with healthcare systems;
- Improving access to funding aligned with Tribes’ needs;
- Developing guidance on the effective use of the media and social media to engage the public when someone is reported missing;
- Improving communications with families of victims or missing people; and
- Working with a multi-jurisdictional working group to address factors that lead people, particularly young people, to voluntarily go missing.
Addressing Violent Crime and the Fentanyl Crisis in Indian Country
As noted in the joint response to the NIAC, research suggests that certain public safety challenges faced by many American Indian and Alaska Native communities — including disproportionate violence against women, families, and children; substance use; drug trafficking; and labor and sex trafficking — can influence the rates of missing American Indian and Alaska Native people.
Further, fentanyl poisoning and overdose deaths are the leading cause of opioid deaths throughout the United States, including Indian county, where drug-related overdose death rates for Native Americans exceeds the national rate.
Therefore, federal law enforcement components are ramping up efforts to forge stronger partnerships with federal and Tribal law enforcement partners to address violent crime and the fentanyl crisis, which exposes already vulnerable communities to greater harm. For instance:
- Last year, the Justice Department increased funding to the FBI Safe Trails Task Forces to build on the success they have had in bringing together agencies, including Tribal police departments, to combat public safety threats, violent crime, and drug trafficking. The FBI has increased its investigative resources in some of the Indian Country field offices that were in most need of personnel.
- Last year, the FBI undertook Operation Not Forgotten, which surged more than 40 personnel, including agents, intelligence analysts, tactical specialists, and victim specialists, to 10 field offices, where they were able to supplement more than 200 pending investigations related to violence against indigenous women and children, with a focus on homicide, serious bodily injury, and physical and sexual child abuse. To date, there have been seven successful indictments. Special Agents identified four previously unidentified child victims and recovered one child victim. Numerous other cases were referred for federal or Tribal prosecutions based on these efforts.
- This year, the DEA has established liaisons with each of the FBI-led Safe Trails Task Forces. In addition, DEA is expanding Operation Overdrive to include partnering with Tribal law enforcement and community outreach specialists to reduce the harm caused by drugs and drug-related violence. Operation Overdrive utilizes a data-driven approach to identify hot spots of drug-related violence and drug-poisoning deaths across the country, in order to concentrate resources where criminal drug networks are causing the most harm. DEA’s Operation Engage has facilitated programs for Tribal youth, focusing on increasing drug prevention and awareness.
- The U.S. Marshals Service has developed a legislative proposal to formalize its role in enforcing Tribal violent felony arrest warrants that would expand a pilot launched last year where the Marshals served Tribal warrants at the request of, and in close coordination with, Tribal law enforcement and the Department’s Office of Tribal Justice. This effort has successfully targeted extremely dangerous offenders.
- The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) recently assigned a Special Agent/Certified Fire Investigator to the MMIP Initiative to conduct case reviews for each of the five regions. ATF’s National Integrated Ballistic Identification Network (NIBIN) and Crime Gun Intelligence Centers (CGIC) are used as an investigative resource for MMIP cases involving the criminal use of a firearm.
- In addition to coordinating our enforcement efforts, the Justice Department is also focused on supporting education and awareness efforts, as well as prevention, treatment, and recovery. The Bureau of Justice Assistance has provided training sessions for Tribal law enforcement, judges, and public safety personnel on our shared work to address fentanyl poisoning, including on the use of Narcan for fentanyl overdoses.
“The FBI remains unwavering in our pledge to work with our law enforcement partners to address the violence that has disproportionately harmed Tribal communities and families,” said FBI Director Christopher Wray. “We will continue to prioritize our support of victims and will steadfastly pursue investigations into the crime impacting American Indian and Alaska Native communities.”
“DEA’s top priority is protecting all communities from deadly drugs, like fentanyl, and drug related violent crime,” said Administrator Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). “We know that no community has been spared from these deadly threats and we are committed to keeping Tribal communities safe.”
Accessing Justice Department Resources
Over the past year, the Department awarded $268 million in grants to help enhance Tribal justice systems and strengthen law enforcement responses. These awards have also gone toward improving the handling of child abuse cases, combating domestic and sexual violence, supporting Tribal youth programs, and strengthening victim services in Tribal communities.
