title: Illegal Possession of a Firearm Sends Ruston Man to Prison

body_text: MONROE, La. - United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Howard Demartae Jackson , 27, of Ruston, Louisiana , has been sentenced by United States District Judge Terry A. Doughty to 170 months in prison, followed by 5 years of supervised release, for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. According to evidence presented to the court, on or about May 25, 2022 while on patrol, an officer with the Ruston Police Department observed a man with a brown shoulder bag standing near the driver’s side of a vehicle near a gas station. The officer was suspicious of the activity and ran the license plate on the vehicle and learned that the driver’s license of the vehicle’s registered owner was suspended. The officer conducted a traffic stop of the vehicle and the driver was confirmed to be the registered owner and she admitted that her license was suspended. Howard Jackson was identified as the passenger in the vehicle with the female. The officer detected the odor of marijuana coming from inside and a search of the vehicle was conducted. Officers and found Jackson with a shoulder bag containing a loaded Smith and Wesson 40 caliber pistol, methamphetamine, marijuana, oxycodone, alprazolam, MDMA, plastic baggies, and a digital scale. Agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) examined and tested the firearm and found it to have been manufactured in Massachusetts and therefore traveled in interstate commerce. Jackson is a convicted felon with prior felony convictions for possession with intent to distribute both Schedule II and III controlled substances in 2020 and knew that he was prohibited from possessing any firearm or ammunition. Jackson pleaded guilty to the charges on November 28, 2022. The case was investigated by the DEA, ATF and Ruston Police Department and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Cassidy. # # #


title: Foreign National and Former Utah State University Student Club President Facing Federal Charges Relating to CARES Act COVID-19 Fraud

component: USAO - Utah

body_text: Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal grand jury in Utah returned an indictment charging a foreign national and former religious club president at Utah State University with CARES Act fraud. According to the indictment, Mubarak Sulaiman Ukashat, 36, of Kaysville, Utah, who was living in Taylorsville, Utah, at the time of the alleged crime, executed a scheme to steal money intended for small businesses seeking COVID-19 economic relief loans through the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) Program. As stated in the indictment, between June 2020 and July 2020, Ukashat, a former Utah State University Student Association Muslim Students Club President, submitted four fraudulent EIDL applications to the U.S. Small Business Association (SBA). He used the names of four people he had no connection to and directed the proceeds to be sent to the USUSA Muslim Students Club bank account at America First Credit Union, over which Ukashat had custody and control. Ukashat then used wire transfers to move the EIDL proceeds into another America First Credit Union account, over which he had ownership and control and held jointly with a relative before spending the CARES Act funds on unauthorized personal expenses. In total, the former USU graduate student allegedly applied for, illegally obtained, and misused over $300,000 in EIDL funds, for his own personal expenses. Ukashat’s expenses included purchasing a $45,900 GMC Yukon in cash; paying personal expenses, including at least $27,000 to electronic retailers; $21,000 to pay off a car loan; $20,000 in apparent debt payments; $10,000 in earnest money to buy a house; $5,200 for college expenses; other cash withdrawals, wires, and miscellaneous household purchases; and the wiring of approximately $15,000 to someone in Nigeria and $20,000 to someone in Dubai. Ukashat is charged with four counts of wire fraud, one count of aggravated identity theft, and two counts of money laundering. The defendant is scheduled for his initial court appearance April 7, 2023, at 2:15 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 before a U.S. Magistrate Judge at the Orrin G. Hatch United States District Courthouse in Salt Lake City, Utah. U.S. Attorney Trina A. Higgins for the District of Utah made the announcement. The case is being investigated by IRS – Criminal Investigation (CI). Assistant U.S. Attorney, Todd Bouton, of the District of Utah is prosecuting the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus and https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus/combatingfraud . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline via the NCDF Web Complaint Form . An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Federal prosecutor named as First Assistant U.S. Attorney for Southern District of Georgia

component: USAO - Georgia, Southern

body_text: SAVANNAH, GA: Southern District of Georgia U.S. Attorney Jill E. Steinberg has announced the appointment of Tara M. Lyons as First Assistant U.S. Attorney, effective April 9. First Assistant U.S. Attorney Lyons currently is the Deputy Criminal Chief and an Assistant U.S. Attorney serving in the Southern District’s Augusta Office and a 20-year veteran prosecutor for the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). “Tara’s ability, drive, and passion to advance the DOJ mission makes her a clear choice for an executive role in this District,” U.S. Attorney Steinberg said. “The office will benefit enormously from her exceptional insight, leadership acumen, and depth and breadth of experience.” A native of New York, Lyons is a graduate of South Carolina State University and the University of South Carolina School of Law. She started her professional career as a law clerk for the Honorable Henry F. Floyd during his service as a South Carolina Circuit Court Judge with the 13 th Judicial Circuit of South Carolina, followed by more than three years as a public defender in Richland County, S.C. Lyons joined DOJ in 2003, serving as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the District of South Carolina before transferring to the Southern District of Georgia as a criminal prosecutor. “I am deeply honored to be chosen to serve in a greater leadership role with the exceptional team in the Southern District U.S. Attorney’s Office,” Lyons said. “It is a humbling experience to fight for justice on behalf of victims in the courtroom, and I am excited to take on a role that allows higher-level advocacy on behalf of all victims served in our judicial circuit.” In the Southern District of Georgia, Lyons has served as Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood Coordinator, and Criminal Civil Rights Coordinator. She served as lead counsel in the first federal hate crimes prosecution in the Southern District of Georgia, United States v. McMichael et al., securing a conviction for the murder of Ahmaud Arbery in Brunswick, Ga. As First Assistant U.S. Attorney, Lyons joins Criminal Division Chief Patricia M. Rhodes and Civil Division Chief Shannon H. Statkus as senior leadership in the Southern District U.S. Attorney’s Office. U.S. Attorney Steinberg also announced Karl Knoche will remain in the front office of the U.S. Attorney’s Office as Senior Counsel to the U.S. Attorney. Knoche previously served as First Assistant U.S. Attorney, Senior Counsel to the U.S. Attorney, and Criminal Division Chief during his 34-year career at the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District.


title: Foreign National Sentenced to 33 Months in Prison for Participating in an International Scheme to Defraud Elderly Victims

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – An Indian national was sentenced today to 33 months in prison, two years of supervised release and ordered to pay $2.4 million in restitution for his role in an international conspiracy that preyed on elderly victims in New Jersey and throughout the United States. Ashish Bajaj, 29, pleaded guilty on Aug. 4, 2022, before U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty in Newark federal court to an information charging him with conspiracy to commit wire fraud.


title: Hoboken Woman Admits $1.5 Million Fraud Scheme that Targeted over 100 Non-Profit Victims, Including Schools and Religious Institutions

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Hudson County, New Jersey, woman pleaded guilty today to stealing over $1.5 million from over 100 victims made up mainly of non-profits, private schools, and religious institutions throughout New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Yezenia Castillo, 46, of Hoboken, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S District Judge Susan D. Wigenton, to an information charging her with one count each of wire fraud and tax evasion. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From 2012 through 2021, Castillo falsely claimed to be a CPA who could provide various financial and accounting services to non-profit organizations throughout New Jersey, including private schools and religious institutions. Castillo was not a CPA and never provided any of these promised services. After she was hired, Castillo used various ways to steal from her clients, including collecting fees for services that she never performed and transferring client funds to herself without authorization. Castillo also collected funds from clients by falsely claiming she would use it to pay their taxes, but she instead kept the money. To conceal her fraud, Castillo told victims that she had filed and paid their taxes, and she falsified receipts to make it appear to the victims as if their taxes were paid. Castillo defrauded over 100 victims, resulting in financial losses totaling over $1.5 million. The charge of wire fraud carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. The charge of tax evasion carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 7, 2023. U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; special agents of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Office of the Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Christina Scaringi; and special agents of IRS – Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Tammy L. Tomlins, with the investigation leading to the today’s guilty plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Blake Coppotelli of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit. castillo.information.pdf


title: Kern County Man Charged with Making Death Threats and Bomb Threats to a Nonprofit and Reproductive Health Centers

