Latest Records
Newest first across public DOJ and U.S. Attorney press releases.
3 May 2024
U.S. Attorney’s Office staff lend support to incarcerated citizens prior to their releaseRead the Press Release
MIAMI – Approximately 100 incarcerated citizens recently attended an Institutional Re-Entry Seminar at the South Florida Reception Center, South Unit Correctional Institution in Doral, Florida, and U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) staff was there to help those scheduled to leave prison reintegrate more seamlessly.
The seminar, a collaboration with the South Florida Reentry Task Force, featured 15 agencies, to include social workers, probation officers and re-entry specialists. A guest speaker—formerly incarcerated himself—gave a portion of his life story, telling the soon-to-be returning citizens how he turned his life around and motivating them to do the same.
“These men need to be ready for the challenges they will face when reintegrating,” said Community Outreach Specialist Corey Mackay, Law Enforcement Coordination/Community Outreach Section (LEC/COS), USAO. “They need to use every available resource, and if they do that, they can be successful.”
USAO staff provided resource materials with hundreds of community stakeholder contacts to assist with housing, health care, legal assistance and jobs. The worst thing society can do is fail to support returning citizens when they rejoin their communities. That is when they need support the most.
“These events are one of the most important that we participate in,” said Mackay. “These men still have a lot to offer. We absolutely need to support them during their transition. We want them to succeed. If they are living in your neighborhood, would you rather they succeed or reoffend?”
“That statistic needs to change,” said LEC/COS Chief and former Police Supervisor J.D. Smith. “I always say that when our returning citizens do well, our communities do well. We need to make their success a priority, and these seminars are a step in the right direction. But we can do more, especially with housing and helping them find jobs.”
Supportive non-profit re-entry organizations offer job readiness training, vocational training, and in some cases job placement. Many of these organizations also are able to help with housing through donations, beginning with transitional housing and hopefully leading to long-term housing.
“Stability is key,” said Smith. “Imagine trying to reintegrate into a community and you don’t have stable housing. Being homeless is the wrong answer. They need to feel a sense of independence to fully embrace re-entry. And a job and a roof over their heads will give them a better chance to prosper.”
###
U.S. Attorney's Office Joins in Recognizing Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day and Announces Appointment of Regional MMIP CoordinatorRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon joins its partners across the federal government, as well as people throughout American Indian and Alaska Native communities, in recognizing May 5, 2024, as National Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Awareness Day.
The office also announced today the appointment of an MMIP Regional Coordinator based in the District of Oregon. Cedar Wilkie Gillette, who since June 2020 has served as the District of Oregon MMIP Coordinator, will now serve as regional coordinator for the Northwest Region under the Justice Department’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program. The Northwest Region includes the states of California, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and Washington.
Ms. Wilkie Gillette will work alongside Ms. Bree R. Black Horse who was appointed in February 2024 in the Eastern District of Washington to serve as the MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northwest Region.
“We are delighted that Cedar Wilkie Gillette will serve as northwest regional coordinator for the Justice Department’s MMIP Regional Outreach Program. This program is a critical next step in the department’s ongoing effort to address this crisis, which has affected tribes and communities across our region and country. Cedar is abundantly qualified for this position and we are eager for her to expand the great work she has done here in Oregon throughout the Northwest Region,” said Natalie Wight, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
“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.”
Launched in July 2023, the MMIP Regional Outreach Program permanently places 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered indigenous people. This support includes assisting in the investigation of unresolved MMIP cases and related crimes, and promoting communication, coordination, and collaboration among federal, tribal, local, and state law enforcement and non-governmental partners on MMIP issues.
The regional outreach program program prioritizes MMIP cases consistent with the Deputy Attorney General’s July 2022 directive to U.S. Attorney’s Offices promoting public safety in Indian Country and 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.
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’s recommendations on how to combat the missing or murdered indigenous peoples and human trafficking crisis.
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 Department of Justice’s efforts to address the MMIP crisis, please visit the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons section of the Tribal Safety and Justice website. Click here for more information about reporting or identifying missing persons.
In early 2022, the District of Oregon established an MMIP Working Group to increase multi-agency communication and collaboration in support of and response to Oregon-connected MMIP cases. The working group includes representatives from each of the nine federally recognized Tribes in Oregon, the FBI, Bureau of Indian Affairs, U.S. Department of Interior Regional Solicitor’s Office, U.S. Marshals Service, Oregon Department of Justice, Oregon State Medical Examiner’s Office, and Oregon State Police.
Prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2020, Ms. Wilkie Gillette served as a law fellow for Earthjustice, a nonprofit environmental law organization. She has a juris doctorate from the Vermont Law School and a bachelor’s degree in applied social justice and human rights activism from the University of Minnesota. Ms. Wilkie Gillette is an enrolled member of the Mandan, Hidatsa, and Arikara Nation and a direct descendant of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa. She has conducted extensive research on indigenous human rights and environmental justice issues.
U.S. Attorney's Office Joins Nationwide Effort to Strengthen and Build Partnerships to Address the Issue of Missing or Murdered Indigenous PersonsRead the Press Release
OKLAHOMA CITY – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Oklahoma joins its partners across the federal government, as well as people throughout Indian country, along with American Indian and Alaska Native communities, in recognizing May 5 as National Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (“MMIP”) Awareness Day.
In recognition of MMIP Awareness Day, United States Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced increased efforts to tackle Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons cases and human trafficking in American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Additionally, plans were announced to address other pressing public safety challenges, like the distribution of fentanyl into Indian country, which exacerbates violence and addiction in already vulnerable rural 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 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.”
“Addressing crime in Indian country requires a continued, efficient, coordinated law enforcement effort from all levels,” said United States Attorney Robert J. Troester. “Our office is also working closely with tribal governments and local grassroots advocacy groups to make sure law enforcement has access to critical information regarding missing loved ones. We remain committed to work with our local, state, tribal, and federal partners to bring justice to Indian country victims and hold criminal offenders accountable.”
“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 DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “We know that no community has been spared from these deadly threats and we are committed to keeping tribal communities safe.”
Justice Department Prioritization of MMIP Cases
Last July, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced the creation of the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Regional Outreach Program, which permanently places ten attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people. The five regions include the Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Southeast Regions.
U.S. Attorney’s Office MMIP Initiative
The United States Attorneys in Oklahoma last year issued MMIP Guidelines for Oklahoma, pursuant to Savanna’s Act, which include important provisions for improving law enforcement and justice protocols and enhancing cooperation between agencies, with the goal of having a comprehensive law enforcement strategy to respond to these cases. Additionally, the Guidelines provide suggested procedures to all law enforcement for investigating missing persons cases, addressing jurisdictional concerns, registering victim protection orders into the National Crime Information Center (“NCIC”), and issuing Amber Alert, Kacey Alert, and Silver Alert notifications through the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. Efforts to utilize and update the database of missing or murdered Indigenous people, through the National Missing and Unidentified Persons System (“NamUs”), which has included active consultation with the 21 federally recognized tribal nations in the District, has been ongoing and is an important part of the overall strategy.
The MMIP Initiative in the Western District of Oklahoma prioritizes identifying and tracking MMIP cases consistent with the Deputy Attorney General’s July 2022 directive to U.S. Attorney’s Offices promoting public safety in Indian country. The program fulfills the Justice Department’s promise to dedicate personnel to address MMIP issues 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 promulgated in July 2022. In the Western District of Oklahoma, the District’s Senior Counsel for Tribal Relations, Arvo Mikkanen, and Law Enforcement Coordinator, Jim Mogren, have been working with Tribes and law enforcement to identify and track cases involving missing persons and cold-case murder investigations of tribal citizens.
Most recently, on April 27, 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office also participated in the “Missing in Oklahoma 2024” public event at the University of Central Oklahoma (“UCO”) Forensic Science Institute in Edmond, Oklahoma. Families and friends of missing persons attended, along with numerous law enforcement agencies from across Oklahoma. Participants were able to receive information from providers, complete a missing person report, provide additional investigative leads, enter missing persons into the NamUs database, and provide dental records, photos, and family DNA samples to compare to potential remains recovered during investigations.
Not Invisible Act Commission Response
The Justice Department’s work to respond to issues involving MMIP is a Department-wide effort. Additionally, in March, the U.S. Departments of Justice and the Interior released their joint response to the Not Invisible Act Commission’s (“NIAC”) recommendations on how to combat cases involving missing or murdered indigenous persons and human trafficking. The NIAC response, announced by Attorney General Garland during a visit to the Crow Nation in Montana, recognizes that more must be done across the federal government to resolve these complicated issues and support prompt and coordinated investigative efforts.
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 abuse; drug trafficking; and labor and sex trafficking—can influence the rates of persons going missing from Indian country.
Furthermore, fentanyl poisoning and overdose deaths are the leading cause of opioid deaths throughout the United States, including Indian country and tribal communities, where drug-related overdose death rates for Native Americans exceed the national rate.
As a result, federal law enforcement agencies are ramping up efforts to forge stronger partnerships with tribal, state, and local law enforcement agencies to address violent crime and the distribution of fentanyl into Indian country, which expose already vulnerable communities to greater harm.
A few recent examples of violent-crime and fentanyl-related prosecutions stemming from Indian country within the Western District of Oklahoma include:
- Kevin Bruce McGuire, 61, of Ardmore, was sentenced to serve life in federal prison for second degree murder in Indian country after he drove while intoxicated and caused the death of another driver in a collision. In determining the sentence, the court considered that since 1990 McGuire has had six previous felony DUI convictions.
- Dustin Ellis, 32, Pamela Payne, 40, Sierra Mandrell, 30, and Nicholas Sweeten, 27, all of Grady County, pleaded guilty for their roles in conspiring to distribute fentanyl that resulted in the death of another person within Indian country,
- Tevin Terrell Semien, 29, and Nicole Leigh Logsdon, 24, of Lawton, pleaded guilty to murder and accessory to murder, after a Native American woman’s body was found in a wildlife refuge,
- Phillip Keith Ray, 45, of Chickasha, was sentenced to serve 25 years in federal prison for killing a man with a cinder block within Indian country,
- Evander Dayle Yanito, 33, of Grady County, was sentenced to serve 10 years in federal prison for child abuse. Yanito admitted to willfully harming an infant, who was transported to a hospital after having trouble breathing.
- Caitlyn Cheyenne Downs, 24, of Stephens County, was sentenced to serve 15 years in federal prison for child abuse. Public record shows Downs failed to protect two children from physical abuse, one of whom died as a result of injuries sustained during the abuse.
Accessing Department of Justice 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 Department of Justice’s efforts to address MMIP issues, please visit the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons section of the DOJ Tribal Safety and Justice website.
Click here for more information about reporting or identifying missing persons.
U.S. Attorney's Office Commemorates Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness DayRead the Press Release
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – U.S. Attorney Dena J. King and the U.S. Attorney’s Office join the Department of Justice, partners across the federal government, and people throughout American Indian and Alaska Native communities in recognizing May 5 as National Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Awareness Day.
“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.”
“Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day is a time to stand with our Tribal communities in honoring and remembering the loved ones who were lost to violence or remain missing,” said U.S. Attorney King. “It is also a moment to reaffirm our commitment to continue to collaborate with our Tribal partners to enhance public safety, address the root causes of violence that disproportionately harm Tribal communities, and support crime victims, survivors, and their families.”
In recognition of MMIP Awareness Day, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland highlighted the Justice Department’s ongoing efforts to tackle the MMIP and trafficking crises in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, and other pressing public safety challenges, like the fentanyl crisis, in Tribal communities.
To commemorate MMIP Awareness Day, U.S. Attorney’s Office personnel will participate in the 5th Annual Walk and Vigil for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Relatives on Sunday, May 5, at Oconaluftee Island Park, in Cherokee.
For additional information about the Department of Justice’s efforts to address the MMIP crisis, please visit the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons section of the Tribal Safety and Justice website. Click here for more information about reporting or identifying missing persons.
U.S. Attorney Thompson and Law Enforcement Officials to Provide Update Regarding Largest Methamphetamine Seizure in West Virginia HistoryRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – United States Attorney Will Thompson will join with law enforcement officials on Monday, May 6, 2024, at 11 a.m. to provide an update regarding the ongoing major drug trafficking prosecution involving the largest methamphetamine seizure in West Virginia history.
WHAT: Update regarding major drug trafficking prosecution (“Operation Smoke & Mirrors”)
WHEN: Monday, May 6, 2024, at 11 a.m.
WHERE: Fifth floor, Robert C. Byrd United States Courthouse, Charleston
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.
