title: 13 Alleged Meth, Cocaine Traffickers Charged In 15-Count Indictment

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: Thirteen alleged drug traffickers operation out of the Texas Panhandle were federally charged in DEA-led Operation Put It In Reverse, announced Acting U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad Meacham. Those charged in a 15-count indictment filed include: • Juan Gabriel Castro, aka “Big Boy,” charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine • Luis Gilberto Garcia, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine • Terry Deon Noble, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, distribution of methamphetamine • David Dewayne Keelin, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine • Charlotte Ann Villanueva, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine • Kody Ryan Patterson, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine • Melissa Lynn Nelson, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine • Joshua James Tarver, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, distribution of methamphetamine, • Danny James Wise, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine • Christopher Steven Conley, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine • Reba Lynn McLaughlin, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine • Mario Socorro Martinez, charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, distribution of methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine • Alfredo Olivares Jimenez, aka “Freddie,” charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine The defendants were arrested last week. Over th course of the investigation, law enforcement seized approximately 70 kilograms of methamphetamine, four kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of fentanyl, $70,000 in assets, and eight firearms. “These arrests demonstrate the continued resolve of DEA Amarillo Resident Office to investigate this organization to the fullest extent possible,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Eduardo A. Chávez. “Local street dealers, transporters, bulk suppliers, and anyone in between should know DEA is committed to holding everyone in this organization, and others like it, accountable for selling deadly drugs to our communities.” An indictment is merely an allegation of criminal conduct, not evidence. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. If convicted, the defendants face as much as twenty years to life in federal prison. The Drug Enforcement Administration’s Dallas Field Division – Amarillo Resident Office conducted the investigation with the Texas Department of Public Safety’s Criminal Investigation and Highway Patrol Divisions, the Amarillo Police Department, the Randall County Sheriff’s Department, the Potter County Sheriff’s Department, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office, Agents of the Texas Attorney General’s Office (OIG), Texas Game Warden Officers, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives’ Dallas Field Division, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the United States Marshal’s Service, and Texas State Probation – Amarillo. Assistant U.S. Attorney Anna Marie Bell is prosecuting the case.


title: Columbus man admits attempted transfer of obscene material to minor in undercover investigation

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: BILLINGS — A Columbus man accused of attempting to send obscene material to a minor during an undercover investigation admitted to a charge today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. The defendant, Jacob Curtis Wyckoff, 25, pleaded guilty to an information charging him with attempted transfer of obscene material to a minor. Wyckoff faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release. U.S. Magistrate Judge Timothy J. Cavan presided. A sentencing date will be set before U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Wyckoff was released pending further proceedings. In court documents, the government alleged that in January 2023, law enforcement in the Billings area set up an undercover operation relating to those with a sexual interest in children. The undercover persona was that of a 14-year-old female. The undercover posed on a social media site and on Jan. 26, 2023, Wyckoff reached out on KIK, using the profile name of “Jake Smith.” The undercover made Wyckoff aware in communications that she was “almost 15.” In communications between the two from January 2023 to July 14, 2023, discussions became increasingly sexual in nature. On multiple occasions, Wyckoff expressed a desire to meet the “child” for a sexual encounter. On July 6, 2023, Wyckoff sent the undercover a picture of his allegedly erect penis in his jeans and made sexually suggestive comments. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI, Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office, Laurel Police Department, and Montana Division of Criminal Investigations conducted the investigation. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC . XXX


title: Former martial arts and gymnastics instructor admits to receiving and possessing child sexual abuse material

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: GALVESTON, Texas – A 41-year-old Alvin man has entered a guilty plea to child pornography charges as trial was set to begin, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei. Franklin Joseph Perkins previously worked at the Kuk Sool Won martial arts studio and Gulf Coast Gymnastics, both located in Alvin. The investigation revealed a user with a Google account had uploaded files possibly depicting child sexual abuse material (CSAM) onto their servers. Law enforcement linked Perkins to that account and determined he had been using various Google accounts and his cell phone to receive and possess child pornography. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey V. Brown accepted the plea and set sentencing for April 15. At that time, Perkins he faces a minimum of five and up to 20 years for receiving CSAM and up to 10 years for possessing it. He could also be ordered to pay up to a $250,000 fine as well as a $5,000 special assessment under the Justice for Trafficking Act, a maximum of a $35,000 special assessment under the Amy, Vicky and Andy Child Pornography Victim Assistance Act and mandatory restitution in an amount of no less than $3,000 per victim. He will remain in custody pending sentencing. Homeland Security Investigations conducted the investigation along with Pearland Police Department, Galveston County Sheriff’s Office and the Houston Metro Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Leo, Carrie Wirsing and Colton Turner are prosecuting the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood - a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc . For more information about internet safety education, please visit www.usdoj.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources."


title: Russian and Uzbek Nationals Charged with Conspiracy to File False Voter Registration Applications

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A Russian national and an Uzbek national, both residing in Florida, were arrested for their alleged participation in a scheme to submit false and fraudulent voter registration applications to the Pinellas County, Florida, Supervisor of Elections. According to court filings, Dmitry Shushlebin, 45, a citizen of Russia living in Miami Beach, and Sanjar Jamilov, 33, a citizen of Uzbekistan living in St. Petersburg, conspired to submit 132 fraudulent voter registration applications to the Pinellas County Supervisor of Elections in February and March 2023. These applications were submitted in names other than their own, in envelopes with return and address labels that were identically formatted, including containing the same typographical error, and bore various indicia of fraud including, among other things, repeating dates of birth and addresses and nearly sequential social security numbers. Change of address forms were also submitted to the U.S. Postal Service to route mail to the names and addresses on the fraudulent applications to three locations that Shushlebin and Jamilov allegedly controlled. Shushlebin and Jamilov are each charged with one count of conspiring to submit fraudulent voter registration applications and give false information in registering to vote. If convicted, each faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida, Acting Inspector in Charge Steven Hodges of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) Miami Division, and Special Agent in Charge Matthew W. Fodor of the FBI Tampa Field Office made the announcement. USPIS, FBI, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement are investigating the case. This case began after a referral from the Florida Department of State, Office of Election Crime and Security. Trial Attorney Leo J. Wise of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. Marcet for the Middle District of Florida are prosecuting the case. A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: New Orleans Man Indicted for Distribution of Fentanyl

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LA – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on January 30, 2025, RICKEY SMITH (“SMITH”) , age 46, was indicted for distribution of forty grams or more of fentanyl, in violation of Title 21, United States Code, Sections 841(a)(1) and 841(b)(1)(B). According to court records, on or about December 17, 2024, SMITH intended to distribute forty grams or more of fentanyl within the Eastern District of Louisiana. If convicted, SMITH faces a minimum term of imprisonment of five years up to a maximum term of forty years, a fine of up to $5,000,000.00, at least four years of supervised release following any term of imprisonment, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee. U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charge and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and the New Orleans Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Lynn E. Schiffman of the Narcotics Unit.


title: Delaware County Man Convicted at Trial of Defrauding Pandemic Relief Programs of $8.4 Million

