title: Las Vegas Man Sentenced To Eight Years In Prison For Money Laundering and Importing, Processing, And Distributing Opioids

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas resident was sentenced Friday by United States District Judge Andrew P. Gordon to eight years in prison followed by three years of supervised release for importing, processing, and distributing nearly 300 pounds of Tapentadol (a Schedule II opioid) across the United States, and laundering drug sale proceeds using shell companies. According to court documents, Christopher S. Housley, 51, used fraudulent identifications to rent postal boxes at several UPS stores in Las Vegas. In January 2021, law enforcement seized parcels containing Carisoprodol, Tadalafil, and Sildenafil inbound from India and addressed to addresses associated with Housley. In total, law enforcement seized nearly 300,000 Tapentadol pills weighing more than 300 pounds. In July 2021, Housley and a co-conspirator obtained a large industrial pill press; and in October 2021, Housley sought to obtain a Hello Kitty die used to press pills with that logo. After importing and processing the drugs, Housley would distribute them throughout the country. Furthermore, Housley created two shell companies to aid in paying for the drugs and receiving payments for the drug sales. Between September 2020 and October 2021, the shell companies wired a total of about $116,000 to accounts in India, China, and Singapore. Between July 2021 and January 2022, deposits into those accounts were about $350,000. On May 3, 2022, law enforcement executed a search warrant at a storage unit rented by Housley under a fake name. The storage unit contained Tapentadol, Alprazolam, and other controlled substances. Tapentadol, Alprazolam, and other controlled substances seized by law enforcement from a storage locker rented by Housley Housley pleaded guilty to one-count of possession with intent to distribute a controlled substance, Tapentadol and 20-counts of money laundering. United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Kevin Adams for the DEA Las Vegas District Office made the announcement. The case was investigated by the DEA and the U.S. Customs and Border Protection. An Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Nevada prosecuted the case. If you are aware of controlled substance violations in your community — which may include the growing, manufacture, distribution or trafficking of controlled substances — please submit your anonymous tip through the DEA Tip Line at https://www.dea.gov/submit-tip . ###


title: Harrison Township Pilot  Sentenced To 2 Years In Prison  For Assaulting Girl During Flying Lesson

component: USAO - Michigan, Eastern

body_text: DETROIT – A Harrison Township resident was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison for abusive sexual contact with a child, United States Attorney Dawn N. Ison announced. Ison was joined in the announcement by Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. Rex Phelps, 72, of Harrison Township, pleaded guilty on October 26, 2023 to Abusive Sexual Contact of a Child before United States District Judge Stephen J. Murphy, III, who also sentenced Phelps to 24 months in prison, the maximum sentence permitted by law. While providing flying lessons to a 15-year-old girl, Phelps groomed and inappropriately touched the victim on several occasions. Phelps also exchanged text messages, including one with a picture of a man and a woman lying on a bed kissing. Phelps commented on the picture, “Shortly after the shower … without that top. Maybe more.” Phelps’s abuse of the minor was only uncovered after he mistakenly sent this text message exchange to an unintended recipient, and that recipient contacted police. “This sentence reaffirms our office’s commitment to protecting the most innocent and vulnerable members of our community – children,” U.S. Attorney Ison said. “This defendant violated the trust that so many had placed in him, including the victim’s parents.” “Teachers and instructors are supposed to protect our youth while they progress in their learning environments, and it is utterly shameful that this individual took advantage of this young girl,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “The FBI and its partners remain committed to holding these criminals accountable for exploiting the innocent.” This case was investigated by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Tara Hindelang.


title: Fentanyl Dealer Sentenced to 20 Years in Prison

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: A Dallas fentanyl trafficker who admitted to dealing more than 142,000 counterfeit pills was sentenced today to 20 years in federal prison, announced U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Leigha Simonton. Terrill Antwan Ray, 48, pleaded guilty in April 2023 to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance and was sentenced Monday by Chief U.S. District Judge David Godbey, who called the amount of drugs in the case “staggering. In plea papers, Mr. Ray admitted that during a 2019 raid on his apartment, law enforcement seized more than 28,000 counterfeit fentanyl pills weighing more than 12.5 kilograms. During subsequent raids on the homes of two coconspirators, law enforcement seized an additional 114,000 counterfeit fentanyl pills, including 105,000 belonging to Mr. Ray, that weighed a combined 42 kilograms. They also seized an electromagnetic foil capping machine, hundreds of empty plastic pill bottles, more than $11,000 in U.S. currency, and two firearms. In plea papers, Mr. Ray admitted to distributing more than 142,000 counterfeit fentanyl pills marked to resemble hydrocodone and oxycodone. Court documents detail text messages in which Mr. Ray and a down-line distributor discussed drug debts and referenced “school busses” (code for narcotics), “blues” (slang for oxycodone), and “dros” (slang for hydrocodone). “Today’s sentencing of Terrill Ray exemplifies the commitment of DEA Dallas and our numerous law enforcement partners to relentlessly pursue those who distribute illicit fentanyl,” said DEA Dallas Special Agent in Charge, Eduardo A. Chávez. “Mr. Ray is being held accountable for the poison that found its way into our community by his hand and the tens of thousands of pills that could have found their way into our love ones’ hands. DEA Dallas remains relentless in our efforts to rid illicit fentanyl from the streets of Dallas, while equally supporting and standing firm with those family members and friends affected by the grip of illicit substance abuse.” The Drug Enforcement Administration's Dallas Division and the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office conducted the investigation with the assistance of the Dallas Police Department, DeSoto Police Department and Cedar Hill Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Requénez and Abe McGlothin (fmr) prosecuted the case. The case 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.


title: Hardy County Man Sentenced to 16 Years for Federal Drug and Firearms Charges

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: ELKINS, WEST VIRGINIA – William Albert Flinn, Jr., age 45, of Moorefield West Virginia, was sentenced today to 195 months in federal prison for methamphetamine and firearms charges. Flinn pled guilty in August 2023 to possession with intent to distribute more than 50 grams of methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime. According to court documents and statements made in court, during a methamphetamine sale in Hardy County, Flinn showed the buyer an assault rifle. Investigators then executed a search warrant at Flinn’s home and found 383 grams of meth, the assault rifle, and cash. Flinn will report for 5 years of supervised release following his prison sentence. The Potomac Highlands Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. The Task Force consists of members from the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the West Virginia State Police, the Mineral County Sheriff’s Office, the Hampshire County Sheriff’s Office, the Hardy County Sheriff’s Office, the Grant County Sheriff’s Office, and the Keyser Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephen Warner prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.


title: Billionaire Chinese National Pleads Guilty to Straw Donor Campaign Contribution Scheme and Other Frauds