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A Kern County man charged with making threatening telephone calls last year, including to a Planned Parenthood office on the day the United States Supreme Court overturned its Roe v. Wade decision, has been arraigned in federal court, the Justice Department announced today. Nishith Tharaka Vandebona, 34, currently of Bakersfield, but who lived in Camarillo during the alleged offenses, is charged with three misdemeanor counts of threatened forcible intimidation regarding the obtaining and provision of reproductive health services under the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. Vandebona also is charged with two felony counts of transmitting threatening communications in interstate commerce to another organization in Ventura County. Vandebona pleaded not guilty late Wednesday afternoon to the charges against him and a May 30 trial date was scheduled. A federal magistrate judge ordered Vandebona jailed without bond. “Death threats are never acceptable regardless of what a person believes,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “No one should be threatened with death or bodily harm simply because they provide health services or work for a nonprofit. This indictment serves as a warning that there will be significant repercussions especially for anyone seeking to intimidate those seeking and providing reproductive health services.” “The Constitution gives each of us broad free speech rights, but using death threats to bully individuals or attempt to terrorize others will lead to criminal charges, as evidenced in this indictment,” said Donald Alway, the Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The use of violence to intimidate an individual from exercising their rights cannot be tolerated in a free and civil society.” According to the indictment returned on March 29 and unsealed Wednesday, from February to June of 2022, Vandebona used an internet application to create anonymous telephone numbers to make the threatening calls. During the spring of 2022, there was news coverage that the Supreme Court was considering overturning Roe , its 1973 decision that recognized a constitutional right to abortion, after an initial draft of the new opinion was leaked. On June 24, 2022, the Supreme Court published a decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization , which overturned Roe and ruled that the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion. That day, using an anonymous number, Vandebona left a voicemail message containing death threats with Planned Parenthood California Central Coast, a Santa Barbara-based reproductive health services organization, the indictment alleges. On June 25, 2022, Vandebona allegedly called Planned Parenthood Los Angeles and spoke with a call center specialist. According to the indictment, Vandebona said, “I’m calling to let you know that I’m going to come in there and kill all of you, including your staff and your security. You got it? You’re overdue for an attack.” Within an hour, Vandebona allegedly telephoned Planned Parenthood Los Angeles again and made several death threats, including “I’m gonna come in there and murder your staff.” Prior to the alleged threats to the Planned Parenthood facilities, Vandebona allegedly called in a bomb threat in February 2022 to the office of Californians for Population Stabilization (CAPS), a Ventura-based non-profit organization that advocates for “zero population growth,” primarily through immigration restrictions. Vandebona allegedly used anonymous numbers he obtained from the internet to make threatening phone calls to CAPS. In one of the calls, he said, “I’m gonna come in there and kill all of you, dude. Be careful.” In another call to CAPS in February 2022, Vandebona said, “I’m gonna come in there, plant a bomb, and kill as many white Americans as possible. You understand that? Servicemen, families, everybody,” according to the indictment. An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, Vandebona would face a statutory maximum sentence of five years in federal prison for each count of transmitting threatening communications in interstate commerce, and a statutory maximum sentence of one year in federal prison for each FACE Act count. The FBI is investigating this matter. The Santa Barbara Police Department, the Santa Monica Police Department, and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office have assisted in this investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Frances S. Lewis and Julius J. Nam of the Public Corruption and Civil Rights Section are prosecuting this case. Anyone who has information about incidents of violence, threats, and obstruction that target a patient or provider of reproductive health services or damage and destruction of reproductive health care facilities, should report that information to the FBI at https://tips.fbi.gov . For more information about clinic violence, and the Department of Justice’s efforts to enforce FACE Act violations, please visit www.justice.gov/crt/national-task-force-violence-against-reproductive-health-care-providers .


title: Federal Way armed fentanyl dealer sentenced to 15 years in prison

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A 27-year-old Federal Way, Washington, resident was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 180 months in prison for distribution of fentanyl and carrying a firearm in commission of a drug trafficking crime, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Fernando Lopez-Armenta has been in custody since his arrest on August 4, 2021. According to records filed in the case, a confidential source received a phone call from Lopez-Armenta on August 4, 2021, stating that he was willing to sell him fentanyl. Later that day, Lopez-Armenta met the confidential source in his car in Federal Way, intending to sell the source 10,000 fentanyl pills, with 4,000 more stashed in his car. Once it was confirmed that Lopez-Armenta possessed illegal narcotics, agents moved in to arrest him. Upon seeing the agents, Lopez-Armenta stepped out of his car and pointed his loaded pistol in the direction of agents and the confidential source. Lopez-Armenta finally put his pistol down on the hood of his car after a verbal order from another agent. He was subsequently arrested. At the sentencing hearing, U.S. District Judge Coughenour stated, “The Court commends the arresting officers. The fact that Lopez-Armenta pointed a loaded gun at the officers, and they did not fire, shows tremendous restraint. He is lucky to be alive today.” At trial in August, the jury found Lopez-Armenta guilty of one count of possessing fentanyl with the intent to distribute and one count of carrying a firearm in commission of that crime. In asking for a prison sentence of 180 months plus five years of supervised release, Assistant United States Attorney Erika Evans argued to the Court, “The 10,000 fentanyl pills that Lopez-Armenta brought to this drug deal represented thousands of potential overdose deaths. And he did not just traffic deadly drugs—he did so while carrying a gun.” The case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Erika Evans and Rebecca Cohen.


title: Assault with hammer sends Browning man to prison for 20 months

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: GREAT FALLS — A Browning man who admitted beating a man in the head with a claw hammer was sentenced today to 20 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Calvin Lame Bull Juneau, 37, pleaded guilty in November 2022 to assault resulting in serious bodily injury. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The government alleged in court documents that on Nov. 19, 2021, Juneau and co-defendant, Dale Ray Racine, entered a residence in Browning, on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation, and assaulted the victim, identified as John Doe, who was sleeping in a bedroom. Doe awoke and saw Juneau and Racine rushing toward him. Juneau had a claw hammer in his hands. The victim received multiple strikes in the head, one to his hand and one to his leg. The victim was treated for head injuries at the Indian Health Service in Browning. Racine was sentenced previously to two years in prison for his conviction in the case. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services. XXX


title: Former St. Louis Postal Worker Accused of Stealing and Depositing Checks Taken From Mail

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – An ex-employee of the U.S. Postal Service has been accused in an indictment of stealing checks from the mail and then depositing them in her own account. Porcia Denise Rhodes, 26, of St. Louis, Missouri, was indicted March 8 on four counts of bank fraud and one count of theft of mail by an employee of the U.S. Postal Service. She appeared in U.S. District Court in St. Louis and pleaded not guilty Wednesday. The indictment alleges that between July 26, 2022 and Sept. 22, 2022, Rhodes stole checks from the mail, replaced the payee’s name on the check with her own and then used a mobile device to deposit them. Rhodes altered and deposited or attempted to deposit 21 checks totaling $5,035, victimizing 21 people and 13 financial institutions, the indictment says. The bank fraud charges are punishable by up to 30 years in prison, a $1 million fine or both. The theft charge is punishable by up to five years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda Lane is prosecuting the case.