###
U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee Provides Statement on Illicit Marijuana Grow Operations in MaineRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee issued a statement today to update the community on the Office’s ongoing efforts to combat illegal marijuana grows in rural Maine:
Local law enforcement has our full support: The U.S. Attorney’s Office and multiple federal agencies, including the DEA, FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, and IRS, have been actively and directly working with local and state law enforcement partners in a coordinated response to the illegal marijuana grows operating predominantly in central Maine. Simultaneously, our Office continues to investigate individuals involved in this activity for possible federal prosecution.
Investigations are having an impact: The success of our collective efforts is already evident with 40+ operations shut down and multiple arrests made over the last several months. We expect this law enforcement action to continue until the individuals operating the illegal grows come to understand that Maine is not a safe or hospitable place for such activity. I cannot speak more highly of the collaborative and coordinated efforts that have taken place across Maine to date and the strong federal, state and local partnerships and support that exists in Maine.
Interstate distribution and potential ties to China warrant federal involvement: According to the DEA, there are currently transnational criminal organizations involved in illegal marijuana growing activities in at least 20 states. The possibility that organized criminal enterprises with alleged ties to China are using Maine properties to profit from unlicensed marijuana operations and interstate distribution makes it clear that there is need for a strong and sustained federal, state and local effort to shut down and thoroughly investigate these operations.
To date, there is no evidence of illegal immigration associated with the illicit marijuana grows: To date, we have seen no evidence of illegal U.S. border crossings into Maine by any individuals associated with these illicit grows. Rather, the individuals tending these grows in homes across central Maine who have been encountered by law enforcement have been individuals who are either U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents living in states like New York and Massachusetts. An investigation into three Chinese nationals recently apprehended at a border crossing in northern Maine showed no connection to illegal marijuana grows.
To date, our investigation has encountered no evidence of human trafficking: Through coordination and execution of more than 40 search warrants, investigators have seen no evidence of human trafficking to date. From what we know now, the individuals working in these illicit grows appear to be doing so willingly. Human trafficking is a heinous crime that our Office takes seriously. Any evidence of human trafficking will be thoroughly investigated and if discovered, vigorously prosecuted.
Number of illicit grows: Based on information currently available to federal authorities involved, there are approximately 100 illicit marijuana grows that have been identified operating in Maine. This number has and will fluctuate as law enforcement continues to shut down the operations or those involved abandon the grows to avoid arrest or prosecution. No Maine property owner or anyone else should ever be assumed to be part of a criminal enterprise simply because of their surname or nationality.
###
Two Men Sentenced for Defrauding JetBlueRead the Press Release
Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Julien Levy and Keily Nunez were sentenced by United States District Judge Pamela K. Chen to 20 and 40 months in prison, respectively, for defrauding JetBlue Airways of approximately $10 million. Levy and Nunez pleaded guilty to committing honest services wire fraud in June and July 2023, respectively.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Ivan J. Arvelo, Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, announced the sentence.
“These defendants shamelessly lined their own pockets by diverting millions of dollars in airline part contracts to entities they controlled,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Today’s sentence sends a clear message that those who betray the trust of their employers by disrupting marketplaces for their own personal gain will be held to account.”
Mr. Peace thanked Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation for their assistance with the investigation.
“The defendants abused their positions of power to orchestrate a scheme that defrauded JetBlue Airways out of millions of dollars. Levy and Nunez went as far as manipulating the identity of a deceased airline employee to circumvent the company’s policies and procedures with the sole intention of enriching themselves. Today they face the consequences of their unbound greed," said HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo. "I commend HSI New York and our law enforcement and private sector partners for stemming this corruption before it ultimately impacted well-meaning customers.”
Between approximately July 2017 and June 2021, Nunez and another JetBlue employee accepted bribes from Levy in exchange for approving more than $1.5 million in aircraft part invoices between JetBlue and Levy’s company, Summit Aviation Supply LLC. Nunez also accepted bribes in connection with his approval of more than $8.5 million in aircraft part invoices between JetBlue and Alaris Aerospace Systems LLC, a Florida-based aircraft parts seller a co-conspirator controlled. Nunez was previously sentenced to two years’ imprisonment in connection with this role in a separate scheme to defraud the United States Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program of approximately $1.5 million through the submission of false loan applications.
Department of Justice Trial Attorney Patrick J. Campbell and Assistant United States Attorney Nick Axelrod are in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Paralegal Specialist Liam McNett.
The Defendants:
KEILY NUNEZ
Age: 44
Jamaica, New YorkJULIEN LEVY
Age: 39
Englewood, New JerseyE.D.N.Y. Docket No. 22-CR-281 (PKC)
Two Extradited British Citizens Plead Guilty to Conspiracy to Defraud Investors in Fraudulent Co-Working Space BusinessRead the Press Release
Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that JAMES ROBINSON and DAVID KENNEDY, both citizens of the United Kingdom, pled guilty to engaging in a conspiracy to defraud victims by making material misrepresentations about the management and operations of a company called Bar Works Inc. and related entities (“Bar Works”). ROBINSON and KENNEDY were arrested in Spain on November 30, 2022, and were subsequently extradited. ROBINSON pled guilty today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Barbara Moses and is scheduled to be sentenced on September 25, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Lewis A. Kaplan. KENNEDY pled guilty on October 13, 2023, before U.S. Magistrate Valerie Figueredo, and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 7, 2024, before Judge Kaplan.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “James Robinson and David Kennedy partnered with notorious fraudster Renwick Haddow and used their agent network in Spain to launch a massive Ponzi scheme that lured hundreds of unsuspecting investors from around the world, all in exchange for massive commissions. Today’s plea signifies this Office’s commitment to hold accountable every perpetrator of fraudulent investment schemes, no matter where they operate.”
According to the Indictments and other court documents:
ROBINSON, KENNEDY, and co-conspirators Renwick Haddow and James Moore are citizens of the United Kingdom. At all times relevant to the Indictment, United Property Group and related entities (collectively, “UPG”) constituted a company based in Spain that was controlled in part by ROBINSON and KENNEDY. UPG sold real estate and other investing opportunities to potential investors. Bar Works was a private co-working space company controlled by Haddow, which operated locations in New York City and elsewhere between in or about 2015 through 2017 and accepted millions of dollars in investments from investors recruited through UPG, among others. Prior to launching Bar Works, Haddow had been disqualified as a director of any UK company for eight years and was later sued by the Financial Conduct Authority, a British regulator, for operating investment schemes through misrepresentations that lost investors substantially all of their money. These sanctions and lawsuit were publicized online.
In exchange for millions of dollars in commissions, ROBINSON, KENNEDY, and Moore partnered with Haddow in soliciting investments into workspace leases in Bar Works through material misrepresentations concerning, among other things, the identity of Bar Works’ management and the operations of Bar Works. Specifically, as ROBINSON and KENNEDY knew, notwithstanding Haddow’s control over Bar Works, Haddow caused the Bar Works offering materials to omit his name entirely, list a fictitious individual named “Jonathan Black” as the Chief Executive Officer of Bar Works, and claim that “Black” had an extensive background in finance and past success with start-up companies.
Through UPG, ROBINSON and KENNEDY recruited agents to sell workspace leases in Bar Works and knowingly provided them with fraudulent offering documents and other information. In marketing Bar Works to investors attempting to do due diligence, UPG agents supervised by ROBINSON and KENNEDY represented that ROBINSON and KENNEDY had met “Jonathan Black” in New York as part of UPG’s own due diligence. An account controlled in whole or in part by ROBINSON and KENNEDY received over $2 million in commissions from Bar Works in exchange for soliciting victims to invest at least approximately $7.5 million in this scheme. Separately, Moore received another approximately $1.6 million from Bar Works. Overall, prior to its collapse in or about June 2017, Bar Works obtained over $57 million from over 800 investors worldwide.
* * *
ROBINSON, 47, and KENNEDY, 48, both residents of the UK, each pled guilty to one count of wire fraud conspiracy, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
The maximum potential sentence in this case is prescribed by Congress and provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by a judge.
Renwick Haddow, 55, pled guilty pursuant to a cooperation agreement, on May 23, 2019, to one count each of wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy relating to the Bar Works scheme, and one count each of wire fraud and wire fraud conspiracy relating to a separate Bitcoin-related investment scheme. Haddow’s sentencing is currently scheduled for November 1, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain.
James Moore, 63, was found guilty on June 7, 2019, of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud following a week-long jury trial before U.S. District Judge Richard M. Berman. On February 1, 2022, Moore was sentenced to 140 months in prison by Judge Berman.
Savraj Gata-Aura, 37, pled guilty on November 18, 2019, to one count of wire fraud conspiracy for his participation in the scheme and was sentenced to four years in prison on July 27, 2020, by U.S. District Judge Jed. S. Rakoff.
Mr. Williams praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He further thanked the Government of Spain for arresting and extraditing ROBINSON and KENNEDY and the Securities and Exchange Commission, which has separately brought civil actions against ROBINSON, KENNEDY, Moore, Haddow, and Gata-Aura. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs also provided substantial assistance in securing ROBINSON and KENNEDY’s arrest and extradition.
This case is being handled by the Office’s Securities and Commodities Fraud Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Vladislav Vainberg is in charge of the prosecution.
Texas Man Admits Stealing $319,000 from Armored CarRead the Press Release
ST. LOUIS – A man from Texas on Thursday admitted stealing $319,000 from an armored car at an Overland, Missouri shopping center in 2022.
On June 16, 2022, Malik Johnson broke into an armored truck that was parked at the Overland Plaza shopping center while the driver was picking up cash from a retailer there. Johnson grabbed three bags that contained a total of $319,179, and then took the money to his home in the Houston suburbs.
Johnson, 26, pleaded guilty Thursday to interstate transportation of stolen property.
He is scheduled to be sentenced August 5. The charge carries a penalty of up to 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both prison and a fine. He will also be ordered to repay the money.
The Overland Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Gwen Carroll is prosecuting the case.
Tampa Man Guilty of Wire Fraud, Money Laundering in Misuse of $500,000 COVID-19 Small Business LoanRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that a federal jury has found Barrett Purvis (54, Tampa) guilty of wire fraud and money laundering. Purvis faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison for the wire fraud offense and up to 10 years’ imprisonment for the money laundering offense. Sentencing is scheduled for August 12, 2024. Purvis was indicted on March 30, 2023.
According to testimony and evidence presented at trial, Purvis applied for and received a $500,000 Economic Injury Disaster Loan from the Small Business Administration during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in May 2021. Although he applied on behalf of a legitimate small business he owned and operated, Purvis never intended to use any of the loan proceeds on working capital as required by the terms of the loan agreement. Instead, Purvis spent approximately half of the proceeds on gambling debt and the rest on other personal debt, including debt incurred on his girlfriend’s three credit cards. Within two weeks of receiving the loan, Purvis had used nearly all the proceeds on personal expenses, unrelated to any legitimate business.
This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service - Criminal Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Candace Garcia Rich.
In May 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The task force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts.
Sterling Heights Man Charged with Multiple Counts of Aggravated Assaults of Federal Officers While Resisting ArrestRead the Press Release
DETROIT –Carl Emerson Travis, 52, of Sterling Heights, Michigan, was indicted by a federal grand jury with seven counts of aggravated assault on three deputy U.S. Marshals and four federal task force officers, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced today.
Ison was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan.
On March 29, 2024, members of the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Apprehension Team attempted to arrest Carl Emerson Travis, who was wanted in multiple jurisdictions. When Travis saw law enforcement approaching, he resisted arrest and tried to escape, accelerating his car in reverse at a high rate of speed. In the process, Travis dragged a deputy U.S. Marshal and a task force officer with his car and knocked another officer to the ground. As Travis’s vehicle flew backwards, it also nearly struck several other deputies and officers who stood nearby. Travis ultimately slammed into a parked car, pushing it through the wall of an occupied hotel room. Only then was Travis finally placed under arrest.
“Our federal law enforcement officers put their lives at risk every day to keep us safe. The actions of this defendant were reckless and put the lives of our officers in danger,” said U.S. Attorney Ison. “Our office will not hesitate to hold those accountable who harm law enforcement officers who are merely doing their jobs.”
"Mr. Travis not only attempted to evade arrest but also recklessly endangered the safety of the community and law enforcement personnel," said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. Our brave law enforcement partners place their lives on the line daily to uphold justice, and we will not tolerate any actions against them. Let it be clear: The severity of this offense will not be tolerated, and Mr. Travis will face the full extent of the law for his reckless and careless actions."
An indictment is only a formal charging document and is not evidence of guilt. A defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
This case was investigated by the Michigan State Police and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Nhan Ho.
South Lake Tahoe Man Indicted for Impersonating a Federal OfficerRead the Press Release
SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A federal grand jury returned a four-count indictment on Thursday against Anton Andreyevich Iagounov, 38, of South Lake Tahoe, charging him with falsely impersonating a federal officer, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced.