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Central Islip, Hui Qin, also known as “Qin Hui,” “Hui Quin,” “Muk Lam Li” and “Karl,” a citizen of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), who was listed on Forbes Magazine’s List of Billionaires and who operated SMI Culture, a Hong Kong-based entertainment entity, pleaded guilty to an Information charging him with making political contributions in the names of others, immigration fraud and producing a false identification document. The proceeding was held before United States Magistrate Steven L. Tiscione. As part of his plea agreement, Qin agreed to abandon his status as a Lawful Permanent Resident (LPR) of the United States and to be removed to a country outside of the United States. When sentenced, Qin faces up to 27 years’ imprisonment. Qin has been incarcerated since his arrest on October 2, 2023. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, James Smith, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI), Thomas Fattorusso, Special Agent-in-Charge, Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation, New York (IRS-CI), and Erin Keegan, Acting Special Agent-in-Charge, Homeland Security Investigations, New York (HSI), announced the guilty plea. “Qin pleaded guilty today to engaging in a brazen web of deception, spreading lies to federal election and immigration authorities and a state agency,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Ensuring election integrity and rooting out campaign contribution fraud are priorities of the Department of Justice, including my Office. No one is above the law, no matter their wealth or station in society, and this Office will vigorously prosecute all criminals who lie to government agencies to further their own ends.” “Today, Hui Qin pled guilty to several fraudulent schemes. Qin admitted to making straw donations to multiple elected officials at both federal and local levels. Qin’s guilty plea underscores the FBI’s commitment to ensuring integrity and transparency in campaign donations and election security. Any individual attempting to illegally influence our election process will be held accountable in the criminal justice system,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Smith. “Qin is a citizen of the People’s Republic of China, but made straw donations to major political campaigns, hiding the true source of the political contribution from the public,” stated IRS-CI Special Agent-in-Charge Fattorusso. “Not only is this unethical, it’s illegal. Qin travelled to the United States, obtained a false visa, willfully violated our laws, then sought to conceal his behavior. IRS Criminal Investigation remains committed to using our expertise, working alongside our law enforcement partners, to detect and hold those accountable who believe rules of law simply do not apply to them.” “Hui Qin's guilty plea underscores the federal law enforcement system's painstaking, methodical investigative capabilities when faced with a threat to our safety and democracy. Today and always, HSI New York stands united with our partners against any subjects in their attempts to jeopardize our national security," stated HSI New York Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Keegan. As set forth in court filings and facts presented at the plea proceeding, between December 2021 and December 2022, Qin agreed to reimburse other individuals who made contributions on his behalf to the campaign committees for a candidate for a New York City-wide political office, a member of the United States House of Representatives for a congressional district in the Eastern District of New York and candidate for a House of Representatives seat in a Rhode Island congressional district. During the scheme, without the knowledge of these campaign committees, straw donors made approximately $11,600 in contributions on Qin’s behalf, which caused the campaign committees to unwittingly file false contribution reports with the Federal Election Commission in 2022. Additionally, as part of his plea Qin admitted that, in April 2019, he filed a false application for LPR status with United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. In the application, Qin falsely swore, under penalty of perjury, that he had never used another name. In fact, in 2008, a PRC government official provided Qin with the alias “Muk Lam Li” and between 2008 and the filing of Qin’s LPR application, Qin obtained identification documents, including a Hong Kong identification card, a PRC identification card and a Hong Kong passport in the name of the Li alias, which contained Qin’s photograph, but a date of birth different than Qin’s. Around September 2017, Qin used the Li alias to transfer more than $5 million from the PRC to a United States bank account, a portion of which was used to purchase a luxury Manhattan apartment where Qin resided. Qin also pleaded guilty to engaging in interstate travel to fraudulently obtain a Florida Driver’s License. In December 2020, Qin travelled from New York to Florida and applied for a Driver’s License at Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles (FLHSMV). At the time of his travel, Qin was a resident of Old Westbury, Long Island and Manhattan, but he signed an application stating that it was “true and correct” that he resided at an address in Miami, where he had never lived. To bolster this false assertion, Qin presented FLHSMV officials with fake bank and credit card statements bearing the name “Hui Quin” and the false Miami address. After FLHSMV issued Qin a Florida Driver’s License, he presented it to banks and a motor vehicle insurer as identification. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Long Island Criminal Division. Assistant United States Attorneys Bradley T. King and Adam Toporovsky are in charge of the prosecution. The Defendant : HUI QIN (also known as “Qin Hui,” “Hui Quin,” “Muk Lam Li” and “Karl”) Age: 56 Old Westbury, New York and Manhattan, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-100 (JMA)


title: Two Brothers Sentenced to Prison for Multi-District Scheme to Defraud the United States Postal Service, UPS, and Citizens Bank

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Zumar Dubose, 35, of Atlantic City, NJ, and Abdush Dubose, 37, of Boynton Beach, FL, were sentenced by United States District Judge Wendy Beetlestone, in connection with their scheme to defraud and obtain money from the United States Postal Service, UPS, and Citizens Bank. Zumar Dubose was sentenced on Friday, March 15, 2024, to 125 months’ imprisonment, five years of supervised release, and restitution of $281,223. Abdush Dubose was sentenced on Thursday, March 14, 2024, to 57 months’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and restitution of 281,223. Their brother and codefendant Kariem Dubose, 42, of Philadelphia, PA, was sentenced on February 15, 2024, to 24 months’ imprisonment, three years of supervised release, and restitution of $47,813.09. In May 2023, a federal jury convicted Zumar and Abdush Dubose on mail fraud, wire fraud, bank fraud, and money laundering conspiracy charges related to their fraud scheme, with Kariem Dubose convicted on mail fraud, wire fraud, and bank fraud charges. Starting as early as October 2018, over the course of approximately 1.5 years, the defendants submitted over 1,200 fraudulent insured-parcel claims with the United States Postal Service and UPS and received almost $300,000 in ill-gotten gains. As part of the scheme, the Dubose brothers sent parcels to themselves containing items of no value, using insured U.S. Postal Service postage and UPS tracking labels. Their parcels often included worthless items like sand, cardboard, paper, and cheap plastic headphones. They then filed fraudulent claims with the U.S. Postal Service and UPS, claiming that these parcels contained valuable items such brand name headphones, designer sunglasses and clothing, and other electronic items. They claimed that these valuable items were lost or damaged in transit and attached sham proofs of value. The defendants used numerous emails, addresses, postboxes, bank accounts and bank cards, fake individual names, and fictitious corporations, including “Urmajesty Banktruckfit Solutions,” “Miworld Three Incorporated,” and “4 Entertainment Corporation,” which were incorporated in the State of New Jersey, and “Seeds of Beauty Incorporated,” which was incorporated in the State of Florida. The U.S. Postal Service and UPS then issued claim checks to cover the defendants’ alleged losses, and the defendants deposited those checks into Citizens Bank accounts opened in the names of their fake companies. The defendants made these deposits through ATMs in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and elsewhere. When the U.S. Postal Service and UPS refused to issue or deliver some of the fraudulently obtained claim checks, and when Citizens Bank placed a hold on a bank account that was used to deposit the fraud proceeds, the Dubose brothers were undeterred. Using fake names, the brothers repeatedly sought recoveries from the U.S. Postal Service and UPS. They even filed lawsuits against UPS in various counties in New Jersey, using fake plaintiff names and falsely claiming that UPS did not pay them funds that they were owed. The defendants also filed lawsuits against Citizens Bank, again using false identities, in an effort to obtain the funds from their fraud scheme. “The Dubose brothers made their fraud a family affair,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “They took advantage of the U.S. Postal Service and UPS policies intended to make customers with legitimate losses whole, collecting hundreds of thousands of dollars they weren’t entitled to in the process. We and our partners are committed to shutting down flagrant fraud schemes like this and holding the perpetrators accountable.” “I want to thank the United States Attorney’s Office for the work and support they put into in convicting and sentencing the Dubose brothers,” said Christopher Nielsen, the Inspector in Charge of the Philadelphia Division of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. “The two brothers each received significant sentences as a result of their efforts to steal from the United States Postal Service and the United Parcel Service. These two individuals defrauded the Postal Service’s shipping insurance service by claiming shipping losses they never incurred. Together with our partners at the Postal Service’s Office of Inspector General, Postal Inspectors unraveled an elaborate scheme that resulted in almost $300,000 in losses to the Postal Service and UPS.” “The USPS OIG will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to vigorously investigate these indemnity fraud cases. Hopefully the sentences handed down will be a deterrent to those who might attempt to defraud the USPS by filing false claims,” said Jeffrey Krafels, Executive Special Agent in Charge, USPS OIG Mid-Atlantic Area Field Office. The case was investigated by the United States Postal Service Office of the Inspector General and the United States Postal Inspection Service and prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Louis D. Lappen and J. Jeanette Kang. UPS and Citizens Bank provided crucial cooperation in the investigation.