title: U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey Hosts “Unite Against Hate” Forum To Connect Asian-American Pacific Islander Community Groups To Federal, State, And Local Law Enforcement

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO - United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey hosted the first of several planned forums to combat unlawful acts of hate. U.S. Attorney Ramsey partnered with The Asian American Foundation (TAAF) to organize the meeting arranged to build trust between law enforcement and nonprofit advocates and to create and strengthen coordination between government partners—including law enforcement—and community-based organizations. The first meeting occurred Wednesday, March 29, 2023, at the Deb Colloquium Room of the University of California Law San Francisco and featured leaders from Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) community and federal, state, and local law enforcement. The theme of “united against hate” was initiated by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. Attorney General Garland announced the initiative during a White House visit last year and encouraged all 94 U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to host local forums. Program participants engage in robust interaction on topics such as defining hate crimes versus hate incidents; the importance of reporting unlawful acts of hate; providing options for responding to hate incidents when situations do not constitute a federal or state crime; and distinguishing unlawful conduct from protected First Amendment activity, including identifying protected speech versus speech that advocates violence or encourages people to commit hate crimes. Several offices of the Department of Justice provided critical assistance in developing the program, including the Community Relations Service, the Community Oriented Policing Services Office, the FBI, and the Office of Justice Programs. Members of a dozen AAPI community groups, including TAAF, participated in the program. Several government officials also attended. Government participants included officials having leadership roles such as San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu, District Attorney Brooke Jenkins, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Robert Tripp, UC Law San Francisco Dean of Students Grace Hum, and U.S. Attorney Ramsey, who provided opening remarks for the event. Special thanks are given to UC Law San Francisco for providing technical assistance and the venue for the event and to TAAF for co-hosting and providing invaluable assistance at every stage of organizing the event.


title: Member of Brockton Drug Crew Sentenced for Fentanyl Distribution and Firearm Charges

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A member of a violent Brockton drug crew was sentenced yesterday to six years in prison for drug and firearm charges. Placido Pereira, 36, of Brockton, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Richard G. Stearns to six years in prison and three years of supervised release. In December 2022, Pereira pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute fentanyl; three counts of distribution of fentanyl; one count of possession with the intent to distribute marijuana; one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition; and one count of possessing a firearm during a drug trafficking offense. In 2019, an investigation began into a violent Brockton-area drug crew that distributed large quantities of fentanyl throughout southeastern Massachusetts. The drug crew ran a fentanyl delivery service that encompassed all of Brockton as well as neighboring cities. Specifically, drug users/customers placed orders for fentanyl by contacting a cell phone maintained and shared by crew members, which included Pereira, Djoy Defrancesco and brothers Jason Miranda and Natalio Miranda, who worked together to deliver the fentanyl order. A search of Pereria’s Brockton home in October 2019 resulted in the seizure of a loaded firearm with an obliterated serial number, over $5,000 in cash, digital scales, marijuana packaged for sale and the cell phone used by members of the crew to distribute fentanyl. According to court records, in 2017, Pereira was convicted of unlawful possession of a firearm and possession with intent to distribute marijuana and was sentenced to three years in prison. In 2010, Pereira was arrested on drug trafficking charges at Boston’s Logan Airport as he returned to the United States from Cape Verde and was later sentenced to 30 months in prison and three years of supervised release for conspiracy to distribute cocaine base. On Feb. 8, 2023, Natalio Miranda, the last of the four charged defendants, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and six counts of distribution of fentanyl. Judge Stearns scheduled sentencing for June 8, 2023. On Feb. 17, 2023 Jason Miranda was sentenced to 78 months in prison and six years of supervised release. In June 2021, Defrancesco was sentenced to time-served, 20 months in prison, after previously pleading guilty. United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; John E. Mawn, Jr., Interim Colonel of the Massachusetts State Police; Brockton Police Chief Brenda Perez; Brian Kyes, U.S. Marshal for the District of Massachusetts; and Plymouth County District Attorney Timothy J. Cruz made the announcement. Assistance was provided by the East Bridgewater, West Bridgewater, Whitman and Bridgewater State University Police Departments as well as the Plymouth County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher J. Pohl of Rollins’ Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Four Charged In State Bribery Scheme

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: Rick Johnson, former Chairperson of the Michigan Medical Licensing Board, and three others have agreed to plead guilty and cooperate in ongoing investigation LANSING – U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that four men were charged in federal court for participating in the bribery of Rick Johnson, the former Chairperson of the Michigan Marijuana Licensing Board. All four defendants are cooperating with the investigation and have agreed to plead guilty to their offense. "Public corruption is a poison to any democracy. Those who wield the power of state have a sacred obligation to serve the people they represent. But when a government official takes a bribe, they spurn that solemn duty – in favor of the connected, the crooked, and ultimately themselves,” said U.S. Attorney Mark Totten . "Now and always, my office will place the highest priority on rooting out public corruption, with independence and impartiality.” U.S. Attorney Totten charged the following individuals today: Rick Vernon Johnson, 70, of Leroy was charged with Accepting a Bribe, a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. John Dawood Dalaly, 70, of West Bloomfield was charged with Payment of a Bribe, a felony offense punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. Brian Dennis Pierce, 45, of Midland was charged with Conspiracy to Commit Bribery, a felony offense punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. Vincent Tyler Brown, 32, of Royal Oak was charged with Conspiracy to Commit Bribery, a felony offense punishable by up to 5 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine. According to court documents, Rick Johnson was a member and the Chairperson of the Michigan Medical Marijuana Licensing Board (MMLB) between May 2017 and April 2019. John Dalaly operated two companies that were formed with the purpose of obtaining various operating licenses from the MMLB or exploring the licensing of a digital currency platform for medical marijuana financial transactions. Brian Pierce and Vincent Brown were lobbyists doing business as Philip Alan Brown Consulting, LLC and Michigan Grower’s Consultants, LLC, who lobbied on behalf of businesses and individuals who were seeking operating licenses from the MMLB. Johnson provided valuable non-public information about the anticipated rules and operation of the MMLB and assistance with license application matters to Dalaly, Pierce, Brown, and others that paid money to Johnson while he was Chairperson of the MMLB. The cash payments were made to three business entities, which Johnson used to accept payments from the companies, Philip Alan Brown Consulting, LLC, and Michigan Grower’s Consultants, LLC, to help hide those payments to Johnson while he was Chairperson of the MMLB. Between July 2018 and April 2019, Johnson voted in favor of approving the prequalification status of one of Dalaly’s companies and a company that was represented by Pierce and Brown and voted in favor of granting medical marijuana licenses to those companies. All four defendants have agreed to plead guilty in written plea agreements that will be filed with the Court today. Johnson’s plea agreement states that he accepted more than $100,000 in cash payments and benefits while he was a member and Chairperson of the MMLB. Dalaly’s plea agreement states that he gave at least $68,200 in cash payments and other benefits to Johnson, including paying for Johnson’s travel on two private chartered flights to Canada. Pierce’s and Brown’s plea agreements state that they caused at least $42,000 in cash payments and other benefits to be given to Johnson. The defendants have agreed to cooperate with the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the investigation of the charges as well as of any other federal crimes, including full, complete, and truthful interviews and testimony. “It is always a sad day when someone who enjoys the trust of the people abuses that trust for his or her personal gain,” said James A. Tarasca, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Michigan. “Public corruption is a top investigative priority for the FBI and today’s charges represent our continued commitment to working with the United States Attorney’s Office to ensure residents receive the fair and honest government to which they are entitled.” The FBI’s investigation into this matter is ongoing. Assistant United States Attorneys Christopher O’Connor and Clay Stiffler are prosecuting the case on behalf of the United States. A Felony Information contains allegations of criminal conduct, and all defendants are presumed innocent under the law until they are found guilty by the court or a jury. ###


