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19 April 2024
Mobile Man Sentenced to 120 Months in Prison for Illegally Possessing a FirearmRead the Press Release
MOBILE, AL – A Mobile man was sentenced to 120 months in prison for possessing a firearm as a previously convicted felon.
According to court documents, David Bailey, 40, was arrested by Mobile police on October 26, 2022 following the execution of a search warrant at his residence. During a search of the residence, a firearm was located on the couch in the front room, as well as powder cocaine, crack cocaine, marijuana, an ecstasy pill, and a bottle of promethazine syrup in various places throughout the residence. Bailey admitted to ownership of the firearm.
Bailey was indicted for being a felon in possession of a firearm and pled guilty to the charge. United States District Court Judge Terry F. Moorer sentenced Bailey to 120 months in prison followed by a 3-year term of supervised release for illegally possessing the firearm.
U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Mobile Police Department investigated the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica S. Terrill prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.
Mission Man Sentenced for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Prohibited Person in Possession of a Firearm. The sentencing took place on April 15, 2024.
Vernon Robert Schmidt, a/k/a Sonny Bob Schmidt, age 38, was sentenced to two years and 11 months in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to a pay $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Schmidt was indicted by a federal grand jury in August of 2022. He pleaded guilty on January 16, 2024.
The conviction stems from an incident that occurred on May 18, 2022, near Mission. On that date, law enforcement was looking for Schmidt based on an alleged domestic dispute that occurred earlier in the day at a residence near Mission. Schmidt was subsequently located at a different residence. A loaded 9 mm pistol was found in his possession.
Schmidt has three prior felony convictions in U.S. District Court, District of South Dakota. In 2005, he was convicted of Assaulting, Resisting, and Impeding a Federal Officer; in 2006, he was convicted of Escape; and in 2015, he was convicted of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. As a result of these convictions, it is illegal for Schmidt to possess firearms or ammunition. Schmidt will forfeit ownership of the firearm to the United States.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kirk Albertson prosecuted the case.
Schmidt was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Mission Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Mission, South Dakota, man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on April 15, 2024.
Gary Drum, age 37, was sentenced to 13 months in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Drum was indicted for Failure to Register as a Sex Offender by a federal grand jury in December of 2023. He pleaded guilty on February 29, 2024.
On June 22, 2015, Drum was convicted of Abusive Sexual Contact in U.S. District Court, District of Montana. As a result of this conviction, Drum is required to comply with the Sex Offender Registration and Notification Act. In 2022, Drum was ordered to serve a jail sentence after a conviction in Fort Peck Tribal Court. Pursuant to a contract between the Fort Peck Sioux and Asiniboine Tribe and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe, Drum served his sentence at the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Adult Corrections Facility. Drum remained in the area after his release, initially residing at a residence in the North Antelope Community. On at least two separate occasions, Drum was arrested for tribal charges and served additional time in custody. Drum was last released from custody on October 31, 2023, and failed to update his address with the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Sex Offender Registration Office within three business days.
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 the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service and the Rosebud Sioux Tribe Law Enforcement Services. Assistant U.S. Attorney Abby Roesler prosecuted the case.
Drum was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Middlesex County Man Charged with Possession of Child PornographyRead the Press Release
NEWARK, N.J. – A Middlesex County, New Jersey, man was charged with possessing images of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Andrew Chu, 33, of Edison, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of possession of child pornography. Chu made his initial appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Leda Dunn Wettre in Newark federal court on April 18, 2024, and was detained.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From May 2023 through November 2023, Chu used his computer to view approximately 100 images of child sexual abuse, including depictions involving pre-pubescent children.
In a prior federal prosecution in New Jersey in 2021, Chu was convicted of possession of child pornography; for a repeat offender, the charge of possession of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison, a maximum of 20 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of Homeland Security Investigations Newark, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge William S. Walker, with the investigation leading to the charge.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ariel Douek of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.
The charge and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
chu.complaint.pdfMiddle District of Florida Prosecutors Indict 64 Firearms and Violent Crime Defendants During First Three Months of 2024 as Part of Project Safe Neighborhoods StrategyRead the Press Release
Tampa, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced today the results of the second quarter of fiscal year 2024 Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) strategy. During the second quarter of fiscal year 2024, ending on March 31, 2024, the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida indicted 64 defendants. These defendants face federal firearms, narcotics, and violent crime charges. Law enforcement seized approximately 97 firearms associated with these defendants.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office also engaged in community outreach efforts aimed at violent crime prevention throughout the year. Members of the United States Attorney’s Office interacted with approximately 150 middle and high school students and community members during the first quarter of 2024. Re-entry events, including the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office DISMAS program, reached over 250 people.
“Our office is committed to reducing violent crime throughout the Middle District of Florida,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg. “We will continue working with our law enforcement partners and community stakeholders as part of our joint effort to make our communities safer.”
PSN is the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. This evidence-based program has proven to be effective at reducing violent crime by engaging a broad spectrum of stakeholders working together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in communities and developing comprehensive solutions that reduce crime. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses on prevention and intervention efforts through community engagement and problem-solving partnerships, strategic enforcement of the most violent offenders, and locally based re-entry programs to reduce recidivism.
Q2 PSN case highlights:
United States v. Mar’tavouis Martel Brown (Ft. Myers)
On January 26, 2024, Mar’tavious Martel Brown (25, Lehigh Acres) was sentenced to five years in federal prison. According to court records, Brown sold a pistol and cocaine to an undercover agent with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives in Fort Myers.
United States v. Jose Melean Reyes (Jacksonville)
In January 2024, Jose Melean Reyes (29, Jacksonville) pleaded guilty to smuggling firearms from the United States and conspiracy to use a facility of interstate commerce in the commission of a murder-for-hire. According to his plea agreement, on May 15, 2021, Reyes attempted to smuggle 3 firearms and 57 rounds of ammunition from Jacksonville to Venezuela. Reyes concealed the firearms and ammunition in a futon that he attempted to mail using a freight forwarding service.
Following Reyes’s arrest on unrelated state charges on August 11, 2023, federal agents searched Reyes’s cellphone and found conversations between Reyes and another individual discussing trafficking firearms to Venezuela. From Reyes’s phone, agents also learned Reyes and others were involved in a murder-for-hire plot based on a $60,000 debt. Reyes attempted to hire a hitman for $15,000, but federal agents prevented any murder from occurring by arresting Reyes on a criminal complaint. Reyes faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison for each offense. A sentencing date has not yet been set.
United States v. Wendell Goney (Ocala)
On July 11, 2021, deputies from the Lake County Sheriff’s Office responded to a burglary at a 10-acre business property in Mount Dora. Deputies used a law enforcement drone to assist with the outdoor search, only to have the drone destroyed by gunfire from a neighboring property. When deputies responded to that location, they confronted Goney, who admitted that he had just shot down the drone with a .22 caliber rifle. He claimed the drone had been “harassing” him. Goney then admitted to the deputies that he could not lawfully possess a firearm because he was a convicted felon. A record check confirmed Goney’s 29 prior state felony convictions, which included aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer, resisting arrest with violence, illegal drug possession, burglary, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On February 22, 2024, Goney was sentenced to 48 months in federal prison and ordered to pay more than $22,000 in restitution for the destroyed law enforcement drone.
United States v. Timothy Jones (Orlando)
On February 14, 2024, Timothy Jones, (60, Orlando) was sentenced to 25 years in federal prison for two bank robberies he committed in Orlando and Kissimmee. The first robbery occurred on June 2, 2022, one day after Jones was released from Putnam County Correctional Facility after having served an eight-year term of incarceration for bank robbery. During the first robbery in Orlando, Jones threatened to shoot everyone in the bank if they did not give him $150,000 and told the employee that there would be a “bloodbath” if he did not get what he wanted. After employees provided cash, Jones took the keys to an employee’s car and escaped. A week later, Jones robbed a bank in Kissimmee. Jones again threatened the tellers with a gun and stole cash before stealing an employee’s car and escaping. Later that afternoon, Jones was apprehended near the employee’s car with nearly all the money from the second robbery. Jones had previously been convicted of robbery charges in 1995, 2006, and 2013 and had spent most of the past 18 years incarcerated for robbery charges.
United States v. James Smith (Tampa)
On March 22, 2024, James Eugene Smith (44, Wimauma) was sentenced to eight years in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. According to court documents, in the early morning hours of January 14, 2023, Smith was driving in Brandon, Florida and believed that a driver in a black sedan was brake checking him, while a separate driver prevented Smith from passing. Smith eventually passed both cars before brake checking the black sedan in return. The driver of the black sedan drove around Smith, and Smith and the driver of the black sedan then exchanged gunfire. Smith, in an alleged attempt to see the tag of the black sedan, made a U-turn. After making the U-turn, Smith spotted a gray sedan that he thought was the black sedan and opened fire. Smith followed the gray sedan into the gas station, again firing at it. Neither victim was shot. At the time of the incident, Smith had multiple prior felony convictions. As a convicted felon Smith is prohibited from possessing a firearm or ammunition under federal law.
These cases are being prosecuted by the Assistant United States Attorneys in all five divisions throughout the Middle District of Florida. For additional information on Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit our website: https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdfl/project-safe-neighborhoods-0.
Charged Cases
Defendant(s)
Charges
Minimum/Maximum Terms of Imprisonment
Firearms Seized
Fort Myers Division
James Michael O’Brien
Theft of a firearm from a firearms dealer and possession of a stolen firearm.
Maximum penalty: 10 years in federal prison.
1
This PSN case from the Fort Myers Division is being handled by AUSAs Mark Morgan.
Jacksonville Division
Bryan Lyndell Chapman
Manufacturing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes; passing counterfeit Federal Reserve notes; and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 20 years in federal prison for each offense.
1
Peter Lawrence
Making a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer during the attempted purchase of a firearm.
Maximum penalty: 5 years in federal prison.
0
Allen Tereal Grimes
Possession of ammunition by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
0
Brian Givens
Possession of a machine gun.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Derrick Walden
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
James Clinton Gilmore, Jr.
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, aiding and abetting the distribution of cocaine.
Maximum penalty: 155 years in federal prison
5
Ja’Quez Jerome Butler
Distribution of cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a violent crime, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 20 years in federal prison (cocaine), minimum mandatory 5 years up to life in federal prison (firearm in furtherance of violent crime), 10 years in federal prison (firearm as convicted felon).
4
Jhatarrion Jakwan Sampson
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
2
Justin William Lightsey
Possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Maximum penalty: 20 years in federal prison; 5 years, up to life, in federal prison; up to 15 years in federal prison.
1
Kameron Lee Ingram
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Matthew Junior Rice
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Nathaniel Thomas Hatcher, III
Conspiracy to straw-purchase; making a false statement during purchase of a firearm.
Maximum penalty: 25 years in federal prison; 10 years in federal prison.
2
Nicholas Davonte High
Conspiracy to distribute cocaine, distributing and aiding and abetting the distribution of cocaine; possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 20 years in federal prison; 10 years in federal prison.
1
Ralph Eric Lanham
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Sedrick Williams, Jr.
Possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine base; possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 20 years in federal prison; 15 years in federal prison.
1
Trillian Taheim Mitchell
Possession of a firearm or ammunition by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 10 years in federal prison.
1
William Earl Union, Jr.
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
2
These PSN cases from the Jacksonville Division are being handled by AUSAs Kevin Frein, Brenna Falzetta, John Cannizzaro, Michael Coolican, Laura Taylor, Elisibeth Adams, Aakash Singh, and Kirwinn Mike.
Ocala Division
Roydrick Dixon
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Penalty: Minimum mandatory 15 years, up to life, in federal prison.
1
Michael Andrew Zallen
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
2
Robert Edward Smith
Possession of an unregistered NFA weapon.
Maximum penalty: 10 years in federal prison.
3
Luis Ernesto Sanchez
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
These PSN cases from the Ocala Division are being handled by AUSAs Hanna Norwalk, Robert E. Bodnar, Jr., William S. Hamilton, Belkis Crockett, and Sarah Swartzberg.
Tampa Division
Laela Marme
Possession of stolen firearms.
Maximum penalty: 10 years in federal prison.
0
Daniel Gonzalez
Possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Brandale Swails
Hobbs Acts robbery and use of a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
Penalty: minimum mandatory 7 years, up to 25 years, in federal prison.
3
Lewis James Scott
Possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 20 years (narcotics charge) in federal prison,
minimum mandatory 5 years in prison to run consecutive to any other sentence, 15 years in federal prison.
1
Markis Maxwell
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: life in federal prison.
1
Efrain Bermudez
Possession of controlled substances with intent to distribute; carrying a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime; possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime; possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: life in federal prison (drug charges), 15 years in federal prison (firearm charge).
1
Sharquay Knighton
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Jarquis Bowens
Conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 10 years in federal prison for each drug charge and 5 years in federal prison for the firearm charge.
1
Noe Alegria
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, carrying a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 30 years in federal prison.
13
Gary Hanford
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Christopher Bock
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
0
Corey Myrick
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Donta Bryant
Possession of firearms by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 10 years in federal prison.
2
Dackerett Brooks
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Michael Grady
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon; possession with intent to distribute controlled substances; and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
4
Daniel Gonzalez
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Deanthony Flowers
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Alex Jones
Jhakheem Smith
Conspiracy to interfere with commerce by threats or violence; interference with commerce by threats or violence; and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Maximum penalty: 20 years in federal prison (violence charge),
up to life in federal prison (firearm charge).
0
Lewis James Scott
Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession of firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 20 years in federal prison (narcotics charge), up to life in federal prison (firearm charge).
1
Johnie Shields
Possession of firearms by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Daquan Carey
Possession of firearms by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
3
James Hilligardt
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Keith Rhoden
Interference with commerce by robbery and using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
Maximum penalty: 20 years in federal prison(robbery offense), life in federal prison (firearm offense).
1
Jaquavious Green
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Rasheio Black
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Darell Padilla
Interference with commerce by threats or violence and brandishing of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Maximum penalty: 20 years in federal prison (violence offense), life in federal prison (firearm offense).
1
Tim Crawford
Interstate domestic violence, discharge of a firearm during and in the commission of a crime of violence, and interstate stalking.
Penalty: minimum mandatory 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.
1
Tyler Jacobs
Conspiracy to commit bank fraud, aggravated identify theft, witness tampering, destruction of evidence, and possession of ammunition.
Penalty: minimum mandatory 2 years, up to 20 years, in federal prison.
0
These PSN cases from the Tampa Division are being handled by AUSAs Jeff Chang, Samantha Newman, Diego Novaes, Michael C. Sinacore, Michael R. Kenneth, and Candace Rich.
Orlando Division
Malcolm Bellamy
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Luis Rosado
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Lawrence Lamar Singleton II
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Byron Louder
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Penalty: minimum mandatory 15 years, up to life, in federal prison.
1
Benjamin Garmon, Jr.
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Penalty: minimum mandatory 15 years, up to life, in federal prison.
1
Jonathan Nicola
Possession with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Penalty: minimum mandatory 15 years, up to life, in federal prison.
1
Jonen Castillo
Smuggling firearms from the United States to Canada.
Maximum penalty: 10 years in federal prison.
5
Reginald Dugger
Attempted possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 30 years in federal prison(the drug offense),15 years in federal prison (firearm offense).
2
Dominick Yvon Louissaint
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Darryl James London
Possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
David Lewis Andrew Bryan
Possession of ammunition by a convicted felon (2 counts).
Maximum penalty: 30 years in federal prison.
2
Sebastian Gabriel Lugo Lugo
Possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Penalty: minimum mandatory 5 years, up to life, in federal prison.
1
Edward Vincenzo Camacho
Theft of a firearm from a Federal Firearms Licensee.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
2
These PSN cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by AUSAs Noah P. Dorman, Michael Sartoian, Stephanie A. McNeff, Dana Hill, Megan Testerman, Diane Hu, Rachel Lyons, Kara Wick, and Richard Varadan.
Adjudicated Cases
Defendant(s)
Charges
Minimum/Maximum Terms of Imprisonment
Firearms Seized
Fort Myers Division
Nicholas Munson Troemner
Possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Jonnetric Devonte Ivey
Possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Javier Joel Perez
Possession of controlled substance with the intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 20 years in federal prison (narcotics offense),
minimum mandatory sentence of 5 years in prison to run consecutive to any other sentence (firearm offense), 15 years in federal prison (second firearm offense).
1
Willie James Hunter, Jr.
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
2
Ruben Justus Edwards
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
2
Ernest Jeshad Foster
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Coroy Dontavia Flournoy
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
These PSN cases from the Fort Myers Division are being handled by AUSAs Mark Morgan and Simon Eth.
Jacksonville Division
Antonio Jose Melean Reyes
Smuggling firearms from the United States and conspiracy to use a facility of interstate commerce in the commission of a murder-for-hire.
Maximum penalty: 10 years in federal prison.
3
Gabriel Daniel Pinnace
Smuggling firearms from the United States and making materially false statements during the purchase of a firearm.
Maximum penalty: 10 years in federal prison for each offense.
3
Antonio Saquan Tate
Hobbs act robbery and brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Maximum penalty: 20 years in federal prison; mandatory minimum of 7 years, up to life, in federal prison
0
Brendon Bobby Brown
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Dondre Shauntrell Rosier
Distributing cocaine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 20 years in federal prison; 10 years in federal prison
1
Andre Lee Long
Distribution of 40 grams or more of fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Penalty: minimum mandatory 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.
1
Michael Thomas Sawyer
Making a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer during the attempted purchase of a firearm.
Maximum penalty: 5 years in federal prison.
0
Paul Allen Anderson, Jr.
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine.
Penalty: minimum mandatory 10 years, up to life, in federal prison.