For additional information about the Justice Department’s efforts to address the MMIP crisis, please visit the MMIP section of the Tribal Safety and Justice website.
Click here for more information about reporting or identifying missing persons.
Jury Finds District Man Guilty in Killing of Ex’s New Romantic PartnerRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON –Marcus Walker, 23, of Washington, D.C., has been found guilty by a jury of second-degree murder while armed and other charges in the shooting of Erik King in the early hours of October 11, 2022, inside an apartment in Northeast Washington, D.C. announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Walker was also found guilty of two counts of assault with a dangerous weapon of an adult female and six-year-old child who were in the room with Mr. King during the shooting, as well as second degree cruelty to children, three counts of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence, and possession of a large capacity ammunition feeding device. The verdict was returned on May 7, 2024, following a trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. The Honorable Robert Okun scheduled sentencing for July 19, 2024.
According to the government’s evidence, Walker was living in the living room of his ex-girlfriend’s apartment. Early in the morning of October 11, 2022, the defendant became upset that his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend, Erik King, were engaged in sexual relations in the bedroom of the apartment. Walker sent his ex-girlfriend aggressive text messages about the subject for approximately an hour. He then burst in through the locked bedroom door and told the two to stop having sex. When they did not, the defendant shot Mr. King twice—once in the chest and another in the scrotum. Mr. King died on scene. A six-year-old child was also present in the bedroom when the shots were fired.
This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Lauren Galloway and Alec Levy.
Jury Convicts El Dorado Springs Man of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – An El Dorado Springs, Mo., man who was caught with thousands of images and videos of child pornography was convicted at trial today.
John Fitzgerald Mullings, 51, was found guilty of two counts of receiving and distributing child pornography.
Law enforcement received multiple reports from MeWe, Dropbox and Snapchat of Mullings uploading images and videos of child pornography to their servers. Investigators contacted Mullings at his residence on March 2, 2021. Officers seized Mullings’s cell phone, which contained 678 images and 96 videos of child pornography, including rape and/or bondage of minors.
Mullings was indicted on one count of receiving and distributing child pornography from Feb. 2, 2020, to March 2, 2021, based on these images and videos.
On Aug. 3, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Mullings’s residence (which also served as the office for his business, Steward Wrecker) in relation to an unrelated state criminal investigation. Officers seized 14 cell phones, multiple computers, laptop computers and computer tablets, as well as electronic storage devices. Investigators conducted a forensic examination of those devices and determined that 11 of those electronic devices contained child pornography. On just one of Mullings’s tablets investigators found 5,197 images and 211 videos. The files included visual depictions of sexual conduct with animals, binding and/or forced sexual contact with persons, and physical assault and deceased persons. In total, investigators found 14,249 images, and 2,054 videos of child pornography among Mulling’s devices.
Mullings was charged in a superseding indictment with an additional count of receiving and distributing child pornography from March 3, 2021 to Aug. 3, 2022, based on these images and videos.
Following the presentation of evidence, the jury in the U.S. District Court in Springfield, Mo., deliberated for 27 minutes before returning guilty verdicts to U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool, ending a trial that began Monday, May 6.
Under federal statutes, Mullings is subject to a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison without parole, up to a sentence of 40 years in federal prison without parole. The maximum statutory sentence is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes, as the sentencing of the defendant will be determined by the court based on the advisory sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled after the completion of a presentence investigation by the United States Probation Office.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephanie L. Wan and James J. Kelleher. It was investigated by the Barry County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Cassville, Mo., Police Department, the El Dorado Springs, Mo., Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the Springfield, Mo., Police Department, and the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force.
Project Safe Childhood
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."
Indiana Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Federal Prison for Producing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
SAN ANTONIO – An Indiana man was sentenced in a federal court in San Antonio to 360 months in prison and was ordered to pay restitution of $100,000 along with $10,000 under the Amy, Vicky, and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act of 2018 for one count of sexual exploitation of children.
According to court documents, Gerald Talman Brann, 43, of Valparaiso, shared images depicting a 10-year-old child in an online instant messaging service between Dec. 25, 2022 and Jan. 4, 2023. The images depicted the minor in various stages of undress and were sexual in nature. The images also depicted the child at various ages, beginning around the age of five or six.