title: Six Sioux Falls Men Charged with Online Sex Crimes

component: USAO - South Dakota

body_text: SIOUX FALLS - United States Attorney Alison J. Ramsdell announced that Homeland Security Investigations, with the assistance of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, South Dakota Division of Criminal Investigation, Sioux Falls Police Department, Watertown Police Department, Tea Police Department, Minnehaha County Sheriff’s Office, Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, South Dakota Highway Patrol, and the FBI, conducted a joint online sex crimes operation that ran from March 3, 2023, through March 8, 2023. As a result, the following six men from Sioux Falls, South Dakota, were arrested and charged with Attempted Enticement of a Minor Using the Internet: Cole Bogen Bettin, age 27; Joshua David Catron, age 33; Jayden Debevec, age 28; Kody William Konechne, age 21; Michael Valleck, age 32; and Jonah Earl Severson, age 23. The mandatory minimum penalty upon conviction is 10 years and a maximum of life in federal prison and/or a $250,000 fine, five years minimum of supervised release, up to life, and $100 to the Federal Crime Victims Fund. Restitution may also be ordered. The charges are merely accusations and all six Defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. “Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) agents work tirelessly to protect children from exploitation,” said Jamie Holt, HSI St. Paul Special Agent in Charge. “This successful online sex crimes operation shows the threat child predators pose in our communities and the importance of working hand-in-hand with our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners to bring individuals and networks who prey on vulnerable populations to justice.” The cases are being federally prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey C. Clapper and Jeremy R. Jehangiri. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . The U.S. Attorney’s Office would like to extend its appreciation to all law enforcement partners involved in the investigations for their efforts and continued cooperation.


title: Caldwell Man Sentenced to Over 11 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of Child Pornography

component: U.S. Attorneys (USAO)

body_text: BOISE – Juan Salinas Jr., 48, of Caldwell, Idaho, was sentenced to 143 months in federal prison for possession of child pornography, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. Senior U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill also sentenced Salinas to a lifetime of supervised release and entered an order forfeiting the electronic devices used to commit the offense. Salinas was ordered to pay $45,000 restitution to the victims in the images he possessed and will be required to register as a sex offender as a result of the conviction. According to court records, the investigation began when Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) received a report that child pornography had been uploaded to a social media account that was later identified as belonging to Salinas. In March of 2022, HSI executed a federal search warrant at Salinas’ residence in Caldwell and seized a cellphone belonging to Salinas. During a forensic examination of the cellphone, HSI located hundreds of images and videos of child pornography, including files depicting infants and toddlers. U.S. Attorney Hurwit, of the District of Idaho commended the cooperative efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, the Caldwell Police Department, and Idaho Department of Corrections Probation and Parole, which led to charges. 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. As part of Project Safe Childhood, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Idaho and the Idaho Attorney General’s Office partner to marshal federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. ###


title: Ansonia Man Admits Stealing and Selling Catalytic Converters

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that FRANCISCO AYALA, 22, of Ansonia, has pleaded in Hartford federal court to offenses related to his participation in a stolen catalytic converter trafficking ring. According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement has been investigating the theft of catalytic converters from motor vehicles across Connecticut. A catalytic converter contains precious metals, can easily be removed from its vehicle, and is difficult to trace, making it a desirable target for thieves. The average scrap price for catalytic converters currently varies between $300 and $1,500, depending on the model and type of precious metal component. The investigation revealed that Ayala engaged in numerous catalytic converter thefts throughout Connecticut, and he was caught on surveillance video stealing converters from two vans at a business in Stratford on March 9, 2022. Between December 2021 and May 2022, Ayala and an associate sold approximately $150,000 worth of stolen catalytic converters to a co-conspirator who transported the converters to other businesses, including businesses in New York and New Jersey, for further resale and profit. On April 4, 2023, Ayala pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. He is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala on July 13, 2023. Ayala is detained pending sentencing. This investigation is being led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), and the East Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and A. Reed Durham.


title: Portland Man Sentenced to More than 17 Years in Federal Prison for Shooting Two People During Armed Marijuana Robbery

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—A Portland man convicted at trial for shooting and robbing two illicit marijuana dealers was sentenced to more than 17 years in federal prison today. Earnest Franklin Evans, also known as Ladarius Franklin Bolds, was sentenced to 210 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release. “Without hesitation, Earnest Evans shot two men with a sawed-off shotgun in a dense residential neighborhood in southeast Portland. We must put an end to violence like this is in our community,” said Steven T. Mygrant, Chief of the Narcotics and Criminal Enterprises Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon. “There should be no doubt Evans is a violent felon who holds no regard for public safety,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “I commend our agents and our partners at PPB, FBI, and ATF for another successful joint investigation.” According to court documents and trial testimony, on August 3, 2017, an associate of Evans set up a ruse to purchase 10 pounds of marijuana from two local illicit marijuana dealers. After arriving at an agreed upon location, the two dealers wheeled out a large black tote full of marijuana. Shortly thereafter, two masked men—Evans and a second associate—came out from behind the corner of a building with guns drawn. Evans had a sawed-off shotgun and his associate had a pistol. Evans shot one of the marijuana dealers in the arm and the second in the back as he was fleeing. Evans and his associates took the marijuana and divided it with one another. For his participation in the robbery, Evans received two pounds of marijuana. Evans was arrested on November 19, 2018, following the execution of a federal search warrant on his Portland residence. Investigators located and seized a shotgun and ammunition from Evan’s residence. On May 11, 2021, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a two-count superseding indictment charging Evans with robbery and using, carrying, and discharging a firearm during a crime of violence and drug trafficking crime. On June 17, 2021, he was found guilty on both charges. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) with assistance from the Portland Police Bureau, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), and the FBI. It was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Peter D. Sax and Jeffrey S. Sweet. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts. PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime. Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them. As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.


title: Illinois Man Sentenced to 100 Months in Prison for St. Louis Carjacking

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man from Belleville, Illinois was sentenced Thursday to 100 months in prison for a 2020 carjacking in St. Louis. Darrell Gilkey, 26, was one of two men who carjacked a 2019 Dodge Charger on Sept. 19, 2020. A man and a woman were unloading items from the Charger on Washington Avenue in downtown St. Louis when a red Toyota drove up, the occupants pointed a gun at the victims and demanded the Charger’s keys. The robbers then ordered the victims to remove their shoes and lie on the ground before the Toyota and the Charger were driven away. Gilkey pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in January to one count of carjacking and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. In addition to his prison time, which will begin running Thursday, Gilkey was ordered to pay $31,251 in restitution for the Charger, which was totaled. Gilkey has been in jail since 2020, when he was indicted on 21 felony charges in St. Louis Circuit Court. He is accused of the carjacking as well as a series of robberies of wallets, phones and other items from June 26, 2020 to Sept. 9, 2020. The case was investigated by the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Don Boyce prosecuted the case.


title: Mandeville Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Gun Charge

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

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LA – MAURICE BUTLER , age 35, of Mandeville, Louisiana, pleaded guilty on April 4, 2023 to a single count indictment charging him with possessing a firearm as a convicted felon, in violation of the Federal Gun Control Act, Title 18, United States Code, Sections 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(2) announced United States Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to court documents, BUTLER was arrested by St. Bernard Sheriff’s Office deputies when, during the course of a traffic stop, they learned that BUTLER was wanted by the New Orleans Police Department for armed robbery. Deputies additionally noticed a Glock Model 17, nine-millimeter semi-automatic pistol (later determined to be stolen) in plain view on the front passenger seat of BUTLER’s vehicle. Further investigation revealed that BUTLER had previous felony convictions which prohibit his possession of a firearm. BUTLER faces a maximum term of ten (10) years imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000.00, up to three (3) years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. BUTLER will be sentenced on July 25, 2023. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the St. Bernard Parish Sheriff’s Office, and the New Orleans Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Kennedy of the Violent Crimes Unit.