5
Randolph Wayne Swindle
Making a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer during the attempted purchase of a firearm.
Maximum penalty: 5 years in federal prison.
0
Roberto Roman Ramirez
Making a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer during the attempted purchase of a firearm.
Maximum penalty: 5 years in federal prison.
0
Desmond Lee Maxwell
Conspiring to straw purchase firearms.
Maximum penalty: 25 years in federal prison.
2
Edgar Diaz Aquino
Possession of a firearm by an alien.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
These PSN cases from the Jacksonville Division are being handled by AUSAs Aakash Singh, Kirwinn Mike, John Cannizzaro, and Frank Talbot.
Ocala Division
Tyran Terrell Harris
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Michael Latrelle Simpson
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 10 years in federal prison.
1
Clinton Kaham
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
These PSN cases from the Ocala Division are being handled by AUSAs Hannah Nowalk, and Robert E. Bodnar, Jr.
Tampa Division
Evan Ingram
Distribution and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Penalty: minimum mandatory 15 years, up to life, in federal prison.
0
Darius Hudson
Conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery (3 separate robberies) and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence.
Penalty: minimum mandatory 27 years, up to life, in federal prison.
0
Benjamin Cedric Graddy
Possession with the intent to distribute dimethylpentylone and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Penalty: minimum mandatory 5 years, up to life, in federal prison.
0
Dovontate James Wright
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
0
Marcos Lutrell Walden
Distribution of methamphetamine and fentanyl.
Penalty: minimum mandatory 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison.
0
Elias Xavier Rosario Torres
Veronica Estefania Rodriguez Pinuela
Possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, and possession of a machine gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Penalty: mandatory minimum 35 years, up to life, in federal prison.
Possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, and possession of a machine gun in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Penalty: mandatory minimum 35 years, up to life, in federal prison.
0
Gerard Eric Beasley
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
0
Stewart Walter Bachmann
Possession of a machine gun and possession of a firearm not identified by a serial number.
Maximum penalty: 10 years in federal prison per charge.
0
These PSN cases from the Tampa Division are being handled by AUSAs Samantha Newman, Diego Novaes, David W.A. Chee, Michael Kenneth, James C. Preston, Samantha Beckman, and Shauna S. Hale.
Orlando Division
Robert Lee Pringle
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 10 years in federal prison.
2
Angel Ruben Hernandez, Jr.
Failing to record required information about firearms purchases (3 counts).
Maximum penalty: 5 years in federal prison per count.
9
Antavious Anton Gray, Jr.
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Jhroy Elijah Sackey
Possession with the intent to distribute heroin and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
Penalty: minimum mandatory 5 years, up to 40 years, in federal prison.
1
Kristian Moises Ramos
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Alfred Lamar Shavers
Possession of firearm by convicted felon (Armed Career Criminal).
Penalty: minimum mandatory 15 years, up to life, in federal prison.
9
Christian Ponce
Rodney Hernandez
Possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
Penalty: minimum mandatory 15 years, up to life, in federal prison.
3
Verun Maharajh
Export of firearms and ammunition, shipment of firearms without a license, and possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.
Maximum penalty: 35 years in federal prison.
4
Chrissie Fier Williams
Export of firearms and ammunition (3 counts).
Maximum penalty: 30 years in federal prison.
18
Victor Morales-Acosta
Possession of a firearm by an illegal alien.
Maximum penalty: 15 years in federal prison.
1
These PSN cases from the Orlando Division are being handled by AUSAs Megan Testerman, Dana E. Hill, Noah Dorman, Stephanie A. McNeff, David Pardo, Michael Sartoian, Matthew Del Mastro, and Rachel Lyons.
Sentenced Cases
Defendant(s)
Charges
Sentence Imposed
Firearms Seized
Fort Myers Division
Chester Lewis Risco, III
Possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
Sentence imposed: 3 years, 10 months in federal prison.
1
Mar’tavoius Martel Brown
Possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
Sentence imposed: 5 years in federal prison.
1
Keith Dewayne Drayton, Jr.
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession with intent to distribute cocaine.
Sentence imposed: 4 years in federal prison.
1
These PSN cases from the Fort Myers Division were handled by AUSAs Mark Morgan and Simon R. Eth.
Jacksonville Division
Andrew Tyler Harp
Conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Sentence imposed: 10 years in federal prison.
1
Kristofferson Farmer
Possession with intent to distribute Alpha-PVP, a controlled substance and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
Sentence imposed: 6 years, 8 months in federal prison.
3
Mario Lenard Elbert
Possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
Sentence imposed: 7 years in federal prison.
2
Keith Allen Dixon
Distribution of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Sentence imposed: 10 years in federal prison.
3
Geoffrey Scott
Conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon.
Sentence imposed: 15 years in federal prison.
10
Lucas Shirley II
Transferring unregistered short-barreled rifles.
Sentence imposed: 5 years, 5 months in federal prison.
29
Charles David Mobley
Making a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer in connection with the acquisition of a firearm.
Sentence imposed: 2 years in federal prison.
9
Edgar Guintivano
Possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
Sentence imposed: 15 years in federal prison.
2
Jesse Rance Moore
Interference with commerce by threats or violence robberies and burglaries involving controlled substances, brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.
Sentence imposed: 21 years in federal prison.
1
Paul Bryan McCorkle
Receiving and possessing an explosive by a convicted felon.
Sentence imposed: 2 years, 3 months in federal prison.
1
Pernell Dewayne Bodiford, Jr.
False Statements to a firearms dealer during firearm purchase.
Sentence imposed: Time served.
0
Samuel Arthur Thompson
Possession and receipt of child sex abuse material; intrusion of protected computer causing damage; production of child sex abuse material; failure to register as a sex offender; possession of firearm by a convicted felon.
Sentence imposed: 220 years in federal prison.
1
Tony Kenneth Paul, Jr.
Possession of a machine gun and possession with intent to distribute marijuana.
Sentence imposed: 5 years in federal prison.
3
Rakesh Verma
Making false statement to federal firearms dealer.
Sentence imposed: 1 year, 3 months in federal prison.
0
These PSN cases from the Jacksonville Division were handled by AUSAs Michael Coolican, John Cannizzaro, David Mesrobian, Laura Taylor, Kirwinn Mike, and Frank Talbot.
Ocala Division
Raymond Devon Haynes
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Sentence imposed: 1 year, 1 day in federal prison.
1
Kingsley Samuel Richard Wilson
Viviana Rodriguez
Making a false statement to a firearms dealer, dealing in firearms without a license, making a false statement in required information kept by a firearms dealer.
Sentence imposed (Wilson): 3 years, 10 months in federal prison.
Sentence imposed (Rodriguez): 2 years, 6 months in federal prison.
140
Wendall Doyle Goney
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Sentence imposed: 4 years in federal prison.
1
Jared Boyle
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Sentence imposed: 10 years in federal prison.
1
These PSN cases from the Ocala Division were handled by AUSAs Belkis Crockett, Sarah Swartzberg, Robert Bodnar, Jr., and Tyrie Boyer.
Orlando Division
Jason Santos
Possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense.
Sentence imposed: 8 years, 4 months in federal prison.
11
Jeremy Middleton
Possession of a stolen firearms.
Sentence imposed: 3 years, 10 months in federal prison.
13
Carlos Aquino
Possession of 400 grams or more of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and possession of firearms during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime.
Sentence imposed: 15 years in federal prison.
1
Antione Oshea Ladson
Drug trafficking and possessing a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
Sentence imposed: 10 years, 6 months in federal prison.
1
Geoffrey Gaston
Five armed robberies.
Sentence imposed: 7 years in federal prison.
0
Timothy Jones
Bank robbery.
Sentence imposed: 25 years in federal prison.
0
Yadier Torres-Rivera
Distribution of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl.
Sentence imposed: 15 years, 8 months in federal prison.
1
Desha Cooper
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Sentence imposed: 3 years, 10 months in federal prison.
2
E’Chavion Semaj Flewellen
Distribution of fentanyl.
Sentence imposed: 16 years, 8 months in federal prison.
3
O’Neil Clifton Gordon
Possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute.
Sentence imposed: 3 years in federal prison.
1
These PSN cases from the Orlando Division were handled by AUSAs Stephanie A. McNeff, Diana Hu, David Pardo, Dana E. Hill, Noah Dorman, Megan Testerman, Richard Varadan, Rachel Lyons, and Kara Wick.
Tampa Division
Yvens Philone
Possession of firearms by a convicted felon and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine.
Sentence imposed: 10 years in federal prison.
0
Erik Barner
Distribution and possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
Sentence imposed: 17 years, 6 months in federal prison.
0
Sean Peter Brewer
Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possessing methamphetamine with the intent to distribute it, and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
Sentence imposed: 7 years in federal prison.
0
Scott Carpenter, Jr.
Interfering with commerce by robbery and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence.
Sentence imposed: 28 years in federal prison.
3
James Eugene Smith
Possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.
Sentence imposed: 8 years in federal prison.
1
These PSN cases from the Tampa Division were handled by AUSAs David P. Sullivan, Samantha Newman, David E. A. Chee, David P. Sullivan, Michael M. Gordon, and Michael Kenneth.
Massachusetts Man Who Attempted to Traffick Fentanyl to Maine by Taxi Sentenced to 44 Months in PrisonRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Maine: A man from Lawrence, Massachusetts was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.
U.S. District Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Jose Alfredo Mercedes Botello, 22, to 44 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Botello pleaded guilty on November 27, 2023.
According to court records, in March 2022, FBI agents and local law enforcement in Lebanon conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle bearing Massachusetts livery plates. During the stop, the vehicle’s passenger was observed reaching to the floor where agents later recovered a cellophane-wrapped package under the front passenger seat. The contents of the package were confirmed to be fentanyl. The hired driver of the vehicle stated that he had picked up Botello in Lawrence, Mass. and had been instructed to drive him to Maine.
An FBI investigation revealed that Botello planned to distribute the fentanyl to an individual in Maine.
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Man Who Stole Rideshare Vehicle Sentenced to Seven Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Derrick Teeter, 23, of Oxon Hill, MD, was sentenced today to 84 months in prison for a carjacking robbery committed in Southeast Washington, D.C., last year, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Jessica M.E. Taylor, of the U.S. Park Police.
Pursuant to a plea agreement, on February 7, 2024, Teeter pleaded guilty in Superior Court to robbery and unlawful use of a vehicle. Today, Superior Court Judge Erik Christian sentenced the defendant to 60 months in prison for robbery, and a consecutive 24 months in prison for unlawful use of a vehicle. The court also denied the defendant’s request for sentencing under the Youth Rehabilitation Act.
According to the government’s evidence, on June 2, 2022, shortly after 11:30AM, the defendant requested a Lyft ride for pick up in the 3800 block of South Capitol Street SE to take him to the 600 block 46th Street SE. Teeter entered the rideshare vehicle and sat in the back seat on the passenger side. While riding in the vehicle, the defendant pretended to feel sick and asked the victim to pull to the side of the road. The victim pulled over to a grassy area, where the defendant exited the vehicle. The defendant requested water and some tissue from the victim. After the victim retrieved these items from his vehicle and returned to attend to the defendant, Teeter pushed the victim to the ground, immediately jumped into the driver’s seat, and took off in the victim’s vehicle. While lying on the ground, the victim grabbed the passenger’s door of his vehicle, yelling for the defendant to “stop”, who kept driving and dragged the victim for a short distance. The victim let go and managed to get up and flag down assistance from other drivers passing by. One of those drivers called 911, and police and emergency personnel arrived on the scene and provided aid to the victim on the scene for his injuries. The vehicle was recovered the next day.
This case was investigated by the United States Park Police Major Crimes Unit with valuable assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathryn Bartz.
Man Indicted and Arrested for Child ExploitationRead the Press Release
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico – A federal grand jury in the District of Puerto Rico returned an indictment charging Lionel Albino Galindo, 52, of Vega Alta, PR, for child exploitation.
According to court documents, from February 2024 throughout March 19, 2024, Lionel Albino Galindo sexually exploited a 13-year-old female minor. The defendant used a cellular phone as well as internet instant messaging services, to knowingly persuade, induce, entice, and coerce a 13-year-old female minor, to engage in sexual activity, which includes the production of child pornography.
Albino Galindo knowingly transported the female minor to engage in sexual activity on several occasions and produced visual depictions of such conduct. The defendant also received child pornography from the female minor and sent obscene material to the minor.
Lionel Albino Galindo is facing one count of coercion and enticement of a minor; one count of transportation of a minor with intent to engage in criminal sexual activity; one count of sexual exploitation of children; one count for receipt of child pornography; one count for possession of child pornography; and one count of transfer of obscene material to a minor.
The defendant is scheduled for his initial court appearance today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Giselle López-Soler of the U.S. District Court for the District of Puerto Rico. If convicted for the charges of coercion and enticement and transportation of minor to engage in illicit sexual conduct, the defendant faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years up to life; for sexual exploitation of children he faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 15 years up to 30 years; for possession of child pornography and transfer of obscene material to a minor he faces up to 10 years; and for receipt of child pornography he faces five to 20 years in prison; all charges followed by a term of supervised release of no less than 5 years up to life. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney W. Stephen Muldrow of the District of Puerto Rico; and Joseph González, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI San Juan Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI is investigating the case with the collaboration of the Puerto Rico Police Bureau.
Assistant US Attorney (AUSA) Emelina Agrait Barreto of the Child Exploitation and Immigration Unit is prosecuting the case.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Lower Brule Man Sentenced for Habitual Domestic Assault by an Habitual OffenderRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Lower Brule, South Dakota, man convicted of two counts of Domestic Assault by an Habitual Offender. The sentencing took place on April 15, 2024.
Isaac Goodface, age 32, was sentenced to four years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $200 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Goodface was indicted by a federal grand jury in September of 2023. The defendant changed his plea to guilty on November 30, 2023.
The defendant was convicted of physically assaulting the same victim on two separate occasions in Lyman County, within the Lower Brule Sioux Indian Reservation. In September of 2022, Goodface threw the victim on the ground, strangled her, struck her about the head and face, and prevented her from leaving the residence. In June of 2023, Goodface struck the victim on the face and pointed a gun at her during an argument.
This matter was prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office because the Major Crimes Act, a federal statute, mandates that certain violent crimes alleged to have occurred in Indian Country be prosecuted in Federal court as opposed to State court.
This case was investigated by the Bureau of Indian Affairs – Office of Justice Services, Lower Brule Agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Troy R. Morley prosecuted the case.
Goodface was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Local men sentenced to imprisonment for illegal trafficking in firearmsRead the Press Release
CLEVELAND – Willie Earl Jackson, age 26, of Cleveland, and Shane Plats, 31, of Ashtabula, were sentenced to imprisonment by U.S. District Judge John. R. Adams. Jackson had earlier pled guilty to engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a federal firearms license and trafficking in firearms. Plats had earlier plead guilty to engaging in the business of dealing firearms. Jackson received an 84-month prison sentence, followed by 3 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay a $200 special assessment. Plats was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment, followed by 2 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a $100 special assessment.
The United States Attorney’s Office (“USAO”) prosecuted these two cases under the new criminal provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which Congress enacted and the President signed in June 2022. The Act is the first federal statute specifically designed to target the unlawful trafficking and straw-purchasing of firearms. These are the first two cases brought under the Act and sentenced in this district.
According to court documents, Plats and Jackson were previously employed as corrections and detention officers for the Cuyahoga County Juvenile Court. Between May and July of 2023, Plats sold at least 7 Palmetto Armory Dagger Compact 9mm pistols to Jackson, after Plats first purchased those pistols from a federal firearms licensee, knowing that Jackson intended to resell the firearms to others. Plats admitted he did not have a federal firearms license and illegally sold the firearms for profit.
In turn, between June and August 2023, Jackson sold over 35 firearms to undercover agents who posed as gun buyers seeking to purchase firearms on the street. The firearms that Jackson sold included semi-automatic rifles and pistols, including at least one with an obliterated serial number. Jackson conducted most of these transactions in retail establishment parking lots and other public spaces, often from his car. Jackson offered to sell agents prohibited firearms such as “Glock switches,” also referred to as “machinegun conversion devices,” offered to remove serial numbers from the guns he sold, and sold agents a rifle that NIBIN-data showed was associated with three separate shootings.
Jackson was previously under investigation by the ATF. In 2022, the ATF served Jackson with a warning letter that advised him that it was unlawful to buy a firearm for someone else—often referred to as “straw purchasing.” The ATF sent this letter to Jackson after it discovered, through tracing data, that firearms Jackson had previously purchased were later recovered in connection with crimes. Despite the warning, Jackson continued to illegally traffic in firearms from June through August 2023.
Jackson and Plats were 2 of more than 65 individuals who the USAO charged as a part of a 3-month, violent-crime-reduction initiative in Cleveland last summer led by the ATF and the USAO, with cooperation from other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. These charges stemmed from extensive, targeted, and sustained efforts by law enforcement to clamp down on illegal firearms trafficking, use, and associated violence in Greater Cleveland.
“The new Bipartisan Safer Communities Act improves our ability to keep illegal firearms out of our neighborhoods and communities,” said United States Attorney Rebecca C. Lutzko. “This new tool in our toolkit targets illegal gun sales. It makes crystal clear that anyone who tries to make money by selling firearms or otherwise selling guns regularly must obtain a federal firearms license and run required background checks on those making the purchase. It also will help reduce the temptation for those who may legally purchase firearms to buy and then sell them to just anyone. Unfortunately, we often see firearms, initially bought through legal channels, later recovered in connection with a crime. We are confident this statute will help put a stop to that.”