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Eastern

body_text: PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney Jacqueline C. Romero announced that Francis J. Battista, 39, of Aston, Pennsylvania, was convicted at trial on all charges against him — 12 counts of wire fraud, three counts of aggravated identity theft, and seven counts of money laundering — for defrauding federal COVID-19 assistance programs of $8.4 million. United States District Court Judge Paul S. Diamond remanded the defendant into custody following the verdict on Friday afternoon. Battista was charged by indictment with these offenses in June of 2022. As proven at trial, between March 2020 and June 2021, the defendant fraudulently applied for 19 loans from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) and the Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) program, seeking over $10 million in proceeds. PPP and EIDL were federal government programs intended to provide emergency financial assistance to small businesses and their workers, who were suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Battista applied for one fraudulent PPP loan using his own name, and submitted fake and fabricated documents in support of the application. For the rest of his applications, he used other people’s names and personal identifying information on applications and the bogus support documents submitted in support of those applications. In one instance, Battista falsely renewed the Pennsylvania photo ID card of a deceased family friend, had it mailed to his house, and then used it to apply for a PPP loan. Nine of Battista’s 19 loan applications were funded, with the defendant receiving $8.4 million in PPP payments. Battista used the proceeds of the loans to attempt to purchase waterfront property in Florida, buy a Range Rover, engage in risky stock trading that resulted in millions of dollars of losses, and pay for his children’s private school, among other unauthorized expenses. The government has located and seized $6.3 million of those funds through forfeiture proceedings. Battista will be sentenced on a date to be determined and faces a maximum possible sentence of 316 years in prison. “Frank Battista tried to cash in on a public health crisis, diverting federal money meant to support businesses and workers hobbled by the pandemic,” said U.S. Attorney Romero. “He didn’t care that he was defrauding the government and all of us taxpayers — he just wanted to live larger on somebody else’s dime. As his case shows, my office and our partners are committing to prosecuting these shameless COVID crooks and holding them fully accountable.” "Mr. Battista took advantage of our nation's generosity in a time of need by fraudulently applying for and obtaining COVID-19 program funds," said Yury Kruty, Special Agent in Charge of IRS-Criminal Investigation. "IRS-CI, along with our law enforcement partners, will continue to aggressively investigate those who scheme to exploit federal relief programs for their personal gain." "The Secret Service is proud to work alongside our federal partners to bring these defendants to justice," said Glenn M. Dennis, Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Secret Service. "Criminals exploiting the Paycheck Protection Program and Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program steal valuable funds from the American taxpayer and from businesses who rightfully needed these programs to continue operation during the pandemic. The Secret Service is committed to continuing our work with federal, state, and local law enforcement to track down and prosecute those who abused the PPP and EDIL Programs." The case was investigated by the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, U.S. Small Business Administration Office of Inspector General, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Secret Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Nancy E. Potts and Eric D. Gill.


title: Paving Contractor Sentenced for Tax Evasion

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – The owner of a paving company doing business north of Boston was sentenced on Jan. 30, 2025 for a multi-year income tax evasion scheme. Richard Cooper, 71, of Billerica, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Denise J. Casper to six months in prison to be followed by two years of supervised release. Cooper was also ordered to pay $989,819 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service. In October 2024, Cooper pleaded guilty to four counts of tax evasion. From 2017 to 2020, in addition to depositing customer payments into bank accounts in the name of his company, Rick Cooper Paving, Cooper also cashed more than $5.1 million in customer checks. When Cooper had his taxes prepared, he did not tell his preparer about the checks he was cashing, resulting in his tax returns underreporting the business’ gross receipts by millions. As a result, Cooper kept over $1.1 million that he should have paid in federal and state income taxes. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley and Thomas Demeo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil, Deputy Chief of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Boston Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a Loaded Semi-Automatic Pistol

body_text: BOSTON – A Boston man pleaded guilty today to being a felon in possession of a loaded 9mm semi-automatic pistol. Tyrone Goforth, 44, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. U.S. District Court Judge Leo T. Sorokin scheduled sentencing for April 8, 2025. Goforth was indicted by a federal grand jury in October 2020. On July 31, 2020, officers responded to a call for a person with a gun at a bookstore in Roxbury, Mass. Goforth was inside the bookstore and fit the description of a man wearing a black shirt and olive pants. Goforth was found to be in possession of a Sig Sauer P938 9mm semi-automatic pistol loaded with five rounds of 9mm ammunition. Due to a 2000 conviction in Suffolk Superior Court, Goforth is prohibited from possessing firearms. The charging statute provides for a sentence of up to 10 years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Dawley of the Organized Crime and Gang Unit is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce gun violence and other violent crime, 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Honduran National Sentenced to Time Served for Illegal Re-Entry

component: USAO - Louisiana, Eastern

body_text: NEW ORLEANS – JUAN JOSE ARRIAGA-MORENO , a/k/a “Jaime Garcia Matamoros” , (“ ARRIAGA-MORENO”) , age 59, was sentenced on January 30, 2025, for illegal reentry of a removed alien, in violation of Title 8, United States Code, Section 1326(a), announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. ARRIAGA-MORENO was sentenced to time served, 6 months imprisonment, and will be removed from the country by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement. He has been in custody since August 29, 2024. According to court documents, on November 9, 2018, ARRIAGA-MORENO was removed from the country after being encountered by immigration and Customs Enforcement and determined to have no legal right to be in the United States. On August 29, 2024, ARRIAGA-MORENO was again encountered by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in Terrytown, La. without legal authorization. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement in investigating this matter. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carter K.D. Guice, Jr. of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Malden Woman Sentenced to Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining Over $100,000 in COVID-Relief Funds

body_text: BOSTON – A Malden woman was sentenced today for fraudulently obtaining over $100,000 from the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) program made available under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act. Teshawnda Knight, 41, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs to 18 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Knight was also ordered to pay $105,250 in restitution and forfeiture. In July 2024, Knight pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud. Knight was arrested in February 2024 along with over 40 Heath Street Gang member/associates, who were charged with racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking, firearms charges and financial frauds, including COVID-related fraud. Starting in April 2020 and continuing through August 2021, Knight submitted three PUA applications and related weekly certifications that contained false information and fraudulent documents – two in Massachusetts and one in Indiana – and received a total of $105,250 in fraudulently obtained PUA benefits. United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox; and Jonathan Mellone, Special Agent in Charge of Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sarah Hoefle of the Criminal Division prosecuted the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . 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 via the NCDF Web Complaint Form .


title: Ohio Man Sentenced for Methamphetamine Trafficking

component: USAO - West Virginia, Northern

body_text: WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA – Stephan G. Ward, 32, of Akron, Ohio, was sentenced today to 100 months in federal prison for the distribution of methamphetamine. According to court documents, Ward, also known as “YG,” was delivering methamphetamine to others for distribution in Marshall County. Ward has prior drug and firearms convictions. Ward will serve three years of supervised release following his prison sentence. Assistant U.S. Attorney Clayton Reid prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The Marshall County Drug Task Force, a HIDTA-funded initiative, investigated. U.S. District Judge John Preston Bailey presided.


title: California Group Indicted for Interstate Transportation of Stolen Property Conspiracy

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

body_text: NEW ORLEANS , LOUISIANA – DEATHONY BLOCKER , age 38, JAMES BLOCKER , age 37, JOVAN COLLINS , age 34 (“COLLINS”) , LORENZO TAYLOR , age 39 (“TAYLOR”) , NEMIRAH DAVIDSON , age 38 (“DAVIDSON”) , and PATRICK GARLAND , age 39 (“GARLAND”) , residents of California, were charged on January 30, 2025 in a two-count indictment for conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen goods, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 371, and interstate transportation of stolen goods, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 2314, announced U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans. According to the indictment, DEANTHONY BLOCKER , JAMES BLOCKER , COLLINS , TAYLOR , DAVIDSON , and GARLAND conspired to transport thousands of cartons of cigarettes interstate, that were stolen from warehousing facilities in Georgia, North Carolina, and Louisiana. The group cut through fences surrounding the facilities, using bolt cutters and crowbars to access the cigarette cartons. If convicted of Count 1, the defendants face up to 5 years imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, up to 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. As to Count 2, the defendants face up to 10 years of imprisonment, up to 3 years of supervised release, up to a $250,000 fine, and a mandatory $100 special assessment fee. U.S. Attorney Evans reiterated that the indictment is merely a charging document and that the guilt of the defendant must be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. U.S. Attorney Evans praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Jefferson Parish Sherriff’s Office, the Knightdale Police Department, the Atlanta Police Department, the Rockmart Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and the Fort Stockton Police Department in investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Paul J. Hubbell of the General Crimes Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Tampa Man Agrees To Pay U.S. Government $2 Million For His Role In Medical Kickback Scheme