title: Wilmington-Area Felon Who Sold Illegal Machine Gun, Cocaine, and Other Weapons Sentenced to Over 10 Years in Prison

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: NEW BERN, N.C. – Devonte Lewis, of Navassa, was sentenced to 130 months in prison for armed drug trafficking uncovered through an undercover operation focused on curbing gang violence in the Wilmington and Brunswick County Areas. Lewis pled guilty on December 8, 2022 to possession of a firearm not registered with the National Firearms Registry, possession of a firearm by a felon, distribution of a quantity of crack cocaine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. “Those selling illegal machine guns and carrying firearms in furtherance of their drug dealing endanger our communities and will face significant consequences,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “The public needs to know that we will not allow criminals to use and deal in machine guns and ‘switches’ that convert Glocks into fully-automatic machine guns.” According to court documents, evidence presented in court, and other documents, between November 16, 2021, and December 10, 2021, Lewis sold a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) undercover agent the following: a 9mm handgun with an extended magazine ad a 50-round drum, two rifles, one that was stolen, a Glock 45 caliber handgun, a “switch” that converted a Glock 9mm handgun from a semiautomatic into a fully functioning machine gun, a semiautomatic handgun with an extended magazine, and a .38 caliber handgun. Additionally, Lewis sold the undercover agent a quantity of cocaine on at least two occasions. On one of those occasions Lewis was armed with a handgun. On March 2, 2022, ATF contacted Ernest Robinson, a co-conspirator, about purchasing a firearm. Robison and Lewis arrived together to meet the undercover agent, and Lewis brought in an AR-10 rifle with a large capacity magazine and a revolver. The agent paid Robinson for the guns after he said they belonged to him. Robinson is a validated Blood gang member and, like Lewis, a convicted felon. This is part of “Operation Golfer,” which is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Wilmington Police Department, and the Duplin, New Hanover and Brunswick County Sheriffs’ Offices investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy Severo and Gabe Diaz prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 7:22-CR-00038-FL. ###


title: Copiah County Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison  for Distribution of Crystal Meth and Heroin Laced with Fentanyl

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: Jackson, Miss – A Crystal Springs man was sentenced to 30 years in prison for operating a drug trafficking organization that distributed heroin laced with fentanyl in addition to kilogram quantities of crystal methamphetamine throughout the metropolitan area. Gregory Jamal Williams, a/k/a “Grip”, 43, was sentenced on April 5, 2023 in U.S. District Court in Jackson. According to court documents, from as early as February 2019 through the date of his indictment in November 2020, Williams conspired with others and possessed with the intent to distribute crystal methamphetamine as well as heroin. Evidence demonstrated that the heroin was mixed with fentanyl. In October 2022, Williams pled guilty to all counts in his federal indictment. Williams’s 30-year sentence includes penalties for acting as a supervisor or manager of the organization’s drug trafficking activities, for possession of firearms in connection with his drug trafficking activities, for committing his drug crimes as part of a pattern of criminal conduct engaged in as his livelihood, and for importation of methamphetamine from Mexico. Williams was previously convicted of various state drug crimes, including sale of drugs within 1500 feet of a church. Williams’s son and co-defendant, Sage Braddy, is currently serving an 87-month federal sentence for his role in the drug trafficking operation. U.S. Attorney Darren J. LaMarca of the Southern District of Mississippi and DEA Special Agent in Charge Brad Byerly made the announcement. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. This OCDETF case is the result of an extensive investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Mississippi Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carla J. Clark prosecuted the case.


title: Former City of Kenner Director of Inspection and Code Enforcement Sentenced to 46 Months Imprisonment

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LA – The U.S. Attorney’s Office announced today that United States District Court Judge Lance M. Africk sentenced JAMES MOHAMAD , 54, of Kenner, to forty-six (46) months imprisonment. MOHAMAD pleaded guilty to conspiracy to using an interstate facility with intent to carry on unlawful activity (Title 18, United States Code, Sections 371 and 1952(a)(3)) and filing false tax returns (Title 26, United States Code, Section 7206(1)). Additionally, MOHAMAD was ordered to pay a $100,000 fine, $314,902 in restitution to the IRS, and a mandatory $200 special assessment fee. Upon release from imprisonment, he will serve a three (3) year term of supervised release. According to court documents, MOHAMAD , the former Director of the Department of Inspection and Code Enforcement for the City of Kenner, bribed Brian Medus, the Assistant Chief Mechanical Inspector for the City of New Orleans, Safety and Permits Department with money, in return for the issuance of fraudulent permits for MOHAMAD ’s HVAC jobs. Throughout the conspiracy, MOHAMAD paid Medus and others approximately $93,000 to further the bribery scheme. Additionally, MOHAMAD filed false individual tax returns that omitted substantial amounts of income, thus understating the income tax due the IRS. Co-defendant, Brian Medus, pleaded guilty to the conspiracy charge and is scheduled for sentencing on May 3, 2023. “James Mohamad intentionally defrauded the government by filing false individual tax returns which omitted substantial amounts of income and paying bribes to public officials” said James E. Dorsey, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, Atlanta Field Office. “The sentencing shows that no one is above the law and that those who abuse their public positions and trust to commit illegal acts will be held accountable.” "James Mohamad jeopardized the safety of countless homeowners who trusted him for more than a decade," said Douglas A. Williams, Jr. Special Agent in Charge of FBI New Orleans. "Those homeowners were unaware he was taking dangerous shortcuts in bribing a city official, hiding behind the legitimate permits of other contractors, and further concealing the dangers by inspecting his own work. We thank our partners, the United States Attorney's Office for the Eastern District, Internal Revenue Service, Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors and the New Orleans Office of Inspector General, who helped construct a strong case to put this con man out of business." This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigations, and the City of New Orleans/Office of Inspector General. Assistance was also provided by the Louisiana State Licensing Board for Contractors. Assistant United States Attorney Tracey N. Knight is prosecuting the matter.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office and Justice Department File Complaint Against SunSetter Products LP Alleging Delay in Reporting Dangerous Awning Covers