title: Cheektowaga man arrested for pointing a laser at an aircraft

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Joseph L. Crapsi, 29, of Cheektowaga, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with aiming a laser pointer at an aircraft, which carries a minimum penalty of five years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on March 1, 2024, at approximately 12:07 a.m., the pilot of a Delta Airlines Flight reported to Buffalo Air Traffic Control that upon approach to the Buffalo Niagara International Airport, he witnessed a green laser being pointed at the aircraft. The pilot reported that the laser originated approximately one mile south of the approach and lasted between 60-90 seconds. Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Police Department officers were dispatched to the surrounding areas of Genesee Street, Dick Road, and Cayuga Street in Cheektowaga to investigate but did not find anything. At approximately 12:30 a.m., NFTA officers learned that Cheektowaga Police officers were responding to a call of a laser being pointed inside of a house. NFTA and Cheektowaga officers went to a Nagel Drive residence, where Crapsi’s parents allowed officers to enter. Officers recovered a laser pointer in Crapsi’s bedroom. In addition, officers spoke with the neighbor who reported that a green laser was shining through his kitchen window blinding him. The neighbor told officers he viewed the laser for approximately 15 minutes, and witnessed it being pointed directly into the sky multiple times. The defendant made an initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael J. Roemer and was released on conditions. The criminal complaint is the result of an investigation by the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Patterson, the Cheektowaga Police Department, under the direction of Chief Brian Coons, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty  to Federal Drug and Gun Crimes

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – ERNEST GREEN, age 55, a New Orleans resident, pleaded guilty on March 13, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Mary Ann Vial Lemmon to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C), and being a felon in possession of firearms, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to court documents, in September 2020, the Federal Bureau Investigation - New Orleans Gang Task Force and the New Orleans Police Department investigated GREEN for his involvement in a drug distribution operation. The investigation involved numerous controlled purchases of cocaine from GREEN . Additionally, agents executed a search warrant at GREEN’s residence that yielded 28.7 grams of cocaine and two illegal firearms. For the cocaine charge, GREEN faces up to twenty (20) years imprisonment, up to a $1,000,000 fine, at least three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. For the firearms charge, GREEN faces up to ten (10) years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to three (3) years of supervised release, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. 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 U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation - New Orleans Gang Task Force, with the assistance of the New Orleans Police Department, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Gretna Major Crimes Task Force, led the investigation. The prosecution is being handled by Assistant United States Attorney J. Benjamin Myers of the Financial Crimes Unit.


title: Huntington Man Sentenced to Prison for Federal Drug Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Aaron Zachary Slash, 23, of Huntington, was sentenced today to three years and five months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for possession with intent to distribute heroin. According to court documents and statements made in court, on September 5, 2023, law enforcement officers conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by Slash on the 700 block of Sixth Avenue in Huntington. Officers searched the vehicle and found approximately 92 grams of heroin, a loaded Glock 17 9mm pistol and approximately $1,717 in the vehicle. Slash admitted that he possessed the seized heroin and intended to distribute it. Slash further admitted that the cash was proceeds from selling heroin. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force and the Huntington Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorneys Courtney L. Finney and Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-173. ###


title: Former Cashier at Veterans Affairs Medical Center Sentenced to Prison for Stealing from Patients and Engaging in Pandemic Assistance Fraud

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to six months of imprisonment, to be followed by two years of supervised release, in connection with his conviction for embezzling money from disabled veterans’ accounts and conducting a mail fraud scheme to obtain pandemic unemployment assistance, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. United States Senior District Judge Nora Barry Fischer imposed the sentence on Corey Mizell, 51. According to information presented to the Court, Mizell previously worked as an agent cashier at the H. John Heinz III Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center. In January 2021, the sister of a deceased veteran called the VA Police after reviewing the balance in her brother’s patient account. According to the sister, her brother was essentially bedridden due to his disability and the COVID-19 pandemic, and thus could not spend the amount of cash withdrawn from his account. The VA Police opened an investigation into the account activity and questioned Mizell, the teller who conducted each withdrawal. Mizell initially informed the VA Police that someone must have misrepresented their identity to him in order to fraudulently obtain the funds. Mizell also opined that he was an easy target for such a scheme since he recently had become an agent cashier. The investigation revealed that Mizell would call for authorization to withdraw funds from patients who were either on COVID lockdown or who could not leave their room without an escort due to their disabilities. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General (VA-OIG) confronted Mizell after driving by his residence to find the backyard and exterior of his home being remodeled. Following his interview with the VA-OIG, Mizell provided a written confession in which he admitted to “fraudulently taking money…from accounts of veterans.” Mizell, also a wedding DJ, attributed his conduct to losing income during the pandemic and unpaid bills. Mizell identified three veterans from whom he took money, estimating the total amount stolen as $17,660, and resigned from the VA in April 2021. Mizell omitted from his written confession that he also embezzled funds from a fourth veteran and that he also fraudulently applied for and obtained pandemic unemployment assistance. A separate investigation conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor Office of Inspector General revealed that Mizell filed an electronic application for pandemic benefits in April 2020. Despite working for the VA since 2016, Mizell falsely stated that he was not a federal employee. Beginning in May 2020, Mizell falsified that he was not working full time, when he was in fact working full time as an agent cashier. After his resignation from the VA, Mizell certified on a weekly basis that he was unemployed due to the pandemic. These falsifications allowed Mizell to collect pandemic benefits totaling $38,400. In imposing Mizell’s sentence, Judge Fischer denied the defendant’s request for a non-incarceration sentence, finding it striking that Mizell, himself a veteran, embezzled money from other veterans. The judge further stated that Mizell did not just steal money from the government, but also stole money from veterans and their families, with some of Mizell’s victims so disabled that they could not even walk to his cashier window. Judge Fischer also ordered Mizell to serve the first six months of his supervised release (following his imprisonment) at home on an electronic location monitor, and to pay over $57,000 in restitution to the four veterans and the government. Assistant United States Attorney Brendan J. McKenna prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General and Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General for the extensive and collaborative investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Mizell.


title: Five Men Indicted in Connection with a Drug Trafficking Organization

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – Five men have been indicted in connection with a drug trafficking organization, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. The defendants were indicted for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, namely fentanyl and methamphetamine. Three defendants were also charged with one count each of distribution of controlled substances. Over the past week, law enforcement arrested four of these defendants. One defendant remains a fugitive. According to the charging documents and statements made in court, the defendants conspired to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances between October 13, 2023 and March 12, 2024. The following defendants have been indicted in connection with these charges: Jose Luis Guerrero Nunez, who is in federal custody. Carlos Alejandro Chevalier Santos, who is in federal custody. Eddy Mendez Carmona, who is in custody on unrelated charges. Juan Carlos De Los Santos Romero, who remains a fugitive. Luis Guerrero Cabral, who was released. The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, at least 3 years of supervised release, and a fine of up to $1,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. The Drug Enforcement Administration led the federal investigation. The Hampton Police Department, Seabrook Police Department, Portsmouth Police Department, and Methuen Massachusetts Police Department provided valuable assistance. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kasey Weiland and Heather Cherniske are prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Afton Man Sentenced for Coercion and Enticement of Minor and for Sexually Abusing a Minor

body_text: Today, U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Caleb Lee Giles, 24, of Afton to 210 months imprisonment for Sexual Abuse of a Minor in Indian Country and Coercion and Enticement of a Minor. Upon his release, Giles will be supervised for life and will also be required to register as a sex offender. According to court documents, in September 2020, Giles began communicating and aggressively pursuing a romantic relationship with the 13-year-old victim. Giles requested the victim to send him nude photos through a social media application. They began having a sexual relationship in May 2021 when Giles knew the victim was only 14 years old. Giles then started to communicate with a second victim who was only 12 years old. He began requesting nude photos. After bringing alcohol to the 12-year-old, he sexually abused her as well. Previously released on bond, Giles was taken into custody following his guilty plea in February 2023. Following the sentencing today, Giles will be transferred to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility. Giles is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation. The FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nathan E. Michel and Valeria Luster prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC .


title: Lowell Woman Sentenced to Six Months in Prison in Conspiracy to Use Stolen Identities to Fraudulently Purchase Vehicles