Law enforcement agents seized numerous devices during an executed search warrant at the residence of Brann and his co-defendant Veronica Solis in Valparaiso. Cell phones contained images and videos depicting child sexual abuse material, some of which had been produced while the couple resided in the San Antonio area. Brann was arrested March 23, 2023 in New Jersey and has remained in custody. He pleaded guilty Nov. 28, 2023.
Solis is scheduled to be sentenced July 16. She pleaded guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children Dec. 5, 2023 and faces 15 to 30 years in prison.
“The sexual abuse and exploitation of children is an absolutely horrific offense,” said U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas. “My office continues to prioritize the most vulnerable victims in our society, and the court's sentence of the statutory maximum penalty is appropriate for offenders like Gerald Brann, who go to great lengths to wreak havoc on the lives of innocent children. I also thank our partners at the FBI San Antonio and FBI Indianapolis field offices for their collaboration to investigate this case with Indiana State Police.”
“This case is an excellent example of how the FBI works across field offices to bring predators to justice,” said Special Agent in Charge Aaron Tapp of the FBI's San Antonio Field Office. “We want to thank our colleagues at FBI Indianapolis and the Indiana State Police for helping to ensure that Gerald Brann is behind bars and unable to hurt another child.”
The FBI investigated the case with valuable assistance from the Indiana State Police.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Tracy Thompson 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 www.justice.gov/psc.
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Illinois Businessman Sentenced to Nine Years in Prison for Fraud and Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — An Illinois businessman has been sentenced to nine years in federal prison for evading nearly half a million dollars in taxes and engaging in a variety of fraud schemes.
JOSEPH J. CIPOLLA JR. knowingly and willfully failed to file individual income tax returns from 2015 to 2020, causing losses of $415,043 to the IRS and $75,045 to the State of Illinois. Cipolla concealed his receipt of income by engaging in affirmative acts of tax evasion, including listing a relative’s Social Security number on casino tax forms, using family members as nominee owners of vehicles, and using a nominee to rent airplane hangars at the DuPage County, Ill. Airport. Among his other offenses, Cipolla in 2020 fraudulently procured four loans under the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program, two sources of relief under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act that were intended to support small businesses during the Covid-19 pandemic. Cipolla obtained more than $1.18 million in PPP and EIDL loans by manufacturing false tax documents and submitting them to lenders.
Cipolla, 39, of Bloomingdale, Ill., pleaded guilty last year to federal charges of tax evasion, wire fraud, and mail fraud. In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Matthew F. Kennelly on Friday ordered Cipolla to pay $2,096,285 in restitution to the IRS, State of Illinois, U.S. Small Business Administration, and other entities and individuals victimized by his schemes.
The sentence was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, Justin Campbell, Special Agent-in-Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigation Chicago Field Office, Hannibal Ware, Inspector General of the U.S. Small Business Administration, and Andrea M. Kropf, Special Agent-in-Charge of the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Office of Inspector General in Chicago. The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy J. Chapman and Michelle M. Petersen.
Illegal Possession of Methamphetamine by Lafayette Man Leads to 13+ Year Federal Prison SentenceRead the Press Release
LAFAYETTE, La. – Forrest Kevin Dwayne Matthews, 39, of Lafayette, Louisiana, has been sentenced on drug trafficking charges, announced United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown. Matthews was sentenced by United States District Judge S. Maurice Hicks, Jr. to 160 months (13 years, 4 months) in prison, followed by 4 years of supervised release. He pleaded guilty to a Bill of Information charging him with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine.
On June 2, 2022, detectives with the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office Intelligence Unit assisted the New Orleans Police Department in locating Matthews in connection with an armed robbery investigation. The Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office detectives located Matthews at his residence in Lafayette and took him into custody. A search warrant was obtained for the residence and officers found and seized approximately 1,756 grams of methamphetamine, a Harrington & Richardson .22 caliber revolver, 4 grams of heroin, 4 grams of crack cocaine, a digital scale and measuring cups located in a black duffle bag and a backpack. In addition, officers discovered 6 grams of marijuana in the kitchen drawer and a Taurus 9mm handgun in the master bedroom closet. Matthews admitted to law enforcement officers that the items found and seized belonged to him.