According to court documents, Iagounov pretended to be a federal law enforcement agent by creating false investigative documents, which purported to be sent by a federal agent, in an attempt to obtain government documents and other sensitive information. On July 5, 2022, Iagounov sent a search warrant that he created to the U.S. Capitol Police, falsely claiming it was signed by a Special Agent of the NASA Office of the Inspector General (NASA-OIG) and appearing to be authorized by the Chief District Judge for the District of Columbia. On July 11, 2022, Iagounov again pretended to be a NASA-OIG agent, created a fake search warrant, and emailed it to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California. He sent it from an email address with an internet domain that he owned and had named to look like a government agency’s internet domain. On July 18, 2022, Iagounov again sent the fake search warrant, purporting to be signed by the same fictitious NASA-OIG agent, and sent it to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Middle District of Georgia.
Finally, on July 24, 2022, Iagounov faxed a letter, under the name of a real NASA employee, to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, claiming that an exigent circumstance required a judge’s signature on a non-existent search warrant immediately. The letter included an email address for the agent that belonged to Iagounov. All these documents were identified as suspicious by the courts and federal agencies to which they were sent.
This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the NASA Office of the Inspector General, with assistance by the South Lake Tahoe Police Department and the Carson City Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Conolly is prosecuting the case.
If convicted, Iagounov faces a maximum statutory penalty of three years in prison and a $250,000 fine, per count of conviction. Any sentence, however, would be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. The charges are only allegations; the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
Settlement Reached with Nail Salon for Violations of the Americans with Disabilities ActRead the Press Release
GREENSBORO - The U.S. Attorney’s Office has reached a settlement with a Raeford, North Carolina nail salon to resolve allegations that the salon violated the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (“ADA”) by refusing to provide pedicure services to a customer unless she transferred from her wheelchair to a pedicure chair, announced U.S. Attorney Sandra J. Hairston.
Pursuant to the settlement, Modern Nails agreed to adopt and conspicuously post a non-discrimination policy, to ensure that its staff understand the policy, and to pay $500 to the complainant in this case.
The Department of Justice’s enforcement efforts under the ADA seek equal opportunity and dignity in all aspects of life, including access to public accommodations such as nail salons. This settlement agreement is the eighth agreement that the Department of Justice has reached with a nail salon through its U.S. Attorney Program for ADA Enforcement, and the second in the Middle District of North Carolina.
- In June 2021, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of North Carolina entered a settlement agreement resolving an allegation that a nail salon in Durham, North Carolina, refused to provide services to an individual with HIV.
- In June 2022, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Louisiana reached a settlement agreement with a nail salon in Harahan, Louisiana, to resolve an allegation that an individual was refused services because of the inability to transfer out of their wheelchair.
- In February 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey entered a settlement agreement with a nail salon in Ocean County, New Jersey, to resolve allegations that the salon discriminates against individuals with mobility impairments.
- In June 2023, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Arizona reached a settlement agreement with a nail salon in San Tan Valley, Arizona, to resolve allegations that the nail salon discriminated against a customer with paraplegia because she uses a wheelchair and does not have complete hand function.
- In October 2023, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Kansas entered a settlement agreement with a nail salon in Kansas City, Kansas, to resolve allegations that the salon refused nail services to a woman with cerebral palsy who used a motorized wheelchair.
- In February 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of New York reached a settlement agreement with a nail salon in Williamsville, New York, to resolve allegations that the salon refused to allow a customer with a service animal enter the salon.
- In March 2024, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona reached a settlement agreement with a nail salon in Chandler, Arizona to resolve allegations that the salon refused equal services to those using a wheelchair.
Additional information about the ADA, including information on how to file a complaint, can be found at www.ada.gov.
###
Sending Thousands of Fentanyl Pills through the Mail Leads to Federal Prison for Arizona ManRead the Press Release
An Arizona man who sent thousands of fentanyl pills to Marion, Iowa, in the mail was sentenced May 1, 2024, to more than seven years in federal prison.
Dominique Holliday, age 28, from Tempe, Arizona, received the prison term after a December 28, 2023 guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Information disclosed at sentencing showed that, starting in April 2021 and continuing until December 21, 2021, Holliday sent packages containing 200 to 300 fentanyl pills to an individual in Marion through the mail every two weeks, totaling approximately 3,200 pills. The Marion man utilized a financial application to pay Holliday for the fentanyl pills, disguising the nature and source of the payments. On two separation occasions in December 2021, an individual suffered non‑fatal overdoses after ingesting fentanyl pills that Holliday had sent to Iowa.
Holliday was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Chief Judge C.J. Williams. Holliday was sentenced to 87 months’ imprisonment, and he must also serve a five-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system.
Holliday is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Dillan Edwards and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the Marion Police Department; and the Cedar Rapids Police Department.
Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl. The case file number is 23-CR-00021-CJW.
Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.
Rhode Island Man Admits to Shipping Fentanyl to AustraliaRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Providence man pleaded guilty on Thursday to charges filed in a five-count federal indictment that alleged that on multiple occasions he attempted to export fentanyl from the United States to Australia, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Felix Suarez, 25, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl; two counts of attempt to distribute a controlled substance; unlawful export of a controlled substance; and unlawful use of a communication facility to facilitate the distribution of a controlled substance. Suarez is scheduled to be sentenced on August 1, 2024. The defendant’s sentences will be determined by a federal district judge after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
According to information presented to the court, on December 30, 2022, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) seized an outbound parcel destined to Sydney, Australia, shipped two days earlier from Providence via FedEx. The parcel, which listed a return address belonging to Suarez and declared to contain “DOCUMENTS,” was found by CBP officers to contain approximately 37 grams of fentanyl.
On January 17, 2023, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) was notified that Australian Federal Police had seized a second package mailed to the same identified recipient in Sydney. The package carried the same return address in Providence as the package mailed in late December 2022; the package’s contents were listed as “DOCUMENTS/INVOICES.” Australian authorities examined the package and found it to contain approximately 25 grams of fentanyl.
Further investigation by HSI determined that on January 10, 2023, surveillance camera footage from the UPS store in Providence where the second package was mailed from shows Suarez obtain a brown envelope from the store, return to his vehicle where he manipulated the envelope before re-entering the store with the envelope and mailing it. The envelope matched the description of the envelope seized by Australian law enforcement.
Import records from the Australian Department of Home Affairs established that from January 2020 to January 2023, the defendant shipped 67 parcels to the same recipient in Sydney, Australia. Each parcel had a similar weight (between .1kg and .455kg) and were similarly identified as “DOCUMENTS/PAPER.”
The case in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul F. Daly, Jr.
The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Border Protection, Australian Federal Police, Australian Department of Home Affairs, Providence Police Department, Warwick Police Department, and Central Falls Police Department.
###
Readout of Annual Principals Meeting of the Five Eyes Law Enforcement GroupRead the Press Release
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland attended the Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group (FELEG) Annual Principals Meeting this week, where international and national partners met to discuss technology, innovation and encryption, and the emergent impacts on global safety.
FELEG is a collaborative intelligence-sharing law enforcement community. The annual meeting was attended by FELEG partners FBI, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Australian Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC), Australian Federal Police (AFP), the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), U.K. National Crime Agency (UK NCA), U.K. Counter Terrorism Policing (UK CTP), and New Zealand Police. Deputy Director and Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director Patrick J. “P.J.” Lechleitner of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the current chair for FELEG.
Discussions included End-to-end Encryption (E2EE) and law enforcement legal issues on global public safety.
“The FELEG partnerships enhance law enforcement investigations on the national and international level, particularly related to cyber-enabled crime, where complex tactics and cyber techniques empower transnational criminal organizations and threaten global security,” said ICE Acting Director Lechleitner. “FELEG has increased sharing and cooperation between partner nations, and HSI is proud to be a part of it.”
“The FBI understands that we are all better positioned to execute our mission when the international law enforcement community is bonded together through close collaboration and coordination,” said Executive Assistant Director Timothy Langan of the FBI’s Criminal, Cyber, Response, and Services Branch. “We will continue to foster these strategic partnerships by sharing knowledge, experience, and capabilities in the pursuit of creating a safer world bound by the rule of law.”
“At a time in history when the global drug landscape is more complex, more violent, and more deadly than ever before, it is critical that we work together to protect the safety and health of all communities,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “Two Mexican cartels, the Sinaloa and Jalisco cartels, are not only causing devastating harm to Americans, but they are operating worldwide on almost every continent. They are exploiting technology to enable their operations, trafficking deadly drugs quickly and widely through social media and encrypted applications. At DEA, we are committed to working with our partners across the globe to most effectively attack the criminal networks threatening the security of all our countries.”
“The importance of trusted partnerships, like FELEG, that allow us to combine capabilities, knowledge and experience to combat these threats cannot be understated,” said ACIC CEO Heather Cook. “Serious and organized criminal enterprises are globalized, collaborative and adaptable — coming together to share information and respond collectively helps us stay ahead of our adversaries.”
“We must develop innovative new technological counter-measures in an ethical, transparent and accountable manner,’’ said AFP Deputy Commissioner Lesa Gale. “We cannot do this alone and call upon the technology industry to support the detection of illegal and harmful activities on their platforms. “The online world should be like the real world and criminals should not be protected because of a technological overlay. Through collaboration we can make a difference and create a safe online world for all in our community.”
“The relationships developed through FELEG are fundamental to identifying international criminal trends and responding to threats of mutual concern. The RCMP and its partners have proven, and continue to prove, the success of our partnerships when combatting transnational organized crime, cybercrime and taking actions to protect national security,” said RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme.
“Collaborations like FELEG are fundamental in our collective approach to keeping the public safe and reducing the global impact of serious organized crime,” said NCA Director General Graeme Biggar. “But industry have a part to play too. As technology evolves and end-to-end encryption begins to be rolled out, solutions must be found to deliver both privacy and public safety measures. We all have a responsibility to ensure that those who seek to abuse these platforms are identified and caught, and that platforms become more safe, not less.”
“The FELEG partnership provides a strong basis for tackling the problems that are faced by the global law enforcement community,” said Commissioner Andrew Coster of New Zealand Police. “We have a common goal of keeping vulnerable people safe and holding offenders to account,” said Commissioner Andrew Coster of New Zealand Police.
Providence Man Sentenced for Scamming Rhode Island and Massachusetts SeniorsRead the Press Release
PROVIDENCE, RI – A Providence man described in court documents as having played a key role in a “grandparent scheme” that financially victimized more than a dozen senior citizens in Rhode Island and Massachusetts has been sentenced to twelve months and one day in federal prison; ordered to pay restitution to his victims; and ordered by the court to perform community after serving his term of incarceration by speaking to senior citizen groups and organizations about his criminal conduct and ways they can avoid being victimized, announced United States Attorney Zachary A. Cunha.
Vidal Roquez, 39, previously admitted to the court that he personally visited the homes of grandparent scam victims in Rhode Island and Massachusetts to collect cash from them after they had been convinced by other members of the conspiracy that a relative, usually a grandchild or child, had been arrested and that the money was urgently needed for bail. Some of the victims were told that a “gag order” was in place on their relative’s legal matter and that they were prohibited from sharing information with anyone else.
The investigation identified thirteen seniors that were victimized by Roquez. He was arrested after a failed attempt to defraud a senior in Little Compton, RI.
Roquez pleaded on December 14, 2023, to a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. He was sentenced on Thursday by U.S. District Court Judge Mary S. McElroy to one year and one day of incarceration; three years of supervised release; sixty hours of community service by meeting with senior citizen organizations and groups, during which he is to describe his and his co-conspirators criminal conduct and to discuss ways seniors can protect themselves from being victimized; and to pay a total of $130,300 in restitution to his victims.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Denise M. Barton
The matter was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and the Little Compton Police Department.
United States Attorney Cunha thanks the Warwick, Portsmouth, Tiverton, Cranston, and South Kingstown, R.I. Police Departments; the Shrewsbury, Northborough, and Weston, MA, Police Departments; and the Rhode Island Fusion Center for their assistance investigating this case.
Combatting elder abuse and financial fraud targeting seniors is a key priority of the Department of Justice. If you are a victim or know a victim of elder fraud, you can call 1-877-FTC-HELP or go to ftc.gov/complaint. For downloadable Elder Abuse Prevention resources and for information about community outreach programs in Rhode Island, visit the United States Attorney’s Office’s Elder Justice Initiative web page at https://www.justice.gov/usao-ri/elder-justice.
###
Opioid Manufacturer Endo Health Solutions Inc. Ordered to Pay $1.536B in Criminal Fines and Forfeiture for Distributing Misbranded Opioid MedicationRead the Press Release
Endo Health Solutions Inc. (EHSI) was ordered today to pay $1.086 billion in criminal fines and an additional $450 million in criminal forfeiture — the second-largest set of criminal financial penalties ever levied against a pharmaceutical company —for violations of the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act related to the distribution of the opioid medication Opana ER with INTAC (Opana ER).