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, FL - United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Mihir Taneja has agreed to pay the United States $2 million to resolve allegations that he violated the False Claims Act by causing the submission of claims for compounded medicated pain and scar creams related to prescriptions tainted by a kickback arrangement. The conduct covered by the settlement agreement relates to allegations that Taneja conspired with Larry Smith, the owner of Z Stat Medical, LLC d/b/a Oldsmar Pharmacy, to enter into a kickback arrangement with a marketing company, Centurion Compounding, Inc., which led to millions of dollars in TRICARE reimbursement for compound prescriptions. Specifically, the settlement resolves allegations that Taneja and Smith negotiated an arrangement with Centurion that paid Centurion a percentage of profits from TRICARE claims it referred to Oldsmar Pharmacy. As a result, from November 2014 to February 2015, Oldsmar Pharmacy submitted thousands of claims for reimbursement to TRICARE for compounded drugs that were tainted by kickbacks and, therefore, were false. The actions of Taneja and his co-conspirator played out against a larger trend of fraud against TRICARE involving compounded prescriptions. TRICARE’s costs for compounded drugs skyrocketed during this period, rising from $5 million in 2004 to $514 million in 2014, before reaching a high-water mark of $1.75 billion in fiscal year 2015. To date, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida has diligently pursued fraud associated with compounding pharmacy claims, resulting in over $60 million in recoveries. “Kickback arrangements threaten the quality-of-care patients receive and undermine the integrity of our healthcare system,” said U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg. “My office will aggressively investigate and hold accountable those who seek to profit from such illegal arrangements.” “The Defense Criminal Investigative Service is committed to safeguarding the integrity of the TRICARE program, the healthcare system for military members and their families,” said Special Agent-in-Charge Jason J. Sargenski, Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS), Southeast Field Office. “I applaud the hard work of our agents and the United States Attorney’s Offices that led to today’s settlement.” The lawsuit was filed under the False Claims Act, which makes a person liable to the United States if he presents, or causes another to present, false or fraudulent claims for payments. The Anti-Kickback Statute prohibits anyone from offering or paying remuneration in order to induce or reward referrals for services paid for under federal healthcare systems. The case is captioned United States v. Mihir Taneja , Case No. 8:21-cv-102. The claims asserted by the government are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. The United States previously filed suit against Smith and Oldsmar Pharmacy arising out of the same conduct. That case was captioned U.S. ex rel. Silva, et al. v. Z Stat Medical, LLC, et al. , No. 8:15-cv-00444-T-33TGW (M.D. Fla.). Smith previously agreed separately to pay $600,000, based on his ability to pay, for this as well as other conduct. In addition, Oldsmar Pharmacy returned over $19 million to TRICARE after law enforcement discovered the scheme. The case is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Michael R. Kenneth and Charles T. Harden of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, with assistance of the Department of Defense - Office of Inspector General.


title: Former SCDC Captain Pleads Guilty to $279,000 Bribery Conspiracy

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. —Christine Mary Livingston, 47, of Gaston, has pleaded guilty to honest services wire fraud conspiracy for her role in a bribery scheme in a South Carolina prison. According to evidence presented in court, the investigation revealed that Livingston was a 16-year veteran of the South Carolina Department of Corrections (SCDC) at the time of her resignation in November 2021. By virtue of her position as Captain at the Broad River Correctional Institute (BRCI) from 2016 through 2021, she managed security operations at BRCI and was responsible for enforcing contraband policy and law. SCDC policy and state law prohibited her from accepting bribes or anything of value to influence the exercise of her official responsibilities. From July 2018 through November 2021, however, Livingston accepted bribes from a least 45 prisoners and three family members of prisoners in exchange for smuggling contraband into BRCI and in exchange for failing to enforce contraband law and policy. She operated at least 14 peer-to-peer payment accounts on platforms such as Cash App that were established in false names but were linked to her legitimate bank accounts. One of her Cash App accounts received at least $279,000 in bribes, of which more than $225,000 was transferred to her personal bank accounts. She then used the proceeds for personal enrichment including on shopping, ATM cash withdraws, and the purchase of cryptocurrency. At least 173 cell phones were purchased by Livingston on her personal Amazon account during the conspiracy, along with 130 SIM cards and phone accessories, headphones, screen protectors, and phone chargers. At least eight witnesses would have cooperated against Livingston at trial, including family members of prisoners, and records obtained from Facebook and contraband phones recovered by SCDC confirmed the bribery scheme. “Livingston used her position and rank for personal, criminal gain which endangered other staff members and those housed at Broad River Correctional Institute,” said U.S. Attorney Adair Ford Boroughs for the District of South Carolina. “We will continue to work with SCDC to prosecute those who commit crimes within prison walls.” “This is one more example of how illegal cellphones ruin lives, including those of correctional officers who get involved in the contraband trade,” SCDC Director Bryan Stirling said. “We appreciate the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s office investigating and prosecuting this case and holding these criminals accountable for their actions.” Jerell Reaves, a co-defendant and prisoner responsible for more than $42,000 in bribes to Livingston, was recently sentenced to 60 months imprisonment by United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon, to be followed by three years of supervision by U.S. Probation. Livingston faces up to 20 years in federal prison, with the Government agreeing to recommend up to eight years as a part of her plea agreement, to be followed by court ordered supervision, $250,000 in monetary penalties, and forfeiture of assets including up to the full value of the bribes. Livingston is scheduled to be sentenced by United States District Judge Sherri A. Lydon on June 30 at 10:00 a.m. The case was investigated by the FBI Columbia Field Office and the SCDC Office of Inspector General. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Elliott B. Daniels and Michael Shedd are prosecuting the case. ###


title: Fresno Man with Prior Fraud Conviction Pleads Guilty to Running a $4.2 Million Fraud Scheme Through His Technology Startup

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: FRESNO, Calif. — Royce Newcomb, 62, of Fresno, pleaded guilty today to wire fraud and money laundering charges today for a long-running fraud scheme where he stole $4.2 million from investors, lenders, and the federal government, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. According to court documents, from 2017 through 2022, Newcomb owned Strategic Innovations, which was a technology startup company that purported to make smart home and business products meant to stop package theft, prevent weather damage to packages, and make it easier for emergency responders and delivery services to find homes and businesses. Newcomb developed prototypes of his products and received local and national media attention for them. For example, Time Magazine included his eLiT Address Box & Security System, which used mobile networks to pinpoint home and business locations, on its Best Inventions of 2021 list. Newcomb made several false representations to his investors to deceive and cheat them out of their money. The false representations included that he had been awarded a grant by the National Science Foundation and that he would use the investors’ money to further develop and bring his products to market. That was not true. Instead, Newcomb used the money to pay for gambling, a Mercedes and Jaguar, and a mansion. He also used the money to pay for refunds to other investors who wanted out, and to pay for new, unrelated projects without the investors’ authorization. During this period, Newcomb also received a fraudulent COVID-19 loan for more than $70,000 from the Small Business Administration and fraudulent loans for more than $190,000 from private lenders. He lied about Strategic Innovations having hundreds of thousands and even millions in revenue to get these loans. Newcomb was previously convicted federally in 2011 for running a real estate fraud scheme in Sacramento. He was sentenced to more than five years in prison for that offense, and he was on federal supervised release for that offense when he committed the offenses charged in this case. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Barton and Jeffrey Spivak are prosecuting the case. Newcomb is scheduled to be sentenced on May 5, 2025. Newcomb faces maximum statutory penalties of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the wire fraud charge, and 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the money laundering charge. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. This effort is part of a California COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Strike Force operation, one of five interagency COVID-19 fraud strike force teams established by the U.S. Department of Justice. The California Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources in the Eastern and Central Districts of California and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors. The strike forces use prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds.


title: Marion County Tax Preparer Sentenced for Filing False Tax Returns

body_text: CLARKSBURG, WEST VIRGINIA – Jack Lee Oliver, age 56, of Rivesville, West Virginia, was sentenced today to 36 months in federal prison for defrauding the Internal Revenue Service of $708,538. Oliver was found guilty by a jury in October 2024 of 26 counts involving the preparation and filing of false tax returns. Oliver is the owner of an insurance sales and tax return preparation business, Insurance Depot, in Fairmont, West Virginia.Oliver prepared tax returns for clients claiming business losses for non-existent businesses and prepared returns for clients who did have businesses, but falsely inflated expenses to cause a business loss, without the knowledge of the clients. In both instances, his actions caused the clients to receive tax refunds to which they were not entitled. Oliver, claimed the foster son of one of his clients on his tax returns, resulting in thousands of dollars in refundable credits to which he was not entitled. Oliver will serve one year of supervised release following his prison sentence. He was also ordered to cooperate with the IRS to pay back taxes. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jarod Douglas and Eleanor Hurney prosecuted the case on behalf of the government. The case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). Chief U.S. District Judge Thomas S. Kleeh presided.