The suspected methamphetamine was sent to the Acadiana Criminalistics Laboratory for testing and was verified to be methamphetamine with a combined net weight of 1,696 grams. Matthews pleaded guilty to the charge on December 7, 2023.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Lafayette Parish Sheriff’s Office and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney LaDonte A. Murphy.
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Human Trafficker Working with Mexican “Coyotes” Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Transport Illegal AliensRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today the guilty plea of MARIO ELPIDIO CHAVEZ MILLAN, a human trafficker working with Mexican “coyotes,” for conspiring to transport illegal aliens throughout the United States. As part of his plea, CHAVEZ also admitted to his participation in a kidnapping conspiracy. CHAVEZ pled guilty before U.S. District Judge Vincent L. Briccetti and is scheduled to be sentenced on August 7, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “Mario Elpidio Chavez Millan and others like him are an integral cog in the human trafficking machine that preys on people who attempt to enter the United States through its southern border each year. The services that Chavez offers are what make it possible for coyotes, the cartels, and others to smuggle people throughout the country, often times for large fees. And in this case — as in many cases involving human traffickers — Chavez and those working with him sought to extort their victims for even more money. This Office will use every tool available to law enforcement to investigate and prosecute those involved in human trafficking.”
According to the Complaint previously filed against CHAVEZ, the Indictment, and other filings:
On about July 10, 2023, the New York State Police in the Town of Cortlandt, New York, received a report from an individual (“Individual-1”) that Individual-1’s relative (“Victim-1”) had entered the country illegally with the assistance of “coyotes” and was being transported by a man in the United States working with the coyotes, who was later identified as CHAVEZ. Individual-1 further informed the State Police that CHAVEZ had told Victim-1 that he was not going to release Victim-1 unless Victim-1 or his/her family paid $1,000 in addition to the money that Victim-1 had already paid to the coyotes.
That evening, State Police executed a traffic stop of CHAVEZ’s vehicle in the Town of Cortlandt. At that time, there were approximately five people in the vehicle in addition to CHAVEZ. After those passengers and Victim-1 were brought to the State Police barracks, each reported that they had illegally entered the United States and that they were being driven by CHAVEZ from in or about New Mexico to other states throughout the country. Several of CHAVEZ’s passengers stated that CHAVEZ threatened them during the drive, telling them that they could not leave without paying him an additional $1,000 and that CHAVEZ told them he had previously killed someone for running away without paying.
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CHAVEZ, 19, of Albuquerque, New Mexico, pled guilty to one count of conspiring to transport aliens throughout the United States, which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendant will be determined by a judge.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Hudson Valley Resident Agency and Safe Streets Task Force and the New York State Police.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Markewitz is in charge of the prosecution.
Hartford Man Charged with Fraudulently Collecting Social Security, Unemployment, and Food Stamp BenefitsRead the Press Release
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that a federal grand jury in Hartford has returned an indictment charging RICARDO SANTIAGO, 58, of Hartford, with three counts of wire fraud related to a scheme to fraudulently obtain Social Security, unemployment, and Food Stamp benefits.
The indictment was returned on May 1, 2024, and Santiago was arrested today. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas O. Farrish in Hartford, pleaded not guilty to the charges, and was released on a $25,000 bond.
As alleged in the indictment and statements made in court, between 2002 and 2024, Santiago held jobs with numerous employers and earned income totaling more than $500,000. Santiago concealed his income from federal and state government agencies by providing to employers false identification, including a Social Security number and card belonging to another individual, and, in at least one instance, a false Social Security card.
The indictment alleges that, in 2002, Santiago applied for Retirement Survivors Disability Insurance (RSDI) benefits, representing to the Social Security Administration that he was unable to work due to disability. As a result, he began receiving RSDI payments in September 2002. In 2017, Santiago completed paperwork to maintain his benefits in which he asserted that he remained disabled and had not worked for the past two years. Santiago ultimately collected more than $300,000 in RSDI payments to which he was not entitled.