EHSI pleaded guilty on April 18 to one misdemeanor count of introducing misbranded drugs into interstate commerce. In pleading guilty, EHSI admitted that from April 2012 through May 2013, certain EHSI sales representatives marketed Opana ER to prescribers by touting the drug’s purported abuse deterrence, tamper resistance and/or crush resistance, despite a lack of clinical data supporting those claims.
EHSI’s corporate affiliates emerged from bankruptcy on April 23. EHSI will cease to operate in its current form and will not emerge from bankruptcy. Payment of the criminal fine imposed at sentencing is addressed as a component of the broader resolution resolving all monetary claims held by the United States against the corporate entities. In addition, as part of the confirmed bankruptcy plan, the new company has funded voluntary trusts in settlement of opioid-relating claims, including public trusts that will pay over $450 million to state, municipal and Tribal entities to help fund programs to abate the opioid crisis. The department is crediting up to $450 million of such payments against the agreed forfeiture amount. The EHSI affiliates that have emerged from bankruptcy are subject to an injunction restraining future opioid sales and marketing and requiring the publication of millions of documents relating to its role in the opioid crisis.
“The opioid epidemic has caused substantial harm to the American people, and the companies whose unlawful tactics contributed to it must be held accountable,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “EHSI’s criminal guilty plea, and the sentence imposed upon it, further emphasizes the department’s commitment to prosecuting companies whose illegal conduct contributed to the opioid crisis.”
“The opioid crisis we continue to face today originated, in part, from companies like EHSI building their business on false claims and deceptive business practices,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “By intentionally misrepresenting opioid medications, EHSI prioritized profits over the health and well-being of the American people. Today’s settlement reflects DEA’s commitment to keep Americans safe and holding companies like EHSI accountable.”
“The sentencing in this case demonstrates the level of commitment FDA shares with our Department of Justice colleagues to address the opioid overdose crisis in the United States,” said Associate Commissioner Michael Rogers of FDA’s Office of Regulatory Affairs. “ENDO Health Solutions did not provide accurate information about the safety and abuse potential of their product, putting patients at additional risk of abuse and addiction. Such conduct undermines the agency’s public health mission and will not be tolerated. We will aggressively pursue and bring to justice those who knowingly endanger the nation’s public health.”
“The opioid epidemic is a plague on our country,” said Inspector General Robert P. Storch for the Department of Defense (DoD). “Our warfighters and their families sacrifice greatly for us, and we owe them a quality healthcare system free from corrupt corporate practices such as the ones perpetrated by this company. I applaud the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the Department of Justice and the investigative team from the DoD OIG’s Defense Criminal Investigative Service for their tenacious pursuit of justice in this case. This settlement sends a clear message to companies who place profits above the health and welfare of our warfighters, their families, and our retirees.”
“Today’s sentencing holds the defendants accountable for their role in the long-term deceptive practice of making false statements related to the safety of the opioids they were marketing,” said Inspector General Michael J. Missal for the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). “The VA Office of Inspector General thanks the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners for their efforts in this joint investigation.”
“The successful resolution of this case is a testament to the professionalism and teamwork displayed by our agents, our fellow investigative agencies, and the U.S. Department of Justice,” said Inspector General Kevin H. Winters for Amtrak. “We remain committed to protecting Amtrak employees, retirees, and their families by investigating any acts that could put them at risk, such as the misbranding of potentially dangerous drugs.”
“Through extensive false advertising efforts to conceal oxymorphone’s deleterious effects, Endo Health Solutions Inc. EHSI demonstrated a callous disregard for the safety and well-being of the people who were prescribed this highly addictive drug,” said Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of the FBI Miami Field Office. “But thanks to the hard work of our partners including the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Office of Criminal Investigations, the Veteran’s Administration Office of Inspector General, the U.S. Office of Personnel Management Office of the Inspector General, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service and the Amtrak Office of Inspector General, we are holding EHSI responsible for their significant contribution to the opioid epidemic.”
“Putting people first is at the core of our mission and our agency will continue to be relentless in investigating companies that endanger people in order to boost profits through aggressive, unlawful marketing and misbranding of products,” said Christi A. Grimm of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “Working closely with our partners across several agencies, HHS-OIG remains committed to protecting federal health care programs and the health and safety of people served by those programs.”
In pleading guilty, EHSI admitted that certain sales managers were aware that the sales representatives were making claims of purported abuse deterrence, tamper resistance and/or crush resistance when marketing Opana ER to prescribers, and that certain sales representatives were striking non-medicated sample pills with hammers and conducting other demonstrations to convey the message that Opana ER was, in fact, crush proof and tamper resistant. The approved labeling for Opana ER did not provide adequate information for healthcare providers to safely prescribe Opana ER for use as an opioid that is abuse deterrent. According to the plea agreement, EHSI was responsible for the misbranding of Opana ER by marketing the drug with a label that failed to include adequate directions for its claimed abuse deterrence use, in violation of the FDCA.
EHSI withdrew Opana ER from the market in 2017.
The FBI, DEA, HHS-OIG, FDA-OCI, VA-OIG, OPM-OIG, DCIS and the Amtrak Office of Inspector General conducted the criminal investigation.
Assistant Director Gabriel H. Scannapieco and Trial Attorneys Ben Cornfeld, Brant Cook, Tara M. Shinnick and Colin Trundle of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch prosecuted the case.
For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts visit www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch.
Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse and mismanagement can be reported to HHS, at 1-800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).
Omaha Man Sentenced for Cocaine and Firearm CrimesRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Edwin Baez, 30, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on May 3, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. Chief United State District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Baez to 24 months’ imprisonment for the cocaine offense and to 60 months’ imprisonment, consecutive, for the firearm offense. There is no parole in the federal system. After Baez is released from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. Baez will also forfeit $104,653 in U.S. currency to the United States as drug proceeds.
In March 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration began investigating Baez after identifying him as being a cocaine distributor in the Omaha area.
On both March 22 and April 27, 2022, a confidential informant purchased approximately one ounce of cocaine directly from Baez. On May 26, 2022, a search warrant was executed at Baez’s residence in Omaha. In the garage, officers located approximately 4.6 pounds of cocaine and a Glock 19 pistol. Inside the residence officers located approximately $104,653.
This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.
New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Sexual Exploitation of ChildrenRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DOMINICK ANTHONY VALOTTA (“VALOTTA”) (a/k/a joncimpo#8015), age 38, a resident of New Orleans, pleaded guilty today before United States District Judge Jay C. Zainey, to Count Two of a four-count indictment pending again him, charging VALOTTA with sexual exploitation of children, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2251(a).
According to court documents, acting on a complaint made by a minor resident in Rhode Island, law enforcement executed several lawful search warrants. These warrants were focused on social media accounts, electronic devices, and a residence in Harahan, La. belonging to VALOTTA for various dates beginning around January 2023. A review of the items seized and searched revealed that throughout 2022 and early 2023, VALOTTA met at least three (3) minor females on social media applications. Thereafter, VALOTTA created a false persona. When chatting with the minors, VALOTTA typically engaged in sexually charged correspondence that culminated in VALOTTA attempting to arrange in-person sexual liaisons, requesting sexually explicit images and videos, and, to encourage minors to send him sexually explicit depictions, offered to take and transmit sexually explicit pictures of himself. VALOTTA’s victims included a North Carolina resident born in August 2007 (Victim 1), an Ohio resident born in July 2008 (Victim 2), and a North Carolina resident born in March 2008 (Victim 3).
VALOTTA faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of fifteen (15) years and up to a maximum of thirty (30) years imprisonment. He also faces a minimum of five (5) years and a maximum of a lifetime of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. He may also be required to register as a sex offender. Sentencing before Judge Zainey has been scheduled for August 6, 2024.
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 United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to 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.
U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Jordan Ginsberg, Chief of the Public Integrity Unit, is in charge of the prosecution.
New Hampshire Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Receiving Child PornographyRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Isaiah Lafoe, age 26, of Lancaster, New Hampshire, was sentenced today to 180 months (15 years) in prison for receiving child pornography. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.
Lafoe previously pled guilty and admitted that on September 30, 2020, and between October 5, 2020, and February 15, 2021, he communicated with a girl in Troy, New York, and coerced her into sending him, via social media applications over the internet, images and videos depicting the child engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Lafoe received these images and videos on his cell phone.
United States District Judge Mae A. D’Agostino also imposed a 25-year term of post-imprisonment supervised release and ordered Lafoe to pay $3,000 in restitution to the victim. Lafoe will also be required to register as a sex offender after his release from prison.
This case was investigated by the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force, comprised of FBI Special Agents, and state and local police investigators, including from the New York State Police and the Colonie Police Department. The Troy Police Department also provided assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Wentworth-Ping prosecuted the case as part of Project Safe Childhood.
Launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice, Project Safe Childhood is led by United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS). Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
Nampa Man Sentenced for Trafficking Fentanyl Pills Linked to an Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
Spokane, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Jaycob Tyler Gonzales, age 29, of Nampa, Idaho, was sentenced after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Distribute 40 Grams or More of Fentanyl. United States District Judge Thomas O. Rice imposed a sentence of 108 months imprisonment to be followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, in March of 2022, officers responded to a 911 call for an unconscious male at a home in Lewiston, Idaho. Upon arriving, officers found a man deceased from a fentanyl overdose. There was a piece of tinfoil with a fentanyl pill next to the body. Officers examined the man’s phone and found the last text messages. The messages described a drug transaction and were sent from a phone that belonged to Gonzales.
In April of 2022, Investigators arranged controlled buys of fentanyl pills from Gonzales’s residence in Clarkston, Washington.
On May 22, 2022, a traffic stop was conducted on a vehicle Gonzales was driving. Two young children were in the backseat. Investigators searched the trunk and located a small safe, disguised as dictionary, with more than 1,400 fentanyl pills inside. Gonzales told detectives he was returning home after a trip to Spokane to purchase 1,000 fentanyl pills from his supplier. Gonzales also told detectives he had been selling fentanyl for about two months and made regular trips to Spokane to re-supply. Gonzales admitted selling drugs to the man who died of a fentanyl overdose.
“Fentanyl continues to have a devastating impact on the community, and in this case resulted in the tragic overdose death of a young man. This case is a tragic and stark reminder of the destruction the opioid epidemic has inflicted,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “Mr. Gonzales also had children with him when he was arrested with more than a thousand fentanyl pills, further increasing the risk that others would be harmed by the deadly drugs Mr. Gonzales was trafficking. My office, together with our federal and local partners, will continue to work tirelessly to prosecute those who contribute to this deadly crisis.”
“While in prison, Gonzales will no longer be able to contribute to the opioid epidemic that has devastated so many lives,” said Special Agent in Charge Shohini Sinha of the Salt Lake City FBI. “The FBI and our law enforcement partners are working together to identify and disrupt traffickers who peddle poison in our communities.”
This case was investigated by the North Idaho Violent Crimes Task Force and the Quad Cities Drug Task Force. The Quad Cities Drug Task Force is a multi-jurisdiction task force involving the numerous law enforcement agencies in Asotin County, Garfield County, and Whitman County, Washington, and Latah County and Nez Perce County, Idaho. The North Idaho Violent Crimes Task Force is an FBI led Task Force involving the Idaho State Police, Lewiston Police Department, Nez Perce Tribal Police Department, and Grangeville Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Ellis.
Montgomery County Man Pleads Guilty to Fentanyl Conspiracy and Firearms OffenseRead the Press Release
ALBANY, NEW YORK – Samuel Payano, age 24, of Amsterdam, New York, pled guilty today to engaging in a drug trafficking conspiracy involving fentanyl pills, cocaine, and methamphetamine, to distributing fentanyl pills, and to using a firearm during or in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division, and Bryan Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), made the announcement.
Payano admitted that from May 2022 to December 2022, he conspired with Bernardo Tovar to distribute counterfeit oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, as well as cocaine and methamphetamine. Payano also admitted distributing fentanyl pills and a firearm to another person on October 12, 2022. He also admitted that he and his Tovar possessed fentanyl pills, cocaine, and methamphetamine, as well two firearms in their apartment, on December 7, 2022, when their apartment was searched.
Payano will be sentenced in Syracuse on September 6, 2024, by Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes. Payano faces at least 10 years and up to life in prison, a fine of up to $5 million, and a term of post-imprisonment supervised release of at least 4 years and up to life. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, and other factors.
Payano’s co-conspirator, Tovar, previously pled guilty and was sentenced to 181 months in prison.
The DEA and ATF investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander P. Wentworth-Ping is prosecuting the case.