body_text: BOSTON –A complaint has been filed against Massachusetts-based SunSetter Products LP (SunSetter), alleging that the company delayed reporting a hazardous defect involving protective vinyl covers for its retractable awnings. The announcement was made by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts, the Department of Justice and the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). SunSetter is a limited partnership based in Malden, Mass. that manufactures motorized, retractable awnings for outdoor use. The complaint, filed in federal court in Boston, alleges that SunSetter knowingly failed to immediately report to the CPSC that when bungee tie-downs securing its protective awning covers were removed, the retractable awnings could spring open unexpectedly with enough force to strike consumers and cause them to fall and suffer death or serious injury. The complaint alleges that between 2012 and 2017, SunSetter received 14 reports of its motorized awnings springing open, which resulted in several injuries and one death. Despite notice of these incidents, the company did not report the problems with its awning covers to the CPSC until October 2017. According to the complaint, the protective covers at issue were sold separately or given away as a promotional item with the company’s motorized awnings between June 1999 and January 2019. The covers were recalled in August 2019. “Prompt reporting of potentially dangerous defects or problems with products is vital to impactful and immediate consumer protection. CPSC cannot do its job without strict compliance by industry. The defect in this matter, as alleged, can cause serious injury up to and including death,” said United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins. “Manufacturers must be held accountable for failing to comply with this important obligation which jeopardizes the safety of consumers.” “Companies must report safety issues in consumer products immediately, as the law requires, to prevent unnecessary injury or death,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Department of Justice will continue to work closely with the CPSC to hold accountable manufacturers that put profits over the safety of consumers.” “SunSetter knew for years that its product was hazardous, yet failed to tell CPSC as required by federal law,” said Chair Alex Hoehn-Saric of the CPSC. “It took a tragic death and numerous other injuries before they finally took action – which is unacceptable. When a company continues to sell dangerous products – knowing they can cause injuries and death – it must be held accountable.” The Consumer Product Safety Act requires manufacturers, distributors and retailers of consumer products to report “immediately” to the CPSC information that reasonably supports the conclusion that a product contains a defect which could create a substantial product hazard or creates an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death. This matter is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Erin E. Brizius of Rollins’ Civil Division and Senior Litigation Counsels Christina Parascandola and Claude Scott and Trial Attorney Nicole Frazer of the Justice Department’s Consumer Protection Branch, with the assistance of Harriet Kerwin and Renee H. McCune of the CPSC’s Office of the General Counsel. The claims made in the complaint are allegations that, if the case were to proceed to trial, the government would be required to prove by a preponderance of the evidence. Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at http://www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch .


title: Wolf Point woman admits trafficking methamphetamine and fentanyl on Fort Peck Indian Reservation

body_text: GREAT FALLS — A Wolf Point woman today admitted to allegations that she trafficked methamphetamine and fentanyl on the Fort Peck Indian Reservation, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Jordan Paige Day, 24, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Day faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The court set sentencing for Aug. 30. Day was released pending further proceedings. In court documents, the government alleged that in January 2022, the Idaho State Police stopped a vehicle Day was driving toward Montana. During a search of the vehicle, officers located methamphetamine and fentanyl pills. In April 2022, Fort Peck officers searched a residence based on information that Day was at the house and was selling drugs. Officers seized a large bag of meth from the couch and approximately 140 fentanyl pills from under a couch cushion. Day later admitted to selling meth. Regarding the April incident, Day said that she and another person had picked up multiple pounds of meth and several hundred fentanyl pills and that the meth seized was a portion of those drugs. Assistant U.S. Attorney Ethan R. Plaut is prosecuting the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Idaho State Police, Roosevelt County Sheriff’s Office and Fort Peck Department of Law and Justice. 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. XXX


title: Central Iowa Man Charged for Preparing and Filing False Tax Returns

component: USAO - Iowa, Southern

body_text: Des Moines, IA – A Central Iowa man made his initial appearance today in federal court for numerous tax charges. Bakou Kees Vonty (also known as Bob Vonty), 40, is charged in a 39-count indictment returned on March 21, 2023. As alleged in the indictment, from at least 2015 through 2021, Vonty prepared Individual Income Tax Returns for numerous customers who paid him to prepare and file their tax returns. Vonty acted as a “ghost preparer,” meaning that Vonty did not sign his customers’ tax returns when he prepared and filed them. Vonty prepared the customers’ tax returns but did not explain the contents of the returns to the customers, review the returns with the customers, or provide copies of the returns to the customers before Vonty electronically filed the returns with the Internal Revenue Service. Instead, Vonty would typically inform the customer of the amount of their anticipated refund. It is alleged that Vonty often included on his customers’ federal tax returns, schedules, and forms, items that Vonty knew to be false, such as false claims for business-expense deductions and education expenses. The effect of Vonty including false items on the tax documents was to increase the refunds his clients received. In addition, it is alleged that Vonty also filed several of his own federal income tax returns knowing that they contained false information. Vonty is charged with thirty-six counts of Preparing and Presenting a False Tax Return and three counts of Making and Subscribing a False Tax Return. If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of three 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. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation is investigating the case. Assistant United States Attorney Adam J. Kerndt is prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: New Jersey Man Sentenced for Using Stolen Identities to Purchase Vehicles

body_text: BOSTON – A New Jersey man was sentenced today for his role in a scheme to use stolen identities to fraudulently apply for and utilize bank accounts and credit cards. Jose Irizarry, 46, of Union City, N.J., was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to five years in prison and three years of supervised release. On Jan. 6, 2023, Irizarry pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, aggravated identity theft and false representation of a Social Security number. The Irizarry and multiple co-defendants were charged by criminal complaint in September 2020 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2020. In a coordinated multi-jurisdictional effort, Irizarry was also charged in the State of New Jersey. According to charging documents, between October 2017 and January 2019, Irizarry visited Massachusetts car dealerships to purchase late-model vehicles and applied for 100% financing. In support of the applications, Irizarry provided stolen biographical information of real United States citizens, fraudulent Puerto Rico driver’s licenses and Social Security cards in those identities, as proof of identification. He used the stolen identities to illegally open bank accounts and credit cards and purchase vehicles, many of which were exported out of the United States. Irizarry used stolen identities to obtain car loans and purchase three cars worth $140,124, collectively, although at sentencing he was held responsible for losses of between $550,000 and $1.5 million. United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Michael J. Krol, Acting 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. Assistance was provided by the Lowell, Lawrence, Methuen, Haverhill, Woburn and Dartmouth Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elianna Nuzum and Adam Deitch of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the case. The District of Massachusetts 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. The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Dominican National Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison for Trafficking Fentanyl and Heroin

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that JEFFREY AMARANTE-PEREZ, 29, of the Dominican Republic, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for trafficking fentanyl and heroin. According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from a joint investigation headed by the DEA New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department into a Waterbury-based drug trafficking operation headed by Nestor Sosa-Ortiz. The investigation, which included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, physical surveillance, and controlled purchases of narcotics, revealed that Sosa-Ortiz’s organization received large quantities of fentanyl and heroin from suppliers in Connecticut and New York and distributed the narcotics through a network of co-conspirators, including Sanchez-Martinez. After Sosa-Ortiz was arrested in New York City on a separate federal heroin and fentanyl trafficking charge in May 2019, he continued to control his drug network while incarcerated by using smuggled cell phones to communicate with various co-conspirators. The Sosa-Ortiz organization used an apartment located at 330 Bishop Street in Waterbury to store kilogram-quantities of fentanyl and heroin, and to process and package the drugs for street sale. On October 29, 2019, investigators arrested several members of the organization, executed search warrants at the Bishop Street apartment and four other locations, and seized approximately six kilograms of fentanyl and heroin, approximately 100,000 bags of fentanyl/heroin packaged for street distribution, approximately 1,000 fentanyl pills disguised as Percocet pills, one firearm, approximately $50,000 in cash, drug ledgers, and other items. As the investigation continued, it revealed that Jeffrey Amarante-Perez and his brother, Jeisson Amarante-Perez, served as an alternate source of drug supply to the Sosa-Ortiz organization, and that Edwin Rivas-Cruz was a drug courier for the Amarante-Perez brothers. Jeisson Amarante-Perez and Rivas-Cruz were intercepted over a wiretap coordinating narcotics transactions, and drug ledgers seized from the Sosa-Ortiz organization in October 2019 indicated drug debts to Jeffrey Amarante-Perez of more than $30,000. Jeffrey Amarante-Perez has been detained since his arrest on July 1, 2022. On November 15, 2022, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl. Jeisson Amarante-Perez, Rivas-Cruz, and Sosa-Ortiz have pleaded guilty and await sentencing. This investigation has been conducted by the Drug Enforcement Administration New Haven Task Force and the Waterbury Police Department. The DEA New Haven Task Force includes participants from the DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division, Connecticut State Police and the New Haven, Waterbury, East Haven, Branford, West Haven, Ansonia, Meriden, Naugatuck, and Shelton Police Departments. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and Jocelyn Courtney Kaoutzanis through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Florida Man Admits Buying Gift Cards with Stolen Bank Account Information