title: High School Coach Arrested for Alleged Attempt to Entice a Minor Online

component: USAO - Texas, Western

body_text: DEL RIO, Texas – A high school teacher and coach in Sabinal was arrested Friday on criminal charges related to his alleged attempt to entice a minor. According to court documents, Kenneth Wayne Mulkey, 43, allegedly asked an undercover detective for their age, sex and location in a Snapchat interaction on Oct. 11, 2024. After the undercover officer replied by identifying as a 14-year-old boy, Mulkey allegedly identified himself as a 40-year-old football and track coach. He also sent a photo of himself before requesting sexually explicit photos of the minor—which the minor declined—and subsequently discussing topics that were sexual in nature. The affidavit alleges that the following day, Mulkey sent a sexually graphic photo of himself to the user he believed to be a teenage boy. An investigation revealed that when Mulkey had requested the sexually explicit photo of the minor on Oct. 11, his geolocation was within 40 meters of Sabinal High School. HSI arrested Mulkey Jan. 31, 2025. He made is initial appearance in federal court Feb. 3 and is charged with attempted enticement of a minor. If convicted, he faces 10 years to life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza for the Western District of Texas made the announcement. Homeland Security Investigations is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nallely Duarte and Ekua Assabill are 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 CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . A criminal complaint is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office Collects $9.7 Million in Civil, Criminal Actions in Fiscal Year 2024

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore announced today that the Western District of Missouri collected more than $9.7 million in criminal and civil actions in Fiscal Year 2024. Of this amount, $8,750,662 was collected in criminal actions and $962,920 was collected in civil actions. Additionally, the Western District of Missouri worked with other U.S. Attorney’s Offices and components of the Department of Justice to collect an additional $7,639,046 in cases pursued jointly by these offices. Of this amount, $41,074 was collected in criminal actions and $7,597,971 was collected in civil actions. “The attorneys and support staff in our Monetary Penalties Unit are committed to ensuring that crime doesn’t pay,” Moore said. “Nearly twice as many dollars were collected in 2024 from criminal actions than in the prior year, representing the profits criminals were forced to hand over when they were convicted of their crimes. “Victims of crime deserve their court-ordered restitution, and the public deserves those who owe a debt to the government to be held accountable for paying what they owe. These figures reflect our ongoing commitment and successful accomplishment of those goals.” The U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, along with the department’s litigating divisions, are responsible for enforcing and collecting civil and criminal debts owed to the U.S. and criminal debts owed to federal crime victims. The law requires defendants to pay restitution to victims of certain federal crimes who have suffered a physical injury or financial loss. While restitution is paid to the victim, criminal fines and felony assessments are paid to the department’s Crime Victims Fund, which distributes the funds collected to federal and state victim compensation and victim assistance programs. Additionally, the U.S. Attorney’s office in the Western District of Missouri, working with partner agencies and divisions, collected $6,914,466 in asset forfeiture actions in FY 2024. Forfeited assets deposited into the Department of Justice Assets Forfeiture Fund are used to restore funds to crime victims and for a variety of law enforcement purposes.


title: Man Pleads Guilty in Connection with $17M Medicare Hospice Fraud and Home Health Care Fraud Schemes

body_text: A California man pleaded guilty today to health care fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering in connection with a years-long scheme to defraud Medicare of more than $17 million through sham hospice companies and his home health care company. According to court documents, Petros Fichidzhyan, 43, of Granada Hills, engaged in a scheme with others to operate a series of sham hospice companies. Fichidzhyan, along with co-schemers, impersonated the identities of foreign nationals to use as the purported owners of the hospices — including using the identities to open bank accounts and sign property leases — and submitted false and fraudulent claims to Medicare for hospice services that were not medically necessary and not provided. In submitting the false claims, Fichidzhyan and his co-schemers also misappropriated the identifying information of doctors, claiming to Medicare that the doctors had determined hospice services were necessary, when in fact the purported recipients of these hospice services were not terminally ill and had never requested nor received care from the sham hospices. As a result of the scheme, Medicare paid the sham hospices nearly $16 million. Fichidzhyan personally received nearly $7 million of the proceeds from the fraud scheme, including more than $5.3 million in transfers to his personal and business bank accounts, which were laundered through a dozen shell and third-party bank accounts. Fichidzhyan additionally admitted to wrongfully obtaining more than $1 million for his home health care agency through the fraudulent use of a doctor’s name and identifying information in certifying Medicare beneficiaries for home health care, which he attempted to cover up by paying the doctor $11,000. Fichidzhyan pleaded guilty to health care fraud, aggravated identity theft, and money laundering. He is scheduled to be sentenced on April 14 and faces a mandatory penalty of two years in prison on the aggravated identity theft charge, a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison on the health care fraud charge, and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the money laundering charge. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Today’s guilty plea is the most recent conviction in the Justice Department’s ongoing effort to combat hospice fraud in the greater Los Angeles area. Last year, a doctor was convicted at trial for his role in a scheme to bill Medicare for hospice services patients did not need, and two other defendants were sentenced for their roles in a hospice fraud scheme. Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office, and Acting Special Agent in Charge Diane N. Vu of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG) Los Angeles Regional Office made the announcement. The FBI and HHS-OIG are investigating the case. Trial Attorneys Eric C. Schmale and Sarah E. Edwards of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,800 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $30 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


title: Detroit Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Drug Crime

component: USAO - West Virginia, Southern

body_text: HUNTINGTON, W.Va. – Allen Lation Baird, 48, of Detroit, Michigan, pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and methamphetamine. According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 3, 2023, law enforcement officers arrested Baid on an arrest warrant issued in Michigan. Officers searched Baird while taking him into custody and found approximately 56 grams of a substance containing fentanyl and 14 grams of methamphetamine. Baird told officers he was taking the controlled substances to someone else. Baird is scheduled to be sentenced on June 5, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, at least three years of supervised release, and a $250,000 fine. United States Attorney Will Thompson made the announcement and commended the investigative work of the Huntington Police Department and the Huntington Violent Crime and Drug Task Force. United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers presided over the hearing. Assistant United States Attorney Courtney L. Finney is prosecuting the case. This case was prosecuted as part of Operation Synthetic Opioid Surge (SOS), an enforcement surge that has sought to reduce the supply of deadly synthetic opioids in high impact areas. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia. Related court documents and information can be found on PACER by searching for Case No. 3:24-cr-183. ###


title: Illegal Alien Indicted on Voter Fraud and Gun Charges

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Carlos Jose Abreu, 45, an illegal alien living in Broward County, Florida, appeared in federal court today to face charges of impersonating a United States citizen when registering to vote and when voting in a federal election. Abreu is also charged with unlawfully possessing a firearm. Abreu was previously indicted for passport application fraud and aggravated identity theft (case no: 24-cr-60155). On January 8, 2025, Abreu pled guilty to the passport fraud allegations. According to allegations in the charging documents and statements made during court proceedings: Abreu is a national of the Dominican Republic who entered the United States illegally about 20 years ago and has lived in the country unlawfully since then. In 2007, the state of New Jersey issued an arrest warrant for Abreu on charges of kidnapping, sexual assault, endangering a child, and criminal restraint. Abreu moved to Florida, assumed the identity of a real person (a United States citizen) and used it to obtain a Florida driver license and apply for a passport. Abreu has been living in the United States under the assumed identity of the American citizen victim for about 18 years. According to the recently returned indictment (case no. 25-cr-60015), Abreu also used the assumed identity of the American citizen victim to register to vote in September 2020, and to vote in the November 2022 federal midterm elections. It is also alleged that Abreu illegally possessed a firearm. It is a federal crime for an illegal alien to possess a firearm in the United States. If convicted on the voter fraud and gun charges, Abreu faces up to 15 years in federal prison. He also is subject to deportation. U.S. Attorney Hayden O’Byrne for the Southern District of Florida and Acting Special Agent in Charge Michael Conklin of the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) Miami Field Office made the announcement. The DSS Miami Field Office investigated the case. Assistant United States Attorney Brianna Coakley is prosecuting it. An indictment is merely an accusation, and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov . ###