Milwaukee Men Sentenced to Federal Prison for Pharmacy Robberies and Firearms OffensesRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on May 2, 2024, four defendants have been sentenced by United States District Judge J.P. Stadtmueller to federal prison terms for their involvement in armed robberies of pharmacies in Milwaukee and other offenses.
According to public court filings, Robert K. Love (age 30) and Theodore D. Smith (age 31) carried out an armed robbery of a pharmacy in Milwaukee on November 3, 2021. Days later, on November 7, 2021, Love, Smith, and Alex M. Rollins (age 31) robbed a second pharmacy in the area. Both robberies involved the brandishing of a handgun, which was used to intimidate, threaten, and physically assault pharmacy staff. The robbers stole significant quantities of controlled substances and then sought to distribute those drugs. A federal grand jury returned indictments against Love, Smith, and Rollins, who all later pleaded guilty.
Smith was sentenced on February 29, 2024, to a 15-year federal prison term. At the time he participated in the November 2021 robberies, Smith was on supervised release following an earlier federal prison term imposed for similar crimes in 2015.
Rollins was sentenced on September 7, 2023, to a 6-year federal prison term.
Love was sentenced on May 2, 2024, to a 14-year prison term, followed by a term of supervised release. In addition to the November 2021 robberies, Love had also carried out thefts of three handguns from federal firearms licensees in October 2021 and had made false statements to law enforcement in November 2022. Love’s co-actor in the handgun thefts, Kenta D. Tittle (age 23), was sentenced to a 22-month prison term.
In announcing each of these defendants’ sentences, Judge Stadtmueller emphasized the seriousness of these crimes and their effect on individual victims and the community at large.
“Pharmcy robberies cause multiple layers of harm, placing the physical safety of others at risk, traumatizing victims, and introducing controlled substances into the community,” said U.S. Attorney Haanstad. “In addition, individuals who are willing to steal firearms and get them into the hands of others through uncontrolled sales similarly pose an unacceptable risk to the safety of the neighborhoods in which we all live and work. I commend everyone who played a role in pursuing justice in these matters.”
“Wisconsin residents should not be forced to live in fear of being a victim of violent crime,” said FBI Milwaukee Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Hensle. “The dedicated women and men of the FBI go to great lengths to apprehend those responsible, and their efforts increase the safety of our citizens in their communities. The FBI will continue to work with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to bring individuals like these to justice,” said Hensle.
“ATF stands alongside our law enforcement and prosecutorial partners, committed to investigating and prosecuting these important cases,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Christopher Amon of the Chicago Field Division. “These sentences send a strong message that we will use every resource at our disposal to hold those accountable for the violence in our community.”
The robbery investigation was handled by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Milwaukee Police Department, working as part of the FBI’s Milwaukee Area Violent Crime Task Force.
Love and Tittle’s handgun thefts and related firearms offenses were investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), with assistance from the Germantown Police Department.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Farris Martini and Margaret B. Honrath.
# # #
For further information contact: Public Information Officer
(414) 297-1700
Follow us on Twitter
Miami man sentenced to life in prison for murder in aid of racketeeringRead the Press Release
MIAMI – A Miami man was sentenced to life in prison for murdering a man in aid of racketeering, assaulting a federal law enforcement officer, as well as of multiple counts of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, access device fraud and aggravated identity theft. His sentence is followed by five years of supervised release.
On April 28, 2020, Geno St. Flerose, of Miami, Florida, a member of the “Everybody Eats,” “EBE” gang shot and killed a victim, who was driving by St. Flerose’s house after he chased him for over four blocks, and fired thirteen rounds into the victim’s car, striking him three times. The paramedics transported the victim to the hospital, but he did not survive. The victim was 22 years old at the time of his murder.
Then, on June 17, 2020, while a federal special agent was conducting surveillance in St. Flerose’s neighborhood, St. Flerose saw the agent’s car. He ran into the street and fired multiple rounds at the agent’s car, penetrating it, but not striking the agent. Later, law enforcement officers found hundreds of people’s personal information on St. Flerose’s cell phone.
U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri of FBI, Miami Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Rafael Barros of the U.S. Secret Service (USSS), Miami Field Office, announced the sentence imposed by U.S. District Judge Beth Bloom.
FBI Miami and USSS Miami investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Yara Dodin prosecuted it. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mitchell Hyman handled asset forfeiture.
Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov, under case number 21-cr-20149.
###
Metairie Man Sentenced for Presenting a Materially Altered Postal Money OrderRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that JASON CAREY, age 43, of Metairie, was sentenced for presenting a materially altered postal money order, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 500.
According to court documents, beginning on or about November 4, 2020 and continuing until on or about November 20, 2020, CAREY executed a scheme to fraudulently obtain approximately $20,000 from Hancock Whitney Bank by depositing altered United States Postal Money Orders into his minor daughter’s bank account. CAREY then withdrew these funds from Hancock Whitney Bank before the fund transfers cleared.
United States District Judge Lance M. Africk sentenced CAREY to 3 years of probation. Judge Africk also ordered CAREY to pay $18,183.99 in restitution to Hancock Whitney Bank along with a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge the work of the United States Postal Inspection Service on this matter. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Rachal Cassagne and Paul Hubbell.
Marrero Bookkeeper Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Tax ChargesRead the Press Release
NEW ORLEANS, LA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that MARY B. KATICICH, age 64, of Marrero, Louisiana, pleaded guilty on May 1, 2024, to one count of wire fraud, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1343, and one count of making and subscribing a false tax return, in violation of Title 26, United States Code, Section 7206(1).
According to court documents, KATICICH used her position as bookkeeper with Belle Chase, Louisiana based J&J Diving Corporation to fraudulently divert funds to her benefit from the company’s Regions Bank account. Further, KATICICH willfully filed a tax return for tax year 2016 that she did not believe to be true and correct because it failed to report approximately $120,190.58 of income.
KATICICH faces a maximum term of twenty (20) years imprisonment for the wire fraud count and a maximum term of three (3) years imprisonment as to the tax charge. As to each count, KATICICH also faces a maximum fine of $250,000.00 or the greater of twice the gross gain to the defendant or twice the gross loss to any person resulting from the offense, under Title 18, United States Code, Section 3571. In addition, KATICICH faces a term of supervised release of up to three (3) years on the wire fraud count and up to one (1) year on the tax count. Each count also carries a $100 mandatory special assessment.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to acknowledge the assistance of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service, and the Plaquemines Parish Sheriff’s Office in investigating this matter. The prosecution of this case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Financial Crimes Unit.
Mandan Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Possession and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime by a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
BISMARCK – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced that on May 3, 2024, Kyle William Johnson, age 35, from Mandan, North Dakota, appeared before U.S. District Court Judge Daniel M. Traynor and was sentenced to serve 16 years and 8 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, after he pled guilty to two counts of Possession of a Firearm by a Convicted Felon, one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance (Methamphetamine), and one count of Possession and Discharge of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime.
On November 1, 2022, a Burleigh County Deputy conducted a traffic stop near the intersection of 52nd Street Southeast and Fettig Drive in Bismarck. The driver was identified as Kyle William Johnson. He was placed under arrest for having a suspended driver’s license and an outstanding arrest warrant. After a Bismarck Police Department K9 gave a positive indication on the vehicle, it was searched and law enforcement officers located methamphetamine and a handgun. The firearm was located under the driver’s seat of the vehicle and was loaded with a round of ammunition in the chamber and a thirteen [13] round magazine. Johnson was charged with various offenses in Burleigh County District Court and was released on bond. He subsequently failed to appear for a hearing and an arrest warrant was issued.
On April 22, 2023, Johnson was identified driving a vehicle eastbound on I-94 just east of Bismarck. When law enforcement attempted to stop Johnson to arrest him on outstanding warrants, he fled – starting on the interstate (upwards of 120 mph) and eventually into Bismarck. While within Bismarck city limits, Johnson fired multiple rounds from his vehicle. Law enforcement engaged spike strips and the vehicle became disabled on South Washington Street near the Bismarck Expressway intersection. After Johnson was arrested, officers located methamphetamine and a handgun in the vehicle.
Johnson was prohibited from possessing a firearm due to multiple felony convictions from 2012 – 2023.
“This is a fitting sentence for someone who violently put the lives of law enforcement officers and Bismarck residents at risk,” Schneider said. “Our partners at the Bismarck Police Department and Burleigh County Sheriff’s Office deserve the credit for bringing this individual to justice before he hurt anyone. Violent felons like Mr. Johnson who use illegally possessed firearms to threaten public safety can count on becoming defendants in federal court in the District of North Dakota.”
“Kyle Johnson, through his actions displayed a deliberate and violent disregard for the law,” said Sheriff Kelly Leben, Burleigh County Sheriff’s Office. “I commend the law enforcement officers involved for their actions in ending this violent and dangerous situation and truly appreciate the efforts of the US Attorney’s Office for holding Johnson accountable to the citizens of our county”.
Bismarck, ND Police Chief Dave Draovitch said, “Kyle Johnson is being held accountable for aimlessly shooting out of a moving vehicle, which could have had significant consequences to innocent bystanders in the city that my department protects and serves. We are grateful for the outcome, and this shows how you can’t outrun the collaboration of local, county, state and federal law enforcement when they work together.”
This case was investigated by the Burleigh County Sheriff’s Office, the Bismarck Police Department, the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the North Dakota Highway Patrol, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
The case was prosecuted by the United States Attorney’s Office, with Assistant United States Attorney David Hagler assigned to the case.
# # #
Man Indicted for Threatening Fulton County District AttorneyRead the Press Release
ATLANTA – Marc Shultz has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Atlanta on charges of transmitting interstate threats to injure Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis because of her prosecution of Former President Donald Trump. Shultz made his initial appearance in federal court in San Diego, California on May 2, 2024, and will be formally arraigned in Atlanta in June.
“Sending death threats to a public official is a criminal offense that will not be tolerated,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Our office will continue to diligently coordinate with our federal, state, and local law enforcement partners to help protect public officials while performing their duties and who deserve to do so free from threats of harm and intimidation.”
“Threats against any individual, credible or not, is a very serious crime that the FBI will not tolerate,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Threats of violence against government officials, specifically, threaten the very fabric of our democracy. We want everyone to know that if you engage in such behavior, you will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the indictment, and other information presented in court: On October 4, 2023, and again on October 5, 2023, Shultz allegedly posted multiple comments to two separate YouTube live stream videos. His comments threatened District Attorney Willis with violence and murder including a statement that she “will be killed like a dog.”
Marc Shultz, 66, of Chula Vista, California was indicted by a federal grand jury on April 24, 2024. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendant is presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
This case is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Bret R. Hobson and Brent Alan Gray are prosecuting the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at [email protected] or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga.
Man Indicted and Arrested for Conspiracy to Kill Persons in a Foreign Country and Firearms ViolationsRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – On April 25, 2024, a federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Aldrin Manuel Lara-Martínez with conspiracy to kill persons in a foreign country and the discharging of firearms in furtherance of a crime of violence, announced W. Stephen Muldrow, United States Attorney of the District of Puerto Rico.
According to court documents, the government alleges that on August 16, 2023, Lara-Martínez arranged to rent a car in the Dominican Republic. On August 18, 2023, Lara-Martínez flew from Logan International Airport, in Massachusetts to Santo Domingo, in the Dominican Republic. On August 20, 2023, in the early morning hours, two men and one woman left a night club located on Fabio Herrera Venue and went to the fast-food place called “El Campa Berguer Meat.” While they were stopped at a traffic light, the car that Lara-Martínez had rented pulled up and Lara-Martínez opened fire into their vehicle. Two victims died as the result of gunshot wounds, and one individual suffered gunshot wounds.
On August 22, 2023, the Office of the Judicial Services in the Dominican Republic issued an arrest warrant for Lara-Martínez. The Arrest Warrant sought to bring Lara-Martínez before a court in the Dominican Republic for the murder of two individuals in the Dominican Republic.
As part of the search for Lara-Martínez in the Dominican Republic—Dominican Republic law enforcement created a wanted poster with Lara-Martínez’ photograph that was distributed in an effort to apprehend Lara-Martínez. In addition, to the wanted posters, Dominican Republic law enforcement conducted a large-scale manhunt for Lara-Martínez. Not only was this a law enforcement effort but multiple news outlets picked up the story of Lara-Martínez arrest warrant for murder and his status as a fugitive. Shortly after the alleged murder and the issuing of the arrest warrant—Lara-Martínez took extreme measures and an irregular means of transportation to enter the United States—and traveled on a yola type vessel with undocumented migrants in an attempt to enter the United States at a place other than a designated port of entry—where he would have not have to pass through customs and passport control.