“These defendants were both charged with violating the Gun Control Act by selling firearms without a license,” stated Daryl S. McCormick, Special Agent in Charge of ATF’s Columbus Field Division. “By facilitating the flow of firearms to those who are prohibited from possessing them, they bear responsibility for the violence those firearms cause in our community. I hope this sentence serves as a warning to others who might consider doing this – ATF and our law enforcement partners will work to find you, as well, and hold you accountable for your actions.”
The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the ATF and ATF Task Force Officers, many from the Cleveland Division of Police, with significant help from other federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. Assistant United States Attorney Kelly L. Galvin prosecuted these cases.
Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division Commemorates Earth Day and Releases the Division’s Accomplishments Report for Fiscal Year 2023Read the Press Release
The Justice Department’s Environment and Natural Resources Division (ENRD) released the Division’s Accomplishments for Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 in commemoration of Earth Day on April 22.
“The Environment and Natural Resources Division continues to serve a critical role in securing environmental justice and responding to the climate crisis, which are two of the Administration’s top priorities,” said Assistant Attorney General Todd Kim of ENRD. “We do this while carrying out a mission of remarkable breadth in enforcing federal laws enacted to protect public health, worker safety, natural resources, and animal welfare. Our work also promotes the sovereignty of federally recognized Indian Tribes, while protecting their rights, homelands and resources.”
The report highlights ENRD’s work in 2023 to defend pollution control measures, approvals for renewable energy projects and federal stewardship of public lands, wildlife and natural resources. The division’s Office of Environmental Justice provided environmental justice training, outreach resources and other support to the entire Justice Department while also organizing outreach and engaging with stakeholders. ENRD also continued its important work to partner with U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to prosecute criminal violations of environmental and animal welfare laws.
Some examples of ENRD’s work that are noted in the report include a Clean Air Act settlement featuring a $1.6 billion civil penalty with diesel engine maker Cummins Inc., a Clean Air Act settlement with BP Whiting securing important air toxic controls and a $40 million civil penalty (the largest-ever such penalty against a single facility), and the sentencing of a Florida couple for illegally importing plywood in violation of the Lacey Act and customs laws. ENRD attorneys also continued work to prosecute individuals for dogfighting, which this year led to multiple, multi-year sentences and the seizure of hundreds of dogs.
In FY 2023, ENRD attorneys worked on about 4,500 matters and obtained over $440 million in civil and criminal fines, penalties and costs recovered. The division also secured federal injunctive relief valued at $2.3 billion, saving the United States more than $2.5 billion through defensive and condemnation litigation.
Justice Department Announces Medical Legal Partnership Project for Incarcerated IndividualsRead the Press Release
The Justice Department announced today the development of a medical-legal partnership (MLP) project for incarcerated individuals to help reduce barriers to reentry and reduce recidivism. The Office for Access to Justice (ATJ) and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (FBOP) have worked collaboratively to develop this partnership as the next step of a broader civil legal services initiative launched last year. The partnership will connect medical and legal expertise to identify adults in custody (AIC) who require long-term access to post-release critical needs like housing, food security, and more. The project is part of the Department’s broader work to strengthen the safety of our communities while advancing thoughtful, evidence-informed initiatives, and reforms throughout the criminal justice system.
“We are pleased to announce the formation of this innovative medical-legal services partnership to promote successful reentry,” said Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer. “Designed jointly by the Federal Bureau of Prisons and Office for Access to Justice, this partnership demonstrates how creativity and broad collaboration can work to reduce recidivism, promote success and second chances for returning individuals, and improve public safety. The Justice Department is committed to advancing public safety through more thoughtful approaches to the criminal justice system.”
The MLP project will take place at Federal Prison Camp (FPC) Bryan, located in Bryan, Texas. ATJ and FBOP are planning to collaborate on the pilot initiative with Texas A&M School of Law and the Texas A&M Institute for Healthcare Access. All institutions and organizations with relevant expertise are welcome to be considered for future collaboration.
MLPs connect the expertise of lawyers and legal help with the expertise of health care professionals to comprehensively address barriers that intersect across health care and legal needs. Specifically, this MLP will include a team of law and medical professionals who will collaborate to better determine eligibility for, and ensure access to, Social Security disability relief for those who qualify, with the goal of improving long-term access to post-release critical needs and promoting successful reentry. As part of the Department’s broader civil legal services initiative, FBOP and ATJ are also working to develop and distribute self-help materials to address civil legal needs of AIC and a series of empowerment workshops for AIC focused on civil legal issues including workshops focused on family law, financial-related issues, and access to public benefits.
“We are delighted to continue partnering with FBOP in developing a first-of-its-kind initiative to disrupt the recidivism cycle, improve justice outcomes, and better expand public safety,” said ATJ Director Rachel Rossi. “By bridging partnerships between medical and legal professionals, we can better meet the needs that are exacerbated for those leaving incarceration, ensuring access to food security, healthcare, housing, and more.”
“Incarcerated individuals are a particularly vulnerable population when it comes to unmet civil legal needs,” said FBOP Director Colette S. Peters. “While the Federal Bureau of Prisons offers critical services, including health care and education, we know the need for civil legal services remains high. Partnering with the Office for Access to Justice has been a fundamental step in breaking down barriers to provide important legal access to adults in custody. We are proud to be piloting this program at the Federal Prison Camp Bryan, Texas. The initial pilot, serving our women in custody, is significant as it will continue to support our gender-responsive, and trauma-informed focus, while addressing the additional barriers women also face.”
To highlight April as Second Chance Month, today ATJ and FBOP, with support from JustUs Coordination Council, hosted a Reentry Simulation, a two-hour situational interactive learning opportunity for organizations and federal employees from various agencies to experience the challenges and barriers faced by justice-impacted people in obtaining employment, government benefits, housing, transportation, and educational opportunities. Through discussions with system-impacted subject matter experts, this experience aimed to give insight and encourage continued collaboration across government to reduce these barriers. Justice Department leadership, Acting Associate Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer, ATJ Director Rachel Rossi, and FBOP Director Colette S. Peters provided remarks during the simulation. Previously, ATJ hosted a Reentry Simulation for high-level Justice Department and other agency officials for Second Chance Month in April 2022.
Jenks Man Sentenced for Second-Degree MurderRead the Press Release
TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge John F. Heil, III, sentenced Bradley Wade Wofford, 37, of Jenks, for Second Degree Murder in Indian Country. Judge Heil ordered Wofford to serve 235 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release.
According to court documents, Wofford was driving under the influence of methamphetamine. He ran into a car driven by Scotty Dilbeck, killing him. Wofford was previously convicted of driving under the influence on four separate occasions. He is a citizen of Cherokee Nation and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons.
The FBI and Oklahoma Highway Patrol investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Buscemi prosecuted the case.
Informational: Federal Court arraignmentsRead the Press Release
BILLINGS — The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced that the following persons were arraigned or appeared recently before U.S. Magistrate judges on indictments handed down by the Grand Jury or on criminal complaints. The charging documents are merely accusations and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt:
Appearing in Great Falls before U.S. Magistrate Judge John T. Johnston and pleading not guilty on April 16 was:
Leon Boyd Messerly, 63 of Fort Belknap, on charges of assault with intent to commit murder, assault with a dangerous weapon, assault resulting in serious bodily injury and domestic assault by habitual offender. If convicted of the most serious crime, Messerly faces a maximum of 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Messerly was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Rocky Boy’s Law Enforcement and Fort Belknap Law Enforcement conducted the investigation. PACER Case No. 24-20.
Colten Small, 21, of Box Elder, on charges of assault with a dangerous weapon and assault resulting in serious bodily injury. If convicted of the most serious crime, Small faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Small was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI and Rocky Boy’s Law Enforcement conducted the investigation. PACER Case No. 24-17.
Edmund Taylor Madarassy IV, 27, of Ennis, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. If convicted of the most serious crime, Madarassy faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Madarassy was detained pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Helena Police Department and Montana Probation & Parole conducted the investigation. PACER Case No. 24-10.
Appearing on a criminal complaint was:
Levi Eric Newton, 29, of Bainville, on charges of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. If convicted of the most serious crime, Newton faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $20 million fine and five years of supervised release. Newton was detained pending further proceedings. The FBI, Valley County Sheriff’s Office, Phillips County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Peck Police Department and Williston (North Dakota) Police Department conducted the investigation. PACER Case No. 24-34.
Appearing in Billings before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kathleen L. DeSoto and pleading not guilty on April 17 was:
Kyle James Jonas, 32, of Park City, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition and possession of a stolen firearm. If convicted of the most serious crime, Jonas faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Jonas was released pending further proceedings. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Billings Police Department conducted the investigation. PACER Case No. 24-41.
Appearing on April 15 was:
Alexander Mikhail Lyles, 37, of Billings, on charges of prohibited person in possession of a firearm and ammunition. If convicted of the most serious crime, Lyles faces a maximum of 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. Lyles was detained pending further proceedings. The Billings Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives conducted the investigation. PACER Case No. 23-122.
Angelena Emma Lafave, 58, of Billings, on charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute meth and possession with intent to distribute meth. If convicted of the most serious crime, Lafave faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years to life in prison, a $10 million fine and at least five years of supervised release. Lafave was detained pending further proceedings. The Eastern Montana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, Billings Police Department and U.S. Postal Service conducted the investigation. PACER Case No. 24-34.
The progress of cases may be monitored through the U.S. District Court Calendar and the PACER system. To establish a PACER account, which provides electronic access to review documents filed in a case, please visit http://www.pacer.gov/register.html. To access the District Court’s calendar, please visit https://ecf.mtd.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/PublicCalendar.pl.
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High-Ranking MS-13 Leader Arraigned on Terrorism IndictmentRead the Press Release
Earlier today, Fredy Ivan Jandres-Parada, also known as “Lucky de Park View” and “Lacky de Park View,” a high-ranking leader of La Mara Salvatrucha, also known as MS-13, was arraigned at the federal courthouse in Central Islip, New York by United States Magistrate Judge Steven L. Tiscione. Jandres-Parada and 13 other high-ranking MS-13 leaders were indicted in December 2020 on terrorism offenses relating to their direction of the transnational criminal organization’s criminal activities in the United States, El Salvador, Mexico and elsewhere over the past two decades. Specifically, Jandres-Parada is charged with conspiracy to provide and conceal material support to terrorists, conspiracy to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries, conspiracy to finance terrorism and narco-terrorism conspiracy. For more than three years, Jandres-Parada was a fugitive, but he was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) earlier this month and made an initial appearance in federal court in the Southern District of California, where he was ordered to be transferred in custody to the Eastern District of New York.
Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York (EDNY); Mehtab Syed, Acting Assistant Director-in-Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office; and Ivan J. Arvelo, Special Agent-in-Charge, HSI’s New York Field Office announced Jandres-Parada’s arrest and arraignment.
“As alleged, Jandres-Parada, a high-ranking leader in MS-13, engaged in drug trafficking, public and private displays of violence, and terrorism — all in pursuit of power for the organization,” said United States Attorney Peace. “This arrest is a monumental achievement for our Office and international partners, highlighting our dedication to dismantling MS-13 and their reign of terror wherever they hide.”
Mr. Peace expressed his thanks to the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office and Criminal Investigative Division’s Safe Streets Gang Unit, and HSI’s National Gangs and Violent Crime Unit and New York Field Office for spearheading the MS-13 leadership investigations. Additionally, he thanked the FBI Legal Attachés in Mexico City and San Salvador, FBI and HSI’s San Diego Field Offices, HSI Attaché Mexico City and Assistant Attaché Tijuana, USMS Legal Attaché in Mexico City and the United States Customs and Border Protection Officers at the San Ysidro Port of Entry for the critical support provided in connection with the arrest, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the United States Marshals Service for the Southern District of California for coordinating the defendant’s initial appearance in San Diego. Mr. Peace also thanked the numerous Department of Justice components that contributed to this indictment, including the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces Executive Office.
“The arrest of Jandres Parada demonstrates the FBI's commitment to protecting the American public by proactively targeting MS-13's highest ranking leaders in order to dismantle this transnational criminal organization, which is among the most violent in the world," said Mehtab Syed, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office. "This collaborative effort among many agencies spanned coast to coast and led to this successful capture.”
“Fredy Ivan Jandres-Parada, (a/k/a “Lucky”) has been a fugitive on HSI's Most Wanted list since 2021. As one of the founding members of the MS-13 street gang, Jandres-Parada is alleged to be responsible for ordering acts of violence against gang rivals, law enforcement, and civilians alike. However, Jandres-Parada’s reign of violence came to an end when he was arrested in a joint operation by HSI and FBI,” said HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo. “With the apprehension of one of HSI’s most wanted, I commend HSI New York, our Long Island Division, and our law enforcement partners for their steadfast commitment and resolve to securing justice for the countless victims whom have been impacted by MS-13’s violence.”
As set forth in the indictment and related court filings, Jandres-Parada and his co-defendants are part of MS-13’s command and control structure, consisting of the Ranfla Nacional, Ranfla en Las Calles, and Ranfla en Los Penales. They play significant leadership roles in the organization’s operations in El Salvador, Mexico, the United States, and throughout the world. In total, 27 of the highest-ranking leaders of MS-13 have been charged in the Eastern District of New York in this indictment and the related indictment of United States v. Arevalo-Chavez, et al.
As further alleged, in approximately 2002, Jandres-Parada, his co-defendants, and other MS-13 leaders began establishing a highly-organized, hierarchical command and control structure as a means to effectuate their decisions and enforce their orders, even while in prison. They directed acts of violence and murder in El Salvador, the United States and elsewhere, established military-style training camps for MS-13 members and obtained military weapons such as rifles, handguns, grenades, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and rocket launchers. Further, beginning in approximately 2012, Jandres-Parada and other members of the Ranfla Nacional negotiated with officials from the government of El Salvador (GOES) to obtain benefits and concessions from the government. In order to extort those benefits and concessions, MS-13 engaged in public displays of violence to threaten and intimidate civilian populations, target GOES law enforcement and military officials, and manipulate the electoral process in El Salvador.
Additionally, as alleged, the Ranfla Nacional directed the expansion of MS-13 activities around the world, including the United States and Mexico, where Jandres-Parada and other high-ranking leaders were sent to organize operations, make connections to obtain narcotics and firearms from Mexican drug cartels such as the Zetas, Gulf Cartel, Cártel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG) and Sinaloa Cartel, and engage in human trafficking and smuggling. The Ranfla Nacional also directed MS-13’s large membership in the United States to engage in criminal activities, such as drug trafficking and extortion to raise money to support MS-13’s terrorist activities in El Salvador and elsewhere. Jandres-Parada, who previously resided in the Los Angeles area before being deported to El Salvador, played a key role coordinating communication and criminal activity between the Ranfla Nacional and MS-13 leaders in the United States, Mexico and elsewhere.
Finally, the Ranfla Nacional and MS-13’s transnational leadership structure is alleged to have directed members in the United States to commit acts of violence to further its goals and implement rules enabling MS-13 to entrench itself in parts of the United States, including within the Eastern District of New York where, under the defendants’ leadership and rules, MS-13 has committed murders, attempted murders, assaults, kidnappings, drug trafficking, extortion of individuals and businesses, and obstruction of justice, and has sent dues and the proceeds of criminal activity by wire transfer to MS-13 leaders in El Salvador. For example, this Office's Long Island Criminal Division has prosecuted hundreds of MS-13 leaders, members and associates for carrying out more than 70 murders in the Eastern District of New York between 2009 and the present.
One of Jandres-Parada’s co-defendants, Cesar Humberto Lopez-Larios, also known as “El Grenas de Stoners” and “Oso de Stoners,” and two related defendants from the Arevalo-Chavez indictment, Jorge Alexander De La Cruz, also known as “Cruger de Peatonales,” and Francisco Javier Roman-Bardales, also known as “Veterano de Tribus,” remain at large. Members of the public with information concerning their whereabouts are strongly encouraged to contact the FBI’s toll-free MS-13 tip line, 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713), or HSI’s tip line at (866) 347-2423 or https://www.ice.gov/webform/ice-tip-form. Together, FBI and HSI have offered a $20,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the fugitives.
These charges are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted, Jandres-Parada faces a maximum sentence of life in prison.
This case was brought by Joint Task Force Vulcan (JTFV), which was created to combat MS-13, led by Assistant United States Attorney John J. Durham of the EDNY, and comprised of U.S. Attorney’s Offices across the country, including the District of New Jersey; the Northern District of Ohio; the District of Utah; the District of Massachusetts; the Eastern District of Texas; the Southern District of New York; the Southern District of Florida; the Eastern District of Virginia; the Southern District of California; the District of Nevada; the District of Alaska; and the District of Columbia, as well as the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the Criminal Division. Additionally, the FBI; HSI; the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the USMS; the U.S. Bureau of Prisons; and the United States Agency for International Development, Office of Inspector General have been essential law enforcement partners and spearheaded JTFV’s investigations.
The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys John J. Durham, Paul G. Scotti, Justina L. Geraci, and Megan E. Farrell from the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division.