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Lowell woman was sentenced today for her role in a scheme to use the stolen identities of United States citizens from Puerto Rico to fraudulently purchase vehicles. Arialka Moya, 35, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to six months in prison and three years of supervised release, with the first year to be served in home confinement. In November 2023, Moya pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud and false representation of a Social Security number. Moya was charged by criminal complaint in September 2020 along with seven other co-conspirators. In January 2019, Moya visited a Massachusetts car dealership and applied for a loan to purchase a vehicle worth over $60,000. In support of the car loan application, Moya provided stolen biographical information of a real United States citizen, including a fraudulent Puerto Rico driver’s license and a Social Security card, as proof of identification. Additionally, Moya used or prepared to use at least nine stolen identities to fraudulently open credit card accounts. Moya is the final defendant to be sentenced in this case. In total, Moya and her co-conspirators fraudulently purchased at least 47 vehicles and over $270,000 in other merchandise using the credit of identity theft victims, resulting in losses of over $2 million. The co-conspirators have been ordered to pay over $781,000 in restitution to victims who submitted claims. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations, in New England; John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Brockton Police Chief Brenda Perez made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Lowell, Lawrence, Methuen, Haverhill, Woburn and Dartmouth Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elianna J. Nuzum and Adam W. Deitch of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigation’s Document and Benefit Fraud Task Force (DBFTF), a specialized investigative group comprising personnel from various state, local, and federal agencies with expertise in detecting, deterring, and disrupting organizations and individuals involved in various types of document, identity, and benefit fraud schemes.


title: Huntington Man Sentenced to More than 12 Years in Prison for Fentanyl Crime

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Christopher D. Spaulding, also known as “Casino,” 32, of Huntington, was sentenced today to 12 years and six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, for distribution of fentanyl. Spaulding admitted to providing controlled substances containing fentanyl to two individuals who overdosed, one of them fatally. According to court documents and statements made in court, on March 4, 2019, Spaulding was at an Eighth Street bar in Huntington when two individuals, a man and a woman, approached him and asked if he had cocaine for sale. Spaulding accompanied the individuals from the bar to the woman’s vehicle parked outside. Spaulding admitted that while in the vehicle, he distributed a substance containing cocaine and fentanyl to both individuals. Spaulding further admitted that shortly after the woman nasally inhaled the substance, she began to exhibit signs of an overdose. Spaulding moved her from the driver’s seat of her vehicle to the passenger seat, and drove her vehicle to multiple locations to meet his friends while the woman was overdosing inside the vehicle. Hours after leaving the bar, Spaulding drove the woman to Cabell Huntington Hospital in her vehicle. She was not responsive or breathing when they reached the hospital, and hospital staff physically removed her from the vehicle. The woman was later pronounced dead by medical staff. After leaving the woman at the hospital, Spaulding drove her vehicle into Ohio where he dropped off his friends at a hotel. Spauling eventually left the vehicle in Guyandotte, Ohio, placing its keys in the glove compartment. Spaulding admitted that he later learned that the man he had distributed the controlled substance to that evening had also exhibited signs of an overdose after nasally inhaling the substance. The man received naloxone from Cabell County Emergency Medical Services. He was transported to Cabell Huntington Hospital where he recovered. Toxicology testing confirmed that the substance distributed by Spaulding to both individuals contained fentanyl and cocaine. Spaulding admitted that the cause of death of the woman was due to alcohol, fentanyl and cocaine intoxication. Spaulding further admitted that she would not have died but for the fentanyl he distributed to her. Spaulding has a long criminal history that includes 10 prior convictions. At the time of this offense, Spaulding was on parole following his conviction for attempt to commit a felony in Cabell County Circuit Court on June 9, 2017. “Mr. Spaulding engaged in an inherently dangerous activity at a time when our communities continue to face an opioid epidemic and the devastating loss of life from overdoses,” said United States Attorney Will Thompson. “The defendant not only caused a death by distributing fentanyl, but possibly could have prevented that death had he not failed to obtain professional medical treatment when he became aware the woman was overdosing.” Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Police Department and the West Virginia State Police. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers imposed the sentence. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney and Stephanie Taylor prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-18. ###


title: Oshkosh Man Sentenced to 9 Years’ Imprisonment on Firearm Charge

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on March 18, 2024, Douglas T. Murphy (age: 35) of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was sentenced to nine years’ imprisonment following his conviction last December at a jury trial. He was convicted of being a felon in possession of a firearm in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). According to court records, on the evening of June 4, 2023, and into the early morning hours of June 5th, Murphy repeatedly pointed a Cobra .380 caliber handgun at several children inside a residence located in downtown Oshkosh. Murphy also used the firearm to “pistol whip” his girlfriend, the mother of the children, causing an open wound on her scalp. A 911 call from the children led to an almost 6-hour standoff with law enforcement, who formed a perimeter outside the residence. At around 6 a.m., the City of Oshkosh Police Department SWAT Team entered the residence and arrested Murphy. The loaded firearm was located in close proximity to Murphy at the time of his arrest. Murphy is a felon several times over, having been convicted in Waukesha, Manitowoc, and Winnebago Counties. At the sentencing hearing, Senior United States District Court Judge William C. Griesbach noted the serious and dangerous nature of Murphy’s conduct during the armed standoff. Based on his conduct and extensive criminal history, Judge Griesbach found Murphy to pose a danger to the community and saw a strong need for a lengthy prison sentence to deter Murphy from engaging in further criminal conduct. Upon Murphy’s release from federal prison, he will serve three years on supervised elease. The case was investigated by the City of Oshkosh Police Department with the assistance of the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mike Schindhelm and Daniel R. Humble. ### For further information contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov (414) 297-1700 Follow us on Twitter


title: “Rock Doc” Sentenced for Opioid Distribution Conspiracy

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Tennessee nurse practitioner known locally as the “Rock Doc” was sentenced today to 20 years in prison for illegally prescribing opioids — including oxycodone and fentanyl — from his medical practice in Jackson, Tennessee. “The self-proclaimed ‘Rock Doc’ abused the power of the prescription pad to supply his small community with hundreds of thousands of doses of highly addictive prescription opioids to obtain money, notoriety, and sexual favors,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “The defendant’s conduct endangered his patients and the community as a whole. Today’s sentence reflects the seriousness of this criminal conduct and the department’s commitment to protecting communities from the scourge of illegally prescribed drugs.” “The epidemic of opioid abuse is fueled by doctors like the defendant who are willing to over-prescribe highly addictive drugs and exploit patient pain for their own financial gain,” said U.S. Attorney Kevin Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee. “This sentence sends a strong message that healthcare professionals who prey on those who suffer from addiction are no better than street corner drug dealers — and that our office and law enforcement partners will hold them just as accountable for their crimes.” According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Jeffrey W. Young Jr., 49, of Jackson, used his medical practice, Preventagenix, to illegally prescribe medically unnecessary controlled substance pills to hundreds of patients, including a pregnant woman and women with whom he was having inappropriate physical relationships. Young maintained a party-type atmosphere at his clinic, and prescribed these drugs at least in part to boost his popularity on social media and promote a self-produced reality TV show pilot based on his self-identified persona, the “Rock Doc.” Young prescribed more than 100,000 doses of hydrocodone, oxycodone, and fentanyl into the community. “Mr. Young operated a medical practice with a wanton disregard for the health and well-being of his patients who entrusted him with their medical care,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Erek Davodowich of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Louisville Field Division. “Any healthcare provider who conducts business in such a manner that causes harm to his patients and community should expect to meet the full weight of the justice system.” “While we applaud the dedication of the overwhelming majority of medical providers, on occasion, a provider such as Mr. Young abuses his prescribing authority to serve self-interests and contribute to patient addiction and endangerment,” said Director David Rausch of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI). “Alongside our valuable law enforcement partners, the healthcare community, and private citizens, the TBI stands committed to identifying, investigating, and bringing to justice those who seek to misuse their authority for personal gain or notoriety and put our community at risk.” The DEA and TBI investigated the case, with valuable assistance from the Jackson Police Department. Assistant Chief Kate Payerle and Trial Attorney Drew Pennebaker of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section prosecuted the case. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


title: Two Men Plead Guilty to Roles in Methamphetamine Trafficking Organization, and Kanawha County Woman Pleads Guilty to Aiding Co-Defendant