On September 29, 2023, Lara-Martínez was arrested by U.S. Coast Guard personnel after he jumped off the yola type vessel that was transporting Lara-Martínez and others to Puerto Rico. Lara-Martínez was then charged with federal offenses relating to the failure to comply with the orders of the Coast Guard. Following Lara-Martínez’ indictment with this case, the United States dismissed those other pending charges.
The defendant had his detention hearing today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Héctor Ramos Vega of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico and has been ordered detained pending trial. If convicted of Count Two alone, the Defendant faces a mandatory minimum sentence of ten-years imprisonment with a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. If convicted of Count One Lara-Martínez faces a statutory maximum penalty of life imprisonment. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
The US Coast Guard Investigative Services is investigating the case, with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Max Pérez-Bouret, Ryan McCabe, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Helena B. Daniel from the Transnational Organized Crime Unit are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
###
Man Gets 25-Year Prison Sentence for Murder Committed in November 2023Read the Press Release
WASHINGTON - Andre Hicks, 40, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, was sentenced today for the murder of Daniel Adams in November 2023 in Northeast Washington, D.C. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
Superior Court Judge Marisa Demeo sentenced Hicks to 25 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release.
According to the government’s evidence, around 9:10 p.m. on November 25, 2023, Hicks approached 1705 Benning Road Northeast, Washington, D.C., on foot. Several people were standing inside and immediately out front of that address. The victim, Daniel Adams, was one of the people standing out front. After walking up to the address and going up its front stairs, the defendant stood for a moment by the front door, looking back in the direction of Mr. Adams. The defendant then pulled a gun out of his pants and held it to his side, away from and out of view of the victim. With the gun out, the defendant started to slowly walk back down the steps in front of that building toward where the victim was standing. Once the defendant had come within a few feet of the victim, he drew his gun up, pointed it at the victim, and started firing repeatedly. Hicks continued to fire at Mr. Adams as Mr. Adams ran away. Hicks then fled the scene. Mr. Adams was taken to a nearby hospital where he succumbed to his gunshot wounds and died the next day.
In announcing the sentence U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Homicide Branch of the Metropolitan Police Department. They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorney Alec Levy.
Mafia Criminal Gang Founder Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun ChargeRead the Press Release
MACON, Ga. – The founder of the Mafia criminal street gang who has a lengthy criminal history in the Middle Georgia community is facing up to 15 years in prison for illegally possessing a firearm.
Alphonzo Clyde, 45, of Macon, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon on April 10 before Chief U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell. Clyde is facing a maximum of 15 years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release and a $250,000 fine. Clyde’s sentencing is scheduled for July 3. There is no parole in the federal system.
“The Mafia criminal gang is tied to violent crime and large-scale fentanyl distribution in Macon and Middle Georgia, causing grave harm to our community,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Federal, state and local law enforcement is focused on dismantling all violent criminal enterprises and holding their associates accountable in our collaborative effort to keep people safe.”
According to court documents and statements made in court, Clyde is the documented founder of the Mafia, a criminal street gang operating in Middle Georgia and West Virginia. Clyde was wanted on an outstanding probation violation warrant when officers from the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office and the Jones County Sheriff’s Office took him into custody on Oct. 8, 2023. At the time of his arrest, officers spotted a digital scale with a white powdery substance located on the front passenger seat of the SUV that Clyde was driving. Officers also detected a marijuana odor emanating from his vehicle. Officers found a Taurus G2S 9-millimeter handgun inside the glovebox. Clyde has multiple prior felony convictions; it is illegal for a convicted felon to possess a firearm.
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 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 by the FBI, the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office and the Jones County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joy Odom is prosecuting the case for the Government.
Mobile Man Sentenced to 33 Months for Transmitting Interstate Threats to InjureRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – Cloepha Franks, a Mobile, Alabama man, has been sentenced to 33 months in federal prison for transmitting interstate threats to injure. Franks was convicted of this offense at trial in November 2023. The sentence was imposed by United States District Judge Kristi K. DuBose.
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, following his termination from a local construction company, Franks sent a series of threatening text messages to his former boss threatening to kill him.
The jury heard evidence that Franks sent the messages from Alabama to the victim who was in Mississippi. Records of the text messages and cell phone records confirmed Franks’ phone transmitted the messages to the victim.
The victim testified about receiving the threats. He and other witnesses from the construction company testified about precautions taken after Franks transmitted the threats and the fear his actions caused. The FBI testified concerning the ongoing threat to life investigation and evidence obtained from Franks’ cell phone and cell phone records.
At the sentencing hearing held earlier today, Judge DuBose imposed a 33-month sentence of incarceration and a 3-year term of supervised release upon Franks’ discharge from prison. Franks will also be required to undergo mental health evaluation and alcohol monitoring.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Mobile Division led this investigation.
Assistant United States Attorneys Beth Stepan and Chris Bodnar prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Lexington Man Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison for Role in Methamphetamine ConspiracyRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Leopoldo Ramirez, 25, of Lexington, Nebraska, was sentenced May 2, 2024, in federal court in Lincoln, Nebraska for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Ramirez to 132 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Ramirez’ release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release.
Operating from at least June 2021 until October 2022, Ramirez and others were responsible for trafficking meth into the state. Officers from a variety of local, state, and federal agencies pieced the conspiracy together using electronic evidence, surveillance, and search warrants.
Together, the conspirators distributed over 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing meth. As part of the investigation into this conspiracy, Ramirez’s cell phone was seized and searched. Multiple text messages were located between Ramirez and other co-conspirators discussing drugs and narcotic distribution. In addition, Ramirez kept a list of pay/owe status for drugs he distributed. His records indicated approximately 50 additional grams of meth that he had personally distributed in the course of the conspiracy.
This case was investigated by the CODE Drug Task Force, Lexington Police Department, Dawson County Sheriff’s Office, the Nebraska State Patrol, the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
Kanawha County Sex Offender Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography CrimeRead the Press Release
CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Benson Cline II, 49, of Cedar Grove and a convicted sex offender, pleaded guilty on Thursday, May 2, 2024, to possession of prepubescent child pornography.
According to court documents and statements made in court, between on or about July 24, 2023, to on or about November 6, 2023, Cline possessed 22 images and 134 videos of child sexual abuse material including digital media files depicting prepubescent minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct on his instant messaging app account that he accessed through his cell phone.
Cline is scheduled to be sentenced on July 25, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Cline is a registered sex offender, as a result of his conviction for soliciting a minor via computer on February 24, 2011.
United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security-Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Alexander A. Redmon is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
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. 2:24-cr-42.
###
KC Man Sentenced to 21 Years for Fentanyl Conspiracy That Resulted in Overdose DeathRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man has been sentenced in federal court for leading a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, which resulted in an overdose death.
Dmitry Cattell, 24, was sentenced by U.S. Chief District Judge Beth Phillips on Thursday, May 2, to 21 years in federal prison without parole.
On Nov. 21, 2023, Cattell pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, two counts of distributing fentanyl, one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug-trafficking crime, and one count of being an illegal drug user in possession of a firearm.
Cattell distributed at least 6,225 doses of fentanyl during the conspiracy from Sept. 12, 2019, to April 5, 2022. Cattell admitted that the conspiracy also involved at least 1.1 kilograms of cocaine.
Evidence was presented during yesterday’s sentencing hearing related to the delivery of fentanyl, the use of which caused the death of another person on May 18, 2020. The victim of the fatal overdose is not identified in court documents.
According to court documents, law enforcement officers responded four times to Cattell’s residence for drug overdoses. After Cattell sold a pill to his sister, which caused her overdose, a search warrant was executed at his residence on Nov. 10, 2020. Law enforcement officers found drug paraphernalia and a Taurus handgun with a defaced serial number, which was under the pillow on Cattell’s bed. Cattell admitted selling fentanyl to a woman (who crashed her vehicle in front of his residence), his girlfriend, and his sister, who all overdosed. All of these narcotics were distributed by Cattell at his residence.
Cattell is among 11 defendants who have been convicted in this case, and the second defendant to be sentenced. Co-defendant Dominic E. Holland, 25, was sentenced on Nov. 21, 2023, to 10 years and 10 months in federal prison without parole.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Maureen Brackett and Stephanie Bradshaw. It was investigated by the FBI, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Platte County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Clay County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Kearney, Mo., Police Department, the Olathe, Kan., Police Department, and the Riverside, Mo., Police Department.
KC Metro Strike Force
This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.
Justice Department, United States Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota Strengthen Efforts and Build Partnerships to Address the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous PersonsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota joins the broader Justice Department, its partners across the federal government, and people throughout American Indian and Alaska Native communities in recognizing May 5 as National Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Awareness Day.
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.”
Attorney General Garland’s remarks recognizing Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day can be viewed here.
“The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota eagerly embraces its role in preventing and responding to MMIP cases,” Schneider said. “As we continue to work with our partners to carry out Savanna’s Act and address this crisis, we know that one missing person case is too many. Those who are missing from their communities and their families are top of mind on MMIP Awareness Day and every day as we work together to increase public safety in Indian country.”
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 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people. The five regions include the Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Southeast Regions.
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.
In the District of North Dakota, the United States Attorney’s Office is planning its third annual Savanna’s Act meetings with state, local, and tribal officials to reinforce partnerships in responses to recently reported missing and murdered indigenous persons. These meetings will occur in June on each of the four major reservations in North Dakota.
As part of the partnerships set up at previous Savanna’s Act meetings, the office’s Law Enforcement Coordinator has worked closely with tribal, state and local law enforcement to request resources such as air support from the United States Air Force and other air, maritime and land-based resources to aid and assist in searches for missing persons. In 2023, the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota provided resource assistance in 46 missing person cases, 45 of which were resolved.
The office has also partnered on efforts with its regional MMIP coordinator, Assistant United States Attorney Troy Morley of the District of South Dakota. Additional outreach on the development of Tribal Community Response Plans is anticipated in the coming months.
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’s recommendations on how to combat the missing or murdered Indigenous peoples (MMIP) and human trafficking crisis. 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.
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 abuse; drug trafficking; and labor and sex trafficking—can influence the rates of missing AI/AN persons.
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. In February, for instance, a Detroit, Michigan native was sentenced to 168 months in federal prison for his leadership role in a drug trafficking organization targeting the Fort Berthold and Spirit Lake reservations in North Dakota. Combating organized criminal groups who traffic dangerous drugs onto North Dakota’s reservations continues to be a top priority for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of North Dakota.
Accessing Department of Justice 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 Department of Justice’s efforts to address the MMIP crisis, please visit the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons section of the Tribal Safety and Justice website.
Click here for more information about reporting or identifying missing persons.
# # #
Justice Department sues TDCJ for religious discriminationRead the Press Release
HOUSTON – The Justice Department has filed a lawsuit against the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) related to its denial of a religious accommodation for a former administrative employee.
The complaint alleges a woman worked as a non-uniformed clerk in an administrative building at the Pam Lychner Unit of TDCJ and requested to wear a head covering as an expression of her Ifa faith. The complaint asserts that rather than accommodating her request, TDCJ indefinitely suspended her without pay when she would not remove her head covering, impermissibly questioned the sincerity of her faith and ultimately terminated her employment.
The suit alleges TDCJ’s refusal to accommodate her religious practice violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
“Religious discrimination in the workplace will not be tolerated in our district,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. “TDCJ, like any other employer, must reasonably accommodate employees under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”
“Employers cannot require employees to forfeit their religious beliefs or improperly question the sincerity of those beliefs,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This lawsuit is a reminder to all employers of their clear legal obligation to offer reasonable religious accommodations. In our country, employers cannot force an employee to choose between their faith and their job.”
Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Karpati is handling the matter along with Trial Attorney Vendarryl Jenkins of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section
Title VII is a federal statute that prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex and religion. Title VII also prohibits retaliation against employees who have made a charge, assisted or participated in an investigation, proceeding or hearing under Title VII. Employees with complaints of religious discrimination can report them to their local EEOC office or their state or local fair employment practices agencies. The contact information for each local EEOC office can be found at www.eeoc.gov/field-office.
The full and fair enforcement of Title VII is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. More information about the Civil Rights Division and its work is available on its websites at www.justice.gov/crt and www.justice.gov/crt/employment-litigation-section.
The claims asserted in this case are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability.
Justice Department strengthens efforts, builds partnerships to address the crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous PersonsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department joins its partners across the federal government, as well as people throughout Alaska Native and American Indian communities, in recognizing May 5 as National Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Awareness Day.
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.”
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 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people. The five regions include the Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Southeast Regions.
U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska is pleased to announce that Ingrid Goodyear was appointed as the permanent MMIP Coordinator for the Great Plains Region, with includes Alaska, on April 5, 2024, after serving nearly four years as the contracted MMIP coordinator for Alaska. Since her initial appointment in July 2020, she has worked collaboratively with Federal, State, local and Tribal law enforcement, victim services and Tribal agencies to address MMIP in Alaska. For MMIP Awareness Day, Mrs. Goodyear will be joining the Nome community for an awareness walk and speaking event on May 5.