The indictment also alleges that, in February 2017, Santiago submitted to the Connecticut Department of Social Services (CT-DSS) an application for Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits (“Food Stamps”), representing to the CT-DSS and the U.S. Department of Agriculture that he earned no income from employment. He began receiving SNAP benefits in March 2017, and subsequently completed forms to renew his SNAP benefits on which he again represented that he had no change in his income and that he earned no money from employment. Santiago made more than $17,000 in purchases with SNAP benefits to which he was not entitled.
The indictment further alleges that, in April 2020, Santiago applied to the Connecticut Department of Labor (CT-DOL) for Unemployment Insurance benefits. On the application, Santiago used a Social Security number belonging to another individual, and he represented to the CT-DOL and U.S. Department of Labor that he was unemployed but available for work and physically able to work. He subsequently completed weekly certifications making the same representations. From April 2020 through February 2021, Santiago received more than $35,000 in payments to which he was not entitled.
If convicted, Santiago faces a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years on each count of wire fraud.
U.S. Attorney Avery stressed that an indictment is not evidence of guilt. Charges are only allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
This matter is being investigated by the Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of the Inspector General, the U.S. Department of Labor Office of the Inspector General, and the U.S. Department of Transportation Office of the Inspector General. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nathan J. Guevremont.
Greene County Felon Sentenced to 84 Months for Possessing Cocaine and Cocaine Base for Distribution, and Possessing Firearms in Furtherance of Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Atniel Pagan, age 24, of Catskill, New York, was sentenced today to 84 months in prison for possessing and intending to distribute cocaine and cocaine base, and for possessing firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The announcement was made by United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; David L. McNulty, United States Marshal for the Northern District of New York; Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF); and Albany Police Chief Eric Hawkins.
When he pled guilty in this case, Pagan admitted to possessing, at an apartment in Albany, 225 grams of cocaine and 22 grams of cocaine base that he intended to sell. Pagan, a previously convicted felon, further admitted to possessing a loaded, privately manufactured, semi-automatic, AR-style rifle, and a loaded privately manufactured, semi-automatic pistol (a/k/a “ghost guns”), in order to guard against the potential theft of his drugs and drug money. Pagan was arrested at his apartment by the Deputy U.S. Marshals executing a state arrest warrant.
United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci also ordered that Pagan forfeit the guns and $738 seized from his apartment, pay a $5,000 fine, and serve a 4-year term of supervised release following his release from prison.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Albany Police with assistance provided by ATF and the Greene County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Emmet O’Hanlon prosecuted this case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), 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.
Greenbrier County Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun CrimeRead the Press Release
BECKLEY, W.Va. – Grover D. Jordan, 57, of Charmco, pleaded guilty today to being a felon in in possession of a firearm.
According to court documents and statements made in court, on January 18, 2023, law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Jordan in Fayetteville. Jordan admitted that he possessed three firearms discovered during the traffic stop: a Taurus model PT1911 .45-caliber pistol, an Armi Galesi model 9 6.35mm pistol, and a Beretta model 3032 Tom Cat .32-caliber pistol with a removed, altered or obliterated serial number.
Jordan also admitted that he possessed a Smith & Wesson .38-caliber revolver discovered during an August 20, 2023 traffic stop by law enforcement of a motorcycle he was operating in Charmco. Jordan further admitted that he possessed a Dupont electric generator, which is explosive material under federal law, discovered during the traffic stop.
Federal law prohibits a person with a prior felony conviction from possessing a firearm or ammunition. Jordan knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm because of his prior felony convictions for two counts of wanton endangerment in Raleigh County Circuit Court on March 15, 2019.
Jordan is scheduled to be sentenced on August 30, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Fayetteville Police Department, the Greenbrier County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
United States District Magistrate Judge Omar J. Aboulhosn presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorneys Brian D. Parsons and Justin Marlowe are prosecuting the case.
A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-cr-29.
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Gainesville Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking OffenseRead the Press Release
GAINESVILLE, FLORIDA – Michael Anthony Sheppard, 45, of Gainesville, Florida, was sentenced to 96 months in federal prison, following his conviction for conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, 28 grams or more of crack cocaine, oxycodone, and marijuana. Jason R. Coody, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced the sentence.