Newly Arrested Defendant in U.S. Custody:
FREDY IVAN JANDRES-PARADA (“Lucky de Park View” and “Lacky de Park View”)
Age: 47Previously Arrested Defendant in U.S. Custody:
ELMER CANALES-RIVERA (“Crook de Hollywood”)
Age: 48Fugitive Defendants:
CESAR HUMBERTO LOPEZ-LARIOS (“El Grenas de Stoners” and “Oso de Stoners”)
Age: 45BORROMEO ENRIQUE HENRIQUEZ (“Diablito de Hollywood”)
Age: 45EFRAIN CORTEZ (“Tigre de Park View” and “Viejo Tigre de Park View”)
Age: 54RICARDO ALBERTO DIAZ (“Rata de Leewards” and “Mousey de Leewards”)
Age: 51EDUARDO ERAZO-NOLASCO (“Colocho de Western” and “Mustage de Western”)
Age: 51EDSON SACHARY EUFEMIA (“Speedy de Park View”)
Age: 49JOSE FERNANDEZ FLORES-CUBAS (“Cola de Western”)
Age: 49LEONEL ALEXANDER LEONARDO (“El Necio de San Cocos”)
Age: 44JOSE LUIS MENDOZA-FIGUEROA (“Pavas de 7-11” and “Viejo Pavas de 7-11”)
Age: 59HUGO ARMANDO QUINTEROS-MINEROS (“Flaco de Francis”)
Age: 51SAUL ANTONIO TURCIOS (“Trece de Teclas”)
Age: 45ARISTIDES DIONISIO UMANZOR (“Sirra de Teclas”)
Age: 46E.D.N.Y. Docket No.: 20-CR-577 (JMA)
Hedge Fund Manager Sentenced for Operating Multimillion-Dollar Ponzi SchemeRead the Press Release
A Florida man was sentenced today to one year and one day in prison for using his hedge fund management company as part of a years-long, multimillion-dollar Ponzi scheme.
According to court documents, Michael Wayne Williams, 48, of Miami, was the founder and operator and investment manager of Highguard Capital and its affiliated entities, Guardian Opportunity Fund and Guardian Opportunity Management. Williams convinced his victims to invest over $3.6 million in Guardian Opportunity Management and used their money for undisclosed and unauthorized purposes, including to settle civil lawsuits accusing him of fraud and to repay investors from discontinued funds that he previously managed.
Williams pleaded guilty in October 2023 to wire fraud.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office made the announcement.
The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case.
Trial Attorney David A. Peters of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Trial Attorney Elise Kent Bernanke of the Environment and Natural Resources Division prosecuted the case.
If you believe you are a victim in this case, please contact the Fraud Section’s Victim Witness Unit toll-free at (888) 549-3945 or by email at [email protected].
Harrison County Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine ChargesRead the Press Release
CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA –Antwann Terrance Horton, age 29, of Clarksburg, West Virginia, was sentenced to 121 months in federal prison and six years of supervised release for the distribution of methamphetamine within 1,000 feet of a protected location.
According to court documents, Horton was selling methamphetamine in Harrison County. One of the sales was done near a public playground in Clarksburg.
The case was prosecuted on behalf of the United States by Assistant U.S. Attorney Zelda Wesley.
The Drug Enforcement Administration; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Greater Harrison Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative; and the Fairmont Police Department investigated.
Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.
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Grand jury indicts Columbus police officer with crimes related to turning off body worn camera during encounters with women while on dutyRead the Press Release
COLUMBUS, Ohio – A federal grand jury has indicted a Columbus police officer, charging him with two counts of destroying or altering records related to a criminal investigation.
Nicholas P. Duty, 35, of Commercial Point, Ohio, was arrested this morning and is scheduled to appear in federal court at 12:45pm today.
According to the indictment that was returned yesterday and unsealed today, on two occasions, Duty destroyed, altered or falsified records by purposefully deactivating or removing his police body worn camera. It is alleged Duty’s actions were intended to impede, obstruct or influence a federal investigation.
Specifically, it is alleged that on Oct. 31, 2023, and March 22, 2024, Duty deactivated or removed his body worn camera during interactions with two women, including during a sexual encounter.
During the alleged incidents, Duty was on duty, wearing a police uniform, in a marked police vehicle and assigned a body worn camera. He knew he was required to comply with Columbus Division of Police policies for wearing the division-issued camera.
Knowingly altering records to obstruct a federal investigation is a crime punishable by up to 20 years in prison.
United States Attorney Kenneth L. Parker, Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost, Columbus Police Chief Elaine Bryant, U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives (ATF) Special Agent in Charge Daryl S. McCormick, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Acting Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson, and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Elena Iatarola announced the charges.
Assistant United States Attorneys Emily Czerniejewski and Kevin W. Kelley are representing the United States in this case, which is being investigated by the Ohio Organized Crime Investigations Commission’s Central Ohio Human Trafficking Task Force.
Anyone with information about the alleged criminal activity or knowledge of additional possible crimes is encouraged to contact the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) at 855-BCI-OHIO (855-224-6336).
An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.
Gang Member Who Posed on Snapchat with Firearms Sentenced to over Two Years in PrisonRead the Press Release
BOSTON – A Boston man was sentenced today to illegally possessing a firearm and ammunition while under house arrest for four state firearm charges.
Dumari Shakur Scarlett-Dixon, 22, was sentenced today by U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV to 27 months in prison and three years of supervised release. In October 2023, Scarlett-Dixon pleaded guilty to being an unlawful drug user in possession of a firearm and ammunition.
In 2021, as part of an investigation into violent crime in Boston, a Snapchat account was intercepted through a court order. Among the communications intercepted was a group “chat” comprised of members of rival gangs who regularly displayed images and videos of themselves in possession of firearms. Scarlett-Dixon, a member of Heath Street, a violent Boston gang, participated in the group chat. At the time he was intercepted, Scarlett-Dixon was on pre-trial release for four separate unlawful possession of a firearm cases in state court. As a condition of his release for those offenses, Scarlett-Dixon had been placed on home confinement with GPS monitoring at his grandmother’s residence in Weymouth. Scarlett-Dixon displayed images of himself on Snapchat in possession of firearms at his grandmother’s residence:
During a September 2021 search of Scarlett-Dixon’s grandmother’s residence, a Bersa 9-millimeter semi-automatic pistol, 59 rounds of 9 millimeter and .380 caliber ammunition, and blunts of marijuana were seized from Scarlett-Dixon’s bedroom.
As a condition of his supervised release, Scarlett-Dixon was ordered to stay away from Heath Street gang members and the Bromley Heath housing development.
Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Division; and Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division made the announcement. Special assistance in the investigation was provided by the Boston, Quincy and Lynn Police Departments and the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Pohl of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.
The operation was conducted is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. More information on the OCDETF program is available here: https://www.justice.gov/ocdetf/about-ocdetf.
Four District Men Indicted on 76 Federal Counts for Armed Carjacking ConspiracyRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A 76-count superseding indictment was unsealed in U.S. District Court today charging four District men with conspiring to commit a total of 33 carjackings in Washington D.C. and Maryland between December 2022, and June 2023. The charges build on a previous superseding indictment that had charged three of the men with 33-counts covering a total of 11 carjackings. The most recent superseding indictment charges Cedae Hardy, 19, and newly added defendant Keyonte Rice, 19, with an attempted carjacking resulting in death where, during a failed January 4, 2023, carjacking, a 39-year-old man was shot and killed in the parking lot of an apartment complex in the 2600 block of Kirkwood Place in Hyattsville, Maryland. The suspect vehicle allegedly used in this homicide, which was taken in another armed carjacking on January 3, 2023 also allegedly committed by Hardy and Rice, was set on fire a few hours after the homicide.
Additional charges include conspiracy to commit carjacking; carjacking; attempted carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury; brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence; conspiracy to commit arson; aiding and abetting; interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle; and possession, sale, or receipt of a stolen vehicle.
The indictment was announced today by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the Washington Field Office, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.
According to the indictment, between December 2022 and June 2023, Cedae Hardy, 19, Landrell Jordan III, 19, Malik Norman, 20, and Keyonte Rice, 19, and other uncharged co‑conspirators, conspired to carjack victims of their vehicles at gunpoint around the District of Columbia and Maryland and to sell the carjacked vehicles for profit or use them in future carjackings.
All four of the defendants are charged with conspiracy to commit carjacking. Hardy, aka “Peso,” is charged, alone and with various members of the conspiracy, in 24 of the carjacking counts. In addition to the January 4, 2023, attempted carjacking resulting in death, alleged to have been committed by Hardy and Rice, Hardy is further charged with attempted carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury for an April 18, 2023, carjacking in Hyattsville, Maryland, in which Hardy allegedly shot a rideshare driver multiple times at close range.
LEAD CHARGES AS OF APRIL 19, 2024
Defendant
Charges
Cedae Hardy
- Conspiracy to Commit Carjacking (1 count)
- Carjacking (20 counts)
- Attempted Carjacking Resulting in Death (1 count)
- Attempted Carjacking Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury (1 count)
- Attempted Carjacking (2 counts)
- Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence (20 counts)
- 9 Additional Carjackings or Attempted Carjackings Charged as Overt Acts in the Conspiracy
- Conspiracy to Commit Arson (1 count)
Landrell Jordan III
- Conspiracy to Commit Carjacking (1 count)
- Carjacking (3 counts)
- Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence (3 counts)
- 1 Additional Carjacking Charged as an Overt Act in the Conspiracy
Malik Norman
- Conspiracy to Commit Carjacking (1 count)
- Carjacking (5 counts)
- Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence (4 counts)
- 1 Additional Carjackings Charged as an Overt Act in the Conspiracy
Keyonte Rice
- Conspiracy to Commit Carjacking (1 count)
- Carjacking (5 counts)
- Attempted Carjacking Resulting in Death (1 count)
- Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence (5 counts)
- 4 Additional Carjackings or Attempted Carjackings Charged as Overt Acts in the Conspiracy
- Conspiracy to Commit Arson (1 count)
All four defendants are in custody.
Attempted carjacking resulting in death, as charged in this superseding indictment, carries a statutory maximum of life. Attempted carjacking resulting in serious bodily injury carries a statutory maximum of 25 years in prison. Carjacking carries a statutory maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. Brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence carries a mandatory minimum term of seven years in prison. Interstate transportation of a stolen vehicle and sale or receipt of a stolen vehicle each carry a statutory maximum of ten years in prison. Conspiracy to commit carjacking carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison. The charges also carry potential financial penalties. The maximum statutory sentence for federal offenses is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes only. The sentence imposed will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
This case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office Violent Crimes Task Force and the Metropolitan Police Department Carjacking Task Force. Valuable assistance was provided by the Prince George’s County, Montgomery County, Takoma Park, and Hyattsville, Maryland, Police Departments.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Meredith Mayer-Dempsey and Paul V. Courtney, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Toth, of the Federal Major Crimes Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
23cr296
Former Police Officer Arrested for Online Enticement of A MinorRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, FL –United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest and filing of a criminal complaint charging Josue Garriga III (34, Jacksonville) with online enticement of a minor child to engage in criminal sexual activity. Garriga is a former police officer with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
According to the criminal complaint, Garriga met the child victim at church around September 2023 and began pursuing a relationship with her via text messaging and WhatsApp. Messages recovered from the victim’s phone revealed Garriga sent communications expressing his sexual interest in the child. Garriga went to the victim’s house late at night on several occasions and visited her at a coffee shop on March 6, 2024. During the March 6 encounter, while in his vehicle outside the coffee shop, Garriga grabbed the child’s hand, put her hand down his pants, and requested the child perform oral sex on him. When the child refused, Garriga asked the child to kiss his genitalia and would not let the child leave until the child did so.
A complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. If convicted, Garriga faces a maximum penalty of life in federal prison.
This case was investigated by the Northeast Florida INTERCEPT Task Force, to include Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Jacksonville, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, and the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Laura Cofer Taylor and Kelly S. Milliron.
This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.
Former Employee of Beaver County Health Care Facility Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison Following Conviction on Federal Hate Crime Charges Related to Assaults Against Disabled ResidentsRead the Press Release
PITTSBURGH, Pa. – A resident of Beaver County, Pennsylvania, was sentenced in federal court today for conspiring to commit and carrying out hate crimes against numerous severely disabled victims, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today.
United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan sentenced Tyler Smith, 34, of New Brighton, Pennsylvania, to 120 months’ imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release. Smith previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy and one count of violating the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd, Jr., Hate Crimes Prevention Act.
“Today’s sentencing holds Tyler Smith accountable for the abhorrent and degrading assaults he and Zachary Dinell carried out against more than a dozen victims—simply because they were disabled,” U.S. Attorney Olshan said. “Hate crimes target and terrorize not just individuals but whole communities. Our hope is that today’s result brings some measure of closure to the victims’ families who have shouldered the crushing burden of Smith’s and Dinell’s conduct for so many years. This office and our partners at the FBI will continue to work every day to give voice to the voiceless and protect the most vulnerable members of our communities.”
“I hope today’s decision brings some comfort to the families impacted by this egregious crime,” said FBI Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge Kevin Rojek. “Today’s sentencing shows there is no room for hatred, and crimes against our most vulnerable citizens will be met with the force of justice. The FBI and our partners stand committed to safeguarding the rights and dignity of every individual.”
According to admissions made during Smith’s plea hearing, he and co-defendant Zachary Dinell were employees of an in-patient health care facility located in New Brighton, Pennsylvania. Residents of the facility suffered from a range of severe physical, intellectual, and emotional disabilities, and required assistance with all activities of daily life, including bathing, using the bathroom, oral hygiene, feeding, and dressing. As members of the facility’s Direct Care Staff, Smith admitted that he and Dinell were responsible for providing this daily assistance to residents.
From approximately June 2016 to September 2017, Smith admitted that he and Dinell engaged in a conspiracy to commit hate crimes against a total of 13 residents of the facility because of the residents’ actual or perceived disabilities. Many of the victims required the use of a wheelchair. Smith and Dinell carried out assaults in a variety of ways, including by punching and kicking residents, rubbing Purell hand sanitizer in their eyes, spraying mouthwash in their eyes and mouths, and, in one instance, removing a resident’s compression stocking in a manner intended to inflict pain. Several of these assaults were recorded on Dinell’s cell phone. In one instance, Smith admitted jumping on top of a 13-year-old minor while the child was lying prone on his bed with the lights off, and while Dinell filmed the incident on his cellular phone. Smith further acknowledged that immediately after recording the video, Dinell texted the video to him.
As part of the conspiracy, Smith also admitted that he and Dinell exchanged graphic text messages in which they expressed their animus toward the disabled residents, shared photographs and videos of residents, described their assaults, and encouraged each other’s continued abuse of residents.
Smith further admitted that he and Dinell were able to avoid detection by, among other things, exploiting their one-on-one access to residents of the facility and the fact that the victims were non-verbal and could not report the defendant’s alleged abuse. Due to their physical disabilities, the residents also were not able to defend themselves against the assaults.
Zachary Dinell previously pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment, followed by three years’ supervised release.
United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan and Assistant United States Attorneys Carolyn J. Bloch and Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. The Federal Bureau of Investigation conducted the investigation leading to the charges against Smith and Dinell.
Former CEO of Utah Charity Sentenced to Prison for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
A Utah man was sentenced yesterday to one year and one day in prison for evading taxes on $1.3 million he was paid as part of a secret arrangement with a purported donor to the charity where he worked.
According to court documents and statements made in court, Ashley Robinson, of Farmington, was the CEO of a Salt Lake City-based charity that collected and distributed medical supplies overseas. As CEO, Robinson entered into a secret arrangement with a purported donor, Gurcharan “Jazzy” Singh. Singh provided medical supplies to the charity, making it appear as if these supplies had been donated to the charity. Robinson then arranged for the charity to sell the goods to a third-party, passing most of the sale proceeds back to Singh. As compensation, Singh then paid Robinson up to 10% of the total proceeds.
From 2013 through 2019, Robinson personally received $1.3 million from this scheme. Robinson did not report this income on his federal tax returns or pay tax on it. Instead, he used the funds to pay off the mortgage on his principal residence and to buy multiple luxury vehicles, including a Maserati, a Mercedes Benz and an Audi for a co-worker.
Robinson caused a tax loss to the IRS of $485,982.
In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Jill N. Parish for the District of Utah ordered Robinson to pay approximately $485,982 in restitution to the United States.
Singh was separately prosecuted in the Central District of California and sentenced to serve one year and one day in prison.
Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and United States Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah made the announcement.
IRS Criminal Investigation investigated the case.
Trial Attorney Boris Bourget of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan N. Reeves for the District of Utah prosecuted the case.
Final Defendant Sentenced in Bribery Scheme Involving District Tax OfficialRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Arman Amirshahi, 46, was sentenced today to three years of probation and 200 hours of community service for paying bribes to a District tax official to evade his tax obligations. The sentencing was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, D.C. Inspector General Daniel W. Lucas, and the D.C. Chief Financial Officer Glen Lee.
Amirshahi was part of one of the several sophisticated and long-term bribery schemes helmed by co-conspirators Anthony Merritt, of Capitol Heights, Maryland, and Vincent Slater, former manager in the D.C. Office of Tax and Revenue (OTR). In furtherance of the schemes, four business owners—including Amirshahi, Charles Zhou, Andre De Moya, and Davoud Jafari – paid cash bribes, through Merritt as middleman, to Slater, to evade their business taxes.
A former employee of the D.C. Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs, Merritt held himself out as a permit and licensing expediter and introduced the business owners to the scheme. For a cut of the bribe payments, Merritt handled communications with the business owners. Merritt ferried their cash bribe payments to Slater, and allowed Slater to maintain apparent distance from them as he fraudulently reduced their liabilities or intervened on their behalf within OTR. Slater resigned from OTR in December 2017, concluding the schemes, each of which had lasted over five years. Through their actions, the co-conspirators deprived the District of Columbia of approximately $3 million.
Each of the defendants was convicted for their roles in this conduct. Amirshahi and Zhou pleaded guilty to bribery in January 2019 and February 2019, respectively. In 2019, Slater, De Moya, and Merritt were charged in one indictment, and Slater, Jafari, and Merritt were charged in a second indictment. Slater pleaded guilty post-indictment in June 2020.
In June 2023, a jury convicted De Moya and Merritt of conspiracy, bribery, and wire fraud. In September 2023, Merritt pleaded guilty to the second indictment in which he was charged. In October 2023, the jury convicted Jafari of conspiracy, bribery, and wire fraud.