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Secures Guilty Plea from Dulce Man in Domestic Violence Case

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE - A Dulce man pleaded guilty to two counts of assault of an intimate partner by strangling and suffocating. According to court documents, Chalmers Dedios , 32, an enrolled member of the Jicarilla Apache Nation Indian Tribe, admitted to assaulting Jane Doe twice in February 2024, including strangling her to unconsciousness. At sentencing, Dedios faces up to 10 years in prison, followed by three years supervised release. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today. The Jicarilla Apache Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jesse Pecoraro is prosecuting the case. ###


title: New Orleans Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Firearm Charges

body_text: NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – U.S. Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that on January 28, 2025, CURTIS SQUIRE (“SQUIRE”) , age 27, pled guilty to being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of 18 U.S.C. §§ 922(g)(1) and 924(a)(8). SQUIRE faces up to fifteen years of imprisonment, up to a $250,000 fine, at least 3 years of supervised release, and a mandatory special assessment fee of $100. On February 25, 2024, members of the New Orleans Police Department (NOPD) were executed an arrest warrant for SQUIRE . On February 25,2024, officers located and surrounded SQUIRE ’s New Orleans residence. After SQUIRE exited the residence, NOPD officers searched the house and recovered a Glock Model 23C, .40 caliber pistol, containing a large capacity magazine, and 20 live .40 caliber rounds. Prior to his possession of this firearm, SQUIRE had been convicted of crimes punishable by a term of imprisonment in excess of one year. 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 Federal Bureau of Investigation and the New Orleans Police Department. Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Dawkins of the Violent Crime Unit is in charge of the prosecution.


title: Norwood, Colorado Man Convicted Of Threatening Law Enforcement

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DURANGO – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announces that Bryan Cornwell, 41, formerly of Norwood, Colorado, was convicted by a federal jury on two counts of transmitting threats in interstate commerce. The jury found Cornwell not guilty of a third count of the same charge. According to the facts established at trial, from late August through later October 2023, Cornwell knowingly sent over 80 emails containing graphic and threatening messages to a law enforcement official. The messages included threats to kill and seriously injure the official, such as repeated statements that “I AM GOING TO KILL YOU.” At the time that Cornwell sent the threatening messages, he was pending sentencing on a prior case where he admitted to threatening to blow up the San Miguel County Sheriff’s Office. Cornwell will be sentenced on April 2, 2025, in Durango, Colorado. United States District Court Judge Gordon P. Gallagher presided over the trial. The Federal Bureau of Investigation handled the investigation. Assistant United States Attorney Jeffrey Graves handled the prosecution. Case Number: 24-cr-00047-GPG-JMC


title: Folsom Man Pleads Guilty to Visa Fraud

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Marcus Taslim, 70, of Folsom, pleaded guilty today to visa fraud, Acting U.S. Attorney Michele Beckwith announced. According to court documents, Taslim brought Person 1 to the United States from Indonesia in December 2018 to provide caregiving services for his mother, but he obtained a nonimmigrant visa for Person 1 through lies and false statements. Taslim secured this visa by falsely representing to a consular officer that Person 1’s length of stay in the United States would only be one month, that she would be paid minimum and overtime wages under the laws of the State of California, that she would be paid bi-weekly and in full, and that he had paid Person 1’s one-month salary in advance. Taslim knew these statements to the consular officer were not true. For example, although Taslim paid Person 1 what looked like one month of salary in advance, as soon as the consular officer received proof of that payment, Taslim ordered Person 1 to withdraw that money and give it back to Taslim, which she did. Then, once in the United States, Person 1 worked for Taslim for about six months. She typically worked seven days a week, beginning work as early as 5 or 6 a.m. and ending at about 8 or 9 p.m. Taslim paid Person 1 far less than minimum wage, did not pay her bi-weekly and in full, and also confiscated her passport so she could not run away. Person 1 was only able to leave in June 2019, following intercession from the Folsom Police Department. This case is the product of an investigation by the U.S. Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service’s San Francisco Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Elliot C. Wong is prosecuting the case. Taslim is scheduled to be sentenced on May 12, 2025, by U.S. District Judge William B. Shubb. Taslim faces a maximum term of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables.


title: Henryetta Resident Pleads Guilty To Burglary And Assault

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Cody Lynn Lusk, age 34, of Henryetta, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Burglary in the First Degree in Indian Country, and one count of Assault of a Spouse, Intimate Partner, or Dating Partner by Strangling, Suffocating, and Attempting to Strangle and Suffocate in Indian Country. The Indictment alleged that on March 22, 2024, Lusk broke into the dwelling house of an individual and entered, intending to commit a crime within. The Indictment further alleged that Lusk then strangled and suffocated a dating partner. The crimes occurred in Muskogee County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The charges arose from an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Cherokee Nation Marshal Service, and the Muskogee Police Department. The Honorable D. Edward Snow, U.S. Magistrate Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, accepted the plea and ordered the completion of a presentence investigation report. Lusk will remain in the custody of the United States Marshals Service pending sentencing. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Caila M. Cleary and Morgan Muzljakovich represented the United States.


title: Willimantic Man Who Stole 38 Guns from Newington Store Pleads Guilty

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that KWITZPATRICK DUFFANY, 37, formerly of Willimantic, pleaded guilty today in New Haven federal court to firearm and drug offenses stemming from his theft of 38 firearms from a Newington gun store in 2023. According to court documents and statements made in court, on May 27, 2023, during non-business hours, Duffany entered Hoffman’s Gun Store in Newington by climbing onto the balcony over the main entrance, cutting into the siding with a knife, and dropping down from the ceiling. Surveillance footage showed Duffany walking through the store and filling duffel bags with 38 guns. He then exited the store through the same hole. After stealing the guns, Duffany and two other individuals traveled to Hartford where Duffany traded several of the stolen guns for cash and drugs. In the following days, Duffany sold most of the remaining guns in exchange for cash and narcotics, or he provided guns to other individuals to sell. Duffany was arrested by the Connecticut State Police in Ashford in the early morning of June 1, 2023. Surveillance footage from a nearby gas station showed Duffany hiding a satchel in a soda display case shortly before his arrest. Investigators recovered the satchel and found a loaded Smith and Wesson 9mm handgun and drugs inside the bag. The gun had been stolen from Hoffman’s Gun Store. Duffany pleaded guilty to one count of theft of firearms from a licensee, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years, and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. Sentencing is scheduled for April 28. Duffany has been detained since his arrest. This matter is being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and the Newington Police Department, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police and the Willimantic Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert S. Dearington. Acting U.S. Attorney Silverman thanked the State’s Attorney for the Judicial District of New Britain for its cooperation in investigating and prosecuting this matter.


title: Member of Drug Trafficking Organization that Distributed Controlled Substances Shaped to Resemble Candy Pleads Guilty