Most recently, Mrs. Goodyear supported the Tanana Chiefs Conference and Fairbanks Native Association in developing and adopting the First Urban MMIP Tribal Community Response Plan (TCRP) for the Fairbanks and TCC region, which provides a unified plan to prevent and respond to MMIP situations for the region’s 39 villages. For roughly four years, Mrs. Goodyear has also worked with partners to create a multidisciplinary working group in Alaska solely focused on working collaboratively to address the MMIP issue through trainings, education and consultations in all regions of the state.
The district also recently hired three Tribal Assistant U.S. Attorneys who will focus solely on prosecuting cases in rural Alaska that address public safety threats impacting rural villages, including drug trafficking or firearm offenses. In January, the district announced that 53 people were charged following an investigation by a multi-jurisdictional task force into a transnational organized crime ring that targeted Alaska, allegedly trafficking kilograms of deadly drugs, including fentanyl, to rural Alaska Native communities and villages like Goodnews Bay and Tyonek, two communities with populations of under 200 people.
“Mrs. Goodyear’s permanent appointment and the hiring of our new Tribal AUSAs are additional steps in my office’s unwavering commitment to address MMIP and violent crime in Alaska,” said U.S. Attorney Tucker. “In the over three years that Mrs. Goodyear has been with our office as the district MMIP coordinator, she has had a tremendous impact on bringing partners and communities together to have crucial conversations about an issue that is gripping our state. Moving forward, we are excited to have our full team of dedicated professionals working toward progress for MMIP and Tribal justice in Alaska.”
The MMIP Regional Outreach 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’s recommendations on how to combat the missing or murdered Indigenous peoples (MMIP) and human trafficking crisis. 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.
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 abuse; drug trafficking; and labor and sex trafficking—can influence the rates of missing AI/AN persons.
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.
Accessing Department of Justice 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 Department of Justice’s efforts to address the MMIP crisis, please visit the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons section of the Tribal Safety and Justice website.
Click here for more information about reporting or identifying missing persons.
###
Justice Department Sues Texas Department of Criminal Justice for Religious DiscriminationRead the Press Release
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit today against the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) for denying an employee’s religious accommodation request to wear a head covering as an expression of her Ifa faith. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Texas, alleges that TDCJ’s refusal to accommodate the employee’s religious practice violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII).
“Employers cannot require employees to forfeit their religious beliefs or improperly question the sincerity of those beliefs,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “This lawsuit is a reminder to all employers of their clear legal obligation to offer reasonable religious accommodations. In our country, employers cannot force an employee to choose between their faith and their job.”
“Religious discrimination in the workplace will not be tolerated in our district,” said U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani for the Southern District of Texas. “TDCJ, like any other employer, must reasonably accommodate employees under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”
The department’s complaint alleges that Franches Spears, who worked as a non-uniformed clerk in an administrative building, requested to wear a head covering in accordance with the tenets of her religion. The complaint alleges that even though TDCJ allowed other employees to wear hats and other non-religious head coverings and could have accommodated Spears’ request it refused to do so. Instead, TDCJ indefinitely suspended Spears without pay when she would not remove her head covering, impermissibly questioned the sincerity of her faith and ultimately terminated her employment.
The department’s lawsuit seeks to require TDCJ to implement lawful religious accommodation policies and compensate Spears for lost wages and other damages.
Title VII is a federal law that prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, national origin, sex and religion. Title VII also prohibits retaliation against employees who have made a charge, or assisted or participated in an investigation, proceeding or hearing under Title VII. Employees with complaints of religious discrimination or retaliation can report them to their local Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) office or their state or local fair employment practices agencies. The contact information for each local EEOC office can be found at www.eeoc.gov/field-office.
The full and fair enforcement of Title VII is a top priority of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. More information about the Civil Rights Division and its work can be found at www.justice.gov/crt and www.justice.gov/crt/employment-litigation-section.
Trial Attorneys Vendarryl Jenkins and Cheyenne Chambers of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Elizabeth Karpati for the Southern District of Texas are handling the case.
Justice Department Strengthens Efforts, Builds Partnerships to Address the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous PersonsRead the Press Release
Remote video URL
The Justice Department joins 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.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.”
“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.”
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 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people. The five regions are the Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Southeast Regions.
U.S. Attorneys and MMIP personnel engaged in events with Tribal and law enforcement partners, communities, and stakeholders today across the United States, and will continue to do so in the days to come.
The MMIP Regional Outreach Program dedicates five MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorneys and five MMIP coordinators to provide specialized support to U.S. Attorneys’ offices to address and combat the issues of MMIP. This support includes assisting in the investigation of unresolved MMIP cases and related crimes, and promoting communication, coordination, and collaboration among federal, Tribal, local, and state law enforcement, and non-governmental partners on MMIP issues.
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:
- In January, the U.S Attorney’s Office for the District of Alaska announced that 53 people were charged following an investigation by a multi-jurisdictional task force into a transnational organized crime ring that targeted Alaska, allegedly trafficking kilograms of deadly drugs including fentanyl to rural Alaska Native communities and villages like Goodnews Bay and Tyonek, two communities with populations of under 200 people.
- 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.
- This coming August, the DEA will be holding their 7th annual training in partnership with the Bureau of Indian Affairs on drug enforcement in Tribal communities. This upcoming training will include a specific focus on fentanyl and certifying meeting participants in administering Narcan.
- 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.
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.
Justice Department Strengthens Efforts, Builds Partnerships to Address the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous PersonsRead the Press Release
United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona Participates in Multiple Events Across the State for Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Awareness Day
PHOENIX, Ariz. – The Justice Department joins its partners across the federal government, as well as people throughout American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) communities, in recognizing May 5 as National Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons (MMIP) Awareness Day.
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.”
“Missing Indigenous Persons cases require more from us as prosecutors,” said United States Attorney Gary Restaino. “The uncertainty caused in a missing persons case can exacerbate trauma for family and friends. We need to rethink how and what we can share with next of kin so that we can promote better outcomes, support greater sensitivity to Tribal customs and culture, and instill greater confidence in the results of investigations.”
“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 DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “We know that no community has been spared from these deadly threats and we are committed to keeping Tribal communities safe.”
Justice Department Prioritization of MMIP Cases
Last July, the Justice Department announced the creation of the MMIP Regional Outreach Program, which permanently places 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people. The five regions include the Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Southeast Regions. In the Southwest, the District of Arizona is currently in the process of hiring the region’s Coordinator, and the District of New Mexico has already hired a lawyer to assist in regional efforts.
To commemorate MMIP Awareness Day and honor victims, U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino, AUSA Kiyoko Patterson, and victim advocates from the U.S. Attorney’s Office will participate in an MMIP Awareness event at the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix on May 4. On May 2, members of the U.S. Attorney’s Office participated in the 3rd Annual National Missing and Murdered Indigenous Peoples Day of Awareness Symposium at the University of Arizona.
The MMIP regional outreach 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’s (NIAC) recommendations on how to combat the MMIP and human trafficking crises. The response to the NIAC, 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.
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 abuse; drug trafficking; and labor and sex trafficking—can influence the rates of missing AI/AN persons.
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 expose already vulnerable communities to greater harm. The U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Arizona has conducted several collaborative training sessions with Tribal law enforcement partners on fentanyl interdiction and prosecution strategies, and has undertaken fentanyl prosecution initiatives in several Tribal Nations in Arizona.
Accessing Department of Justice 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 Department of Justice’s efforts to address the MMIP crisis, please visit the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons section of the Tribal Safety and Justice website.
Click here for more information about reporting or identifying missing persons.
RELEASE NUMBER: 2024-058_ Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons Day
# # #
For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/
Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on X @USAO_AZ for the latest news.Justice Department Strengthens Efforts, Builds Partnerships to Address the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous PersonsRead the Press Release
BOISE – The Justice Department joins 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.
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.”
“The crisis of missing and murdered indigenous persons continues to impact Idaho’s tribal communities, causing generational pain,” said U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit. “We are committed to enhancing our partnerships with Idaho’s tribes to address this unacceptable problem. The new Regional MMIP Prosecutor position in Eastern Washington is an important part of this effort. We look forward to continuing to serve Idaho’s tribes and to seek justice for victims.”
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 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people. The five regions include the Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Southeast Regions.
In Idaho, the U.S. Attorney’s Office will benefit from the Northwest Regional MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorney, Bree Black Horse, who will work out of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Washington and assist on community engagement and prosecutions in Idaho.
The MMIP Regional Outreach 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’s recommendations on how to combat the missing or murdered Indigenous peoples (MMIP) and human trafficking crisis. 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.
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 abuse; drug trafficking; and labor and sex trafficking—can influence the rates of missing AI/AN persons.
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. In Idaho, for instance:
- In April 2022, Travis Dewayne Ellenwood, 44, of Kamiah, was sentenced to 235 months in federal prison for second degree murder. According to court records, Ellenwood beat and strangled his girlfriend, Bessie Blackeagle, killing her on October 31, 2020. Ellenwood maintained he was too intoxicated to remember what happened. Ellenwood is a member of the Nez Perce Tribe, as was Ms. Blackeagle. Ms. Blackeagle was 28 at the time of her murder. She was a Nez Perce language speaker and well versed in Nez Perce traditions and customs. Her death has affected many in the tribal community.
- In October 2021, Justin Beasley, 27, of Fort Hall, was sentenced to 327 months in federal prison for second degree murder. According to court records, and evidence presented at trial, on February 3, 2018, Austin Pevo, 23, was dropped off by his mother at a residence on the Fort Hall Indian Reservation for work cutting firewood. Testimony at trial showed that Beasley and others were at the residence at that time. Beasley and Pevo had an argument and Beasley stabbed Pevo twice in the chest with a knife. Beasley and two other men took Pevo’s body to an isolated area in Arbon Valley. Pevo’s family reported him missing and the Fort Hall Police Department investigated but was unable to locate any information on Pevo’s whereabouts.
A witness to the events of February 3, 2018, came forward to the Fort Hall Police in August 2019, and reported that Pevo had died on that date and three men who had been at the house removed his body. The FBI executed a search warrant at the residence and found evidence that Pevo had died there. One of the men who helped hide the body admitted to his involvement and took FBI agents to the location of Pevo’s remains in Arbon Valley. The agents recovered Pevo’s remains along with clothing and other personal items. DNA testing showed that the remains were those of Pevo.
Accessing Department of Justice 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 Department of Justice’s efforts to address the MMIP crisis, please visit the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons section of the Tribal Safety and Justice website.
Click here for more information about reporting or identifying missing persons.
###
Justice Department Strengthens Efforts, Builds Partnerships to Address the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous PersonsRead the Press Release
MINNEAPOLIS – The Justice Department joins 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.
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.”
“MMIP Awareness Day is a time to honor and remember victims of violence. It is also a time to reaffirm our commitment to supporting the needs of our Tribal communities,” said U.S. Attorney Luger. “Here in the District of Minnesota, we are fortunate to have an MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorney who is focused on strengthening partnerships and advancing public safety and engagement with Tribal communities across Minnesota and the Great Lakes Region.”
“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 DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “We know that no community has been spared from these deadly threats and we are committed to keeping Tribal communities safe.”
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 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people. The five regions include the Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Southeast Regions. Last year, Laura M. Provinzino was appointed to serve as the MMIP Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Great Lakes Region.
The MMIP Regional Outreach 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’s recommendations on how to combat the missing or murdered Indigenous peoples (MMIP) and human trafficking crisis. 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.
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 abuse; drug trafficking; and labor and sex trafficking—can influence the rates of missing AI/AN persons.
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.
Accessing Department of Justice 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 Department of Justice’s efforts to address the MMIP crisis, please visit the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons section of the Tribal Safety and Justice website.
Click here for more information about reporting or identifying missing persons.
Justice Department Strengthens Efforts, Builds Partnerships to Address the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous PersonsRead the Press Release
Jackson, Miss. – The Justice Department joins 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.
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.”
“The Department of Justice has been working hard to strengthen law enforcement cooperation with the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and other law enforcement partners in order to better address violent crime, the fentanyl crisis, and other public safety issues in Tribal communities,” said U.S. Attorney Todd Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi.
“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 DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “We know that no community has been spared from these deadly threats and we are committed to keeping Tribal communities safe.”
“The Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians is pleased with the dedicated coordinated efforts between Tribal law enforcement and federal and state partners who respond to missing or murdered indigenous person cases,” said Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Tribal Chief Cyrus Ben. “These partnerships are critical when a tribal member goes missing or is murdered, as these types of cases may cross jurisdictional boundaries and often require the involvement of neighboring departments.”