Merritt was sentenced to 110 months in prison for his central role in facilitating the separate conspiracies. For their respective roles, De Moya received a sentence of 30 months; Slater received a sentence of 27 months; and Jafari received a sentence of 24 months. Zhou, the first co-conspirator to cooperate with the government, was sentenced to five years of probation. Each defendant also was ordered to pay restitution and forfeit their ill-gotten gains, where applicable.
The businesses that benefited from the scheme included the concert venue Echostage as well as downtown bars and nightclubs such as Eyebar (later renamed Eden), Ultrabar, L8 Lounge, Barcode, Café Asia, Umaya, Zeba Bar, and Muse Lounge.
In addition to the probation and community service, Amirshahi was ordered to serve the first year of the sentence under home confinement except for employment, religious ceremony, treatment programs or medical appointments, or emergencies with notification to the probation office.
U.S. Attorney Graves commended the work of the agencies who investigated the case, including the FBI’s Washington Field Office and the District of Columbia Office of the Inspector General. He also credited the substantial assistance from the District of Columbia Office of the Chief Financial Officer, Office of Integrity and Oversight. In addition, U.S. Attorney Graves expressed appreciation for the efforts of Paralegal Specialists Liliana Villamizar, Amanda Rhode, and Mariela Andrade, and former Paralegal Specialists Aisha Keys and Michon Tart.
Finally, Graves acknowledged the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christine Macey, Emily Miller, and Timothy Visser, who prosecuted these cases through trial, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Molly Gaston and former AUSA Amanda Vaughn, who participated in the underlying investigations and earlier court proceedings.
18cr0335
Federal Jury Finds Bloods Gang Member Guilty of Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
ST. PAUL, Minn. – A federal jury found a Brooklyn Center man guilty of possessing a firearm as a felon, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger.
According to the evidence presented at trial, in the early morning hours of September 28, 2019, Dante Jospeh Tyus, 30, a member of the Minneapolis Bloods street gang, was stopped by the Minnesota State Patrol for driving erratically. Tyus, who showed obvious signs of intoxication, was arrested for driving under the influence. Tyus’s vehicle was towed and impounded. After being booked at the Hennepin County Jail, Tyus made a series of recorded calls expressing concern to his girlfriend and enlisting her assistance in recovering a firearm that was hidden inside his vehicle. Law enforcement obtained a warrant to search the vehicle and recovered a 9mm semiautomatic handgun hidden inside a door panel.
Because Tyus has prior felony convictions in Hennepin County, he is prohibited under federal law from possessing firearms or ammunition at any time.
Following a four-day trial in U.S. District Court before Judge Susan Richard Nelson, Tyus was found guilty of possessing a firearm as a felon. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date.
This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Minnesota State Patrol, and the Minneapolis Police Department.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carla J. Baumel and Allen A. Slaughter tried the case.Federal Jury Convicts Charvez Brooks After Trial for Illegal Possession of a FirearmRead the Press Release
Baltimore, Maryland – After a four-day trial, a federal jury has found Charvez Brooks, age 35, of Gwynn Oak, Maryland, guilty of illegal possession of a firearm by a previously convicted felon, in violation of federal law.
The conviction was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (“ATF”) Baltimore Field Division; Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimi of the ATF - Washington Field Division; Commissioner Richard Worley of the Baltimore Police Department (“BPD”), and Baltimore City State’s Attorney Ivan Bates.
According to the evidence presented at trial, in the days following the August 2019 shooting of an off-duty Baltimore police sergeant, Charvez Brooks was seen by a BPD Northeast District patrol officer driving a vehicle matching the description of the vehicle suspected of involvement in the shooting. Although Brooks was not involved in the shooting, he immediately fled when he saw the police, leading them on a 10-minute high-speed chase through northeast Baltimore. According to testimony at trial, during the flight, Brooks threw a loaded firearm out the window of his car into a parking lot on Belair Road. Two people, who were standing at a nearby bus stop, saw the firearm get thrown from the car and promptly flagged down police, who recovered the gun. As detailed in trial testimony, during a subsequent interview with the Baltimore Police, Brooks acknowledged that he threw the gun out of the window of his car. At the time of the incident, Brooks had previous felony convictions in Baltimore City, Baltimore County and Howard County Circuit Courts for burglary, assault, theft, and drug possession.
Brooks faces a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison for illegal possession of a firearm. U.S. District Judge Ellen L. Hollander has not yet scheduled sentencing.
In August 2020, Brooks was convicted after a five-day federal trial for conspiracy to commit a commercial robbery in connection with the robbery of a gas station owner in January 2018. Brooks’ co-defendants were charged with the robbery in May 2018, but Brooks was not identified as the third participant until sometime later. Brooks was subsequently sentenced to 124 months in federal prison for that crime.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF, BPD and Baltimore City State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Anatoly Smolkin and Ari Evans, who are prosecuting the federal case. He also recognized the assistance of the Paralegal Specialist Kristy L. Penny.
For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach.
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Fargo Man Convicted of Possession of a Machinegun and an Unregistered SilencerRead the Press Release
FARGO – United States Attorney Mac Schneider announced today that on April 11, 2024, Patrick Opdahl, age 24, from Fargo, North Dakota, appeared before U.S. District Court Chief Judge Peter Welte and after three days of trial, a jury found Opdahl guilty of Possession of a Machinegun and Possession of an Unregistered Silencer. Sentencing has not yet been scheduled.
On February 1, 2023, law enforcement was called to the residence of Patrick Opdahl that he shared with his parents. Law enforcement learned that during an argument with his parents, Opdahl pulled out a firearm and shot it into the ceiling. While his parents were able to escape unharmed, Opdahl refused to surrender leading to a several hour standoff with officers from the Fargo Police Department and Red River Valley Regional SWAT team. Eventually, negotiators were able to talk Opdahl into peacefully surrendering to law enforcement. Upon further investigation, law enforcement learned that Opdahl possessed several ghost guns, including a machinegun and firearm silencer.
Privately made firearms – more commonly known as “ghost guns” – are especially attractive to dangerous and prohibited persons because of their untraceable nature. In 2022, the Department of Justice recovered 25,785 ghost guns in domestic seizures, as well as 2,453 through international operations.
“Illegal machinegun conversion devices are a threat to the public and to the safety of law enforcement officers in North Dakota,” Schneider said. “This is especially true when ‘ghost’ guns are involved. The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to prioritize the federal prosecution of those who possess illegal firearms and individuals who possess firearms illegally.”
“Firearms violence should not be the solution we use to solve disagreements,” said Special Agent in Charge Travis Riddle, of the ATF St. Paul Field Division. “We are grateful for the great partnership with Fargo Police Department and for the work of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, successfully prosecuting this case. Mr. Opdahl is rightfully going to be held accountable for his poor decisions.”
This case was investigated by the Fargo Police Department and ATF and prosecuted by AUSA Richard Lee and Trial Attorney Katherine Raut.
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Fairbanks man charged with stealing guns from local firearm storeRead the Press Release
FAIRBANKS, Alaska – A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment charging a Fairbanks man with stealing multiple guns from a local firearm dealer.
According to court documents, on March 10, 2024, Darel Puller, 25, stole 22 firearms from a local gun store in Fairbanks. Twenty-one of those firearms were part of the business inventory, as reflected in count one of the indictment. One firearm belonged to the store’s owner that was not part of the businesses inventory, as reflected in count two of the indictment.
The defendant will make his initial court appearance on a later date before a U.S. Magistrate Judge of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
U.S. Attorney S. Lane Tucker of the District of Alaska and Chief Ron Dupee of the Fairbanks Police Department made the announcement.
The Fairbanks Police Department and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Anchorage Field Office and Seattle Field Division are investigating the case.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys Mac Caille Petursson and Carly Vosacek are prosecuting the case.
An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
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Ex-Employee of Federal Law Enforcement Agency Pleads Guilty to Kidnapping His Wife, Who was Murdered after the AbductionRead the Press Release
LOS ANGELES – A former federal employee pleaded guilty today to a federal kidnapping charge for plotting to abduct and kill his estranged wife, who was strangled to death in 2016.
Eddy Reyes, 38, of Covina, pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping resulting in death.
Reyes was a civilian employee of U.S. Customs and Border Protection at the time of his wife’s death and when he was arrested in this case in April 2021. He has been in federal custody since his arrest.
“We sincerely hope this successful prosecution brings some closure to the family of the victim, who was murdered in cold blood by her husband,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “Those who commit horrific acts of violence of this sort will feel the full weight of the law.”
“Mr. Reyes meticulously planned the brutal murder of Claudia Sanchez Reyes and then covered his tracks to evade the scrutiny of law enforcement, a community to which he once belonged,” said Mehtab Syed, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The hard work by investigators and prosecutors in this case leading to today’s guilty plea will hopefully bring a measure of justice to Claudia’s family in El Salvador.”
According to his plea agreement, Reyes met the victim, Claudia Sanchez Reyes, in El Salvador in 2014. Reyes eventually married the victim and brought her and their son to the United States. Court documents previously filed in this case allege a history of domestic abuse by Reyes against his wife, who obtained temporary restraining orders against him in 2014 and 2016.
By 2016, Reyes suspected his wife was having an affair and he decided to kill her. Reyes then contacted his estranged half-brother – a one-time gang member and gravedigger in El Salvador identified in court documents as “P.O.,” who is now deceased – about killing the victim.
On May 6, 2016, Reyes telephoned his wife at her job and told her that he wanted to take her to dinner that night and told her not to take an Uber home, which was her usual practice. At approximately 8 p.m. that night, Reyes drove a rented Hyundai Santa Fe and picked her up from work, after previously lying to her that the vehicle was a gift.
Instead of taking his wife out to dinner, Reyes drove to his mother’s house in Orange, pulled into the garage and closed the door. Once the door was closed, P.O. jumped from the SUV’s cargo area into the back seat and grabbed the victim, who was in the front passenger seat. P.O. punched Claudia Reyes in the face, cutting her lip, then took a seat belt and strangled her. She was 21 years old. Reyes helped P.O. push the victim’s dead body from the front passenger seat into the SUV’s cargo area.
Reyes further admitted in court that, the following day, he drove to the Santa Ana apartment he shared with his wife, turned on her telephone he had turned off the night before, and, posing as his wife, used her phone to send a text message to one of her co-workers saying she would not be in to work that day. P.O., also using the victim’s phone, texted a paralegal working for the victim’s divorce lawyer that stated she no longer need the lawyer’s services.
P.O. also used Claudia Reyes’ phone to text her mother and, pretending to be the victim, he wrote that she had met another man, was leaving Reyes and their son, that she was about to disconnect the phone, and wishing her a happy Mother’s Day.
On May 19, 2016, Reyes drove to a parking lot at Los Angeles International Airport and threw in the trash a backpack containing a blanket and rags that P.O. used to wipe down the seatbelt and interior of the SUV where Claudia Reyes was killed.
After Reyes filed a missing person report four days later, police conducted an investigation that revealed co-workers heard Claudia Reyes fighting with her husband on May 6 soon before he picked her up in the rented SUV, according to the affidavit in support of a criminal complaint, which notes detectives later found a drop of Claudia Reyes’ blood in that vehicle and a cadaver dog indicated that a dead body had been in the SUV.
“In committing these acts, [Reyes] admits that he lured Claudia S. into the Hyundai Santa Fe on the night of May 6, 2016, with the promise of taking her to dinner, when in fact the plan was to kill her,” Reyes admitted in this plea agreement.
United States District Judge Josephine L. Staton scheduled an August 2 sentencing hearing, at which time Reyes will face a statutory maximum sentence of life imprisonment. In exchange for his confession, federal prosecutors have agreed to ask Judge Staton to sentence Reyes to no more than 30 years in federal prison.
The case was investigated by the FBI, the Santa Ana Police Department, and the Orange County Violent Gang Task Force, which is comprised of several federal, state, and local agencies. Assistance was provided by Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Professional Responsibility, the Irvine Police Department, and the Transnational Anti-gang Unit of El Salvador.
Assistant United States Attorney Gregory W. Staples of the Santa Ana Branch Office is prosecuting this case.
Dupree Man Sentenced for Failure to Register as a Sex OffenderRead the Press Release
PIERRE - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that Chief Judge Roberto A. Lange, U.S. District Court, has sentenced a Dupree, South Dakota man convicted of Failure to Register as a Sex Offender. The sentencing took place on April 15, 2024.
Jayme Lee Rivers, also known as Jayme Lee Two Crow, age 44, was sentenced to eight months in federal prison, four months in a residential re-entry center, five years of supervised release, and a special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund in the amount of $100.
Rivers was indicted by a federal grand jury in December of 2023. He pleaded guilty on February 29, 2024.
Rivers is required to register as a sex offender under federal law. Rivers had registered a homeless shelter in Rapid City as his primary address. He was kicked out of the shelter in April of 2023. Rivers chose not to update his registration until he moved from Rapid City to Dupree in late August of 2023.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities and measuring the results.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carl Thunem prosecuted the case.
Rivers was immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.
Drug and Ghost Gun Trafficker Sentenced to 87 MonthsRead the Press Release
NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – April 19, 2024
SAN DIEGO – Carlos Mendoza of San Diego was sentenced in federal court today to 87 months in prison following his admission that he trafficked in methamphetamine and ghost guns.
Mendoza pleaded guilty to selling methamphetamine to undercover federal agents in February of 2023. According to the plea agreement, Mendoza also admitted to illegally selling eight privately-made firearms, which are commonly referred to as “ghost guns.” Ghost guns are assembled from firearm parts and lack markings—or contain non-standard markings—which make them difficult to trace when recovered from a crime scene.
Mendoza’s arrest was part of the Privately Made Firearm Crime Reduction Project, which ran from February to May of 2023. The project was initiated to address gun violence and the proliferation of ghost guns in San Diego. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the San Diego Police Department (SDPD) used data analytics to determine areas where there was an increase in gun violence and where crime guns were being recovered. ATF and SDPD employed an intelligence-led policing effort throughout the 90-day initiative to determine where to place resources to have the greatest impact. The project resulted in the seizure of 165 ghost guns and the prosecution of 33 people, including Mendoza.
“Removing dangerous drugs and illegal guns from the street makes all of us safer,” said U.S. Attorney Tara McGrath. “Now we’ve removed a dealer from the equation, too.”
“Individuals who are engaged in the business of making firearms for livelihood or profit as opposed to personal use, must obtain a federal firearms license, and must comply with federal laws that require firearms to be serialized,” said ATF Los Angeles Field Division Special Agent in Charge Christopher Bombardiere. “ATF will continue to investigate criminal possession of ghost guns and those who traffick them with its local partners to make our communities safer.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Shital H. Thakkar.
DEFENDANT Case Number 23-cr-01436-RBM
Carlos Mendoza Age: 31 San Diego, CA
SUMMARY OF CHARGES
Distributing Methamphetamine – Title 21, U.S.C., Section 841(a)(1)
Maximum penalty: Life in prison and $10 million fine
AGENCY
Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives
*The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.
District of South Dakota Seizes 368 Illegal Firearms in 2023Read the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that over the course of 2023, federal, state, tribal, and local law enforcement agencies seized 368 firearms that were possessed in violation of federal law. In the same year, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of South Dakota charged approximately 93 defendants with illegally owning, possessing, using, or obtaining one or more such firearms.
“Through these firearm seizures, we are confident law enforcement agencies prevented countless violent and drug-related crimes from occurring in communities across South Dakota,” said U.S. Attorney Alison Ramsdell. “The U.S. Attorney’s Office is grateful for the strong law enforcement partnerships in South Dakota, which allow us to combine federal, state, and tribal resources to target some of the most dangerous individuals in our state and remove illegal firearms from our streets.”
Efforts to seize illegal firearms are the result of close cooperation between the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI), South Dakota State Highway Patrol, and numerous sheriff’s offices and police departments across the state, including Sioux Falls and Rapid City.
“Illegal firearms trafficking simply cannot be tolerated as it directly fuels violent crime within our communities,” said Special Agent in Charge Travis Riddle, of the St. Paul Field Division. “We at ATF will continue to work closely with our law enforcement partners across South Dakota to pursue these perpetrators of violence. We are grateful for the strong partnerships forged over the years that have led to these impactful investigations. We are also grateful for the U.S. Attorney’s Office here in South Dakota, which has been the essential catalyst in bringing these violent perpetrators to justice.”
“Maintaining strong partnerships within our law enforcement community is incredibly important to ensure successful firearm investigations like these,” said Jamie Holt, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) St. Paul Special Agent in Charge. “Investigating and prosecuting organizations and individuals involved in these types of crimes results in safer communities with less gun violence.”
Some of the major firearms-related cases prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office in 2023 include:
United States v. Sam Boyd—In the fall of 2020, Defendant began obtaining methamphetamine from a co-conspirator in Colorado Springs, Colorado. The Defendant then distributed the methamphetamine to others for distribution. Throughout the conspiracy, Boyd routinely possessed multiple firearms and ammunition, despite being prohibited from doing so due to a prior felony conviction. Boyd proceeded to trial and a jury found him guilty of Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine and Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition by a Prohibited Person. Boyd was sentenced to 23 1/3 years in federal prison. The case was investigated by the DEA, ATF, and Unified Narcotics Enforcement Team.