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Today, two men pleaded guilty today to roles in a drug trafficking organization (DTO) responsible for distributing large quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the Southern District of West Virginia, and a Kanawha County woman pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting one of their co-defendants. Christopher Anthony O'Dell, 38, of Hurricane, pleaded guilty to distribution of quantities of methamphetamine and fentanyl and Shakur Raekwan Joyce, also known as “Cheeta,” 23, of Huntington, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute a quantity of methamphetamine. The woman, Sharon Lyn Teston, 62, of Nitro, pleaded guilty to aiding and abetting the possession with intent to distribute a quantity of a mixture and substance containing methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on August 18, 2023, O’Dell sold approximately 1.1 grams fentanyl and 3.5 grams of methamphetamine for $200 to a confidential informant at O’Dell’s Hurricane residence. O’Dell admitted to the transaction and to arranging it beforehand with the confidential informant by text message. O’Dell further admitted to participating in the DTO with other individuals from approximately November 2022 through November 2023. The DTO participants used a St. Albans residence to store and distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. O’Dell conducted distributions and transported various individuals from the St. Albans residence to a Ninth Avenue residence in Huntington where they received additional amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine before O’Dell transported them back to the St. Albans residence. On August 24, 2023, Teston traveled with Gary Diaz, a co-defendant of O’Dell and Joyce, to the Ninth Avenue residence in Huntington, where Diaz received approximately 1 pound of methamphetamine. Teston admitted that Diaz gave her the methamphetamine and she hid it in her pants before they drove from Huntington to Nitro. A law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of their vehicle on Interstate 64 in Hurricane. During the traffic stop, an officer located and seized the methamphetamine hidden in Teston’s pants. Teston admitted that she knew Diaz was a methamphetamine distributor and that he intended to distribute the methamphetamine she concealed for him. On August 28, 2023, a law enforcement officer conducted a traffic stop of a vehicle driven by O’Dell in St. Albans. The officer seized approximately 51 grams of fentanyl and two muzzleloading pistols from the vehicle during the traffic stop. O’Dell admitted that co-defendant Jashawn William Lawson was a passenger in his vehicle during the traffic stop and that he was aware that Lawson was in possession of fentanyl that Lawson was transporting to St. Albans to distribute. O’Dell further admitted to possessing the seized firearms. On November 15, 2023, law enforcement officers served an arrested warrant on Joyce at his Huntington residence. Officers conducted a search of the residence with Joyce’s consent and found a quantity of methamphetamine in his bedroom. Joyce admitted that he possessed the methamphetamine and intended to distribute it. Joyce further admitted to participating in the DTO from at least August 2023 to in and around November 2023. Joyce transported methamphetamine and collected and transported drug proceeds on behalf of other individuals, and received methamphetamine that he distributed to various customers. Joyce admitted that he possessed approximately 877 grams of methamphetamine seized by law enforcement officers during a September 20, 2023 traffic stop of a vehicle in which he was traveling on I-64 in Hurricane. O'Dell, Joyce and Teston are scheduled to be sentenced on July 17, 2024. Each faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $1 million fine. O'Dell, Joyce, Lawson and Diaz are among 27 individuals indicted in a 53-count indictment that charges the defendants with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl transported from Detroit, Michigan, in Huntington and other locations within the Southern District of West Virginia. Teston was among the 27 individuals indicted, but pleaded guilty in a separate case. O’Dell and Joyce are among eight defendants who have pleaded guilty in the main case. The indictment against Lawson, Diaz and the remaining defendants is pending. An indictment is merely an allegation and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Metropolitan Drug Enforcement Network Team (MDENT), the West Virginia State Police, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. MDENT is composed of the Charleston Police Department, the Kanawha County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the Nitro Police Department, the St. Albans Police Department and the South Charleston Police Department. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearings. Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph F. Adams and Stephanie Taylor are prosecuting the cases. The investigation was part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The program was established in 1982 to conduct comprehensive, multilevel attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and is the keystone of the Department of Justice’s drug reduction strategy. OCDETF combines the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with state and local law enforcement. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 3:23-cr-180 (O’Dell and Joyce) and 3:24-cr-8 (Teston). ###


title: West Hills Woman Who Disposed of One Victim’s Body Sentenced to 20 Years in Federal Prison for Stealing Identities, Homes and Assets

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A San Fernando Valley woman has been sentenced to 240 months in federal prison for fraudulently obtaining ownership of real estate and money via identity theft and forged power-of-attorney forms in a near-$3.9 million scheme that included dismembering and disposing of a dead body to prevent the discovery of this victim’s death, the Justice Department announced today. Caroline Joanne Herrling, 44, a.k.a. “Carrie Phenix,” of West Hills, was sentenced late Friday by United States District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong. Judge Frimpong also ordered Herrling to pay $3,887,051 in restitution. “This defendant’s misconduct was both greedy and grotesque, causing profound pain to the victims and their loved ones,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “There must be serious consequences for those who prey on vulnerable communities, such as older adults, and my office will remain steadfast in bringing these offenders to justice.” “The U.S. Postal Inspection Service will continue to work diligently with our local law enforcement partners to protect our communities from criminals who target our most vulnerable population,” said Inspector in Charge Carroll Harris of the Los Angeles Division. “Today’s sentencing shows that justice will be served to those who commit such criminal acts.” “The LAPD would like to thank our federal partners at the US Postal Inspection Service and the United States Attorney’s Office, without whom a resolution in this case would not have been possible,” said Los Angeles Police Deputy Chief Alan Hamilton. According to court documents, Herrling and her co-conspirators preyed on vulnerable victims by searching for properties in affluent neighborhoods that appeared unkempt. For example, Herrling used online mapping programs and visited nicer neighborhoods to search for algae-filled swimming pools or overgrown shrubs to identify houses with vulnerable victims who were unable to care for their properties. After finding such a home in Sherman Oaks in 2020, Herrling and her co-conspirators broke into the residence, where an elderly victim resided. At some point in September 2020, the victim died – investigators are uncertain how – and they believe that Herrling and others took over the property while his body decomposed in his home. Rather than reporting his death, Herrling and others in the conspiracy left his body in his house while they looted his assets. Herrling used a forged power-of-attorney form so she could pretend to act on the victim’s behalf while stealing his real estate and financial accounts. In October 2021, law enforcement began investigating the case when neighbors reported the victim missing. According to court documents, Herrling identified herself to police as a close friend of the victim and his family. She also was listed as the trustee of the victim’s family trust – which purportedly had been created by the victim’s mother, who died in June 2017 – but in fact was a forgery. She told police that the victim had moved from Sherman Oaks to Carpinteria, which was not true because the victim was already dead. After Herrling learned of the police investigation into the missing victim, her co-conspirators and she executed an elaborate scheme to ensure his body was never found and his death remain unreported, this to support the idea that the victim agreed to distribute his assets to Herrling and her co-conspirators. Herrling and her co-conspirators moved the victim’s body to her apartment in West Los Angeles, where they attempted to dissolve his body in a concoction of chemicals, investigators found. When that did not work, Herrling and her co-conspirators dismembered the body, placed the pieces in vacuum-sealed bags and moved the victim’s body to the Bay Area. Another member of the conspiracy who owned a sailboat assisted in disposing of the mutilated remains of the deceased victim into San Francisco Bay, the investigation revealed. The victim’s remains have never been found. During Friday’s sentencing hearing, Judge Frimpong said this victim was “a man and a human being,” but Herrling “did not see that” and instead treated him “like a cash register.” The deceased victim was the listed executor and beneficiary to the will of another victim, but this document was another forgery that Herrling claimed to have “discovered” in a safe deposit box rented by the deceased victim’s mother, court papers state. Based on this forged will, the missing victim was to inherit an estate worth more than $1.7 million – assets that ultimately fell under Herrling’s control as the trustee for his estate. Herrling and her co-conspirators also defrauded a third victim and sold his home without his consent by using a conspirator with fake identity documents to pose as the victim. Herrling set up accounts to receive the proceeds of the sale of this victim’s real estate, a transaction that generated approximately $1.5 million. According to court documents, this victim, who was already suffering from mental health issues, took his own life after losing his home. Herrling later used her ill-gotten gains to purchase a residence in West Hills. The total loss in this case was $3,887,051. Herrling pleaded guilty in March 2023 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. She has been in federal custody since January 2023. One of Herrling’s accomplices – Matthew Jason Kroth, 50, of Tarzana – pleaded guilty in October 2023 to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. He faces up to 20 years in federal prison for wire fraud, and up to 40 years for methamphetamine trafficking when he is sentenced on June 7. The United States Postal Inspection Service and the Los Angeles Police Department, Valley Bureau Homicide are investigating this matter. Significant assistance was provided by the Los Angeles Joint Regional Intelligence Center. Assistant United States Attorney Andrew Brown of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.