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 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people. The five regions include the Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Southeast Regions.
In the Southern District of Mississippi, the United States Attorney’s Office, in conjunction with the Federal Bureau of Investigation, conducted a training event on March 19, 2024, with the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians (M.B.C.I.), the Neshoba County Sheriff’s Department, the Leake County Sheriff’s Department, and the Carthage Police Department regarding the implementation of the FBI’s Safe Trails Task Force, which brings together federal, state, local, and Tribal law enforcement officers to focus on violent crime in Tribal communities and surrounding areas.
“The recent implementation of the FBI Safe Trails Task Force has enhanced these public safety partnerships and brought additional tools and resources to our law enforcement agency and those local law enforcement agencies participating,” said Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Tribal Chief Cyrus Ben. “The Tribe will continue to support and promote collaboration with all of our law enforcement partners to enhance our collective capabilities to respond to incidences of crime. I commend the efforts of our federal, local, and state partners who assist the Tribe in responding to our MMIP cases.”
In recognition of the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, the United States Attorney’s Office has joined forces with the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians to raise awareness for MMIW by asking everyone to wear red on Friday, May 3, 2024, to make visible those indigenous women that have disappeared and/or been murdered. The United States Attorney’s Office works closely with the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ Missing and Murdered Unit and the Choctaw Police Department regarding cases concerning reports of missing or murdered indigenous persons.
The MMIP Regional Outreach 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’s recommendations on how to combat the missing or murdered Indigenous peoples (MMIP) and human trafficking crisis. 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.
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 abuse; drug trafficking; and labor and sex trafficking—can influence the rates of missing AI/AN persons.
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, on April 4, 2024, U.S. Attorney Todd Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi, and AUSA Kevin J. Payne, Tribal Liaison for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Southern District of Mississippi, met with Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians Tribal Chief Cyrus Ben, Choctaw Attorney General Dianne Maxwell, and M.B.C.I. Special Assistant United States Attorney Brian K. Burns to discuss the Memorandum of Understanding between the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi regarding the duties and responsibilities of the M.B.C.I. Special Assistant United States Attorney and how the United States Attorney’s Office can assist with the prosecution of violent crime, sexual assaults, domestic violence, missing persons and narcotics offenses on the Choctaw Indian Reservation.
The Department of Justice has successfully prosecuted several violent crimes against Tribal members this year. For example, on April 30, 2024, a sentence was imposed in the case of United States v. Tyreese Smith, a non-Indian male who committed an act of domestic violence against a tribal female in the Bok Homa Community of the Choctaw Indian Reservation. Smith was sentenced to 24 months after pleading guilty to assault with intent to commit a felony. This case was a collaborative effort between the Choctaw Police Department, Jones County Sheriff’s Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation as part of the FBI’s Safe Trails Task Force.
Accessing Department of Justice 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 Department of Justice's efforts to address the MMIP crisis, please visit the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons section of the Tribal Safety ad Justice website.
Click here for more information about reporting or identifying missing persons.
Justice Department Strengthens Efforts, Builds Partnerships to Address the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous PersonsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department joins 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.
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.”
“On Sunday, May 5, we recognize and honor American Indian and Alaska Native persons who have gone missing or have been murdered and renew our commitment to address this crisis. Every person deserves to feel safe in their home and community. The loss of even one Indigenous man, woman or child through disappearance or murder is unacceptable, and we acknowledge the pain and suffering these losses cause families and communities,” said U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich, for the District of Montana. “We also acknowledge that Indigenous women and children face disproportionally higher rates of violence and sexual abuse. And we reaffirm our commitment to do everything we can to find the missing, hold killers accountable and seek justice for the missing or murdered by continuing to work with all our federal, state, tribal and local law enforcement partners. And while we are not perfect, we are making progress. We meet regularly with tribal leadership for the Blackfeet, Rocky Boy’s, Fort Belknap, Fort Peck, Crow, Northern Cheyenne, and Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes about the issues they’re facing. We are determined to do the hard work of reducing violence and improving public safety for all Indigenous persons.”
“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 DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “We know that no community has been spared from these deadly threats and we are committed to keeping Tribal communities safe.”
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 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people. The five regions include the Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Southeast Regions.
The MMIP Regional Outreach 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’s recommendations on how to combat the missing or murdered Indigenous peoples (MMIP) and human trafficking crisis. The NIAC response, announced by Attorney General Garland during a visit to the Crow Nation in Montana, 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.
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 abuse; drug trafficking; and labor and sex trafficking—can influence the rates of missing AI/AN persons.
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:
In the District of Montana, federal, local and tribal law enforcement, through a collaborative investigation, dismantled a large-scale, multi-state methamphetamine and narcotics trafficking conspiracy that ran from January 2022 until March 2023 and was based on two properties on the Crow Reservation, including one known as Spear Siding. The investigation determined that while based on the Crow Reservation, trafficking operations reached across Montana, including to the Northern Cheyenne, Fort Belknap, and Rocky Boy’s reservations. The investigation into Spear Siding activities has led to federal charges against more than two dozen defendants, 13 of whom have been convicted and sentenced.
Accessing Department of Justice Resource
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 Department of Justice’s efforts to address the MMIP crisis, please visit the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons section of the Tribal Safety and Justice website.
Click here for more information about reporting or identifying missing persons.
# # #
Justice Department Strengthens Efforts, Builds Partnerships to Address the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous PersonsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – The Justice Department joins 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.
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.”
“The loss of any one is a loss to us all,” said U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez. “The Department of Justice is committed to bringing justice and answers to grieving Tribal communities. By listening to the needs of our Indigenous neighbors and taking concrete steps to address this crisis, from investigations and prosecutions to enhancing training and outreach, we will meet the case of each missing and murdered indigenous person with urgency, transparency, and coordination.”
“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 DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “We know that no community has been spared from these deadly threats and we are committed to keeping Tribal communities safe.”
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 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people. The five regions include the Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Southeast Regions.
In the Southwest Region, MMIP AUSA Eliot Neal from District of New Mexico will join District of Arizona U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino, AUSA Kiyoko Patterson, and victim advocates from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Arizona at MMIP Awareness events at the Arizona State Capitol in Phoenix.
The MMIP Regional Outreach 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’s recommendations on how to combat the missing or murdered Indigenous peoples (MMIP) and human trafficking crisis. 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.
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 abuse; drug trafficking; and labor and sex trafficking—can influence the rates of missing AI/AN persons.
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:
Accessing Department of Justice 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 Department of Justice’s efforts to address the MMIP crisis, please visit the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons section of the Tribal Safety and Justice website.
Click here for more information about reporting or identifying missing persons.
# # #
Justice Department Strengthens Efforts, Builds Partnerships to Address the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous PersonsRead the Press Release
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The Justice Department joins 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.
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.”
“The tireless work by prosecutors and law enforcement in the last 12 months of prosecuting three individuals involved in homicides in Tribal communities in the District of Utah is proof that the U.S. Attorney’s Office is committed to pursuing those who commit violence against Native Americans,” said United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins. “The work is never done, but through prosecution, we will continue to seek justice for the victims and their families and be the voice of victims who can no longer speak.”
“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 DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “We know that no community has been spared from these deadly threats and we are committed to keeping Tribal communities safe.”
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 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people. The five regions include the Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Southeast Regions.Last August, in the District of Utah, U.S. Attorney Higgins hosted the 30th Annual Four Corners Indian Country Conference in Salt Lake City. The three day event brought over 200 professionals from the four corner states who are involved in victim services and public safety in tribal communities. The district’s MMIP Coordinator, Tad May, was one of several trainers to discuss strategies and best practices to make tribal communities safer.
The MMIP Regional Outreach 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’s recommendations on how to combat the missing or murdered Indigenous peoples (MMIP) and human trafficking crisis. 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.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 abuse; drug trafficking; and labor and sex trafficking—can influence the rates of missing AI/AN persons. 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:
In the past 12 months, the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the District of Utah tried and convicted defendants in three homicides in Tribal communities. Most recently, in February 2024, an Aneth, Utah man was found guilty of murdering a Navajo woman in front of her two young daughters on the Navajo Nation. In November 2023, a Fort Duchesne, Utah, man was sentenced to 45 years’ imprisonment for shooting and killing a Native American man. In August 2023, a Bluff, Utah man was sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment after a federal jury convicted him of murder in the second degree of a Ute Tribe member.
Accessing Department of Justice 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 Department of Justice’s efforts to address the MMIP crisis, please visit the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons section of the Tribal Safety and Justice website.Click here for more information about reporting or identifying missing persons.
Justice Department Strengthens Efforts, Builds Partnerships to Address the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous PersonsRead the Press Release
Seattle – The Justice Department joins 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. In recognition of MMIP Awareness Day, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced ongoing efforts to tackle the MMIP and human trafficking crisis in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, and other pressing public safety challenges such as 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.”
“As I meet with each of our 25 Tribes, safety in our indigenous communities is always top of mind. At every visit we hear how fentanyl is impacting tribal communities and the need to prosecute outsiders dealing drugs that put tribal members at risk,” said U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. “We are working to stop the flow of fentanyl and are working to build the law enforcement relationships that are critical if a tribal member goes missing. This outreach to our sovereign tribal partners is one of the most critical and rewarding parts of my job as U.S. Attorney.”
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 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people. The five regions include the Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Southeast Regions.
In the Northwest Region, Cedar Wilkie Gillette will serve as the MMIP coordinator working out of the District of Oregon. Wilkie Gillette is expanding her work from Oregon to the Northwest region. Wilkie Gillette will gather reliable data to identify MMIP cases connected to Northwest tribes; conduct outreach with tribal communities to assist in the creation and implementation of community action plans; coordinate with tribal, local, state, and federal law enforcement in the development of protocols and procedures for responding to and addressing MMIP cases; and promote improved data collection and analyses throughout the Northwest.
Adding to the Northwest MMIP team, Assistant United States Attorney Bree R. Black Horse was sworn in May 2, 2024, as the MMIP AUSA to lead regional efforts in addressing MMIP. Western Washington Tribal Liaisons J. Tate London and Michael Harder attended the ceremony on the Yakama Nation. AUSA Black Horse will work out of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Yakima.
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.
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 abuse; drug trafficking; and labor and sex trafficking—can influence the rates of missing AI/AN persons.
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. In the Western District of Washington federal, tribal, and state law enforcement worked together to arrest and prosecute drug dealers impacting tribal communities:
A Monroe man dealing heroin and fentanyl; A Bellingham man dealing fentanyl while armed; and a Maple Falls man was sentenced to six years in prison.
Accessing Department of Justice 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 Department of Justice’s efforts to address the MMIP crisis, please visit the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons section of the Tribal Safety and Justice website.
Click here for more information about reporting or identifying missing persons.
Justice Department Strengthens Efforts, Builds Partnerships to Address the Crisis of Missing or Murdered Indigenous PersonsRead the Press Release
Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, joins the Department of Justice and our 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.
In recognition of MMIP Awareness Day, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland announced stepped up efforts to tackle the MMIP and human trafficking crisis in American Indian and Alaska Native communities, and other pressing public safety challenges like the fentanyl crisis which have had a disproportionate impact on Native Americans, exacerbating violence and addiction in already vulnerable 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.”
“The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Wisconsin is proud to work with all of our partners – federal, state, local, and tribal governments and non-governmental organizations – to do everything possible to prevent and respond to cases of missing or murdered Indigenous people,” said U.S. Attorney Haanstad. “We are committed to pursuing justice for and providing support to victims and their loved ones.”
“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 DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “We know that no community has been spared from these deadly threats and we are committed to keeping Tribal communities safe.”
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 10 attorneys and coordinators in five designated regions across the United States to aid in the prevention and response to missing or murdered Indigenous people. The five regions include the Northwest, Southwest, Great Plains, Great Lakes, and Southeast Regions. 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.
There are five federally recognized tribes in the Eastern District of Wisconsin, each of which has a unique, vibrant, and rich culture. The U.S. Attorney’s Office has resources, including a Tribal Liaison, dedicated to promoting safety and security on tribal lands and in tribal communities. Information on charged cases can be found here: https://www.justice.gov/usao-edwi/pr.
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’s recommendations on how to combat the MMIP and human trafficking crisis. 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.
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 abuse; drug trafficking; and labor and sex trafficking—can influence the rates of missing AI/AN persons.
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.
Accessing Department of Justice 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 Department of Justice’s efforts to address the MMIP crisis, please visit the Missing or Murdered Indigenous Persons section of the Tribal Safety and Justice website.
Click here for more information about reporting or identifying missing persons.
# # #
For further information contact:
Public Information Officer
(414) 297-1700
Follow us on Twitter