body_text: BOSTON – A Lynn man pleaded guilty today in federal court in Boston for his role in a large-scale drug trafficking organization (DTO) on the North Shore of Massachusetts. In November 2023, millions of doses of fentanyl and methamphetamine laced pills and powder with street value estimated to be over $7 million, were seized from a stash location and clandestine laboratory used by organization. Deiby Felix, 41, of Lynn, pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to manufacture and distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and other controlled substances; and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. U.S. District Court Judge Patti B. Saris scheduled sentencing for May 29, 2025. Felix was arrested and charged along with Emilio Garcia and Sebastien Bejin in November 2023 . In July 2023, an investigation into an overdose death in Salem led investigators to a DTO led by Felix, Bejin and, allegedly, Garcia. On Nov. 1, 2023, searches were conducted at four locations in Lynn that were identified as locations frequented by Bejin and, allegedly, Garcia. The searches resulted in what is believed to be, one of the largest single-location seizures of fentanyl and methamphetamine in Massachusetts and the region. The seizure included nine kilograms (20 pounds) of pink heart shaped fentanyl-laced pills pressed to look like candy. Additional narcotics and five firearms were also seized. During the course of the investigation over 75 kilograms (198 pounds) of fentanyl and methamphetamine was seized, along with multiple additional kilograms of cocaine and dozens of kilograms of cutting agents, including xylazine, that is used to adulterate controlled substances. In total, an estimated eight million individual doses of fentanyl and methamphetamine laced pills and powder was seized. The street value is believed to be upwards of $8 million. A search of Felix’s residence resulted in the seizure of more than three kilograms (6.6 pounds) of pressed pills containing methamphetamine and fentanyl and a firearm. A subsequent search of the residence also revealed a clandestine drug laboratory that had been built into a small room in the basement. Multiple industrial pill presses, mixing equipment and other manufacturing paraphernalia and equipment were also recovered. Bejin pleaded guilty on Jan. 15, 2025 and is scheduled to be sentenced on May 1, 2025. Garcia is scheduled to plead guilty on Feb. 7, 2025. The charge of possession with intent to manufacture and distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and other controlled substances provides for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to life of supervised release, a fine of up to $10,000,000 and forfeiture. The charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime provides for a sentence of at least five years and up to life in prison, to be served consecutively to the underlying drug trafficking crime, up to five years of supervised release, a fine of up to $250,000, and forfeiture. 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 Leah B. Foley; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston; Colonel Geoffrey D. Noble, Superintendent of the Massachusetts State Police; and Essex County District Attorney Paul F. Tucker made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office and the Lynn, Lynnfield and Salem Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney Philip A. Mallard of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Former Contractor Convicted Of Sexual Assault Of Co-Worker At Palo Alto VA Hospital

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN JOSE – A federal jury convicted a Palo Alto man for aggravated sexual abuse, sexual abuse by fear, and making false statements to a federal agent during an investigation. The jury reached its verdict late in the evening on Jan. 31, 2025, following a three-week trial before Senior U.S. District Judge Edward J. Davila. Onofre Salas-Lozano, 42, worked as a night supervisor for the janitorial services contractor that cleaned the Palo Alto Veterans Affairs (VA) Hospital. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Salas-Lozano isolated and trapped the victim in a patient exam room at the hospital late at night on July 2, 2021, and forced her to engage in sexual activity. The victim suffered traumatic tissue injury during the assault, and DNA analysis confirmed the presence of Salas-Lozano’s sperm in the victim’s underwear. At the time of the incident, Salas-Lozano was the victim’s direct supervisor. The jury also found that Salas-Lozano lied to a VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) special agent during a subsequent investigative interview when he denied having sexual intercourse with the victim on July 2, 2021, or at any other time. At trial, the defendant testified and claimed to have had consensual sex with the victim at some other time and denied making a false statement. “Salas-Lozano used his position as a supervisor to sexually assault a fellow employee. Federal law enforcement will do all it can to secure justice for any victim of sexual assault,” said United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey. “This jury verdict ensures that the Salas-Lozano will now face severe consequences for his despicable acts.” “The verdict sends a clear message that the VA OIG remains dedicated to holding those who commit an act of violence at a VA facility accountable,” said Special Agent in Charge Dimitriana Nikolov with the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General’s Northwest Field Office. “The VA OIG is grateful for the commitment of the U.S. Attorney’s Office to seek justice for the victim.” Salas-Lozano is scheduled to appear in court today to set a date for sentencing. He faces a maximum penalty of life in prison on each count of aggravated sexual abuse and sexual abuse by fear, and a maximum penalty of eight years in prison on the count of materially false statement in a federal investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Marissa Harris and Christoffer Lee are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Sara Slattery, Susan Kreider, Sahib Kaur, Mimi Lam, and Fernanda Gonzalez. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by VA OIG, with significant assistance from the VA Police Service.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office and FBI Indict Two Individuals in Human Trafficking Case Involving Minor Victims Following APD Investigation

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Two individuals are facing federal human trafficking charges for allegedly forcing two minor girls, ages 14 and 15, into prostitution. The indictment alleges that from December 29, 2024, to January 3, 2025, Roderick Bill Norseweather , 25, and Tajahnae Johnson , 21, knowingly recruited two minors for commercial sex acts, using force, threats, fraud, and coercion. Norseweather and Johnson are accused of transporting the minors, both under 18 years old, across state lines with the intent that they engage in prostitution. Specifically, they are charged with two counts each of sex trafficking of minors and transportation of minors for illegal sexual activity. Norseweather and Johnson will remain in custody pending trial, which has not been set . If convicted, Norseweather and Johnson each face no less than 15 years and up to life in prison. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The FBI Albuquerque Field Office and Albuquerque Police Department investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy Trembley is prosecuting the case. # # #


title: Virginia Gang Members Sentenced to Decades in Prison for Kidnapping and Murder

body_text: Hezekiah Carney, 26, of Norfolk, Virginia, and Jayquan Jones, 22, of Richmond, Virginia, were each sentenced today to 38 years in prison for federal charges relating to the kidnapping and murder of a fellow Almighty Black P. Stone gang member. A total of four defendants have now been sentenced as part of the case. “The defendants assaulted and kidnapped a 25-year-old mother of two, drove her to a remote location, and murdered her by shooting her eight times,” said Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Cold-blooded, senseless gang violence like this affects entire communities. Today’s sentencings underscore that protecting our communities from violent criminals is a top Department priority. I applaud the tremendous work of all our prosecutors and law enforcement partners, who made securing these significant sentences possible.” “This act of wanton violence exemplifies the senseless brutality we associate with organized gangs and emphasizes the importance of eradicating them from our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia. “The investigation and prosecution that brought these defendants to justice were successful because of the vital partnerships built with our law enforcement partners working together toward our common goal of public safety.” “When gang members resort to kidnapping and murder, they leave behind shattered lives and communities in fear,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “This sentencing should send a message that the FBI and our law enforcement partners are committed to holding dangerous criminals accountable, protecting innocent lives and ensuring our neighborhoods are safe from violence.” “Today’s sentencing marks another significant step towards justice for the victim, her family and the community. While no sentence can ever undo the pain caused by this tragic crime, we hope this outcome brings forth an amount of closure” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division. “The ATF remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners as we protect our community and ensure those that commit violent crimes are held accountable for their actions.” According to court documents, in the early morning hours of May 6, 2023, Carney, along with co-defendants Jamica Langley, 25, of Richmond; Donnisha Goodman, 27, of Portsmouth, Virginia; and Acacia Jackson, 20, of New York, traveled to the victim’s residence in Richmond to beat her for a perceived gang infraction. The group left the apartment after beating the victim. About an hour later, Goodman, Jackson, Carney, and Langley returned to the victim’s apartment with fellow gang member Jones. Some of them were armed and wearing masks. The defendants forced the victim into a Hyundai Sonata and drove her approximately an hour east of Richmond to a remote area in York County, Virginia. After forcing the victim from the vehicle, Jones and Goodman executed her by shooting her at least eight times to the head, abdomen, back, buttocks, and legs. Upon returning to Portsmouth after the murder, Carney, the leader of the gang, directed Goodman, Jackson, and Langley to burn their clothing, stay together, and not to speak with law enforcement. The day after the murder, on May 7, 2023, the Norfolk Police Department located the Sonata with Jackson, Goodman, and Langley in the car. From the car, police recovered a 9mm cartridge that displayed the same markings as casings found at the murder scene. On Aug. 29, 2024, Carney, Goodman, and Jones pleaded guilty to using a firearm causing death, and Langley and Jackson pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit kidnapping. On Jan. 7, Goodman was sentenced to 35 years in prison and Langley was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Jackson is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 13. The FBI, ATF, and state and local law enforcement partners investigated the case. Trial Attorney Alyssa Levey-Weinstein of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa McKeel and Mack Coleman for the Eastern District of Virginia prosecuted the case.