title: New Orleans Man Sentenced for Multiple Firearms Offenses

component: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LA – On March 14, 2024, United States District Court Chief Judge Nannette Jolivette Brown sentenced LAIRD JOHNSON , age 25, of New Orleans, to 57 months imprisonment for theft of a firearm from a Federal Firearms Licensee, possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon, and possession of a stolen firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to court records, during a search of JOHNSON’s home on August 10, 2021, three firearms were recovered, including a Zastava Arms 7.62 Rifle, a Glock Model 19, 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun, and ammunition as well as a Glock Model 19X, 9-millimeter semi-automatic handgun, which was stolen from a Federal Firearms licensee. He further possessed a firearm on July 23, 2021. JOHNSON is prohibited from possessing firearms due to his previous felony convictions in Orleans Parish Criminal District Court for aggravated assault with a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and simple burglary. Judge Brown also sentenced JOHNSON to serve three years of supervised release following his term of imprisonment, and a $500 mandatory special assessment fee. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the New Orleans Police Department, and the Kenner Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon Maestri of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Readout of U.S. Justice Department Senior Officials’ Trip to London to Join Foreign Partners in Advancing Efforts to Fight Fraud

component: Civil Division

body_text: On March 11 and 12, Deputy Assistant Attorney General (DAAG) Arun G. Rao of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch (CPB), Deputy Assistant Attorney General Lisa H. Miller of the Criminal Division’s Fraud and Appellate Sections, CPB leadership, London-based Justice Department Attaché Ken Kohl, and the department’s London-based Fraud Prosecutorial Liaison Vanessa Sisti attended the United Kingdom (U.K.) Home Office’s first Global Fraud Summit in London. Assistant Director Michael D. Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, FBI Deputy Assistant Director James C. Barnacle, U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Deputy Under Secretary Kelli Ann Burriesci, and DHS Attaché to the United Kingdom Craig Symons were also part of the U.S. delegation. They were joined by over 200 leaders from government, law enforcement, regulatory agencies, and the public and private sectors, as well as experts from the banking, technology, and telecommunications industries from 11 countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, and the United Kingdom, along with INTERPOL, EUROPOL, and the United Nations’ Office on Drugs and Crime. Parsons Media U.S. Delegation at the Global Fraud Summit. Parsons Media DAAG Rao participated in discussions at Global Fraud Summit. While at the Global Fraud Summit , DAAG Rao delivered remarks on behalf of the department at two plenary ministerial sessions on March 11, facilitated by U.K. Home Secretary James Cleverly, where he spoke about the scale of the global fraud threat and the role of law enforcement, as well as how governments and institutions can collaborate to protect the public. DAAG Rao and members of the U.S. delegation also participated in a series of strategic discussions on the nature of global fraud with experts from the banking, technology, and telecommunications industries on March 12. DAAG Miller and FBI Assistant Director Nordwall co-chaired a law enforcement roundtable about the challenges that law enforcement face when investigating fraud and what law enforcement can do to ensure they remain responsive to these evolving threats. DAAG Miller and FBI Assistant Director Nordwall co-chaired a law enforcement roundtable. The U.S. delegation joined international ministers to endorse a framework and commit to coordinate for purposes of giving global law enforcement agencies access to enhanced intelligence to stop fraud at the source and disrupt international fraud networks. On March 11, DAAG Rao and the CPB leadership met with Josephine Teo, the Minister for Communications and Information of Singapore, to discuss ways to work together against shared transnational fraud threats. DAAG Rao, CPB Director Amanda Liskamm, and CPB Senior Deputy Director of Criminal Litigation A.J. Nardozzi met with Singaporean delegation. On March 13, DAAG Miller, DAAG Rao, and the CPB leadership met with Nick Ephgrave QPM, Director of the U.K.’s Serious Fraud Office to discuss areas of future collaboration. DAAGs Rao and Miller with Director of the U.K.’s Serious Fraud Office Nick Ephgrave QPM (center). On March 13, DAAG Miller separately met with Mark Francis, the U.K. Financial Conduct Authority’s Director of Wholesale and Unauthorized Business Investigations. DAAG Miller also participated in a panel of enforcers and regulators at the Practising Law Institute’s 23rd Annual Institute on Securities Regulation in Europe, where she summarized the Justice Department’s approach to combating complex fraud and foreign corruption schemes, recent enforcement efforts, and emerging developments in corporate criminal enforcement policies. Global threats such as transnational fraud and money laundering require global responses. The visit helped further partnerships with foreign governments and technology and telecommunications sectors as well as strengthen existing law enforcement collaboration to combat, prevent, and protect the public from this shared threat. We look forward to continuing our efforts to investigate and prosecute individuals and corporations that commit cross-border crimes. CPB leads the department’s Transnational Elder Fraud Strike Force, which investigates and prosecutes individuals and organizations engaged in foreign-based fraud schemes that disproportionately affect American seniors. The strike force was created in 2019 and expanded in 2022 by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. The strike force is comprised of attorneys and analysts from CPB and 20 U.S. Attorney’s Offices. The FBI, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, and Homeland Security Investigations provide dedicated resources for identifying the most harmful elder fraud schemes and bringing perpetrators to justice. The department coordinates its response to transnational fraud schemes through its leadership of the Global Anti-fraud Enforcement Network (GAEN), which CPB co-chairs, an alliance of law enforcement from numerous countries around the world. GAEN members work together to identify the highest impact threats posed by international fraud schemes, evaluate strategies for disruption, and engage in law enforcement operations to dismantle illegal conduct. Reporting from consumers about fraud and fraud attempts is critical to law enforcement efforts to investigate and prosecute schemes targeting older adults. If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is available through the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833 FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). This department’s hotline, managed by the Office for Victims of Crime, is staffed by experienced professionals who provide personalized support to callers by assessing the needs of the victim and identifying next steps. Case managers will identify appropriate reporting agencies, provide information to callers to assist them in reporting or connect them with agencies, and provide resources and referrals on a case-by-case basis. The hotline is staffed seven days a week from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available. More information about the department’s elder justice efforts can be found on the Department’s Elder Justice website, www.elderjustice.gov . The Fraud Section’s Market Integrity Unit is a national leader in prosecuting fraud and market manipulation involving cryptocurrency. Since 2019, the unit has charged cryptocurrency fraud cases involving over $2 billion in intended financial losses to investors from around the world. Prosecutors use blockchain data analytics and traditional law enforcement techniques to identify and prosecute complex cryptocurrency investment schemes; price and market manipulation involving cryptocurrencies; unregistered cryptocurrency exchanges involved in fraud schemes; and insider trading schemes affecting cryptocurrency markets. Prosecutors in the Unit frequently work in parallel with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and with law enforcement authorities across the globe. For further information, visit www.justice.gov/criminal/criminal-fraud/crypto-enforcement . The UK Government DAAG Rao (back row) with Ministers of 10 countries and senior officials of INTERPOL, EUROPOL, and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime.


title: Toppenish Man Sentenced to Prison for Strangling and Threatening His Partner with a Firearm