“Our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners work tirelessly to keep us safe by removing addictive and deadly controlled substances from our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Coody. “We remain committed to support their efforts through the investigation and vigorous prosecution of criminals bringing drugs into North Florida. The imposed sentence illustrates the significant consequences of harming our citizens through illicit drug trafficking activities.”
Plea documents reflect that Sheppard, along with co-conspirators, conspired to receive and distribute powder and crack cocaine throughout the Northern District of Florida and elsewhere. Sheppard was also involved in the purchase and illegal resale of prescription oxycodone pills, as well as pound quantities of marijuana. Investigation led to the seizure of nearly two kilograms of powder cocaine, 150 grams of crack cocaine, approximately fifteen pounds of marijuana, and numerous oxycodone pills, along with $16,000 in U.S. currency and approximately $76,000 in jewelry. Sheppard’s prison sentence will be followed by five years of supervised release.
“DEA prioritizes the safety and health of our citizens by relentlessly pursuing those who distribute these destructive and illegal substances in our Florida communities and holding them accountable for their actions,” said DEA Miami Field Division Special Agent in Charge Deanne Reuter. “This sentence should serve as a warning to those who make the poor choice to distribute illegal drugs in Florida and reaffirms DEA’s commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to keep our communities safe and healthy.”
This conviction was a result of an investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Gainesville Police Department, Alachua County Sheriff’s Office, and the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorney David Byron 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 United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is one of 94 offices that serve as the nation’s principal litigators under the direction of the Attorney General. To access public court documents online, please visit the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website. For more information about the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Florida, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
Grenada Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
St. Croix, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Rodney de Roche, 39, of Grenada, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Emile A. Henderson, III to Conspiracy to Possess with Intent to Distribute Cocaine on Board a Vessel Subject to the Jurisdiction of the United States. For his conviction, de Roche faces a maximum of 20 years in prison. His sentencing is scheduled for September 4, 2024. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to court documents, on November 15, 2023, the United States Coast Guard intercepted a vessel approximately 116 nautical miles west of Fort de France, Martinique, a known drug trafficking area. On board the vessel, officers observed multiple packages tied to sandbags being thrown overboard. One of the packages recovered from the ocean contained 32 kilograms of cocaine. De Roche was one of six individuals found on the vessel. The master of the vessel claimed Grenadian nationality for the vessel and the Government of Grenada granted a waiver of jurisdiction for the case and waived objection to the enforcement of United States laws.
This case was investigated by the United States Coast Guard and Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel H. Huston. 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.
Fresno Man Sentenced to 56 Months for Burglarizing Two Firearms StoresRead the Press Release
FRESNO, Calif. — Justin Ernest Breitwieser, 56, of Fresno, was sentenced yesterday to 56 months in prison and ordered to pay over $2,700 in restitution for burglary of a federally licensed firearms dealer, United States Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, on Sept. 3, 2022, Breitwieser broke into firearms dealer #1 and stole six firearms, ammunition, and other items. Then, on Oct. 29, 2022, Breitwieser broke into firearms dealer #2 and stole an AR-15 upper assembly, a Glock conversion kit, and a tactical bullet proof vest. A search of Breitwieser’s residence recovered evidence from the burglaries. Additionally, agents located two firearms and approximately 900 rounds of ammunition.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Fresno Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Antonio J. Pataca 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.
Former Mississippi Sheriff Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements in Connection with Federal InvestigationRead the Press Release
Jackson, MS – The former Sheriff of Noxubee County pleaded guilty today to making false statements to agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation regarding his relationship with an inmate in the Noxubee County jail.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Terry Grassaree, 61, of Macon, made a materially false statement to the FBI in July 2020, when questioned about requesting and receiving nude photos or videos from an inmate in the jail that he oversaw as the Sheriff of Noxubee County.
Grassaree used his position as Sheriff to solicit and accept nude photos and videos from a female inmate in exchange for favorable treatment of the inmate. Grassaree provided her with benefits at the jail that other inmates did not receive, or did not receive as often, including allowing the use of a contraband cell phone, tobacco, and other items. She was also made a trusty and given a job cooking in the jail.