title: Virginia gang members sentenced to decades in prison for kidnapping and murder

body_text: NEWPORT NEWS, Va. – Hezekiah Carney, 26, of Norfolk, and Jayquan Jones, 22, of Richmond, were each sentenced today to 38 years in prison for federal charges relating to the kidnapping and murder of a fellow Almighty Black P. Stone gang member. A total of four defendants have now been sentenced as part of the case. “This act of wanton violence exemplifies the senseless brutality we associate with organized gangs and emphasizes the importance of eradicating them from our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Erik S. Siebert for the Eastern District of Virginia. “The investigation and prosecution that brought these defendants to justice were successful because of the vital partnerships built with our law enforcement partners working together toward our common goal of public safety.” “The defendants assaulted and kidnapped a 25-year-old mother of two, drove her to a remote location, and murdered her by shooting her eight times,” said Supervisory Official Antoinette T. Bacon of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Cold-blooded, senseless gang violence like this affects entire communities. Today’s sentencings underscore that protecting our communities from violent criminals is a top Department priority. I applaud the tremendous work of all our prosecutors and law enforcement partners, who made securing these significant sentences possible.” “When gang members resort to kidnapping and murder, they leave behind shattered lives and communities in fear,” said Assistant Director Chad Yarbrough of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “This sentencing should send a message that the FBI and our law enforcement partners are committed to holding dangerous criminals accountable, protecting innocent lives and ensuring our neighborhoods are safe from violence.” “Today’s sentencing marks another significant step towards justice for the victim, her family and the community. While no sentence can ever undo the pain caused by this tragic crime, we hope this outcome brings forth an amount of closure” said Special Agent in Charge Anthony Spotswood of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division. “The ATF remains committed to working with our law enforcement partners as we protect our community and ensure those that commit violent crimes are held accountable for their actions.” According to court documents, in the early morning hours of May 6, 2023, Carney, along with co-defendants Jamica Langley, 25, of Richmond; Donnisha Goodman, 27, of Portsmouth; and Acacia Jackson, 20, of New York, traveled to the victim’s residence in Richmond to beat her for a perceived gang infraction. The group left the apartment after beating the victim. About an hour later, Goodman, Jackson, Carney, and Langley returned to the victim’s apartment with fellow gang member Jones. Some of them were armed and wearing masks. The defendants forced the victim into a Hyundai Sonata and drove her approximately an hour east of Richmond to a remote area in York County. After forcing the victim from the vehicle, Jones and Goodman executed her by shooting her at least eight times to the head, abdomen, back, buttocks, and legs. Upon returning to Portsmouth after the murder, Carney, the leader of the gang, directed Goodman, Jackson, and Langley to burn their clothing, stay together, and not to speak with law enforcement. The day after the murder, on May 7, 2023, the Norfolk Police Department located the Sonata with Jackson, Goodman, and Langley in the car. From the car, police recovered a 9mm cartridge that displayed the same markings as casings found at the murder scene. On Aug. 29, 2024, Carney, Goodman, and Jones pled guilty to using a firearm causing death, and Langley and Jackson pled guilty to conspiring to commit kidnapping. On Jan. 7, Goodman was sentenced to 35 years in prison and Langley was sentenced to 20 years in prison. Jackson is scheduled to be sentenced on Feb. 13. The FBI, ATF, and state and local law enforcement partners investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lisa McKeel and Mack Coleman for the Eastern District of Virginia and Trial Attorney Alyssa Levey-Weinstein of the Criminal Division’s Violent Crime and Racketeering Section prosecuted the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 4:24-cr-1.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Announces Zuni Woman Sentenced to 18 Year Prison Sentence for Fatal Kidnapping

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Zuni woman was sentenced to 18 years in federal prison for her involvement in a 2019 kidnapping that resulted in the victim's death. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court documents, between July 1 and July 16, 2019, Kendra Panteah , 37, an enrolled member of the Zuni Pueblo, participated in confining John Doe in the trunk of his own vehicle. She then brought the vehicle and victim to her co-defendant, Gilbert John Jr., and proceeded to drive around the Navajo Nation for over 24 hours with the victim locked in the trunk. They then stopped near Bass Lake, NM. When John Doe attempted to escape, John Jr. repeatedly stabbed him with a machete, resulting in the victim's death. After the killing, Panteah and John Jr. abandoned the vehicle with the body inside for several days. John Jr. later towed the vehicle to a remote location, doused it with gasoline, and set it on fire to destroy evidence. The victim was only identified through hip replacement devices found in the burned vehicle. Gilbert John Jr. pleaded guilty to second-degree murder and was sentenced to 21 years in prison in June of 2024. Upon her release from prison, Panteah will be subject to five years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, made the announcement today. The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI’s Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department and Department of Criminal Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Mark A. Probasco and Alexander F. Flores prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Memphis Man Sentenced for Stealing 166 Firearms and for Possession of a “Switch”

component: USAO - Tennessee, Western

body_text: Memphis, TN – Kaderion Stokes, 19 , was recently sentenced to federal prison for theft of firearms and possession of a machinegun. Reagan Fondren, Acting United States Attorney for the Western District of Tennessee, announced the sentence today. According to the information presented in court, on September 9, 2023, approximately 166 firearms were stolen from a Federal Firearms Licensee (FFL) business in Atoka, Tennessee. An Atoka Police officer was patrolling the area when he observed a GMC Sierra pick-up truck in the parking lot of the business. As the officer approached the truck, the truck fled at a high rate of speed. Officers discovered that the truck was stolen and had rammed the front of the business crashing into the interior of the store. Several items were taken from the store, including firearms. Stokes was later developed as a suspect. In October 2023, Stokes was arrested by local law enforcement in Memphis on unrelated charges while in possession of two of the stolen firearms from the FFL business. After a federal grand jury returned an indictment against Stokes, a federal arrest warrant was issued and the United States Marshals Service arrested Stokes at an apartment in Memphis. Stokes was found in possession of a firearm with a machinegun conversion device or a “switch.” Subsequently, the grand jury returned a superseding indictment charging Stokes for possessing the “switch” as well as charges associated with the theft of firearms. On October 31, 2024, Stokes pled guilty in federal court and on January 29, 2025, Senior United States District Court Judge Jon P. McCalla sentenced Stokes to 87 months of federal imprisonment to be followed by three years of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Atoka Police Department. The United States Marshals Service and the Memphis Police Department assisted. Acting U.S. Attorney Reagan Fondren thanked Assistant United States Attorneys Marques Young and Eileen Kuo, along with Special Assistant United States Attorney Raven Icaza, who prosecuted this case on behalf of the government, as well as the law enforcement partners who investigated it. ### For more information, please contact the Media Relations Team at USATNW.Media@usdoj.gov . Follow the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Facebook or on X at @WDTNNews for office news and updates.


title: U.S. Attorney's Office Secures 17-Year Sentence in Child Exploitation Case

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Navajo, New Mexico man was sentenced to 17 years in federal prison today for systematically sexually exploiting a minor through text messages and social media communications. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court documents, between February 1, 2021, and April 1, 2021, Dustin Rockmen , 33, an enrolled member of the Navajo Nation, sent text and Facebook communications to a minor under the age of 18 to persuade her to engage in illegal sexual acts. Rockmen engaged in repeated sexual acts with the victim, threatened her in order to get her to continue engaging in sexual acts with Rockmen , distributed an image of the victim engaged in a sexual act with Rockmen , and sent pornographic material to the victim. Upon his release from prison, Rockmen will be subject to five years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, made the announcement today. The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert James Booth II is prosecuting the case as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys' Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC. # # #


title: Alleged Armed Carjacker Charged After Arrest

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Parren Hawkins, 33, of Washington, D.C., was charged today in Superior Court with armed carjacking in connection with an incident, yesterday, in Northeast D.C. The charge was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin, Jr., and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). According to documents filed in court, at approximately 2:47 a.m. on February 2, 2025, police officers were dispatched to 331 15th Street NE, where they located the victim of an armed carjacking. The victim told the officers that the defendant approached him as he sat in his vehicle, pointed a black handgun at him and told him to get out of the vehicle. The victim complied. The defendant then demanded money and took the victim’s wallet and cell phone before fleeing northbound on the 400 block of 15 th Street, NE. The victim flagged down a passerby and called 911. As police were interviewing the victim, Prince George’s County Police observed the stolen vehicle in Oxon Hill, Maryland. Officers began pursuing the vehicle until the defendant ultimately crashed into a curb. The driver fled on foot and police caught him on Darrington Road with a handgun in his possession. Hawkins was presented in court today and ordered detained. The Metropolitan Police Department is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Shaniqua Butler is prosecuting the case.