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Yakima, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington, announced that Tyler Jonas Senator, age 24, of Toppenish, Washington has been sentenced after pleading guilty to one count of Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, and one count of Assault of a Spouse, Intimate Partner, or Dating Partner by Strangling or Suffocating. Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian imposed a sentence of 84 months and 1 day imprisonment to be followed by 5 years of supervised release. According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, on April 23, 2023, Senator, and his partner, who are both enrolled members of the Yakama Nation, were driving in the victim’s vehicle. Senator assaulted the victim by grabbing the victim’s neck and strangling her, leaving bruises and scratches around the victim’s throat. Later that day, Senator and the victim were inside their house in Toppenish. Senator resumed the assault, hitting, kicking, and biting the victim. Senator also hit the victim in the head with the butt of a rifle, then pointed the firearm at the victim and threatened her. “Mr. Senator assaulted the victim, who is the mother of his young child, by choking her and hitting her with a firearm. I commend the bravery of the victim in coming forward,” said U.S. Attorney Waldref. “Everyone deserves to live in a safe home free of domestic violence. We recognize that indigenous communities suffer domestic violence at much higher rates than many other demographics. We are committed to addressing violent crimes in Indian country and elsewhere and holding perpetrators accountable.” “While no sentence will take away the horror of being assaulted by a trusted partner, we hope this case shows our continued commitment to fighting back against violent crime on our state’s reservations,” said Kelly M. Smith, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Yakama Nation Police Department. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael Murphy.


title: Maine Man Pleads Guilty to Sending Racist Death Threats to Black Family in His Apartment Complex

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: A Maine man pleaded guilty today to one count of threatening communications in interstate commerce for sending racist death threats to a Black family living in his apartment complex. According to court documents, in August 2022, Charles Allen Barnes, 46, of Lewiston, used Facebook Messenger to record and transmit a racial-slur-laden voice message in which he threatened, in graphic and violent terms, to kill his neighbor. In the message, Barnes made repeated derogatory references to the neighbor’s race and stated that he was waiting in his car outside the neighbor’s apartment and would kill the next person who emerged from it. Barnes then sent the recording to an acquaintance of his whom he knew to be close personal friends with the neighbor. Alarmed by the message’s contents, the acquaintance forwarded the recording to Barnes’s neighbor, to warn her of possible danger from Barnes. “Charles Barnes thought that hiding behind a social media account would shield him from the consequences of terrorizing his neighbors with vile, racist death threats, but he was wrong,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Racially-motivated death threats and acts of violence are unacceptable in our society today. The Justice Department will continue to thoroughly investigate and vigorously prosecute anyone who carries out threats or acts of bias-motivated violence in our country.” “Hate of any kind will not be tolerated in Maine,” said U.S. Attorney Darcie N. McElwee for the District of Maine. “With our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maine will diligently pursue justice for victims of racial harassment, threats, and violence. Barnes’ conduct is not representative of how we treat our neighbors in Maine. Protecting civil rights is one of our highest priorities.” “Charles Barnes admitted today to using his words as a weapon and making violent, racist threats against his neighbor,” said Special Agent in Charge Jodi Cohen of the FBI Boston Division. “Threats to life are most certainly not protected speech, and the FBI will continue to work with our partners to bring to justice anyone who crosses the line and commits this type of crime.” A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later date. Barnes faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. If the judge determines that Barnes intentionally selected the victim of his crime because of the victim’s race, a sentencing enhancement will be applied. The FBI Boston Field Office, Lewiston Police Department and the Maine Attorney General’s Office investigated the case. Trial Attorney Alec Ward of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheila Sawyer for the District of Maine are prosecuting the case.


title: Beverly Farms Man Sentenced to 20 Months in Prison for Multi-Million Dollar Payroll Scheme

body_text: BOSTON – A Beverly Farms man was sentenced today in connection with a payroll scheme involving underreporting of overtime hours for his union employees and failing to collect and pay payroll taxes. Frank Loconte, 62, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to 20 months in prison and three years of supervised release. Loconte was also ordered to pay over 4.5 million in restitution and a $15,000 fine. In September 2023, Loconte pleaded guilty to one count of mail fraud and one count of failing to pay taxes. From 2009 to 2022, Loconte was the president of NER Construction Management Corporation, a Wilmington-based construction company that employed union workers. Loconte was also the president of the company’s employment management company, NER Management LLC. Loconte was responsible for collective bargaining with multiple unions, including the Bricklayers and Allied Craftsmen Local Union No. 3 and various local unions affiliated with the Massachusetts and Northern New England Laborers’ District Council of the Laborers International Union of North America. On behalf of NER, Loconte was bound by collective bargaining agreements with the unions which governed the transfer of worker benefit contributions to employee welfare and pension benefit plans, each of which was subject to ERISA provisions. As a result, NER was required to make periodic contributions to the benefit funds that each hour worked by covered employees at rates prescribed and to deduct dues from the pay of each union worker which was also to be forwarded to the benefit funds. From approximately January 2014 and May 2022, Loconte engaged in a scheme to defraud the union benefit funds and the IRS by paying certain of its union workers for overtime hours worked without reporting these hours to the union benefit funds and without making the required payroll tax withholdings and payments. At times, some NER employees were paid entirely in cash for overtime hours worked and, at other times, the employees were paid by check without the required withholdings. Loconte also caused NER to file false and fraudulent remittance reports with the benefit funds and the unions which underreported the overtime hours worked by these employees thereby depriving the benefit funds and unions of contributions owed to their members. Loconte also caused NER to file false and fraudulent IRS payroll taxes that underreported the amount of wages paid. Instead of paying employment taxes, Loconte used NER business accounts to pay for personal expenses, including vehicles, personal property taxes, household improvements, and golf memberships, and failed to report these benefits to the IRS. As a result, Loconte defrauded union workers of more than $l million dollars for overtime work covered by the collective bargaining agreements and defrauded the IRS of more than $3 million by not making the required payroll tax and union dues withholdings and payments. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Carol S. Hamilton, Regional Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Employee Benefits Security Administration, Boston Regional Office; Jonathan Russo, District Director, U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Labor-Management Standards; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston; Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, Labor Racketeering and Fraud Investigations; and Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura J. Kaplan of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case.


title: Lafourche Parish Man Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine, Heroin, and Firearm Possession

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that TRE AUTHEMENT age 25 and a resident of Lafourche Parish, was sentenced on March 13, 2024 to 200 months in prison by United States District Judge Ivan L.R. Lemelle, after previously pleading guilty to possession with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and quantities of heroin, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(A) and possessing a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Sections 924(c). This case was part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), which is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was investigated by the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the Lafourche Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office, the Terrebonne Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the Louisiana State Police. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maurice Landrieu of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Podiatrist Convicted of $4M Foot Bath Fraud Scheme

body_text: A federal jury convicted a Tennessee podiatrist today for a scheme to defraud Medicare and TennCare by prescribing and dispensing medically unnecessary foot bath medications and obtaining millions of dollars in reimbursements. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Nathan Lucas, D.P.M., 59, of Memphis, owned and operated a podiatry clinic, Advanced Foot & Ankle Care of Memphis LLC, as well as two in-house pharmacies. Lucas regularly prescribed antibiotic and antifungal drugs to be mixed into a tub of water for patients to soak their feet. These drug cocktails included capsules, creams, and powders that were not indicated to be dissolved in water and some of which were not even water soluble. Lucas chose these medications to prescribe and dispense based on their anticipated reimbursement amount, rather than medical necessity. From October 2018 through September 2021, Lucas caused his pharmacies to submit nearly $4 million in claims to Medicare and TennCare for dispensing expensive foot bath medications that were not medically necessary and not eligible for reimbursement, for which Lucas’s pharmacies were reimbursed over $3 million. The jury convicted Lucas of five counts of health care fraud. He is scheduled to be sentenced on June 20 and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on each count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Kevin G. Ritz for the Western District of Tennessee, Special Agent in Charge Tamala E. Miles of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG), and Director David Rausch of the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) made the announcement. HHS-OIG and TBI investigated the case. Trial Attorney Sara E. Porter and Assistant Chief Justin M. Woodard of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case, with assistance from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