United States v. Weston Clausen, Jaylen Ducheneaux, and Ford Traversie—Three Defendants burglarized Reloaders Corner, a licensed federal firearm retailer in Isabel in August of 2022. The three Defendants broke into the firearms business after hours and stole 105 firearms, ammunition, and other items. Some of the firearms were then illegally trafficked to other individuals. Several of the stolen firearms have been recovered in various communities in South Dakota, Colorado, and throughout the Midwest. Tragically, one gun was recovered at the scene of a suicide by a 17-year-old teenager. All three Defendants pleaded guilty to Theft of Firearms from a Federal Firearm Licensee and Third-degree Burglary. Traversie was sentenced to 40 months in federal prison; Clausen was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison; and Ducheneaux was sentenced to 12 years in federal prison. All three Defendants were ordered to pay restitution in the amount of $20,188 to the victim for the unrecovered firearms. The case was investigated by the Dewey County Sheriff’s office and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe law enforcement, as well as the ATF, BIA, and FBI.
United States v. Travene Tyrone Myers—Defendant was arrested on July 10, 2023, after having been reported of using a firearm to threaten his then girlfriend. When officers searched Myers’ vehicle, they located a fully loaded, semi-automatic pistol under the driver’s seat, which Myers, a previously convicted felon, admitted to possessing. Myers was sentenced to seven years and eight months in federal prison. The case was investigated by HSI, the Sioux Falls Police Department, and ATF.
United States v. Harold Salway, Jr.—Over a 13-month period, Defendant purchased at least 43 firearms, acting as a straw purchaser for many of the transactions. More than a dozen of these firearms later showed up in crimes committed in Rapid City and on the Pine Ridge Reservation, including two homicides, two suicides, and other shots-fired calls. Law enforcement also located several juveniles involved in criminal activity who were found to be in possession of firearms purchased by Salway. He was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to unlawful user in possession of a firearm, use of a firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime, and false statement during the purchase of a firearm. The case was investigated by the ATF and the Rapid City Police Department.
United States v. Antoine Thomas—Defendant was arrested on February 10, 2022, in possession of nearly 550 grams of methamphetamine, 31 grams of M-30 pills containing fentanyl, multiple firearms, and ammunition. Thomas was previously convicted of robbery twice and also illegal possession of a firearm. He pleaded guilty to multiple drug and firearms charges and was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison. The case was investigated by the FBI, ATF, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, and the Sioux Falls Police Department.
This District of South Dakota’s prosecution of illegal firearms is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department of Justice launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Department of Defense Contractor Sentenced to More Than Eight Years for Receiving Child Sex Abuse Materials over the InternetRead the Press Release
Jacksonville, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Brian J. Davis has sentenced Tyler Lee Murrell (27, Hillsboro, Tennessee) to eight years and one month in federal prison for receipt of child sexual abuse images. Murrell was also ordered to serve a 15-year term of supervised release and register as a sex offender. Murrell was arrested on July 17, 2023, and ordered detained pending the outcome of proceedings in this case. He entered a guilty plea on December 7, 2023.
According to court documents, in March 2023, the U.S. Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS) received information from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) about two CyberTipline Reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. These tips advised that child sexual abuse materials (CSAM) were suspected of being uploaded to a wireless cloud account. The subscriber information of the wireless account indicated the subscriber was Tyler Lee Murrell, with a residence in Jacksonville. Internet Protocol (IP) addresses were provided for the CyberTips and traced to a residence belonging to Murrell. Upon further investigation, JSO learned Murrell was likely a member of the military or a Department of Defense contractor and turned the investigation over to NCIS.
NCIS learned that Murrell worked for a company at Naval Air Station Jacksonville. NCIS obtained a search warrant for Murrell’s cloud account and located a video depicting CSAM from one of the CyberTips and additional files of CSAM. NCIS executed a search warrant and seized Murrell’s phone on June 28, 2023. A search of the phone resulted in the discovery of numerous files of CSAM, including 43 videos and 38 images of CSAM. There were also numerous discussions related to CSAM. In one, Murrell discussed engaging in sexual activity with a minor female child if he and the female he was chatting with had a child together. In response, the female sent Murrell two CSAM videos.
During an interview with law enforcement following his arrest, Murrell admitted to purchasing and receiving CSAM. He also admitted to speaking with an adult woman who would send him videos of CSAM.
This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.
It is another case brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.
Dark Web Vendor Sentenced for Distributing Narcotics and Ordered to Forfeit $150MRead the Press Release
An Indian national was sentenced today to five years in prison for selling controlled substances on dark web marketplaces and ordered to forfeit approximately $150 million.
According to court documents and in statements made in court, Banmeet Singh, 40, of Haldwani, India, created vendor marketing sites on dark web marketplaces, such as Silk Road, Alpha Bay, Hansa, and others, to sell controlled substances, including fentanyl, LSD, ecstasy, Xanax, ketamine, and tramadol. Customers paid with cryptocurrency for drugs ordered from Singh using the vendor sites. Singh then personally shipped or arranged the shipment of the drugs from Europe to the United States through U.S. mail or other shipping services.
From at least mid-2012 through July 2017, Singh controlled at least eight distribution cells within the United States, including cells located in Ohio, Florida, North Carolina, Maryland, New York, North Dakota, and Washington, among other locations. Individuals in these distribution cells received drug shipments and then re-packaged and re-shipped the drugs to locations in all 50 states, Canada, England, Ireland, Jamaica, Scotland, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Over the course of the conspiracy, the Singh drug organization moved hundreds of kilograms of controlled substances throughout the United States and established a multimillion-dollar drug enterprise that laundered millions of dollars of drug proceeds into cryptocurrency accounts, which ultimately became worth approximately $150 million.
Singh was arrested in April 2019 in London at the request of the United States and subsequently extradited to the United States in March 2023. He pleaded guilty on Jan. 26 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances and conspiracy to commit money laundering.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Kenneth L. Parker for the Southern District of Ohio; Administrator Anne Milgram of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA); Acting Special Agent in Charge Karen Wingerd of the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) Cincinnati Field Office; Acting Special Agent in Charge Shawn Gibson of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Detroit; and Postal Inspector in Charge Lesley Allison of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) made the announcement.
The DEA, IRS-CI, HSI, USPIS, and the Upper Arlington and Columbus, Ohio, Police Departments investigated the case. The United Kingdom’s National Crime Agency, Crown Prosecution Service, and Central Authority provided significant assistance.
The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided significant assistance in securing the arrest and extradition of Singh from the United Kingdom.
Trial Attorney Emily Cohen of the Criminal Division’s Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael J. Hunter for the Southern District of Ohio prosecuted the case.
Dominican Republic Man Sentenced to 10 Years on Cocaine Trafficking ConvictionRead the Press Release
St. Thomas, VI – United States Attorney Delia L. Smith announced today that Ruben Reyes, 37, of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced to 120 months incarceration by Chief Judge Robert A. Molloy, followed by 5 years of supervised release, and a $100 special assessment after pleading guilty to Conspiracy to Possess a Controlled Substance with Intent to Distribute While on Board a Vessel Subject to the Jurisdiction of the United States.
According to court documents, on November 18, 2020, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine Operations intercepted a vessel traveling from St. Thomas towards Puerto Rico at approximately one mile southwest of Savana Island. The vessel was operating without navigational lights, and individuals on board the vessel were observed throwing black objects overboard into the ocean. Agents placed markers in the locations where the objects were discarded while they continued to pursue the vessel. Reyes, Jorge Romero Amaro, Giovanni Graciani, Hector Rivera Concepcion and Pedro Luis Sayan Villanueva were found on board the vessel and seven duffle bags containing approximately 198 kilograms were recovered from the ocean.
This case was investigated by Customs and Border Protection, Homeland Security Investigations, Federal Bureau of Investigations, and the Drug Enforcement Administration, and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Daniel H. Huston and Natasha Baker. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Cleveland man sentenced to more than 30 years in prison for his role in large-scale drug trafficking organizationRead the Press Release
AKRON – Brandon Bryant, 28, of Cleveland, was sentenced 365 months (more than 30 years) in prison by U.S. District Judge John R. Adams, after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, distribution of controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and use of a communications facility in furtherance of a drug felony. Bryant was ordered to serve a lifetime term of supervised release following his release from prison, and will also forfeit drug-related assets, including a Rolex watch, $13,093 in U.S. Currency, and two vehicles.
According to court documents, Bryant was a member of a large-scale fentanyl trafficking organization that operated on Cleveland’s eastside between September 2019 and February 2022. Bryant received large amounts of fentanyl from his codefendant Devonn Fair. Bryant then redistributed that fentanyl to customers in the Cleveland area. Fair and Bryant maintained multiple residences on the east side of Cleveland for the purpose of distributing and storing controlled substances. The organization drew fentanyl customers from as far away as Trumbull, Medina, Wayne, and Lorain Counties.
Bryant was one of 24 defendants charged in this indictment. All 24 defendants have been convicted and sentenced. Other defendants previously sentenced in this case include:
• Devonn Fair, who was the organization’s primary fentanyl supplier and also sold fentanyl to customers (sentenced to 420 months in prison)
• Ramel Drew, who sold fentanyl to the organization’s customers (sentenced to 327 months in prison)
• Branea Bryant, who laundered the organization’s drug proceeds (sentenced to 290 months in prison)The investigation preceding the indictment was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cartel, Gang, Narcotics, and Laundering Task Force (CGNL) and the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CID), with assistance from the Cleveland Division of Police, the Cuyahoga County Sheriff’s Office, the Ohio Investigative Unit, the Ohio State Highway Patrol, the Cleveland Heights Police Department, the Southeast Area Law Enforcement Task Force (SEALE), the ATF, the U.S. Marshal’s Service, the DEA, and the Cuyahoga County Regional Forensic Science Laboratory.
This case was prosecuted as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations.
The specific mission of the OCDETF Cleveland Strike Force (SF) is to disrupt and dismantle major criminal organizations and subsidiary organizations, including criminal gangs, transnational drug cartels, racketeering organizations, and other groups engaged in illicit activities that present a threat to public safety and national security and are related to the illegal smuggling and trafficking of narcotics or other controlled substances, weapons, humans, or the illegal concealment or transfer of proceeds derived from such illicit activities in the Northern District of Ohio. The OCDETF Cleveland SF is comprised of agents and officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Homeland Security Investigations, the United States Marshals Service, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Internal Revenue Service, U.S. Border Patrol, and the Cleveland Division of Police, and the prosecution is being led by the Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys James Lewis, Joseph Dangelo, and James Morford.
Chicago Chiropractor Convicted of Federal Health Care Fraud ChargesRead the Press Release
CHICAGO — A Chicago chiropractor has been convicted of federal health care fraud charges for billing a private insurer for nonexistent services.
CLARENCE W. BROWN III owned and operated Dr. CB3 Wellness, Inc. and Apex Integrated Medical Center, Ltd. in Chicago. From 2016 to 2020, Brown submitted fraudulent claims to Blue Cross Blue Shield of Illinois for purported health care services that Brown knew were not actually provided to patients. Some of the fraudulent claims were for services purportedly provided on dates when Brown was not in Illinois. Brown prepared false patient medical records and other documents to support his fraudulent claims. Brown billed BCBS approximately $1.3 million for services purportedly provided to members of two families that were not actually provided, and, as a result, fraudulently obtained approximately $750,000 from the carrier.
After a two-week trial in U.S. District Court in Chicago, a jury on April 12, 2024, convicted Brown, 48, of Chicago, on all nine health care fraud counts against him. Each count is punishable by up to ten years in federal prison. U.S. District Judge John F. Kness set sentencing for July 23, 2024.
The conviction was announced by Morris Pasqual, Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois, and Robert W. “Wes” Wheeler, Jr., Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Office of the FBI. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Misty N. Wright and Andréa L. Campbell.
California and South Dakota Women Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine through the MailRead the Press Release
SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced today that U.S. District Karen E. Schreier has sentenced a Harrison, South Dakota, woman convicted of Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance. The sentencing took place on April 15, 2024.
Anita M. Kenyon, 41, was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Her co-conspirator, Deena Lee Rodriguez, 43, of Sacramento, California, was sentenced on May 25, 2023, to eight years and one month in federal prison, followed by five years of supervised release. She was also ordered to pay a $100 special assessment to the Federal Crime Victims Fund.
Kenyon and Rodriguez were indicted for Conspiracy to Distribute a Controlled Substance by a federal grand jury in August of 2022. Rodriguez pleaded guilty on March 14, 2023, and Kenyon pleaded guilty on July 19, 2023.
This conspiracy consisted of Rodriguez obtaining methamphetamine in California, then sending packages containing that methamphetamine in the mail to Kenyon in South Dakota. One of the suspicious drug-laden packages was seized by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and subsequently searched. Investigators learned that Kenyon and Rodriguez were involved in distributing approximately three quarters of a pound of methamphetamine in this manner.
This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service and the South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Hodges prosecuted the case.
Kenyon and Rodriguez were immediately remanded to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service after their respective sentencings.
Cabecilla De Alto Rango De LA MS-13 Instruído De Cargos Según Una Acusación Formal Del Gran Jurado (Indictment) Por TerrorismoRead the Press Release
Hoy, Fredy Iván Jandres-Parada, también conocido como “Lucky de Park View” y “Lacky de Park View”, un cabecilla de alto rango de La Mara Salvatrucha, también conocida como la MS-13 fue instruído de cargos en el Tribunal Federal en Central Islip, Nueva York ante el Juez Magistrado Federal Steven L. Tiscione. Jandres-Parada y otros 13 cabecillas de alto rango de la MS-13 fueron acusados formalmente en diciembre de 2020, por delitos de terrorismo relacionados con su dirección de las actividades criminales transnacionales de la organización criminal en los Estados Unidos, El Salvador, México, y otros lugares durante las últimas dos décadas. Específicamente a Jandres-Parada se le imputan cargos de conspiración para proporcionar y ocultar apoyo material a terroristas, conspiración para cometer actos de terrorismo que trascienden las fronteras nacionales, conspiración para financiar el terrorismo y conspiración para el narcoterrorismo. Durante más de tres años, Jandres-Parada era prófugo de la justicia, pero fue detenido por el FBI y HSI antes este mes y tuvo su primera comparecencia en el Tribunal Federal en el Distrito Sur de California, donde se dió la orden de trasladarle bajo custodia al Distrito Este de Nueva York.
Breon Peace, Fiscal Federal de los Estados Unidos para el Distrito Este de Nueva York (EDNY), Mehtab Syed, Director Adjunto Encargado en Funciones de la Oficina Regional de Los Ángeles del FBI, y Ivan J. Arvelo, Agente Especial Encargado en Funciones de la Oficina Regional de HSI en Nueva York anunciaron la detención e instrucción de cargos de Jandres-Parada.
“Se alega que Jandres-Parada, un líder de alto nivel en la MS-13, participó en el tráfico de estupefacientes, en muestras públicas y privadas de violencia y en el terrorismo - todo en búsqueda de poder para la organización” dijo el Fiscal Federal Peace. “Esta detención es un logro monumental para nuestra Oficina y los socios internacionales, recalcando nuestra dedicación para desmantelar la MS-13 y su reino de terror, donde sea que se escondan.”
El Sr. Peace expresó su agradecimiento a la Oficina Regional del FBI en Los Ángeles y a la Unidad Contra Pandillas para Calles Seguras de la División de Investigaciones Criminales, y a la Unidad contra Pandillas Nacionales y Delitos Violentos del HSI y a la Oficina Regional en Nueva York por encabezar las investigaciones de la MS-13. Además dió las gracias a los Agregados Legales del FBI en la Ciudad de México y San Salvador, las Oficinas Regionales del FBI y HSI en San Diego, al Agregado de HSI en la Ciudad de México, al Agregado en Tijuana, al Agregado Adjunto del USMS en la Ciudad de México, y a los Oficiales de los Estados Unidos de Aduanas y Protección de las Fronteras en el Puerto de Entrada de San Ysidro por el apoyo crítico que proporcionaron relacionado con la detención, y a la Oficina del Fiscal Federal y al Servicio de Marshals para el Distrito Sur de California por coordinar la comparecencia inicial del acusado en San Diego. El Sr. Peace también agradeció a numerosos componentes del Departamento de Justicia que contribuyeron a esta Acusación Formal del Gran Jurado (Indictment), incluyendo la Sección Contra el Terrorismo de la División de Seguridad Nacional, y a la Oficina Ejecutiva de los Grupos de Trabajo Contra el Crimen Organizado.
“La detención de Jandres-Paarada muestra el compromiso del FBI para proteger al pueblo norteamericano persiguiendo proactivamente a los líderes de más alto rango en la MS-13 para desmantelar esta organización criminal transnacional, que figura entre las más violentas en el mundo entero” dijo Mehtab Syed, Director Adjunto en Funciones Encargado de la Oficina Regional del FBI en Los Ángeles. “Este esfuerzo colaborativo entre muchas agencias abarcaba desde una de nuestras costas hasta la otra, y llevó a esta captura exitosa.”
“Fredy Ivan Jandres-Parada, (a/k/a) “Lucky”) ha sido un prófugo de la Justicia en la Lista de los Más Buscados del HSI desde 2021. Como uno de los miembros fundadores de la pandilla callejera MS-13, se alega que Jandres-Parada es responsable por ordenar actos de violencia contra pandillas rivales, contra las autoridades de orden público, y contra civiles. Sin embargo el reino de violencia de Jandres-Parada terminó cuando fue detenido en una operación conjunta de HSI y el FBI”, dijo Darren B. McCormack, Agente Especial Encargado en Funciones de la Oficina Regional de HSI en Nueva York. “Con la detención de uno de los más buscados de HSI, felicito a HSI en Nueva York, a nuestra División en Long Island, y a nuestros compañeros en las fuerzas de órden público por su compromiso constante y su empeño para asegurar que se haga justicia para las víctimas incontables que han sido afectados por la violencia de la MS-13”.
Según la Acusación Formal (Indictment), y documentación pertinente radicada en la Corte, Jandres-Parada y sus coacusados forman parte de la estructura de mando y control de la MS-13, que consiste en la Ranfla Nacional, Ranfla en Las Calles, y Ranfla en los Penales. Juegan un papel importante de liderazgo en las operaciones de la organización en El Salvador, México, los Estados Unidos, y en todo el mundo. En total, 27 de los líderes de más alto rango de la MS-13 han sido imputados con cargos en el Distrito Este de Nueva York en esta Acusación Formal del Gran Jurado (Indictment), y la Acusación Formal (Indictment) relacionado de los Estados Unidos v. Arévalo-Chávez, et al.
Además se alega que, en aproximadamente 2002, Jandres-Parada, sus coacusados, y otras cabecillas de la MS-13 empezaron a establecer una estructura de hierarquía de mando y control muy organizada como mecanismo para hacer cumplir sus decisiones y ejecutar su órdenes, aún estando encarcelados. Dirigían actos de violencia y asesinatos en El Salvador, los Estados Unidos y en otros lugares, establecieron campamentos de entrenamiento estilo militar para miembros de la MS-13 y obtuvieron armas militares tales como fusiles, pistolas, granadas, artifactos explosivos improvisados, y lanzacohetes. Además, comenzando en aproximadamente 2012, Jandres-Parada y otros miembros de la Ranfla Nacional negociaron con funcionarios del gobierno de El Salvador (GOES) para obtener beneficios y concesiones del gobierno. Para extorsionar esos beneficios y concesiones, la MS-13 participó en muestras públicas de violencia para amenazar e intimidar a las poblaciones civiles, poner en su mira a las fuerzas GOES de orden público y a oficiales militares, y a manipular el proceso electoral en El Salvador.
Además según se alega, la Ranfla Nacional dirigía la expansión de las actividades de la MS-13 por todo el mundo, incluyendo los Estados Unidos y México, donde Jandres-Parada y otros líderes de alto rango, fueron enviados para organizar las operaciones, establecer vínculos para obtener drogas y armas de fuego de carteles Mexicanos tales como los Zetas, el Cartel del Golfo, el Cartel de Jalisco Nueva Generación (CJNG), y el Cartel de Sinaloa, y participar en la trata de personas y contrabando. La Ranfla Nacional también dirigía a la membresía numerosa de la MS-13 en los Estados Unidos, para su participación en actividades criminales, tales como el narcotráfico y la extorsión para recaudar dinero para apoyar las actividades terroristas de la MS-13 en El Salvador y otros lugares. Jandres-Parada, que antes vivía en el área de Los Ángeles, antes de ser deportado a El Salvador, tenía un puesto clave coordinando la comunicación y la actividad criminal entre la Ranfla Nacional y las cabecillas de la MS-13 en los Estados Unidos, México y otros lugares.
Y por último, se alega que la Ranfla Nacional y que la estructura transnacional del liderazgo de la MS-13 han dado órdenes a miembros en los Estados Unidos para cometer actos de violencia para promover sus objetivos e implementar reglas para la MS-13, establecerse en algunas partes de los Estados Unidos, incluyendo el Distrito Este de Nueva York, donde, bajo el liderazgo y las reglas de los acusados, la MS-13 ha cometido asesinatos, atentados de asesinatos, agresiones, secuestros, narcotráfico, extorsión de personas y negocios, y obstrucción de la justicia, y ha enviado las cuotas y ganancias de la actividad criminal a través de giros electrónicos a los líderes de la MS-13 en El Salvador. Por ejemplo, la División en Long Island de esta Oficina ha procesado a cientos de líderes, miembros y asociados de la MS-13 por llevar a cabo más de 70 asesinatos en el Distrito Este de Nueva York desde 2009 hasta hoy.
Uno de los coacusados de Jandres-Parada, César Humberto López-Larios, también conocido como “El Grenas de Stoners” y “Oso de Stoners”, y dos acusados relacionados con la Acusación Formal (Indictment) de Arévalo-Chávez, Jorge Alexander De La Cruz, también conocido como “Cruger de Peatonales” y Francisco Javier Román-Bardales, también conocido como “Veterano de Tribus” siguen en libertad. Se anima a los miembros del público que tengan información sobre sus paraderos que se pongan en contacto en la línea gratis del FBI línea de información sobre MS-13, 1-866-STP-MS13 (1-866-787-6713) o la línea de información de HSI al (866) 347-2423 o https://www.ice.gov/webform/ice/tip/form. Juntos, el FBI y el HSI ofrecen una recompensa de $20,000 por información que lleva a la detención y condena de los prófugos.
Estos cargos son alegatos, y se presume la inocencia del acusado hasta y cuando se pruebe su culpabilidad más allá de una duda razonable en una Corte de Justicia. Si es condenado, Jandres-Parada confronta una condena máxima de cadena perpetua en prisión.
La imputación en este caso viene del Grupo de Trabajo Conjunto Vulcan (JTFV) que fue creado para combatir a la MS-13, encabezado por el Fiscal Adjunto John J. Durham de EDNY, y compuesto de las Oficinas de las Fiscalías Federales en todo el país, incluyendo el Distrito de Nueva Jersey, el Distrito Norte de Ohio, el Distrito de Utah, el Distrito de Massachusetts, el Distrito Este de Texas, el Distrito Sur de Nueva York, el Distrito Sur de la Florida, el Distrito Este de Virginia, el Distrito Sur de California, el Distrito de Nevada, el Distrito de Alaska, y el Distrito de Columbia, además de la División de Seguridad Nacional del Departamento de Justicia y la División Criminal. También el FBI, HSI, la DEA, el Bureau de Alcohol, Tabaco, Armas de Fuego y Explosivos, el USMS, la Junta Federal de Prisiones, y la Agencia de Estados Unidos para el Desarrollo Internacional, Oficina del Inspector General. Todos han sido socios esenciales y han promovido las investigaciones del JTFV.
La causa por parte del Gobierno será procesada por los Fiscales Federales Adjuntos John J. Durham, Paul G. Scotti, Justina L. Geraci, y Megan E. Farrell de la División Criminal de la Oficina en Long Island.
Acusado Recién Detenido en la Custodia de los Estados Unidos.
FREDY IVAN JANDRES-PARADA (“Lucky de Park View” y “Lacky de Park View”)
Age: 47Acusado Detenido Antes en la Custodia de los Estados Unidos.
ELMER CANALES-RIVERA (“Crook de Hollywood”)
Age: 48Acusados Prófugos de la Justicia:
CESAR HUMBERTO LOPEZ-LARIOS (“El Grenas de Stoners” y “Oso de Stoners”)
Age: 45BORROMEO ENRIQUE HENRIQUEZ (“Diablito de Hollywood”)
Age: 45EFRAIN CORTEZ (“Tigre de Park View” y “Viejo Tigre de Park View”)
Age: 54RICARDO ALBERTO DIAZ (“Rata de Leewards” y “Mousey de Leewards”)
Age: 51EDUARDO ERAZO-NOLASCO (“Colocho de Western” y “Mustage de Western”)
Age: 51EDSON SACHARY EUFEMIA (“Speedy de Park View”)
Age: 49JOSE FERNANDEZ FLORES-CUBAS (“Cola de Western”)
Age: 49LEONEL ALEXANDER LEONARDO (“El Necio de San Cocos”)
Age: 44JOSE LUIS MENDOZA-FIGUEROA (“Pavas de 7-11” y “Viejo Pavas de 7-11”)
Age: 59HUGO ARMANDO QUINTEROS-MINEROS (“Flaco de Francis”)
Age: 51SAUL ANTONIO TURCIOS (“Trece de Teclas”)
Age: 45ARISTIDES DIONISIO UMANZOR (“Sirra de Teclas”)
Age: 46E.D.N.Y Causa No: 20-CR-577 (JMA)
Auburn Man Pleads Guilty to Possessing a Firearm as a Convicted FelonRead the Press Release
SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Jason P. Benedict, age 47, of Auburn, New York, pled guilty today in federal court in Syracuse to possessing a 20-gauge shotgun as a convicted felon, announced United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New York Field Division of the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and Frank A. Tarentino III, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), New York Division.
As part of his guilty plea today, Benedict admitted that on January 21, 2023, he possessed and then transferred a Hawk Industries 20-gauge shotgun to another person in Syracuse. The shotgun (as well as drugs, cash, and drug paraphernalia) was seized by ATF and DEA during the execution of a search warrant at the other person’s Syracuse residence in June 2023.[1] A search of telephone text messages revealed that Benedict previously possessed and delivered the shotgun to the other person on January 21, 2023. Jason Benedict admitted in court today that he knew he was previously convicted in 2011 in Onondaga County Court of Criminal Sex Act in the Second Degree, a felony for which he was sentenced to serve five years in prison.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 23, 2024, in Syracuse, at which time Benedict faces a maximum sentence of 15-years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, and a term of post-incarceration supervised release of up to 3 years. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statute the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.
The United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Richard Southwick is prosecuting the case.
[1] The other person is charged with federal firearms and drug felony offenses. His case is currently pending in federal court, and he is presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty.
Attorney General Merrick B. Garland Statement on the 29th Anniversary of the Oklahoma City BombingRead the Press Release
The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in recognition of the 29th anniversary of the Oklahoma City Bombing, which took place on April 19, 1995, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma:
“Twenty-nine years after the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building, we continue to remember the 168 people, including 19 children, who were stolen from their loved ones, as well as the hundreds who were injured and forever changed. We continue to mourn alongside the families and the entire Oklahoma City community devastated by the attack.
“On this day, twenty-nine years ago, I watched in horror from my desk at the Justice Department as reports came in that there had been an explosion at the Murrah building in Oklahoma City. My colleagues and I gathered in front of a TV in my office and saw our first glimpse of the aftermath of the horrific attack. Forty-eight hours later, I traveled to Oklahoma to represent the United States in the first court hearing of the perpetrator, Timothy McVeigh.
“I will never forget the devastation that was inflicted on the entire Oklahoma City community. I will also never forget the extraordinary grace and love the community demonstrated in the face of that horrific tragedy. The Justice Department will never forget those who were lost, and we remained committed to working to prevent and disrupt such horrific attacks before they can occur.
“That means continuing to counter the threat that both foreign and domestic terrorism pose to our country as we grapple with a heightened global threat environment.
“It means continuing to hold accountable those who target Americans who serve the public with threats and acts of violence.
“And it means doing this work without ever losing sight of our responsibility to protect the civil rights of everyone in our country.
“As we mark 29 years since April 19, 1995, we renew our commitment to remembering what happened, to honoring those we lost, and to doing everything in our power to prevent future tragedies.”
Arrests Made in Drug Trafficking OrganizationRead the Press Release
JACKSON COUNTY, FLORIDA - In early 2023, Investigators with the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office’s Narcotics Division, alongside Special Agents and Task Force Officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Panama City Residence Office, initiated an investigation targeting a drug trafficking organization (DTO) led by Michael Termaine Bell, Sr. from Jackson County. The investigation identified the command-and-control structure of the Bell DTO and its role in the distribution of multiple kilograms of crystal methamphetamine, cocaine, crack cocaine, ALPHA-PIHP (“molly”), and fentanyl, throughout the region. These illicit substances were distributed in wholesale quantities by the Bell DTO for several years to local retail distributors. The retail distributors sold them to citizens in Jackson County and the surrounding region, many of whom suffer from ongoing drug addictions.
Throughout the investigation, dozens of individual organizational members were identified, most of whom have numerous arrests for drug charges, weapon possession, and violence. Approximately 29 of those members were identified for arrest and indictment.
As of Thursday, April 18, 2024, 20 members of the Bell DTO have been arrested as a result of this investigation. Seventeen organizational members will face state charges, and three will face federal indictments. Throughout the course of this investigation, more than 3.7 kilograms of Marijuana, more than 430 grams of ALPHA-PIHP (“molly”), 1.4 kilograms of cocaine, 1,290 grams of methamphetamine, and 104 grams of fentanyl have been seized, as well as several firearms.
This is an ongoing investigation, and there will be more arrests made in this case. Michael Termaine Bell, Sr., who we believe to be the leader of this DTO, is still at large. If you have any information on his whereabouts, please call our office at (850) 482-9648 or Chipola CrimeStoppers at (850) 526-5000. We will not stop searching for him until he is in custody.
Sheriff Edenfield would like to thank Northern District of Florida United States Attorney Jason Coody, State Attorney for the 14th Judicial Circuit Larry Basford, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Resident Agent in Charge George Kissell of the DEA Panama City Resident Office, the Florida National Guard Counter Drug Program, Florida Department of Law Enforcement, the Florida Highway Patrol, the Calhoun County Sheriff’s Office, the Liberty County Sheriff’s Office, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office, the Seminole County, Georgia Sheriff’s Office, Chattahoochee Police Department, and Chipley Police Department for their assistance during this investigation.
“We will continue to fight against those who distribute drugs in our community and fight for the safety of our citizens,” Sheriff Edenfield said.
April Federal Grand Jury 2023-B Indictments AnnouncedRead the Press Release
United States Attorney Clint Johnson today announced the results of the April Federal Grand Jury 2023-B Indictments.
The following individuals have been charged with violations of United States law in indictments returned by the Grand Jury. The return of an indictment is a method of informing a defendant of alleged violations of federal law, which must be proven in a court of law beyond a reasonable doubt to overcome a defendant’s presumption of innocence.
Edy Adonay Ayala-Carbajal. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Ayala-Carbajal, 36, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed in Sep. 2011, at or near Dallas, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ammon Brisolara is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-122
Dylan Lee Boyd. Aggravated Sexual Abuse by Force and Threat in Indian Country; Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country; Abusive Sexual Contact with a Minor in Indian Country; Commission of Felony Sex Offense Involving a Minor by a Registered Sex Offender. Boyd, 27, of Quapaw and a member of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma, is charged with knowingly engaging in a sexual act by force and threat with a minor victim under 16 years old in Nov. 2020. He allegedly knowingly engaged in sexual abuse and abusive sexual contact with the minor victim. Boyd is further charged with committing a felony offense with a minor while being required to register as a sex offender. The Quapaw Nation Marshals Service is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey P. Todd is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-114
Darrius Malik Brown. Possession of a Firearm with an Obliterated Serial Number; Receipt of a Firearm While Under Indictment for a Felony; Distribution of Fentanyl; Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime (superseding). Brown, 25, of Tulsa, is charged with possessing a handgun with the serial number removed. He allegedly possessed a firearm while he was under indictment. Brown knowingly distributed fentanyl and possessed a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Oklahoma Bureau of Narcotics, and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Elmore is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-083
Chaz Chinsethagid. Attempted Coercion and Enticement of a Minor; Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography; Possession of Child Pornography in Indian Country. Chinsethagid, 33, of Jenks, is charged with attempting to persuade, induce, and entice, an individual whom he believed had not attained the age of 18 years, to engage in sexual activity. He is further charged with knowingly receiving, possessing, and distributing visual images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Chinsethagid allegedly possessed visual images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children. Homeland Security Investigations, Texas Department of Public Safety Criminal Investigations, Tulsa Police Department, Collinsville Police Department, and Creek County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Robert is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-123
Eric Enslow. Felon in Possession of a Firearm and Ammunition; Obstructing, Delaying, and Affecting Commerce by Robbery; Carrying, Using, and Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. Enslow, 35, transient, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition knowing he was previously convicted of felonies in Iowa. He allegedly affected interstate commerce by robbery and brandished a firearm during a crime of violence. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney John E. Brasher is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-124
Juan Jose Huerta; Miguel Angel Huerta; Carlos Pena-Villalba; Jose Fernando Flores Carillo; Roberto Carlos Valle. Drug Conspiracy (Count 1); Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (Counts 2 & 8); Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute (Counts 3, 5 & 13); Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime (Counts 4, 6, 9, 11 & 14); Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises (Counts 7 & 15); Possession of Fentanyl with Intent to Distribute (Count 10); Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (Count 12). Juan Huerta, 57, a Mexican National; Miguel Huerta, 27, of Broken Arrow; Pena-Villalba, 53, a Mexican National; Carillo, 24, a Mexican National; Valle, 45, a Mexican National are charged with conspiring to distribute over 500 grams of methamphetamine. Juan Huerta and Pena-Villalba are charged with allegedly possessing more than 500 grams of methamphetamine with intent to distribute. Valle is further charged with knowingly possessing more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and more than 40 grams of fentanyl with intent to distribute. Juan Huerta and Miguel Huerta are further charged with knowingly possessing more than 40 grams of fentanyl with intent to distribute. Carillo allegedly also possessed fentanyl with intent to distribute. All are charged with possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking and with maintaining a residence to distribute drugs. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Tulsa Police Department, and the Broken Arrow Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney David A. Nasar is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-118
Olegario Pinales Cobarrubias. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien. Cobarrubias, 42, a Mexican national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed in May 2008, at or near Del Rio, Texas. U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement and Removal Operations is the investigative agency. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mandy M. Mackenzie is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-115
Edwin Orlando Rios-Mejia. Unlawful Reentry of a Removed Alien; Tampering with Evidence. Rios-Mejia, 25, a Honduras national, is charged with unlawfully reentering the United States after having been removed in Sep. 2019, at or near Houston, Texas. He is further charged with evidence tampering. U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Cheryl L. Baber is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-116
Juan Daniel Rodriguez; Adrian Hernandez Barrios; Adolfo Jacobo; Jesus Ponce Alcaraz; Aureliano Rodriguez Hernandez; Felecia Martinez, Luis Martinez; Marco Antonio Monreal Lopez; Juan Luis Luna; Bulmaro Martinez; Cesar Barrera-Gonzalez; Jorge Mario Piedra Hernandez. Drug Conspiracy (Count 1); Drug Conspiracy (Count 2); Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Crime (Count 3); Distribution of Methamphetamine (Counts 4 through 6); Distribution of Methamphetamine (Count 7); Distribution of Methamphetamine (Count 8); Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (Counts 9 & 11); Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises (Counts 10, 12 & 14); Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (Count 13); Distribution of Cocaine (Counts 15 & 16) (superseding). Rodriguez, 18, of Tulsa; Barrios, 28, of Tulsa and a Mexican national; Jacobo, 28, of Tulsa; Alcaraz, 30, a Mexican national; Aureliano Hernandez, 38, a Mexican national; Felecia Martinez, 39 of Tulsa and a member of the Potawatomi Nation; Luis Martinez, 37, a Mexican national; Lopez, 41, a Mexican National; Luna, 41, a Mexican National are charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine. Barrios, Jacobo, Alcaraz, Barrera-Gonzalez, 27, a Mexican national, Bulmaro Martinez, 38, a Mexican national, Jorge Hernandez, 38, a Mexican national are also charged with conspiring to distribute cocaine. Barrios is further charged with possessing a firearm while drug trafficking, and intentionally distributing methamphetamine and more than 50 grams of a mixture that contains methamphetamine. Rodriguez is charged with allegedly distributing more than 500 grams of a mixture that contains methamphetamine. Rodriguez, Aureliano Hernandez, and Felecia Martinez are further charged with maintaining a residence to distribute methamphetamine. Additionally, Felecia Martinez is charged with possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute and Alcaraz is further charged with distributing cocaine. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, and Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Adam D. McConney is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-078
Gerson Armando Romero Salazar. Alien Unlawfully in the United States in Possession of a Firearm. Salazar, 22, an El Salvador national, is charged with possessing a firearm and ammunition knowing he was unlawfully in the United States. The Homeland Security Investigations and Broken Arrow Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shakema M. Onias is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-125
Richard Joseph Schweiger. Felon in Possession of a Firearm (Count 1); Drug Conspiracy (Count 2); Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury (Counts 3 & 6); Distribution of Heroin Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury (Count 4); Distribution of Fentanyl Resulting in Death; Prior Conviction Allegation for a Felony Drug Offense (Count 5) (superseding). Schweiger, 48, of Sapulpa, is charged with possessing a firearm knowing he was previously convicted of felonies in Louisiana and Oklahoma. He is charged with conspiring to distribute methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl since January 2022. It is alleged that during that time, Schweiger distributed fentanyl or heroin to at least three individuals, which resulted in serious bodily harm. He is further charged with knowingly distributing fentanyl, which resulted in the death of Barbara Ann Martin. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Creek County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Flesher is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-009
Brian Thomas Tate. Leaving the Scene of a Personal Injury Accident in Indian Country. Tate, 40, of Oilton and a member of the Pueblo of Laguna, is charged with failing to stay at the scene of an accident and rendering reasonable assistance to those injured in the accident. The FBI, Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and Creek County Sheriff’s Office are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Ihler is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-129
Stanley Wayne Zackery, Jr. Assault of an Intimate/Dating Partner by Strangling and Suffocating and Attempting to Strangle and Suffocate in Indian Country; Robbery in Indian Country; Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury in Indian Country; Domestic Assault in Indian Country by a Habitual Offender. Zackery, 41, of Weleetka and a member of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, is charged with assaulting a dating partner by strangling and suffocating the victim. He is accused of taking property of value from the victim by force and violence. Zackery is charged with assaulting the victim which resulted in serious bodily injury. Additionally, he is further charged with domestic assault after receiving felony convictions for domestic assault in Okfuskee District Court and the Eastern District of Oklahoma Federal Court. The FBI and the Tulsa Police Department are the investigative agencies. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melissa Weems is prosecuting the case. 24-CR-117
Activity in the U. S. Attorney's OfficeRead the Press Release
Firearms Offenses
Charles Michael Carsten, age 35, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced to 63 months’ imprisonment for being a felon in possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on Apr. 16. According to court documents, Cheyenne Police Department officers were dispatched to a call of a man using drugs in a parking lot. When an officer approached the vehicle, Carsten reached for the center console several times. As the officer told Carsten to keep his hands visible, the officer noticed a firearm in the center console. Another firearm, loaded with 16 rounds of ammunition was next to the driver’s seat. The officer was able to secure Carsten in his patrol car without incident. Carsten had numerous small blue fentanyl pills in his possession and is a previously convicted felon. The defendant pleaded guilty on Jan. 8. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan C. Coppom.