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man from Florida caught with more than $12,000 in Walmart gift cards that he’d bought using stolen bank account information pleaded guilty Thursday to a federal felony. Juseph Eugene Suero-Olmeda, 23, admitted using stolen bank information to purchase Walmart gift cards. He then shipped the cards to an associate in Florida. The Wright City Police Department stopped Suero-Olmeda’s vehicle for speeding on Oct. 3, 2021, and found the gift cards, which had recently been purchased from Walmart stores in Wentzville, Lake St. Louis and St. Peters, Missouri. Each gift card had a value of $480. Suero-Olmeda pleaded guilty in front of U.S. District Judge John A. Ross. to one count of unauthorized use of an access device. He is scheduled to be sentenced July 11. The crime carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both. Suero-Olmeda has also agreed to pay restitution. The case was investigated by the U.S. Secret Service, the Wright City Police Department, the Warren County Sheriff’s Department, the St. Peters Police Department, the Wentzville Police Department and the Lake St. Louis Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer Roy is prosecuting the case.


title: Westford Man Sentenced for Bank Fraud and Possessing an Unregistered Firearm

body_text: BOSTON – A Westford man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for conspiring to commit bank fraud and possessing an unregistered short-barreled rifle. Bin Lu, 51, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge George A. O’Toole Jr. to one year of supervised release. In June 2021, Lu pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit bank fraud and one count of possession of an unregistered firearm. Lu cooperated with the government’s investigation. Lu was arrested and charged in January 2021 along with co-conspirator Daniel Whitman, a former police officer with the Tyngsborough Police Department and the owner of Hitman Firearms, LLC, a retail gun shop in Tyngsborough. Lu and Whitman created Freedom Alley Shooting Sports LLC, which they envisioned as a large indoor shooting range that would serve regional and international customers and offer shooting clinics and other services. Lu and Whitman brought in a Chinese investor who contributed several million dollars to Freedom Alley in exchange for a majority interest in the company. However, in applying for loans from federally insured financial institutions, Lu and Whitman hid the true source of their initial funding and the investor’s ownership interest from the banks, and filed false documents in connection with their loan applications. Lu also possessed a short-barreled rifle that was not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required by the National Firearms Act. On March 22, 2023, Whitman was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris to one year and one day in prison and two years of supervised release after previously pleading guilty to his role in the conspiracy. Whitman was also ordered to pay a $20,000 fine. United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Michael J. Krol, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; Jonathan Davidson, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in Boston; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Joleen D. Simpson, Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigations in Boston made the announcement today. The Tyngsborough and Westford Police Departments provided valuable assistance in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Evan D. Panich of Rollins’ Criminal Division and Eugenia M. Carris, Deputy Chief of Rollins’ Public Corruption & Special Prosecutions Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Maryland Man Arrested for Extorting Massachusetts Victims He Met Via Online Dating Website

body_text: BOSTON – A Maryland man was arrested today for making extortionate threats toward victims in Massachusetts. Brandon D. Kane, 27, of Baltimore, was charged with making extortionate threats in interstate commerce. Kane was detained following an initial appearance in federal court in the District of Maryland this afternoon. He will appear in federal court in Boston at a later date. According to the charging documents, Kane used an online dating website to meet victims locally in Eastern Massachusetts. It is alleged that, during such meetings, Kane made unauthorized videos of his victims engaging in illicit drug use or sexual activity with him. Kane then allegedly threatened to release the videos to the victims’ families and employers unless his victims paid him. The charge of making extortionate threats in interstate commerce provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins and Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Tolkoff of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Providence Man Indicted for Selling Oxycodone to Undercover Officer

body_text: BOSTON – A Providence man has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Worcester for allegedly selling oxycodone on multiple occasions to an undercover officer. Brandon Jones, 32, has been indicted on one count of possession with intent to distribute oxycodone and two counts of distribution of oxycodone. Jones was previously arrested and charged by criminal complaint on March 13, 2023. He has remained in custody since. According to the charging documents, in July 2022, Jones was identified as an oxycodone and cocaine distributor in the Worcester area. Specifically, it is alleged that Jones traveled to Worcester in rental vehicles on a daily basis to sell drugs throughout the area in the afternoon before returning to Providence. On at least three occasions between October 2022 and January 2023, Jones allegedly distributed oxycodone pills to an undercover officer in controlled purchases. It is alleged that, at the time of his arrest on March 13, 2023, Jones was found in possession of approximately 1,500 oxycodone pills. The charges each provide for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $1 million. 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. United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Southbridge Police Chief Shane D. Woodson made the announcement today. Valuable assistance in the investigation was provided by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island and the Rhode Island State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorney Greg Friedholm of Rollins’ Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Murderer Sentenced to 30 Years

component: USAO - Arizona

body_text: PHOENIX, Ariz. – Brian Riggs, 51, of Jeddito, Arizona, was sentenced last week by United States District Judge Michael T. Liburdi to 30 years in prison, followed by five years of supervised release. Riggs, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, was convicted of Second Degree Murder following a seven-day jury trial. On February 16, 2019, emergency medical services responded to a home on the Navajo Nation Indian Reservation. The victim was deceased and had sustained injuries over his entire body. Riggs was the only other person present at the home when the victim was killed. The victim and Riggs were involved in an intimate relationship. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and Navajo Nation Department of Public Safety conducted the investigation in this case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tracy Van Buskirk and Brian Kasprzyk, District of Arizona, Phoenix, handled the prosecution. CASE NUMBER: CR19-08091-PCT-MTL RELEASE NUMBER: 2023-050_Riggs # # # For more information on the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, visit http://www.justice.gov/usao/az/ Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of Arizona, on Twitter @USAO_AZ for the latest news.


title: Georgia Men Convicted in Separate Project Safe Childhood Cases for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: Criminal - Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section

body_text: MACON, Ga. – A former U.S. Airman and a repeat child sex offender both admitted to possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) involving minor victims in separate Project Safe Childhood cases in the Middle District of Georgia this week. Kenneth Queen, 35, of Forsyth, Georgia, and formerly of Dayton, Tennessee, pleaded guilty to two counts of possession of child sexual abuse material and one count of failure to register as a sex offender today before U.S. District Judge Marc Treadwell. Queen faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison for each count of possession of CSAM, a maximum sentence of ten years in prison for failing to register as a sex offender and a maximum lifetime of supervised release. Queen will also have to register as a sex offender for life upon his release from prison. Sentencing for Queen is scheduled for July 13, 2023. Justin Wayne Pallett, 29, of Warner Robins, Georgia, was sentenced to serve 210 months in prison to be followed by a lifetime on supervised release by U.S. District Judge Tilman E. “Tripp” Self III on April 4, after he previously pleaded guilty to possession of child sexual abuse material. Pallett will have to register as a sex offender for life upon his release from federal prison. There is no parole for federal convictions. “Our office will work tirelessly to protect children from child predators,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Through Project Safe Childhood, our office has a team of prosecutors working with law enforcement from every level dedicated to protecting our most vulnerable citizens from child victimization.” According to public records, Queen was convicted of sexual battery against a child under 16 and child molestation in Madison County, Georgia, Superior Court on Oct. 27, 2008. Queen was required to register as a sex offender for life. After his conviction, Queen relocated to Tennessee, where he registered as a sex offender. Queen was residing in Monroe County, Georgia, in the summer of 2020 when it was reported to authorities that he was unlawfully tattooing children. Queen was found in possession of graphic child sexual abuse material he captured involving a young child. Queen was required to be registered as a sex offender at the time, but had not registered himself in Monroe County as the law required him to do. For the protection of the minor victim, a portion of Queen’s plea agreement will remain sealed. According to Pallett’s plea agreement, the mother of a 13-year-old girl reported to law enforcement in November 2020 that her daughter had exchanged sexually explicit Snapchat and Facebook messages and images with a 26-year-old male. The male was later identified as Pallett, who was an active duty service member assigned to Robins Air Force Base. A search warrant executed on Pallett’s Snapchat account revealed he was engaged in similar sexually explicit communication with numerous underage girls. Agents found 178 images and six videos of child sexual abuse material on Pallett’s electronic devices—a cell phone, tablet, laptop and PC—including 14 images found within the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) database. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . The Queen case was investigated by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, FBI and the U.S. Marshals Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joy Odom is prosecuting the case. The Pallett case was investigated by the U.S. Air Force, Office of Special Investigations. Deputy Criminal Chief Will Keyes prosecuted the Pallett case.