title: San Jose Man Charged With Robbery And Assault Of U.S. Postal Service Letter Carrier

body_text: SAN JOSE – A federal grand jury has indicted Robert Cordova, also known as Robert Cordona, with one count of robbery of a U.S. Postal Service (USPS) letter carrier and one count of assaulting a federal employee. Cordova was arrested and made his initial appearance in federal district court today. Cordova, 49, of San Jose, was initially charged by complaint on Jan. 15, 2025, and subsequently indicted on Jan. 23, 2025. The complaint describes how, on Nov. 22, 2024, a USPS letter carrier was sorting parcels for delivery at the rear of his mail truck near the intersection of Taylor Street and 13th Street in San Jose when he felt the truck move. The letter carrier looked around the right rear corner of the truck and saw a man – later identified as Cordova – with his whole upper body in the truck. The letter carrier walked up to Cordova and asked what he was doing. Cordova allegedly got out of the truck, turned, and punched the letter carrier in the face. Cordova then allegedly took the letter carrier to the ground, punched the letter carrier in the face and head repeatedly, and attempted to gouge the letter carrier’s eyes. The letter carrier was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with a broken nose and a fractured left orbital socket. San Jose Police Department (SJPD) officers found Cordova in the backyard of a house close to where the alleged robbery occurred. According to the complaint, after SJPD officers arrested Cordova, the letter carrier identified Cordova as the assailant. Cordova is next scheduled to appear in court on Feb. 6, 2025, for a detention hearing. United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and San Francisco Division Inspector in Charge Stephen M. Sherwood of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) made the announcement. A complaint or indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. If convicted, defendant faces a maximum sentence of 25 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and a five-year term of supervised release on the count of robbery of a United States mail carrier under 18 U.S.C. § 2114(a), and 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and a three-year term of supervised release on the count of assaulting a federal employee under 18 U.S.C. §111(a) and (b). Assistant U.S. Attorney Neal C. Hong is prosecuting the case with the assistance of Lynette Dixon. This prosecution is the result of an investigation by USPIS and the SJPD. Anyone with information about mail theft, mail robbery, or other crimes against USPS letter carriers can report it by contacting USPIS at www.uspis.gov or 877-876-2455. Cordova Complaint Cordova Indictment


title: White Supremacist Leader Found Guilty of Conspiring to Destroy Regional Power Grid

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – After a six-day trial, a federal jury found Brandon Russell, 29, a resident of Orlando, Florida, guilty of conspiracy to damage an energy facility. Erek L. Barron, United States Attorney for the District of Maryland and Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno, of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Baltimore Field Office announced the jury’s verdict. “Hate-fueled violence has no place in a civilized society. Brandon Russell went well beyond his First Amendment rights, orchestrating a terrorist plot that would have harmed thousands of innocent people,” Barron said. “It won’t always be popular, but this office will do the right thing, the right way, for the right reason.” “Brandon Russell, a self-proclaimed National Socialist, conspired to 'lay waste to the city of Baltimore’ through violence and destruction of critical infrastructure. Today's verdict reinforces there is no tolerance for those who seek to harm our communities and use violence to further hate-filled beliefs,” DelBagno said. "I am proud of the tremendous work by the FBI Tampa and Baltimore Joint Terrorism Task Forces which led this investigation. The FBI remains diligent in protecting Marylanders from national security and public safety threats every single day in conjunction with our dedicated law enforcement and private sector partners.” According to evidence presented at trial, from at least November 2022 to February 3, 2023, Russell conspired to carry out attacks against critical infrastructure, specifically transformers located within electrical substations, in furtherance of Russell’s racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist beliefs. Russell posted links to open-source maps of infrastructure, which included the locations of electrical substations, and he described how a small number of attacks on substations could cause a “cascading failure.” Russell also discussed maximizing the impact of the planned attack by hitting multiple substations at one time. Russell recruited a Maryland-based woman, Sarah Beth Clendaniel, to carry out the attacks in Baltimore and elsewhere. They planned to damage energy facilities involved in the transmission and distribution of electricity and to cause a significant interruption and impairment of the Baltimore regional power grid. The intended monetary loss associated with the planned attacks would have exceeded $75 million. Clendaniel identified five substations to target, and Russell attempted to secure a weapon for Clendaniel. Clendaniel stated that if they hit a number of substations all in the same day, they “would completely destroy this whole city,” and that a “good four or five shots through the center of them . . . should make that happen.” She further added, “[i]t would probably permanently completely lay this city to waste if we could do that successfully.” Russell faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison for conspiracy to damage an energy facility. Senior United States District Judge James K. Bredar will determine the sentence after accounting for the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar has scheduled sentencing for June 17, 2025 at 11 a.m. On September 25, 2024, U.S. District Judge Bredar sentenced Clendaniel, to 18 years in federal prison, followed by a lifetime of supervised release, for conspiring with Russell to damage or destroy an energy facility in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1366(a), and a concurrent sentence of 15 years for being a felon in possession of a firearm, and 3 years of supervised release, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(g)(1). U.S. Attorney Barron commended the Baltimore and Tampa FBI Field Offices for their outstanding work in the investigation and praised the FBI’s Joint Terrorism Task Forces, the Maryland State Police, the Baltimore County Police Department, the Washington and New York Field Offices of the FBI for their valuable assistance. Mr. Barron also thanked the Department of Justice’s National Security Division and the United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida for their assistance. Mr. Barron thanked the prosecution team for their hard work and diligence in the case. For more information about the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit www.justice.gov/usao-md and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . To report a Maryland-based hate crime, contact the FBI Baltimore field office at (410) 265-8080 or www.tips.fbi.gov . # # #


title: Member of Puyallup Tribe sentenced to 13 years in prison for shooting death of his friend

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Tacoma – A member of the Puyallup Tribe was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma to 13 years in prison for the fatal shooting of someone he considered a friend, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Dennis Jacobsen, 32, was arrested shortly after the shooting on October 21, 2021. Jacobsen was originally charged with unlawful possession of a firearm because of convictions for robbery and unlawful firearms possession in Pierce County Superior Court. In June 2024, Jacobsen pleaded guilty to voluntary manslaughter and using a firearm during a crime of violence. At the sentencing hearing U.S. District Judge Benjamin H. Settle said, “This is a tragic story of illicit drug use and a firearm. The lives of the loved ones of the victim will carry this loss for years.” According to records filed in the case, both Jacobsen and the victim had been drinking and using drugs the morning of the shooting. The two were seen together outside the victim’s home within the confines of the Puyallup reservation. The two men walked behind the home and witnesses heard three gunshots. The victim was shot once in the arm and twice in the head, at least once at close range. Witnesses then saw Jacobsen run from behind the house, get in a vehicle and drive away. When police went to Jacobsen’s residence, they found the handgun with one bullet still in the chamber. The ammunition matched the type of ammunition used in the shooting. In asking for the 15-year sentence, Assistant U.S. Attorney Todd Greenberg wrote to the court, “The impact of (the victim’s) killing has been felt deeply in the community. His girlfriend was pregnant with his son at the time of the killing. She can now only show her son the photographs of his father. (The victim’s) parents are now without a son and the greater Puyallup community has lost another tribal member to a violent tragedy.” Jacobsen will be on five years of supervised release following his prison sentence. The case was investigated by the Puyallup Tribal Police and the FBI. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Todd Greenberg.


title: Clinton County Felon Sentenced to 65 Months for Unlawful Firearm Possession

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Richard Brundige, age 46, of Ellenburg Depot, New York, was sentenced today to 65 months in prison, to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, for unlawfully possessing a rifle as a previously convicted felon. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman, United States Marshal David McNulty, and New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James made the announcement, As part of his prior guilty plea, Brundige admitted that on December 12, 2022, he possessed a Marlin Model 336W lever action rifle and 17 rounds of ammunition. Brundige has four felony convictions in New York that prevented him from lawfully possessing the rifle. Brundige committed this offense while a fugitive from justice following a conviction in 2019. The United States Marshal Service and New York State Police investigated this case, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Carling Dunham prosecuted this case.