Anthony Oliva, 27, of Las Vegas, Nevada, was sentenced to 76 months in federal prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Apr. 15. According to court documents, on Jul. 6, 2023, Wind River Police Department officers received a report of a possible drunk driver. Officers conducted a traffic stop on Oliva and noticed a strong odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle. Oliva was uncooperative and eventually arrested. A subsequent search of the vehicle recovered two 9mm semi-automatic pistol and several magazines. The defendant pleaded guilty to the charge on Jan. 23. The crime was investigated by the Wind River Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy W. Gist.
Nathan Gossens, 31, of Billings, Montana, was sentenced to time served plus three years of supervised release for being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Court Judge Alan B. Johnson imposed the sentence on Apr. 8. According to court documents, U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement responded to a report of someone who had been camping in a day-use only area in Wyoming. The officer made contact with Gossens who was wearing a pistol on his hip. Gossens was cooperative and secured the pistol without incident, but he had a prior felony conviction and was prohibited from possessing a firearm. Gossens pleaded guilty to the charge on Jan. 24. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan C. Coppom.
18 April 2024
York County Man Indicted for Drug Trafficking OffensesRead the Press Release
HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Porfirio Peralta-Nunez, age 45, of York, PA, was indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking charges.
According to U.S. Attorney Gerard Karam, the indictment alleges that between November 2022 and October 2023, Peralta-Nunez engaged in a conspiracy to traffic cocaine into York County. The indictment further alleges that on October 23, 2023, Peralta-Nunez possessed five kilograms or more of cocaine with the intent to distribute the controlled substance.
The case was investigated by the York County Drug Task Force, along with the Drug Enforcement Agency and the York City Police Department. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mark Monroe is prosecuting the case.
This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
The maximum penalty for the offenses is life imprisonment, a five-year term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a $10,000,000 fine. A sentence for each of these offenses also includes a period of supervised release following imprisonment.
Indictments and Criminal Informations are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court.
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Western Washington Carjacking Task Force part of federal effort to combat violent crimeRead the Press Release
Seattle – U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman announced today that the Western District of Washington is one of seven districts that are adding a carjacking task force to focus efforts and resources on this important public safety threat.
“Our task force harnesses the resources of the FBI, ATF, the Seattle Police and Kent Police Departments. Prosecutors will look at all carjacking incidents in the district to see if federal prosecution is appropriate,” said U.S. Attorney Gorman. “Where adults are using juveniles to commit these crimes, we will explore significant federal penalties to hold the adults accountable.”
“The Justice Department has no higher priority than keeping our communities safe. We do so by targeting the most significant drivers of violent crime and by acting as a force multiplier for our state and local law enforcement partners. We’re seeing results — with violent crime declining broadly nationwide,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Today, we are launching seven new carjacking task forces across the country to build on the success of task forces in Chicago, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Tampa, where available data shows that carjacking rates are now falling. When prosecutors, officers, agents, and analysts come together to crunch data, share intelligence, and apply best practices, we can make real progress in the fight against all forms of violent crime, including carjacking.”
“Addressing violent crime is a task that takes teamwork.” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “I am proud to join with our law enforcement partners in the Seattle area to protect the communities we all call home.”
In keeping with the department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime, the task forces represent a strategic enforcement priority for the department, focusing federal resources on identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the most significant drivers of violent crime.
Building on the initial efforts of and best practices learned from carjacking task forces in the U.S. Attorney’s Offices in the District of Columbia, Northern District of Illinois, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, and the Middle District of Florida, the following offices in seven other districts are announcing the creation of carjacking task forces in their communities:
- District of Oregon
- Eastern District of Texas
- Northern District of Alabama
- Northern District of California
- Eastern District of Louisiana
- Southern District of Mississippi
- Western District of Washington
Carjacking and other violent crime task forces have proven to be an effective part of successful violent crime reduction strategies by focusing on significant crime drivers and taking violent offenders off the streets of our communities. For example, carjackings in Philadelphia declined by 31 percent from 2022 to 2023, and armed carjackings are down 28 percent in the District of Columbia this year to date compared to the same period in 2023. In Chicago, carjackings decreased 29 percent from the high in 2021 through the end of 2023.
The newly formed task forces will be led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices, FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, along with state, local and other law enforcement partners. At an initial kickoff meeting, the task force members will come together to outline how they will share and act promptly on information related to car thefts, carjackings and the recovery of stolen or suspect vehicles. The task forces will also collaborate on how to use federal sentencing enhancements for cases where adults use juveniles to commit carjackings, as well as working with state and local authorities to ensure the appropriate handling of juvenile suspects. The task forces will also assist state and local officials who wish to seek Justice Department grant funding for juvenile intervention and diversion resources.
Webb City Woman Sentenced to 20 Years for Kidnapping Conspiracy, Illegal FirearmRead the Press Release
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – A Webb City, Mo., woman was sentenced in federal court today for her role in a kidnapping conspiracy that resulted in the torture and death of the victim, and for illegally possessing a firearm.
Amy Kay Thomas, 40, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge M. Douglas Harpool to 20 years in federal prison without parole.
On April 27, 2023, Thomas pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit kidnapping and to being a felon in possession of a firearm.
Thomas is the fourth defendant to be sentenced in this case. James B. Gibson, also known as “Gibby,” 41, of Neosho, Mo., was sentenced on Monday, April 15, to 30 years in federal prison without parole. Russell Eugene Hurtt, also known as “Uncle,” 52, of Greenwood, Mo., was sentenced on Tuesday, April 16, to seven years in federal prison without parole. Lawrence William Vaughan, also known as “Scary Larry,” 52, of Neosho, was sentenced on Nov. 7, 2013, to 25 years in federal prison without parole.
Two co-defendants have pleaded guilty and await sentencing in this case. Sentencing hearings have not yet been scheduled for Freddie Lewis Tilton, also known as “Ol’ Boy,” 51, and Carla Jo Ward, 50, both of Joplin, Mo.
Thomas admitted that she participated in a conspiracy to kidnap the victim, identified as “M.H.,” in July 2020. Tilton offered Ward and Vaughan $5,000 each to locate and secure M.H. for him. Ward picked up M.H., whom she knew was being sought by Tilton, and took him to Vaughan’s residence. Vaughan texted Tilton, stating “Call me quickly handing (M.H.) to you.” Vaughan and Tilton continued communicating throughout the early morning hours of July 15, 2020. Vaughan sent a text message to Tilton that read, “He’s got 2 guns.” A few hours later, Vaughan sent a text message to Tilton that read, “OK we’ve got both his guns put up,” and “Guns are secure I’m waiting for you.”
Tilton, Thomas, and Gibson arrived at Vaughan’s residence in the early morning hours of July 15, 2020. They bound M.H.’s hands with handcuffs, and duct tape was placed around his mouth and other parts of his body. Gibson, Thomas, and others assaulted M.H. for a period of time. M.H. was cut, beaten, and shot at. Gibson burned M.H. with a blowtorch. Tilton fatally shot M.H. in the head. Thomas and others cleaned up the blood and damage created during the assault and shooting of M.H. They wrapped M.H.’s body in plastic wrap and Thomas, Tilton, and Gibson transported it to Hurtt’s property.
Law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at Hurtt’s property on July 28, 2020, based on information that a deceased body was located on the acreage. When officers attempted to contact the occupants of the residence, Tilton fired multiple shots from inside the residence at the officers. Tilton was apprehended.
Officers found M.H.’s body on the property. Officers searched the residence and found a Rigarmi .25-caliber pistol, an Ithaca .22-caliber rifle, a Remington .22-caliber rifle without a serial number, a Harrington and Richardson 12-gauge shotgun, a Ruger 9mm handgun, and a Taurus 9mm handgun without a serial number.
Under federal law, it is illegal for anyone who has been convicted of a felony to be in possession of any firearm or ammunition. Thomas has two prior felony convictions for possession of a controlled substance and prior felony convictions for forgery, possession of ephedrine with the intent to manufacture methamphetamine, and distribution of a controlled substance.
This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ami Harshad Miller. It was investigated by the FBI, the Newton County, Mo., Sheriff’s Department, the Neosho, Mo., Police Department, the Joplin, Mo., Police Department, the Ozark Drug Enforcement Team, and the Cherokee County, Kan., Sheriff’s Department.
Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force
This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.
Wauchula Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Methamphetamine TraffickingRead the Press Release
Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Charlene Edwards Honeywell has sentenced Richard Aldo Melendez (36, Wauchula) to 14 years in federal prison for his role in a methamphetamine trafficking ring. Melendez entered a guilty plea on August 28, 2023.
According to court documents, Melendez conspired with Ellen Jean Bivens (25, Zolfo Springs) and Abdon Rivera, Jr. (33, Lake Wales) to distribute methamphetamine in the Middle District of Florida. In late 2022, Melendez sold methamphetamine to undercover agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). Then, in January 2023, troopers from the Florida Highway Patrol, in coordination with DEA, stopped Melendez and Bivens as they were returning from a trip to Texas. A search of their vehicle yielded nearly 15 kilograms of methamphetamine.
Bivens was previously sentenced to 37 months in federal prison. Rivera has pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
This case was investigated by Drug Enforcement Administration, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Florida Highway Patrol. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David P. Sullivan.
United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee Commemorates National Crime Victims’ Rights WeekRead the Press Release
Memphis, TN – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee and the Department of Justice’s Office of Victims of Crime (“OVC”) will join communities nationwide in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week and celebrating victims’ rights, protections, and services. This year’s observance takes place April 21-27, 2024, and features the theme, “How would you help? Options, services, and hope for crime survivors.” The theme aims to ensure that everyone in a community knows where and how crime victims and survivors can find help — including friends, family members, colleagues, neighbors, service providers, or other trusted members of the community.
Each year in April, the Department of Justice and United States Attorney’s Offices observe National Crime Victims’ Rights Week nationwide by taking time to honor victims of crime and those who advocate on their behalf. According to a report from the Bureau of Justice Statistics, in 2022, there were nearly 20 million crime victimizations in the United States. More than 6.6 million were the result of violent crimes, including rape or sexual assault, robbery, aggravated assault, and simple assault. Of that 6.6 million, only about 42% were reported to police.
The United States Department of Justice’s Office for Victims of Crime leads communities across the country in observing National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. In 1981, President Ronald Reagan proclaimed the first National Crime Victims’ Rights Week to bring greater sensitivity to the needs and right of victims of crime.
Here, in the Western District of Tennessee, we have a dedicated Victim Witness Coordinator who supports federal crime victims by providing victims with essential services, including referrals to counseling, securing temporary housing, assisting with access to victim’s compensation funds, and accompanying victims to court proceedings to provide support and guidance. These services provide victims with tools to reshape their futures.
The U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, provides innovative leadership to federal, state, local, and tribal justice systems, by disseminating state-of the art knowledge and practices across the United States, and providing grants for the implementation of these crime-fighting strategies. Because most of the responsibility for crime control and prevention falls to law enforcement officers in states, cities, and neighborhoods, the federal government can bae effective in these areas only to the extent that it can enter partnerships with these officers. National Crime Victims’ Rights Week resources can be found at https://ovc.ncjrs.gov/ncvrw.
More information about the Office of Justice Programs and its components can be found at www.ojp.gov.
U.S. Attorney's Office Launches Carjacking Task ForceRead the Press Release
PORTLAND, Ore.—The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon announced today that it will join 10 other U.S. Attorney’s Offices in establishing a multi-agency task force to address carjacking, an important public safety threat impacting communities in Oregon and beyond.
“We are pleased to join our Justice Department colleagues from across the country in taking this important, targeted step to address carjacking, a dangerous, violent crime. We thank all our law enforcement partners for their ongoing commitment to protecting Oregonians through this and other violent crime reduction efforts.” said Natalie Wight, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
“The Justice Department has no higher priority than keeping our communities safe. We do so by targeting the most significant drivers of violent crime and by acting as a force multiplier for our state and local law enforcement partners. We’re seeing results — with violent crime declining broadly nationwide,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “Today, we are launching seven new carjacking task forces across the country to build on the success of task forces in Chicago, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Tampa, where available data shows that carjacking rates are now falling. When prosecutors, officers, agents, and analysts come together to crunch data, share intelligence, and apply best practices, we can make real progress in the fight against all forms of violent crime, including carjacking.”
In keeping with the Justice Department’s Comprehensive Strategy for Reducing Violent Crime, the District of Oregon carjacking task force will focus federal resources on identifying, investigating, and prosecuting individuals responsible for committing carjackings and related crimes throughout the state.
Carjacking task forces have proven to be an effective part of successful violent crime reduction strategies by focusing on a significant driver of crime and taking violent offenders off the streets. For example, carjackings in Philadelphia declined by 31 percent from 2022 to 2023, and armed carjackings are down 28 percent in the District of Columbia so far this year compared to the same period in 2023. In Chicago, carjackings decreased 29 percent from their high in 2021 through the end of 2023.
Local efforts to combat carjacking have already produced positive results. On Tuesday, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a three-count indictment charging, Raheim Carter, 41, a Portland resident, with carjacking, using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence, and illegally possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. On March 15, 2024, Carter and an accomplice are alleged to have stolen a vehicle at gunpoint from a North Portland resident. Carter and the accomplice are alleged to have approached the victim while he was unloading groceries from his vehicle, demanded he hand over his keys at gunpoint, and drove off with the vehicle. The case was investigated by the Portland Police Bureau with assistance from the FBI.
The newly formed carjacking task forces will be led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices, the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) with state and local law enforcement partners.