On March 5, 2019, Grassaree used a social media platform to request a video from the inmate. On the same date, Grassaree received multiple nude images from the inmate via the social media platform and responded in a flirtatious and complimentary manner.
During an interview with the FBI, Grassaree lied about receiving the photographs, and these statements were intended to influence the FBI’s investigation of Grassaree and the treatment of detainees in the Noxubee County jail.
Grassaree was indicted by a federal grand jury on October 5, 2022. One of Grassaree’s former deputies, Vance Phillips has also pleaded guilty to using facilities in interstate commerce, namely, the internet and a cellular phone, for the purpose of committing the offense of bribery. Phillips is awaiting sentencing and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
Grassaree is scheduled to be sentenced on August 7, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Purdie and Dave Fulcher are prosecuting the case.
Former Inland Empire Nonprofit CEO Arrested on Indictment Alleging She Embezzled Federal Grant Funds for Wedding and CryptoRead the Press Release
RIVERSIDE, California – The former CEO and executive director of two San Bernardino County nonprofit organizations was arrested today on an indictment alleging she embezzled federal grant money intended for the nonprofits, using more than $225,000 of it for unauthorized expenditures such as wedding and travel expenses and cryptocurrency.
Donise Warren, 51, a.k.a. “Donise Warren-Jackson,” “Donise Jackson,” and “Donise Conerly,” of Canyon Lake, is charged with 15 counts of embezzlement from organizations receiving federal funds and 15 counts of embezzlement of government property.
Each charge is a felony punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison. Warren was arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in Riverside. She pleaded not guilty to the charges against her. A federal magistrate judge ordered her released on $75,000 bond. Warren’s trial is scheduled for July 1.
Warren was the president, CEO, and executive director of the Citadel Community Development Corporation (CCDC), whose stated mission was to assist at-risk individuals with accessing affordable housing, career services, and education services. Warren was also the president, CEO, and executive director of the Citadel Community Care Facility (CCCF), another nonprofit operating at the same location as CCDC.
According to the indictment, which a grand jury returned on May 1, Warren controlled CCDC from no later than March 2016 until at least October 2023. During that time, on CCDC’s behalf, Warren applied for three grants from the United States Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration (DOL-ETA). DOL-ETA awarded CCDC each of these grants, which required that the money be used on authorized expenditures. Warren allegedly embezzled approximately $101,000 of CCDC’s grant money and caused it to be used on wedding and travel expenses, including a $25,000 payment to her spouse’s personal credit card.
Warren controlled CCCF from at least March 2020 to approximately February 2023. During that time, on CCCF’s behalf, Warren applied for a United States Department of Health and Human Services Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) grant. After CCCF was awarded the SAMHSA grant, Warren embezzled approximately $127,500 of the grant money to her personal Coinbase account, where she purchased various cryptocurrencies.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
The United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and the United States Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General investigated this matter.
Assistant United States Attorney Cory L. Burleson of the Riverside Branch Office is prosecuting this case.
Former Attorney Sentenced for Taking Money from Special Needs ClientsRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Leslie Ellen Mansfield, 61, of Tulsa, for Bank Fraud. Judge Frizzell ordered Mansfield to serve 18 months imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release. Judge Frizzell further ordered Mansfield to pay $137,240.95 in restitution.
According to court documents, Mansfield was a licensed attorney in New Mexico and Oklahoma. In 2011, she was asked to serve as trustee over supplemental needs trust (SNT) accounts for five adults with intellectual disabilities. The SNT accounts are established to protect clients’ Medicaid and Social Security disability benefits. Mansfield was entrusted to access these accounts for the sole benefit of the client. For example, she was authorized to withdraw funds to purchase a handicapped vehicle, clothing, dance lessons, and Special Olympic fees, and to prepay funeral expenses.
From December 2011 through November 2017, Mansfield withdrew funds from the SNT accounts for her own personal use. She attempted to conceal her embezzlement by altering bank statements. One of the victims lost Medicaid benefits because Mansfield did not timely submit records on behalf of the client.
Mansfield was permitted to remain on bond and voluntarily surrender to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons at a later date.
The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Vani Singhal prosecuted the case.