title: Local Importer for Cocaine Trafficking Organization Pleads Guilty

body_text: BOSTON – A Stoughton man has pleaded guilty to managing a large-scale drug trafficking organization (DTO) that shipped dozens of parcels containing kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico to various addresses throughout Eastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Patrick Joseph, 41, pleaded guilty on March 14, 2024 to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine. U.S. District Court Chief Judge F. Dennis Saylor IV scheduled sentencing for June 20, 2024. In February 2020, Joseph was identified as the manager of a DTO who facilitated the importation of dozens of kilograms of cocaine from overseas via the U.S. Mail. Joseph served as the Massachusetts-based importer who communicated directly with suppliers in the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, coordinating the transportation of 10-20 kilograms of cocaine at a time in parcels mailed to Massachusetts and Rhode Island. The cocaine was concealed in two-kilogram quantities inside air fryers and locked cash boxes within mailed parcels. Joseph also oversaw multiple couriers who would retrieve and deliver the parcels and arranged for multiple stash locations out of which the DTO operated. Joseph was arrested and charged along with eight others in May 2021 . At the time of the arrests, various firearms, 21 kilograms of cocaine and over $100,000 cash were seized. The charge of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute five kilograms of cocaine provides for a sentence of at least 10 years up to life in prison, five years and up to lifetime supervised release and a fine of $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division; John E. Mawn Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. The Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division and Homeland Security Investigations in Boston provided valuable assistance with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Philip C. Cheng and James E. Arnold of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Repeat offender sentenced for federal firearms offense

body_text: RICHMOND, Va. – A Richmond man was sentenced today to three and a half years in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm. According to court documents, on June 9, 2023, two Richmond Police Officers observed Henry Leon Marrow, Jr, 34, conducting a narcotics transaction in a convenience store parking lot on Richmond Highway. The officers found Marrow in possession of 3.18 grams of cocaine and arrested him. Marrow later informed officers he was in possession of a firearm, and the officers found a loaded Glock 9mm handgun in his pants. Marrow has previous felony convictions for robbery, abduction, and use of a firearm in commission of a felony in 2010 and shoplifting in 2019. As a previously convicted felon, Marrow cannot legally possess a firearm or ammunition. Marrow pleaded guilty on Nov. 9, 2023. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Jason S. Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; and Rick Edwards, Chief of Richmond Police, made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Roderick C. Young. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Ellen Hubbard, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Olivia Emerson prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:23-cr-105.


title: New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty  to Federal Gun and Drug Offenses

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced today that JUAN MATTHEWS , age 22, of New Orleans, pled guilty on March 13, 2024, to Counts 3 through 5 of an indictment charging him with possession with the intent to distribute marijuana and tapentadol, in violation of 21 U.S.C. Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(C) (Count 3); possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, in violation of 18 U.S.C. Section 924(C)(1)(a)(i) (Count 4); and possession of a machine gun, in violation of 18 U.S.C. Section 922(o) and 924(a)(2) (Count 5). As to Count 3, MATTHEWS faces up to twenty years imprisonment , up to a $1,000,000 fine, and at least 3 years of supervised release. As to Count 4, MATTHEWS faces between five years up to life imprisonment, which must run consecutive to any other sentence, up to a $250,000 fine, and up to 5 years of supervised release. As to Count 5, MATTHEWS faces up to ten years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to 3 years of supervised release. As to each charged count, MATTHEWS also faces payment of a mandatory special assessment fee of $100.00. MATTHEWS is set for sentencing on June 26, 2024. According to court documents, on May 18, 2023, members of the New Orleans Police Department observed a black Audi sport utility vehicle (SUV) matching the description of a vehicle used in a shooting. Officers pursued the SUV and observed three black males, including MATTHEWS , abandon the SUV and flee, after which officers successfully apprehended MATTHEWS . During the pursuit of MATTHEWS , officers saw him throw down a Glock with a machinegun conversion device, making it, functionally, a machine gun. Upon apprehension, MATTHEWS was in possession of marijuana, tapentadol, and drug paraphernalia. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Previously Convicted Sex Offender Sentenced to 120 Months for Possessing 10,000 Images of Child Pornography

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Morez King, 34, of Washington D.C, was sentenced today to 120 months in prison for amassing an enormous collection of child pornography on 10 different devices that held 10,000 images depicting the sexual exploitation of very young children, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C. King pleaded guilty on February 13, 2023, to one count of possession of child pornography, his second conviction for this offense in less than a decade. In addition to the 10 year prison sentence, U.S. District Court Judge Rudolph Contreras ordered King to serve 10 years of supervised release and to pay $88,000 in restitution to many of his child victims. According to court documents, King first made contact with an undercover agent with Homeland Security Investigations in January 2020. King, aka “pervboi3” and “xmarcoboi,” chatted with an undercover agent over a social media app, then sent the agent graphic videos of child sexual abuse from a New Zealand-based website. On December 15, 2021, HSI Special Agents and officers from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPDC) served a search warrant and subsequently searched King’s residence in Northeast Washington D.C. In the home, agents recovered two SD memory cards, four cellular telephones, two tablets, one laptop, and a MicroSD card reader belonging to King. Taken together, the defendant’s devices contained well over 10,000 images of child sexual abuse materials. Specifically, a Samsung Galaxy S20 held approximately 1,000 videos depicting the sexual abuse. King’s Samsung Galaxy S20 phone also had the Telegram application downloaded onto it. King used that application, which allows individuals to use encryption to send messages, to trade photographs and videos depicting the abuse of children. Further, King’s Galaxy S9 cell phone stored approximately 8,700 images depicting child sexual abuse, while an HP laptop recovered from the residence held about 1,800 videos depicting child sexual abuse. At the time that King possessed and distributed the images described above, he already had been convicted in 2015 in Fairfax County, VA, for possession of obscene material with a minor. More than 20 victims have filed Victim Impact Statements in this case, and 14 of the victims submitted requests for restitution with the court. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Washington, DC. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn Bond and Janani Iyengar, with valuable assistance from the Metropolitan Police Department.


title: East Bay Doctor Sentenced To Prison For Distributing Opioids Outside The Scope Of Medical Practice

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: OAKLAND – Parto Karimi, a former Bay Area doctor, has been sentenced to one year and one day in federal prison for distributing powerful opioids outside the scope of medical practice, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), San Francisco Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Brian M. Clark. The sentence was handed down on March 15, 2024, by the Hon. Jon S. Tigar, United States District Judge. Karimi, 59, of Alamo, California, pleaded guilty in July 2023 to one count of distributing hydrocodone, a Schedule II controlled substance, outside the scope of professional practice, in violation of 21 U.S.C. § 841(a)(1) and (b)(1)(C). According to the government’s sentencing memorandum, Karimi practiced medicine from an accessory dwelling unit on the grounds of her suburban home from roughly 2011 to 2022. Her practice operated under the name “Mindful Medicine.” Karimi was a licensed practitioner of internal medicine who had previously worked as an emergency room doctor at an East Bay hospital and was authorized to prescribe controlled substances as part of her medical practice. According to the government’s sentencing memorandum, the DEA began investigating Karimi after receiving concerning information from the family of one of Karimi’s former patients, who had passed away. The investigation included multiple visits by undercover agents to Karimi’s medical practice. During one, on October 1, 2021, an undercover agent asked Karimi for 10mg Norco tablets based on a claim of leg pain resulting from work as a restaurant server. Karimi admitted in her plea agreement that she wrote the undercover agent a prescription for 60 high-dose Norco pills without conducting a physical examination, without asking follow-up questions about the undercover’s reported pain, without obtaining medical records, and without exploring alternative treatment options or trying a lower dose. Karimi admitted that, in doing so, she knew she was acting in an unauthorized manner by prescribing a controlled substance outside the usual course of medical practice. She also admitted she knew the drug she prescribed was a powerful opioid that can be highly addictive and is liable to abuse by patients. The government argued in its papers that Karimi wrote medical prescriptions for opioids like Norco in exchange for street drugs including cocaine and methamphetamine, as well as cash payments. In addition to sentencing Karimi to prison, Judge Tigar ordered the defendant to serve three years of supervised release to begin after her prison term is completed. Judge Tigar also ordered the defendant to forfeit her California medical license and to pay a $4,000 fine. Assistant United States Attorney Daniel Pastor is prosecuting the case with assistance from Laurie Worthen. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by DEA, with assistance from the United States Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General and the California Department of Justice Division of Medical Fraud and Elder Abuse.