title: Portsmouth Man Convicted of Sex Trafficking and  Production of Child Pornography

component: USAO - Virginia, Eastern

body_text: NORFOLK, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Portsmouth man today on seven charges of sex trafficking, production of child pornography, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and unlawful possession of a firearm. According to court records and evidence presented at trial, on April 30, 2022, Pierre De Romeo Smith, 40, met 16-year-old Jane Doe. The same day, he took sexually explicit photographs of her, as well as sexually suggestive photographs of her posed with the muzzle of a shotgun in her mouth. Several hours later, he posted these pictures of her on a commercial sex website, advertising her for commercial sex. For the following three weeks, the defendant continued to make her available for commercial sex—with as many as 30 “dates” a night—throughout the Hampton Roads area. He gave her amphetamines to keep her awake and confiscated the money from her dates. On May 19, 2022, the Virginia Beach Police Department conducted an undercover commercial sex operation at a hotel in Virginia Beach where they encountered Jane Doe. When interviewing her at the hotel, detectives observed a text message on her phone from the defendant stating he was there. The defendant was observed arriving at the hotel’s parking garage and was arrested. In his car were multiple controlled substances, including fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine, and a Glock handgun, which the defendant was prohibited from possessing as a convicted felon. Smith faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison up to a maximum penalty of life when sentenced on August 9, 2023. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Derek W. Gordon, Acting Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Washington, D.C.; and Paul Neudigate, Chief of Virginia Beach Police, made the announcement after U.S. District Judge Elizabeth Wilson Hanes accepted the verdict. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Megan Montoya and Rebecca Gantt are prosecuting the case. This case was investigated by the Hampton Roads Human Trafficking Task Force, a collaboration between federal, state and local law enforcement and prosecutors, as well as nongovernmental organizations, working together to combat human trafficking in the Hampton Roads, Virginia region. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . 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. 2:22-cr-122.


title: Billings man sentenced to five years in prison for attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor in undercover investigation

component: USAO - Montana

body_text: BILLNGS — A Billings man who admitted having sexual conversations through social media with an undercover agent posing as a minor girl and was arrested when he showed up to meet the girl, was sentenced today to five years in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Kyle Jason Swindler, 42, pleaded guilty in October 2022 to attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court also ordered $2,000 restitution. The government alleged in court documents that in October 2021, law enforcement conducted an undercover operation in Billings to identify and arrest individuals who were attempting to have sex with children. Swindler responded to a social media post by an undercover agent who was posing as a 13-year-old girl. When the undercover agent identified herself as 13 years old, Swindler responded, “Ouch you’re a young one.” The conversation became sexual in nature. Swindler and the undercover agent arranged to meet in a public park for a sexual encounter. Swindler drove to the park, where he was arrested. Law enforcement searched Swindler’s vehicle and found sex-related items. Officers also searched Swindler’s cell phone and recovered the original social media conversation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin D. Hargrove prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, Billings Police Department, Yellowstone County Attorney’s Office and Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office. This case was initiated under the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative, which was launched in 2006 to combat the proliferation of technology-facilitated crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children. Through a network of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies and advocacy organizations, Project Safe Childhood attempts to protect children by investigating and prosecuting offenders involved in child sexual exploitation. It is implemented through partnerships including the Montana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The ICAC Task Force Program was created to assist state and local law enforcement agencies by enhancing their investigative response to technology facilitated crimes against children. XXX


title: Kanawha County Man Pleads Guilty to COVID-19 Relief Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: CHARLESTON, W.Va. – Tamir Pratt, 20, of Dunbar, pleaded guilty today to receipt of stolen money, admitting to a scheme to defraud the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) of $20,832 in COVID-19 relief loans guaranteed by the Small Business Administration (SBA) under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES Act). According to court documents and statements made in court, Pratt applied for a PPP loan for his purported business, “Tamir Pratt,” in April 2021. Pratt admitted that “Tamir Pratt” was not in operation on February 15, 2020, though that was a requirement to qualify for a PPP loan, and he falsely certified that it was. Businesses applying for PPP loans were also required to provide documentation showing their prior gross income from either 2019 or 2020. Pratt admitted that he submitted a false IRS Form 1040, Schedule C, stating that “Tamir Pratt” had earned approximately $100,000 in gross income in 2020. Pratt submitted the loan application electronically from West Virginia and it was uploaded to servers in Arizona for processing. Pratt’s loan application was approved and $20,832 was electronically transferred to his personal bank account on April 26, 2021. Pratt admitted that he withdrew $1,700 of the fraudulent loan proceeds in Charleston the same day and spent more than $460 using the fraudulent funds. The CARES Act, enacted in March 2020, offered emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering from the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. This assistance included forgivable loans to small businesses for job retention and certain other expenses through the Paycheck Protection Program. Pratt admitted that he did not spend the fraudulent loan proceeds on any permissible business expenses. Pratt further admitted that the SBA forgave his PPP loan on August 9, 2021. Pratt is scheduled to be sentenced on July 6, 2023, and faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. Pratt also owes $20,832 in restitution. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the West Virginia State Police – Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI), and the West Virginia State Auditor’s Office (WVSAO) Public Integrity and Fraud Unit (PIFU). United States District Judge Joseph R. Goodwin presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan T. Storage is prosecuting the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-38. ###


title: Former Potosi Police Officer Accused of Child Sex Trafficking

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A former Potosi, Missouri police officer appeared in federal court Thursday to face charges of sex trafficking, solicitation of child pornography and coercion and enticement of a minor. Matthew N. Skaggs, 39, was indicted March 29 and arrested Wednesday. The indictment alleges that between January 1 and August 10 of 2022, Skaggs enticed or solicited three minors into engaging in a commercial sex act, solicited a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct and attempted to persuade a minor to engage in sexual acts. A motion seeking to have Skaggs held in jail until trial says he gave vape cartridges to one minor in exchange for pornographic images, paid another via CashApp not to reveal sexual abuse and sexually abused a third minor. Skaggs met the alleged victims through his work as a police officer or committed sex acts while on duty or in uniform, the detention motion says. Anyone who believes they are a victim or has information about other offenses is asked to call the Missouri Highway Patrol at 573-751-3313. The sex trafficking and coercion charges are each punishable by a minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life. The solicitation of child pornography charge carries a minimum five-year term and a maximum of life in prison. All also are punishable by a fine of up to $250,000. Charges set forth in an indictment are merely accusations and do not constitute proof of guilt. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent unless and until proven guilty. The case was investigated by the Missouri State Highway Patrol. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jillian Anderson is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department of Justice Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .