title: Michigan Shipping Magnate Charged with Filing False Tax Returns and Employment Tax Crimes

component: Tax Division

body_text: A Michigan man made his initial appearance in court today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Elizabeth A. Stafford of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan on an indictment that charged him with filing false tax returns and not paying employment taxes for his company’s employees. According to the indictment, which was unsealed on June 4, from 2017 to 2020, Ali Kassem Kain, of Northville, operated a transportation business that arranged for automobiles to be shipped abroad. For tax years 2017 through 2020, Kain allegedly underreported the business’ gross receipts by several million dollars each year on the business’ corporate returns. For those same years, he also underreported the amount of income he earned from his business on his personal returns. In addition, Kain was allegedly responsible for withholding Social Security, Medicare and federal income taxes from his employees’ wages and paying those amounts over to the IRS. Instead, Kain allegedly did not collect all these taxes for his company’s employees and did not pay over the full amount due to the IRS. In total, Kain is alleged to have caused a tax loss to the IRS of nearly $5 million. Kain was charged with 15 counts of failing to collect and pay over employment taxes and eight counts of filing false tax returns. If convicted, Kain faces a maximum penalty of five years in prison for each employment tax count and a maximum penalty of three years in prison for each count of filing a false tax return. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Dawn N. Ison for the Eastern District of Michigan made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI Detroit Field Office are investigating the case. Senior Litigation Counsel Corey Smith and Trial Attorney Richard Kelley of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jerome Gorgon for the Eastern District of Michigan are prosecuting the case. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Brooklyn Man Sentenced to Four Years in Prison for Interstate Transportation of Stolen Goods

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Brooklyn, New York, man was sentenced today to 48 months in prison for transporting stolen jewelry across state lines, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Tony Newton, 62, of Brooklyn, New York, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to an indictment charging him with two counts of interstate transportation of stolen goods. Judge Cecchi imposed the sentenced today in Newark federal court. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: On June 1, 2022, and July 16, 2022, Newton transported stolen jewelry across state lines from Middlesex and Union counties, New Jersey, to New York. Newton admitted to two additional burglaries of mall jewelry stores in Bay Shore, New York, and Milford, Connecticut. The four burglaries and thefts resulted in retail losses of $804,227. In addition to the prison term, Judge Cecchi sentenced Newton to three years of supervised release, ordered restitution of $804,227 and forfeiture of $804,227. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited FBI Newark’s Transnational Organized Crime Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor William Daniel and Chief Harvey Barnwell; officers of the Edison Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Tom Bryan; and officers of the Elizabeth Police Department, under the direction of Director Earl Graves and Chief Giacomo Sacca, with the investigation. He also thanked officers of the Suffolk County, New York, Police Department and the Milford, Connecticut, Police Department. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Farhana C. Melo of the OCDETF/Narcotic Unit in Newark.


title: Mescalero Man Sentenced for Domestic Violence

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man was sentenced to 90 months in prison after being convicted by a federal jury of assaulting his intimate partner by repeatedly strangling her. There is no parole in the federal system. A federal jury convicted Theodore Ian Chavez, IV , on February 28, 2024, following a four-day trial. According to evidence presented at trial and other publicly available court records, in the early morning hours of August 6, 2023, Chavez strangled and assaulted Jane Doe multiple times, resulting in the loss of consciousness and visible bruises. After the assault, Jane Doe sought medical attention. As a result of the strangulation, Jane Doe had difficulty talking, eating, and drinking fluids, as well as bruises, redness, petechiae, and venous congestion. At trial, Jane Doe described how she experienced severe pain, and that she thought she was going to die when Chavez was on top of her squeezing her neck and screaming that it was her fault. After completing his term of imprisonment, Chavez will be required to serve 3 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 Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with the assistance of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joni Autrey Stahl and J. Kirk Williams are prosecuted the case. # # #


title: New York Fund Manager Admits Multimillion-Dollar Investment Fraud Scheme

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A New York fund manager today admitted defrauding investors out of millions of dollars, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Joshua Goltry, 30, of New York pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of securities fraud. “Joshua Goltry admitted making outlandish claims in falsifying the achievements of his purported investment fund. In doing so, he duped investors out of millions of dollars, money they thought they were investing carefully, but which, in reality, this defendant was using to repay other investors or spending on his own bills. The investing public needs to be protected from unscrupulous frauds like this, and our office will work with our law enforcement partners to make sure that happens.” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger “Fraudsters operating what amounts to a Ponzi scheme shouldn't be shocked when the cash dries up,” FBI – Newark Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy said. “They’re usually spending exorbitant amounts of other people’s money on lavish lifestyles, with no thought to what happens next. Goltry admits lying to his clients, promising huge returns that he pulled out of thin air, and then lying several more times to secure funding so he could keep the scheme going. It should also come as no surprise that his criminal behavior led to the FBI investigating him and holding him accountable.” According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Beginning in 2020, Goltry operated and controlled JAG Cap LLC d/b/a JAG Capital, which purported to be an investment fund with a history of successful performance. From 2020 to September 2023, he solicited investments in JAG Capital by making material misrepresentations and omissions. For example, in late 2020, he sent potential investors marketing materials falsely claiming that JAG Capital’s track record included positive returns nearly every quarter from 2018 through mid-2020, with three of those quarters showing returns greater than 50 percent. He also claimed that JAG Capital outperformed three well-known stock indices nearly every quarter. In April 2021, in reliance on those and other misrepresentations, two victims invested a total of $700,000 in JAG Capital. Goltry also claimed to potential investors that JAG Capital’s performance exceeded 200 percent; at other times, he claimed its performance exceeded 1,000 percent. He also claimed that JAG Capital managed more than $20 million; at other times, he told potential investors that JAG Capital managed more than $50 million. Over the course of his scheme, Goltry obtained more than $3 million from investors. Goltry claimed to investors that he would invest their money in securities for which he performed “extensive due diligence,” including “diversified tech opportunities” when in reality, he used investor money to repay previous investors and to pay for his own lifestyle, including paying for the rent on his Manhattan apartment, vacations, and personal credit card bills. In May 2023, after depleting nearly all investor money, Goltry sought a short-term loan from an investment company by submitting false and forged documents purporting to be from the Red Bank, New Jersey office of a national bank. In reliance on those false documents, the investment company transferred $150,000 to JAG Capital. In a parallel action, the Securities and Exchange commission today charged Goltry and JAG Advisors with violating antifraud provisions of the federal securities laws. Goltry and JAG Advisors agreed to settle the charges against them. The settlement, which is subject to court approval, would permanently enjoin Goltry and JAG Advisors from violating the charged provisions of the federal securities laws and allows the court to decide the amounts of disgorgement, prejudgment interest, and civil penalties at a later date. The securities fraud charge to which Goltry pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential sentence of 20 years imprisonment and a fine equal to the greatest of $250,000 or twice the gain or loss resulting from the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 19, 2024. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolyn Silane of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark. goltry.information.pdf


title: Maryland Man Indicted on Federal Charges for Traveling to Engage in Illicit Sexual Conduct with a Minor

body_text: WASHINGTON – Nathaniel Lamar Nelson Scott, 35, of Bowie, Maryland, was indicted today by a federal grand jury on charges of traveling with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, FBI Special Agent in Charge David J. Scott of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith, of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). According to the indictment, unsealed today, on June 5, 2024, Scott traveled into the District of Columbia from Maryland with a motivating purpose of engaging in a sexual act with a six-year-old child. In late May 2024, a member of the MPD–FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force posted a message on a website that is frequented by individuals who have a sexual interest in children. Scott contacted the undercover officer, who he believed was the father of a six-year-old girl, and in the days that followed engaged in graphic conversations about sexually abusing the child. On June 5, 2024, Scott arranged with the undercover officer to meet for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with the child. He traveled from Maryland to a pre-arranged meeting place in Washington, D.C., and was arrested. Scott has remained in custody since his arrest. Travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct is punishable by up to 30 years’ imprisonment. The statutory sentences for federal offenses are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes. Any sentence will be determined by the Court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. This case is being brought as part of the Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood initiative and investigated by the FBI’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, which includes members of the FBI’s Washington Field Office and MPD. In February 2006, the Attorney General created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorney’s Offices, 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 identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul V. Courtney. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Guilty pleas from two high-level members of drug distribution organization connected to Aryan prison gang

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Tacoma – Two men indicted in March 2023 as part of a drug distribution organization associated with an Aryan prison gang pleaded guilty to drug and gun crimes today in U.S. District Court in Tacoma, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Ronaldo McComb, 59, of Ridgefield, Washington, and Gregory Beers, 31, of Edgewood, Washington, will be sentenced by Chief U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo in September 2024. McComb pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and felon in possession of a firearm. The drug charge carries a mandatory minimum ten years in prison because of the amount of narcotics involved in the case. In a detailed plea agreement, McComb acknowledged multiple recorded phone calls with coconspirators in which he discussed his drug trafficking activities involving distributing multi-pound quantities of methamphetamine and tens of thousands of fentanyl pills and creating a distribution network of fentanyl pills up to Alaska. He further admitted to possessing large quantities of heroin and a 9mm handgun that law enforcement seized from the trunk of his vehicle following a traffic stop in February 2022. Law enforcement eventually arrested him on March 22, 2023. On that date, authorities found methamphetamine, heroin, three firearms, and large quantities of cash and gold bars in McComb’s Kalama residence. As part of the plea, McComb stipulated to the forfeiture of that cash and gold as proceeds of his drug trafficking. McComb was prohibited from possessing firearms due to his felony convictions for assault and robbery in Clark County and another assault conviction in Cowlitz County. Gregory Beers pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Beers admitted in his plea agreement that he sent video messages to inmates in the Washington State Department of Corrections showing multiple high-powered firearms in his possession and large quantities of cash and gold he earned through his drug trafficking. The plea agreement detailed multiple calls in which Beers discussed his drug trafficking activities involving distribution of tens of thousands of fentanyl pills and multi-pound quantities of methamphetamine. When police attempted to arrest Beers on the day of the takedown, he tossed a loaded pistol and fled over a neighbor’s fence. Police found two firearms in his residence and seven more in his car along with illegal drugs, cash, and drug ledgers. Ultimately Beers was arrested living in an RV in Tacoma. Once again, he was armed with guns and possessed large quantities of cash and expensive jewelry that he admitted as part of the plea agreement were proceeds from his drug trafficking. Prosecutors and defense attorneys agreed to jointly recommend 13 years in prison for McComb and 12 and a half years (150 months) in prison for Beers. Chief Judge Estudillo is not bound by the agreed sentences and can impose any sentence allowed by law. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. This investigation was led by the FBI with critical investigative teamwork from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the Washington State Department of Corrections and significant local assistance from the Tacoma Police Department, Pierce County Sheriff’s Office, and the Thurston County Narcotics Task Force, led by the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office. Throughout this investigation the following agencies assisted the primary investigators: Washington State Patrol, Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine, Lewis County Sheriff’s Office, Lakewood Police Department, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Zach Dillon and Max Shiner.


title: FINAL DEFENDANT SENTENCED IN LARGE SCALE DRUG TRAFFICKING ORGANIZATION

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: Oxford, MS – A Crowder woman was sentenced on Tuesday to 23 years in prison for selling methamphetamine. According to court documents, Linda Hunt, 49, of Crowder, Mississippi pled guilty in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District to Mississippi to distribution of methamphetamine. Hunt was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Sharion Aycock on Tuesday afternoon to 276 months in prison for the drug trafficking. She was further sentenced to 5 years supervised release following her release from prison. Hunt agreed to a final order of forfeiture in the amount of $20,000.00 and is currently in custody. Hunt oversaw the drug trafficking organization of other defendants who were charged with conspiracy to distribute drugs and drug distribution. The investigation of this drug trafficking organization and its participants spanned multiple years. “Criminal actions have consequences, and the sentences handed down to this trafficking organization demonstrate that the full force of the law will be employed to bring those consequences to drug dealers who introduce poison into our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Clay Joyner. “Our federal and state law enforcement partners worked together seamlessly to bring down this organization, and the efforts of AUSA Clyde McGee to lead the prosecution of these defendants were exceptional as well.” “I am proud to see the success of the partnership between the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, Drug Enforcement Agency, and all other assisting agencies who worked together to ensure these criminals were held accountable for their actions,” said Mississippi Department of Public Safety Commissioner Sean Tindell. “Thank you to everyone involved for playing a part in keeping our state and communities safe.” “The Drug Enforcement Administration, alongside the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and dedicated local partners, applaud the sentencing of the final defendant in a multi-year investigation targeting a major drug trafficking ring,” said DEA New Orleans Division Special Agent in Charge Steven Hofer. “This individual, who oversaw the illicit activities of others, has been held accountable thanks to a collaborative effort under Project Safe Neighborhoods and OCDETF. This case exemplifies the power of combined forces in dismantling drug trafficking organizations and keeping our communities safe.” Below are the traffickers’ charges and sentences, made possible by OCDETF and Project Safe Neighborhood initiatives: Lucas Smith pleaded guilty on October 17, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and conspiracy to commit money laundering. U.S. District Judge Neal B. Biggers, Jr. sentenced Smith to 240 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Smith agreed to a final order of forfeiture in the amount of $100,000.00. Preston Cross pleaded guilty on October 17, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Neal B. Biggers, Jr. sentenced Cross to 120 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Terence Lomax pleaded guilty on November 9, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Lomax to 150 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Domonique Cross pleaded guilty on October 17, 2022, to conspiracy to commit money laundering. U.S. District Judge Neal B. Biggers, Jr. sentenced Cross to 30 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Cross agreed to a final order of forfeiture in the amount of $30,000.00. James Taylor pleaded guilty on June 7, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Taylor to 219 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Genise Cox pleaded guilty on November 29, 2022, to distribution of methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Cox to 26 months imprisonment, followed by 4 years of supervised release. Alvin Johnson pleaded guilty on November 29, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Johnson to 130 months imprisonment, followed by 4 years of supervised release. Brenda Hunt pleaded guilty on November 29, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine and being a felon in possession of a firearm. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Hunt to 60 months imprisonment, followed by 4 years of supervised release. Dexter Ray pleaded guilty on December 2, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Ray to 78 months imprisonment, followed by 4 years of supervised release. Demandrick Hayes pleaded guilty on March 8, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Hayes to 46 months imprisonment, followed by 4 years of supervised release. Aaron Prince pleaded guilty on March 29, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Prince to 46 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Dana Smith pleaded guilty on June 7, 2022, to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Smith to 125 months imprisonment, followed by 4 years of supervised release. Anterion Wiley pleaded guilty on June 15, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Debra Brown sentenced to time served, followed by 5 years supervised release. Antonio Wiley pleaded guilty on March 29, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Debra Brown sentenced Wiley to 70 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release. William Garner pleaded guilty on October 4, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Garner to 78 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Contreal Bolden pleaded guilty on October 11, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Bolden to 43 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Damion Jones pleaded guilty on September 22, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Michael P. Mills sentenced Jones to 36 months imprisonment, followed by 3 years of supervised release. Tommie Peoples pleaded guilty on August 1, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Neal B. Biggers, Jr. sentenced Peoples to 18 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Markell Crossgrove pleaded guilty on January 5, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Debra Brown sentenced Crossgrove to 60 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release. James Woods pleaded guilty on December 16, 2022, to distributing methamphetamine. U.S. District Judge Sharion Aycock sentenced Woods to 120 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release. The Drug Enforcement Administration and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics investigated the case as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program in partnership with state and local law enforcement. Agencies assisting with the investigation included the United States Marshal’s Service, the United States Postal Inspector’s Service, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Mississippi Highway Patrol, the Panola County Sheriff’s Office, Desoto County Sheriff’s Office, Tallahatchie County Sheriff’s Department, the Batesville Police Department, Charleston Police Department, and the Leflore County Sheriff’s Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Clyde McGee prosecuted the case. This investigation and resulting case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . This case is also a 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.


title: Titusville Man Pleads Guilty To Interstate Firearms Parts Theft Conspiracy

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Chad Earl Cotsamire (44, Titusville) today pleaded guilty to conspiracy to transport stolen property in interstate commerce. Cotsamire faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. Cotsamire has agreed to forfeit $190,314.83, the proceeds of the conspiracy. According to the plea agreement, Cotsamire was an employee of a firearms and firearms parts manufacturer. Between September 2019 and June 2022, at the direction of co-conspirators, Cotsamire stole firearms parts from his employer, and transported those firearms parts to buyers across state lines. Cotsamire personally obtained $190,314.83 as a result of the conspiracy. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Noah P. Dorman. 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.


title: Springfield, Massachusetts Man Sentenced to Five Years in Prison for Drug and Gun Crimes

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on June 10, 2024, Keniel Santiago, 21, of Springfield, Massachusetts, was sentenced by United States District Judge Christina Reiss to a term of 60 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. Santiago previously pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute heroin and crack cocaine in Vermont between September 2020 and March 2021 and aiding and abetting making false statements in connection with the acquisition of a firearm in Vermont in January 2021. According to court records, Santiago worked with other people to bring heroin and crack cocaine from Springfield, Massachusetts to Bennington, Vermont where they would sell the illegal drugs. Santiago also arranged for one of his co-conspirators to purchase a handgun for Santiago from a dealer in Vermont. In doing so, Santiago’s co-conspirator lied to the firearms dealer, saying the gun was for them and not for Santiago. Santiago knew that his associate had to lie to make the purchase. In exchange for the gun, Santiago paid them in money and drugs. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, the Bennington Police Department, the Vermont State Police, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Joseph Perella and Colin Owyang. Santiago was represented by Ian Carleton, Esq. 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. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: The Justice Department issued the following statement from Attorney General Merrick B. Garland regarding the U.S. House of Representatives’ vote on H. Res. 1292: “It is deeply disappointing that this House of Representatives has turned a serious congressional authority into a partisan weapon. Today’s vote disregards the constitutional separation of powers, the Justice Department’s need to protect its investigations, and the substantial amount of information we have provided to the Committees. I will always stand up for this Department, its employees, and its vital mission to defend our democracy.”


title: Michael White Pleads Guilty to Federal Charges Related to Murder of Big Stone Gap Police Officer Michael Chandler

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: ABINGDON, Va. – Michael Donivan White pled guilty today to federal charges related to the November 2021 murder of Big Stone Gap Police Officer Michael Chandler and a wide-ranging drug conspiracy. White, 36, of South Carolina, pled guilty today to eight counts in relation to the murder of Officer Chandler. Specifically, he pled guilty to one count of causing the death of a person using a firearm, which killing was first-degree murder, in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, one count of conspiring to distribute or possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, one count of using a place for the purpose of distributing or using a controlled substance, one count of using a communication facility in committing any felony-controlled substance offense, one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, one count of possession of a stolen firearm, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and using, brandishing and discharging that firearm in relation to a drug trafficking crime. “Big Stone Gap Police Officer Michael Chandler died serving his community. The men and women among us who swear the oath and put on the badge keep all of us safe,” United States Attorney Christopher R. Kavanaugh said today. “While nothing we do in a courtroom can ever bring Michael back, our hope is that today’s guilty plea brings some semblance of peace to his family, friends, and brethren in law enforcement that today, justice was done.” “ First, let me say our prayers for healing go out to the family of Big Stone Gap Police Officer Michael Chandler. At the core of this tragic event is a previously convicted felon getting illegal access to a firearm,” said ATF Washington Field Division Special Agent in Charge Craig Kailimai. “It is our hope that Mr. White receives a lengthy sentence that holds him accountable for every one of his criminal acts. Keeping our communities safe and supporting our fellow law enforcement partners is what drives ATF in the fight against violent crime.” According to court documents, beginning in August 2021 and continuing even after the time of his arrest in October 2022, White and 18 other defendants participated in a conspiracy to distribute more than 15 kilograms of methamphetamine, heroin, and fentanyl. Tragically, at approximately 4:00 a.m. on November 13, 2021, Big Stone Gape Police Officer Michael Chandler responded to a dispatch call at 2505 Orr Street in Big Stone Gap, known locally as “the red house.” Upon arriving at the red house, Officer Chandler encountered a vehicle outside the residence. Officer Chandler requested backup, telling dispatch, “This car is taking off on me.” Inside the vehicle, Michael White told a female co-defendant, Misty Ward, to “get the fu*k out of there” because there were drugs in the vehicle and that “he was not going back to jail.” Ward started to drive off as directed, but then stopped and got out of the vehicle. As Ward exited the vehicle, Officer Chandler asked Ward to show him her hands, which were covered by her jacket. Ward complied, raising her hands up in the air. At that point, White attempted to flee the scene, however the vehicle got stuck in the grass. Officer Chandler approached the vehicle on the driver’s side, hitting the window with his flashlight. White brandished a Taurus 9mm pistol and immediately fired eight shots through the driver’s side window and door, striking Officer Chandler’s wrist and abdomen just below his bulletproof vest. Officer Chandler died later that evening from his injuries. Following the shooting, law enforcement identified White as a suspect. White was later located at a motel in Kingsport, Tennessee and a subsequent search of the motel room found a Taurus, 9mm pistol. Further testing ultimately proved this firearm to be the same one that fired the shots that killed Officer Chandler. The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Virginia State Police, the United States Marshal’s Service, the Wise County Sheriff’s Office, the City of Norton Virginia Police Department, the Kingsport Tennessee Police Department, the Big Stone Gap Police Department, the Wise County Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, the East Tennessee Drug Task Force, and the Southwest Virginia Drug Task Force, which is comprised of investigators from the Virginia State Police, Lee County Sheriff’s Office, Scott County Sheriff’s Office, Wise County Sheriff’s Office, City of Norton Police Department, and Big Stone Gap Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lena L. Busscher and Danielle Stone are prosecuting the case.


title: Hartford Felon Sentenced to Prison for Possessing Loaded Handgun

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that CHRISTOPHER GASKIN, 47, of Hartford, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Stefan R. Underhill in Bridgeport to 27 months of imprisonment for illegally possessing a loaded handgun. According to the evidence presented during his trial earlier this year, in the afternoon of January 1, 2022, Hartford Police officers stopped a car Gaskin was operating on Irving Street in Hartford. Gaskin was arrested after a search of his person revealed a loaded .380 caliber handgun, a bag containing approximately five grams of crack cocaine, and 35 vials of crack. Gaskin’s criminal history includes several felony convictions, including convictions for assault, robbery, and witness tampering offenses. It is a violation of federal law for a person previously convicted of a felony offense to possess a firearm or ammunition that has moved in interstate or foreign commerce. On February 28, 2024, a jury found Gaskin guilty of unlawful possession of a firearm by a felon, and not guilty of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base (“crack”). This matter was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) and the Hartford Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Angel M. Krull and Patricia Stolfi Collins through 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. In May 2021, the Justice 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 www.justice.gov/PSN .


title: Former Pearl Police Officer Sentenced to One Year in Federal Prison  for Civil Rights Offense

body_text: Jackson, Miss. – A former Pearl, Mississippi police officer was sentenced today to 12 months in federal prison for acting under color of law to deprive a person of his civil rights. Michael Christian Green, 26, was sentenced by U.S. Magistrate Judge Andrew S. Harris. According to court documents and information presented in court, Green, while on duty as a certified law enforcement officer with the Pearl Police Department, forced an arrestee in custody to lick urine from the floor of a holding cell within the police department. Green pleaded guilty to the offense on March 14, 2024. U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Robert Eikhoff of the Federal Bureau of Investigation made the announcement. The case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation with assistance from the Pearl Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Goff prosecuted the case. If you or someone you know has been the victim of abuse by a law enforcement officer, call the FBI hotline at 1-800-CALL-FBI, email tips.fbi.gov or call the FBI Jackson Field Office at 601-948-5000.


title: Rochester sex offender pleads guilty to new child pornography charges

component: USAO - New York, Western

body_text: Rochester, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Gregory Pum, 48, of Rochester, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marian W. Payson to possession of child pornography by an individual with a prior sex offense conviction, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of 20 years, and a fine of $250,000. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Nicholas M. Testani and Meghan K. McGuire, who are handling the case, stated that in January 2014, Pum was convicted in Monroe County Court of Possessing Sexual Performance by a Child Less than 16, and sentenced to serve six months in jail, followed by 10 years’ probation. Pum violated his probation terms and was resentenced to prison. He was discharged from parole on May 31, 2016. In May 2022, law enforcement received two cybertips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), that a user of an email account, later determined to belong to Pum, had uploaded 29 images and a video of child pornography to a file sharing site. Investigators later received seven additional cybertips related to the same email account. In June 2022, a search warrant was executed at Pum’s residence, during which electronic devices that contained images of child pornography were seized. On March 11, 2024, while Pum was on pretrial release, law enforcement executed another search warrant at his residence after receiving two additional NCMEC cybertips. An iPhone was seized and found to contain 19 images and one video of child pornography. The plea is the result of an investigation by the New York State Police, under the direction of Major Miklos Szoczei III, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Sentencing is scheduled for September 20, 2024, before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa. # # # #


title: Philadelphia Man Pleads Guilty to Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

body_text: Jackson, Miss. - A Philadelphia man pleaded guilty today to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. According to court documents, William Charles Clemmons, Jr., 40, was indicted by a federal grand jury and pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Clemmons is scheduled to be sentenced on September 11, 2024, and faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Assistant Special Agent in Charge Anessa Daniels-McCaw of the Drug Enforcement Administration made the announcement. The Drug Enforcement Administration, the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and the Philadelphia Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Samuel Goff is prosecuting the case.


title: NYS Corrections Officer on administrative leave arrested on gun charge

body_text: BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Trini E. Ross announced today that Matthew R. Zamborowski, 48, of Hamburg, NY, was arrested and charged by criminal complaint with possession of a firearm or ammunition by a person under a qualifying Domestic Violence Order of Protection, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Assistant U.S. Attorney Donna M. Duncan, who is handling the case, stated that according to the complaint, on May 6th, 2024, an Erie County Sheriff’s Deputy initiated a traffic stop on Route 219, just south of Route 39, after determining that the vehicle had a surrendered plate. The driver, Zamborowski, informed the deputy that he was concealing a firearm on his right hip and that he was a New York State Corrections Officer. When asked for his license, Zamborowski stated that he did not have one and that there may be issues with it due to unpaid tickets in court. The deputy returned to his vehicle, confirmed Zamborowski’s license status, and learned that he had been served an order of protection, which mandated him to surrender all firearms in his possession. As a result, Zamborowski was arrested and the deputy and secured Zamborowski’s firearm. The complaint further states that Zamborowski had five additional firearms in the trunk of his vehicle. A check with the New York State Albion Correctional Facility determined that Zamborowski was on administrative leave since February 2024, and that he should have returned his badge and State ID. Zamborowski was taken to the Erie County Holding Center. The complaint is the result of an investigation by the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Bryan Miller, New York Field Division. The fact that a defendant has been charged with a crime is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. # # # #


title: Chesapeake man who was arrested with drugs and firearm while in a car with children is sentenced to federal prison

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

body_text: NORFOLK, Va. – A Chesapeake man was sentenced today to six years in prison after being caught with heroin and fentanyl as well as a firearm. According to court documents, from November 2022 through June 2023, Travis Morris, aka Black, 39, distributed fentanyl and heroin in Chesapeake. On multiple occasions from Dec. 12, 2022, to June 20, 2023, Morris sold a mixture of heroin and fentanyl to a confidential informant. On June 23, 2023, Chesapeake Police conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle in which Morris was a passenger. Officers conducted a K9 sweep of the vehicle, followed by a search of both the vehicle and Morris. Officers recovered 120 white capsules containing a heroin/fentanyl mixture, digital scales, a .22 caliber pistol, two cellular telephones, and $3,993.88 in cash. The other passengers in the vehicle were Morris’ girlfriend and her three minor children. The total converted weight of the controlled substances recovered by law enforcement during the investigation is 26 kilograms. On Feb. 1, Morris pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute heroin and possessing a firearm in furtherance of and during and in relation to a drug trafficking crime. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; Craig Kailimai, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Washington Field Division; Mark G. Solesky, Chief of Chesapeake Police; and Jason Miyares, Attorney General of Virginia, made the announcement after sentencing by Senior U.S. District Judge Raymond A. Jackson. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Alyssa Miller, an Assistant Attorney General with the Virginia Attorney General’s Office, prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 2:23-cr-131.


title: Houstonian admits to Hurricane Harvey house fraud

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A 45-year-old Houston area resident has pleaded guilty to fraudulently applying for and receiving a newly rebuilt house worth $314,000, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Christopher Montealegre admitted to one count of theft of government funds after he knowingly applied for relief intended for victims the hurricane impacted through a program the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) administered. Montealegre received assistance in the form of a newly re-built house. The home was rebuilt using federal funds which were intended for victims of Hurricane Harvey. Congress allocated funds to Texas as a special appropriation associated with a Presidentially Declared Disaster in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. The funds help to support communities working to build stronger and more resilient neighborhoods. “Christopher Montealegre exploited a program intended to assist vulnerable victims of Hurricane Harvey and used those funds for his own personal enrichment,” said Hamdani. “Public resources for disaster relief should go to the victims that actually need them, not to enrich private actors like Montealegre.” “Montealegre’s alleged conduct is disturbing, especially during this time when the public is reminded of the devastation that historic storms leave with thousands of victims,” said Special Agent in Charge Bertrand Nelson for HUD’s Office of Inspector General (OIG), Southcentral Region. “The taxpayer has no tolerance for those who steal from Federal public aid – the sole goal of which is to help victims rebuild and move forward with their lives. We will continue to work with our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office to aggressively pursue fraudsters who steal disaster grant funds to enrich themselves.” U.S. District Judge Keith Ellison accepted the plea and has set sentencing for Aug 8. At that time, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. Montealegre was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing. HUD-OIG conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Lansden and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Shalimar Addy prosecuted the case.


title: Westbrook Man Sentenced to 12 ½ Years for Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Maine

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A Westbrook man was sentenced on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Bangor for possessing child pornography. Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Michael Peterson , 39, to 150 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release. According to court records, between December 2021 and August 2022, Peterson received and attempted to receive child sexual abuse material using the Telegram application. Peterson received the images from an individual using Telegram and paid the same individual in hopes of obtaining additional images. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Maine State Police investigated the case. To report an incident involving the possession, distribution, receipt or production of child pornography: Child sexual abuse material – referred to in legal terms as "child pornography" – captures the sexual abuse and exploitation of children. These images document victims’ exploitation and abuse, and they suffer revictimization every time the images are viewed. In 2023, the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children received 36 million reports of the possession, manufacture, or distribution of child sexual abuse materials. To file a report with NCMEC, go to https://report.cybertip.org or call 1-800-843-5678 . If you are in Maine and you or someone you know has been sexually assaulted or abused, you can get help by calling the free, private 24-hour statewide sexual assault helpline at 1-800-871-7741 . Project Safe Childhood: This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Department’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-me/psc . ###


title: Orange County Man Indicted for Allegedly Robbing Anaheim Bank and Taking Hostages the Day After His Release from State Prison

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: SANTA ANA, California – A federal grand jury today returned an indictment against an Orange County man who allegedly took three bank employees hostage when he robbed a bank branch in Anaheim last month – the day after being released from state prison. Eric Walter Gray, 53, is charged with one count of bank robbery and forced accompaniment. Gray has been in federal custody since June 5 after being transferred from state custody. A federal magistrate judge has ordered him jailed without bond. Gray’s arraignment is scheduled for June 24 in United States District Court in Santa Ana. “One day after his release from prison, this defendant allegedly chose to return to crime by taking three victims hostage while he robbed a bank,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “My office will continue its efforts to prosecute and punish violent recidivist criminals who harm our community.” “The victims in this case dealt with fear and death threats while the defendant held them hostage until they were rescued, thanks to the courage of bank employees who notified police,” said Krysti Hawkins, the Acting Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI's Los Angeles Field Office. “This ongoing investigation is the result of a collaborative effort among local and federal law enforcement and prosecutors with the shared goal of holding Mr. Gray accountable for his violent actions.” According to an affidavit in support of a criminal complaint filed in this case, Gray robbed a BMO bank branch in Anaheim on May 8 – the day after being released from San Quentin Rehabilitation Center. While in the bank branch and after loitering there for a long time, Gray allegedly jumped over the teller counter, stated that he had a gun, and demanded money from the teller. Money was taken from the teller drawers and was given to Gray, who proceeded to put the money in his pockets. Gray then allegedly ordered the bank manager and two bank employees into a storage room inside the bank. Gray eventually let two of those employees out of the storage room but held the bank manager hostage for approximately one hour, according to court documents. During the robbery, at least one bank employee notified law enforcement. Eventually, Gray exited the storage room with the bank manager and was arrested without incident. Law enforcement later found cash and narcotics hidden inside Gray’s body, court papers allege. Gray was taken to a hospital for a scan and, while there, allegedly repeatedly tried to escape and also fought with police officers, resulting in multiple injuries to the officers involved. “I am incredibly proud of the professionalism, restraint, and compassion of our Officers as they risked their lives to bring this volatile incident to a safe resolution,” said Anaheim Police Chief Rick P. Armendariz. “This incident is just one example of the exceptional work done every day by the men and women of the Anaheim Police Department to ensure Anaheim is a safe community to live, work, and play.” An indictment is merely an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted, Gray would face a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in federal prison and a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison. The Orange County District Attorney’s Office charged Gray in connection with this incident, but dismissed their case so the federal case against him could proceed. Operation Safe Cities establishes strategic enforcement priorities with an emphasis on prosecuting the most significant drivers of violent crime. Across this region, the most damaging and horrific crimes are committed by a relatively small number of particularly violent individuals. This strategic enforcement approach is expected to increase the number of arrests, prosecutions and convictions of recidivists engaged in the most dangerous conduct. It is designed to improve public safety across the region by targeting crimes involving illicit guns, prohibited persons possessing firearms, or robbery crews that cause havoc and extensive losses to retail establishments. The FBI and the Anaheim Police Department are investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Caitlin J. Campbell of the Santa Ana Branch Office is prosecuting this case.


title: Four men imprisoned for dealing crack cocaine resulting in death

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – Multiple local residents have been sentenced for narcotics trafficking, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Gabriel Ortiz, 31, Francisco Ortiz, 53, and Adbento Guerrero, 62, all of McAllen; and Alonzo Rolando Garza, 42, Edinburg, had all previously pleaded guilty. Chief U.S. District Judge Randy Crane has now imposed a 144-month-term of imprisonment for Gabriel Ortiz, while Francisco Ortiz received 121 months. Guerrero and Garza previously received 30 and 120 months, respectively. All four must also serve five years of supervised release following their sentences. “Gabriel Ortiz and his co-conspirators, with their irresponsible and criminal behavior, directly caused the death of a human being,” said Hamdani. “This case demonstrates the dangers of local drug dealing and narcotics usage. Thankfully, their lengthy prison sentences will ensure they can no longer traffic these deadly substances in our communities and bring such tragedy to our streets.” The investigation revealed that in 2019 and 2020, the four men trafficked cocaine in the McAllen and Edinburg areas. The co-conspirators would purchase and sell multi-kilogram quantities of cocaine as well as smaller amounts of cocaine base aka “crack.” In November 2020, Gabriel Ortiz sold approximately three grams of cocaine base to a 53-year-old man who subsequently died after using the narcotic. Throughout the investigation, law enforcement seized a total of over 10 kilograms of cocaine and 69 grams of cocaine base. The drugs had a combined estimated street value of approximately $260,000. Law enforcement seized $294,520 in money and assets as part of the case. The Drug Enforcement Administration conducted the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation with the assistance of the Edinburg Police Department, Hidalgo County Sheriff’s Office and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. 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 on the Department of Justice’s OCDETF webpage. Assistant U.S. Attorney James Sturgis prosecuted the case.


title: Lincoln Woman Sentenced to 79 Days Served, Supervised Release for High-Speed Flight from Immigration Checkpoint

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A Lincoln woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for fleeing and evading a U.S. immigration checkpoint in Sherman and leading U.S. Border Patrol agents on a high-speed pursuit. Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Shania England , 25, to the 79 days she had served and three years of supervised release. England pleaded guilty on February 16, 2024. According to court records, in May 2023, England and a passenger were traveling southbound on I-95, when England drove up to and stopped at a checkpoint being operated by the U.S. Border Patrol in Sherman. When an agent instructed England to pull over to a secondary inspection area, she instead sped away on I-95. England fled from Border Patrol agents at high speed for about eight miles and was apprehended after crashing the vehicle in a ditch. U.S. Border Patrol investigated the case with assistance from the East Millinocket Police Department. ###


title: Plymouth Man Sentenced to 15 Years for Heroin and Fentanyl Trafficking in Central Maine

body_text: BANGOR, Maine: A Plymouth man was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Bangor for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances. Chief U.S. District Judge Lance E. Walker sentenced Adam Johnson , 32, to 180 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release. Johnson was found guilty by a federal jury following a two-day trial in January 2024. According to evidence presented at trial, between June 2017 and February 2018, Johnson participated in a conspiracy to traffic fentanyl in central Maine. Johnson would travel out of state to meet the source and pick up heroin and fentanyl that he would then bring back to Maine to package and sell to dealers. The amount of fentanyl exceeded 400 grams. Just 2 milligrams of fentanyl is a potentially lethal dose. The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Somerset County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. ###


title: Mexican National Sentenced for Transportation Resulting in Death

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Mexican national was sentenced to 10 years in prison for his role as a foot guide in a deadly alien smuggling conspiracy where he threatened witnesses to cover up his involvement after one migrant died from heat exposure in the New Mexico desert. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court documents, on July 18, 2023, Texas Department of Public Safety officers pulled over a vehicle driven by Jorge Luis Estrada-Velasquez with four undocumented aliens. The aliens informed agents that other members of their group were still in the desert a few miles away and one was very ill. Border Patrol agents and emergency medical technicians located Rafael Radillo-Bernal , 40, and three others in the desert near Strauss Road in Doña Ana County and began rendering aid to the sick individual. Tragically, the victim succumbed to the heat and passed away. Border Patrol took the surviving seven aliens, including Radillo-Bernal , and Estrada-Velasquez, into custody. Estrada-Velasquez was charged with Conspiracy to Transport Illegal Aliens and the seven aliens, including Radillo-Bernal , were designated as material witnesses. Initially, none of the witnesses admitted to being the foot guide, and one claimed the guide had returned to Mexico. After their initial appearances, the witnesses were released to a halfway house in Las Cruces. Subsequent interviews with the witnesses revealed consistent accounts of crossing late at night, walking for 8-9 hours with limited water, and the victim showing signs of illness early on due to diabetes. Radillo-Bernal initially claimed to have joined the group halfway through their journey after crossing the border alone. Radillo-Bernal stated that he walked with the victim, getting to know him, and encouraging him to continue when he started falling behind. Radillo-Bernal claimed he stayed with the victim while he called his family to say he was not going to make it before leaving him in the shade of a mesquite bush to find water and help. On September 8, 2023, two witnesses came forward alleging that Radillo-Bernal was the foot guide and had threatened them to remain silent about his role in the conspiracy. On January 23, 2024, Radillo-Bernal pled guilty to transporting an illegal alien resulting in the death of any person. After completing his term of imprisonment, Radillo-Bernal will be subject to deportation proceedings. Estrada-Velasquez pled guilty to conspiracy to transport illegal aliens on October 19, 2023, and was sentenced to 36 months in federal prison. After completing his term of imprisonment, Estrada-Velasquez will be subject to deportation proceedings. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Jason T. Stevens, Acting Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations - El Paso, made the announcement today. Homeland Security Investigations investigated this case with the assistance of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Assistant United States Attorney Alyson R. Hehr prosecuted the case. Migrants attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border face grave dangers and risks. The harsh desert terrain, with scorching temperatures, rugged mountains, and vast stretches without water, poses immense physical challenges that have led to thousands of deaths from dehydration, heat stroke, and exposure. Migrants are also preyed upon by criminal organizations and human traffickers who exploit, extort, and abandon them in remote areas, leaving them vulnerable to violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. Those involved in human smuggling operations, including foot guides, drivers, and coordinators, face severe legal consequences if caught and prosecuted. Human smuggling is a federal crime under U.S. law, with penalties that can include hefty fines and lengthy prison sentences, especially in cases involving death, serious injury, or other aggravating factors. # # #


title: Mailing Drugs to Iowa Results in Federal Prison Sentence for California Man

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A California man who used the mail to send dangerous drugs to Iowa was sentenced June 11, 2024, to more than seven years in federal prison. Tyler Vuong Le, age 28, from Anaheim California, received the prison term after a January 3, 2024, guilty plea to distribution of a controlled substance. In a plea agreement, Le admitted he mailed packages on multiple occasions from California to Iowa that were pressed to look like oxycodone pills, but instead contained other controlled substances including fentanyl. Le believed the pills would be redistributed in Iowa. Le also sent cocaine, counterfeit Adderall pills containing methamphetamine, and LSD to Iowa. Fortunately, these items were being sent to an individual that was working with law enforcement and the controlled substances, including over 5,900 of the counterfeit oxycodone pills, were seized by law enforcement before they could be redistributed. According to the DEA, fentanyl is a potent synthetic opioid drug that is 100 times more potent that morphine and 50 times more potent than heroin. https://www.dea.gov/sites/default/files/2023-06/Fentanyl%202022%20Drug%20Fact%20Sheet-update.pdf Le was sentenced in Cedar Rapids by United States District Court Judge Leonard T. Strand. Le was sentenced to 87 months’ imprisonment. He must also serve a 4-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Le is being held in the United States Marshal’s custody until he can be transported to a federal prison. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Emily K. Nydle and was investigated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program of the United States Department of Justice through a cooperative effort of the United States Postal Inspectors, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and a Federal Task Force composed of the Waterloo Police Department, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms assisted by the Black Hawk County Sheriff’s Office and Cedar Falls Police Department. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 23-cr-2042. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: Pontotoc County Resident Pleads Guilty To Assault In Indian Country

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Eastern

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma announced that Brenden Kaleb Rains, age 25, of Pontotoc County, Oklahoma, entered a guilty plea to one count of Assault with a Dangerous Weapon with Intent to do Bodily Harm in Indian Country and one count of Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. The Indictment against Rains alleged that on August 29, 2023, Rains attacked an individual with a dangerous weapon, intending to do harm, and caused that individual serious bodily injury. The crimes occurred in Pontotoc County, within the boundaries of the Chickasaw Nation Reservation, in the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The charges arose from an investigation by the Chickasaw Nation Lighthorse Police and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. 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. Rains was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal Service pending sentencing. Assistant United States Attorney Kevin Gross represented the United States.


title: Brooklyn Woman Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Traffic Firearms into Brooklyn

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Ariana Charles pleaded guilty to trafficking firearms and conspiring to distribute fentanyl and cocaine base. The proceeding was held before United States District Judge William F. Kuntz II. The defendant was charged in January 2024 under the provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the first federal statute specifically designed to target gun trafficking, which Congress and the President enacted in June 2022. When sentenced, Charles faces a maximum sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment for the controlled substance distribution conspiracy and 15 years’ imprisonment for firearms trafficking. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, Frank A Tarentino III, Special Agent-in-Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration, New York Division (DEA) and Edward A. Caban, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the guilty plea. “This Office has made it a top priority to stop the illicit flow of firearms and drugs into our community and today’s guilty plea is the result of those ongoing efforts,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “Gang members, felons and violent individuals who use deadly weapons to inflict irreparable harm on our community do not come into possession of these instruments of death out of thin air; instead, they rely on traffickers like this defendant, who must be held accountable for their role in the violence that results from the use of these weapons.” According to the indictment, statements made during the plea proceeding and court documents, Charles personally sold 18 firearms to an undercover law enforcement officer (the “UC”) in residential areas of Brooklyn in broad daylight, including in and around the New York City Housing Authority’s Breukelen Houses, outside other apartment buildings and in shopping center parking lots. The UC told Charles and her co-conspirators that he was a drug dealer who needed guns and was going to resell them. Several guns sold by Charles were purchased in Virginia and Georgia and then transported to New York. Among other weapons, Charles sold a firearm with a defaced serial number and several semi-automatic rifles. Charles also sold drugs to the UC, including crack cocaine and fentanyl. Some of the fentanyl she sold had been disguised as Oxycodone pills. Four of Charles’s co-conspirators are awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to conspiring to traffic firearms into Brooklyn in the first case in New York to publicly charge the gun trafficking provisions of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. The case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section. Assistant United States Attorneys Adam Amir, Irisa Chen and James R. Simmons are in charge of the prosecution. The Defendant : ARIANA CHARLES Age: 28 Brooklyn, New York E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 24-CR-8 (WFK)


title: New York City Resident Sentenced to Prison for Defrauding Wisconsin Residents in Professional Sports Ticket Scam

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on June 12, 2024, Nikhil S. Mahtani (age: 28) of New York, New York, was sentenced to 15 months in federal prison for wire fraud. According to court documents, between approximately January 4, 2019, and December 11, 2022, Mahtani placed over one thousand ads on Craigslist offering high end tickets and luxury box suites to National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA), and other professional sporting events around the country. Numerous individuals throughout the Eastern District of Wisconsin were victimized by Mahtani, who accepted thousands of dollars in payments for tickets and suites he knew were not legitimate. In one instance, a large group of friends and family members showed up at Fiserv Forum the night the Milwaukee Bucks won the NBA Championship in 2021, only to be turned away and told they had been scammed. Mahtani is estimated to have received approximately $120,000 from over 100 victims in Wisconsin and across the United States. At the sentencing hearing, Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach noted the serious nature of the crime and the need to deter the defendant and others from engaging in this type of fraud. He rejected Mahtani’s request for probation noting that this was not a “crime of impulse,” but rather a “systematic victimization” of sports fans who had their hearts set on attending a variety of professional sporting events including Green Bay Packers and Milwaukee Bucks games. Mahtani will spend 15 months in prison and was ordered to pay $88,000 in restitution to his victims. He will also spend three years on supervised release. This case was investigated by the New York Police Department Financial Crimes Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, and the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Daniel R. Humble. # # # For further information contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov (414) 297-1700 Follow us on Twitter


title: Oregon Check Casher Found Guilty for Role in Payroll Tax Scheme

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—A federal jury in Portland found the operator of a local chain of check cashing businesses guilty today for his role in a multiyear scheme to obstruct the IRS from collecting payroll and income taxes on construction workers’ wages. David A. Katz, 48, of Tualatin, Oregon, was found guilty of conspiracy to defraud the United States and filing false currency transaction reports with the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN). “This defendant’s efforts to help others circumvent their tax responsibilities was thwarted thanks to the dedicated criminal investigators at the IRS. Business owners who abuse the system and help others hide taxable income will be held accountable,” said Natalie Wight, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. “Our tax system is based on the honesty and integrity of taxpayers who understand that taxes fund the common good. However, there are some, like Mr. Katz, who choose to line their own pockets at the expense of their friends and neighbors,” said Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes, IRS Criminal Investigation (CI), Seattle Field Office. “Mr. Katz’s conviction by a jury of his peers emphasizes the fact that no one is above paying their fair share, and shows that CI is committed to investigating those who choose to undermine their communities.” According to court documents and trial testimony, from January 2014 through December 2017, Katz, the compliance officer of Check Cash Pacific, Inc., conspired with others in the construction industry to defraud the United States by facilitating under-the-table payments to construction workers. To carry out the scheme, sham construction companies were created and used to cash more than $177 million in payroll checks at different Check Cash Pacific locations. The cash was used to pay construction workers under-the-table, with no taxes being withheld or reported to the IRS. Construction companies would notify Katz when they planned to bring checks into one of his check cashing locations so that Katz could ensure he had enough cash on hand to complete the transaction. Hundreds of thousands of dollars of payroll checks were cashed daily and Katz was aware that at least one of his co-conspirators used a false name and social security number. For his role in the scheme, Katz received a 2% commission on each transaction which, in total, amounted to more than $4 million. Over the course of their conspiracy, Katz and his co-conspirators prevented the IRS from collecting more than $44 million in payroll and income taxes due on the cash wages. On December 2, 2021, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a five-count indictment charging Katz and five others with conspiracy to defraud the United States. Katz was charged in the same indictment with four counts of filing false currency transaction reports with FinCEN. Conspiracy to defraud the United States is punishable by up to five years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years’ supervised release. Filing false currency transaction reports is punishable by up to 10 years in federal prison, a $250,000 fine, and three years’ supervised release. Three of Katz’s co-conspirators have pleaded guilty to felony charges stemming from their roles in the conspiracy. Two are awaiting sentencing and the third was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison. Another co-conspirator is awaiting trial and one is a fugitive. This case was investigated by IRS-CI. It was prosecuted by Robert S. Trisotto and Andrew T. Ho, Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Oregon.


title: Customs and Border Protection Officer Convicted by Federal Jury of Receiving Bribes, Allowing Drug-Laden Vehicles to Enter the U.S.

component: USAO - California, Southern

body_text: NEWS RELEASE SUMMARY – June 12, 2024 SAN DIEGO – Former U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer Leonard Darnell George was convicted by a federal jury late Monday, June 10, of accepting bribes to allow vehicles containing methamphetamine and other illicit drugs to pass through the border into the U.S. George was also convicted of allowing vehicles with unauthorized individuals to pass through his lane and into the U.S. while working for two separate criminal organizations. During the trial, several witnesses testified that George agreed to allow drug-laden vehicles enter the U.S. through his lane in late 2021. George would notify members of the drug trafficking organization when he was at work, what lane he was on, and that they had one hour to reach his lane. However, in February 2022 after an alert placed by law enforcement agents on a suspected drug smuggling vehicle was flagged entering George’s lane, George was forced to send the vehicle to secondary revealing approximately 222 pounds of methamphetamine. Undeterred, George allowed a second drug-laden vehicle affiliated with the drug trafficking organization and traveling directly behind the flagged vehicle enter the U.S. with over 200 pounds of drugs. Text messages sent by George the following day reveal he received approximately $13,000 for the vehicle he allowed to enter the U.S. On the same day he received his bribe payment, George purchased a 2020 Cadillac CT5 for an associate of the drug trafficking organization as a gift. George delivered the Cadillac CT5 to the associate in Ensenada on Valentine’s Day. Over the course of six months, George continued to allow vehicles containing drugs and undocumented individuals to enter the U.S. through his lane.George repeatedly omitted passengers and the true names of drivers coming through his lane, instead entering the names of others to conceal his criminal activities. Law enforcement agents and prosecutors identified approximately 19 crossings associated with the criminal organizations during the six-month time period. Text messages confirmed George agreed to allow vehicles through his lane for $17,000 per vehicle, $34,000 for two vehicles, $51,000 for three vehicles, or $65,000 for four vehicles. One text message confirmed that George received $68,000 after he allowed four vehicles from one organization to enter his lane in June 2022. Testimony from a witness confirmed that George purchased vehicles, motorcycles, and jewelry with the proceeds of his illicit activities. Additionally, on George’s days off, he travelled to Tijuana to visit Hong Kong Gentlemen’s Club where he spent approximately $5,000 per trip. He would stand on the second level of the club and throw cash over the balcony to the dancers below, “showering” them with money. He would buy bottles of alcohol, and occasionally gifts, for dancers. The extent of George’s relationship with traffickers revealed itself when prosecutors admitted a photograph of one of George’s trafficking associates taking a selfie in George’s CBP uniform jacket. “With this verdict, the jury sent a clear message to anyone considering trading in their badge for cash,” said U.S. Attorney Tara K. McGrath. “Abandoning the integrity of the uniform for the conspiracy of drug trafficking is a path to a criminal conviction.” “As persons in positions of public trust, we are relied upon to serve and protect the American people,” said FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge, Stacey Moy. “We also rely on each other to uphold that sacred oath. Should that oath be violated, the FBI and it's law enforcement partners remain steadfast in our pursuit of justice, even if it means holding ourselves accountable.” “CBP does not tolerate misconduct within its ranks,” said Special Agent in Charge Elizabeth Cervantes of CBP’s Office of Professional Responsibility, San Diego Field Office. “The Office of Professional Responsibility’s efforts in this case and this latest court decision are a testament to CBP’s commitment to preserving the honor of its overwhelmingly professional workforce, and to its core values of vigilance, integrity, and service to country.” “Today’s conviction shows HSI’s and our law enforcement partners dedication to dismantling criminal organizations and holding those criminals that enable their illicit activity accountable,” said Chris Davis, Special Agent in Charge for Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego. “There is no place in law enforcement for those who dishonor their badge and oath to protect our communities and our country.” “The Department of Homeland Security Office of the Inspector General is grateful for the continued collaboration with our law enforcement partners as we fight corruption along our Southern Border,” said Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari. “This guilty verdict sends a clear message that federal employees who violate the law will be held accountable for their actions.” The case was tried and prosecuted by lead Assistant U.S. Attorney Bianca Calderon-Peñaloza and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon J. Kimura. George’s sentencing is scheduled for September 13, 2024, at 9 a.m. before U.S. District Judge Todd W. Robinson. SUMMARY OF CHARGES Case Number 23CR1291 Receiving Bribe by Public Official – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 201 Maximum penalty: Fifteen years in prison Conspiracy to Import Controlled Substances – Title 21 U.S.C., Sections 952, 960, 963 Maximum penalty: Life in prison with a 10-year mandatory minimum Bringing in Certain Aliens for Financial Gain – Title 18 U.S.C., Section 371, Title 8 U.S.C., Section 1324(a)(2)(B)(ii) Maximum Penalty: Ten years in prison Bringing in Certain Aliens for Financial Gain – Title 18 U.S.C., Section 371, Title 8 U.S.C., Section 1324(a)(2)(B)(ii) Maximum Penalty: Ten years in prison INVESTIGATING AGENCIES Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Department of Homeland Security – Office of Inspector General (DHS OIG) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Customs and Border Protection – Office of Professional Responsibility (CBP OPR)


title: Toppenish Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Violent Armed Robbery

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Yakima, Washington - Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian sentenced Eduardo Valencia, age 42, of Toppenish, Washington, to 162 months in federal prison on charges of Robbery Affecting Commerce and Using, Carrying, or Brandishing a Firearm During a Crime of Violence. Valencia was convicted of those crimes on March 6, 2024, following a jury trial. Chief District Judge Bastian also imposed 5 years of federal supervision after Valencia is released from prison. According to court documents and information disclosed at trial and sentencing, on November 18, 2020, Valencia and an accomplice walked into the La Milpa Market in Yakima, Washington. Valencia and the accomplice pulled out firearms and demanded money from the clerk, whom they threatened to kill. Valencia and the accomplice then ran behind the counter, fought with the clerk, and ultimately pistol-whipped the clerk. Valencia and the accomplice ran out of the store with approximately $10,000. Both men were masked during the robbery, and Valencia was later identified through, among other things, DNA on a glove that he dropped during the fight with the clerk. “All people in Eastern Washington deserve to be safe at work. Mr. Valencia’s violent robbery and assault on a store clerk caused lasting trauma that will continue even after this case concludes,” stated United States Attorney Vanessa R. Waldref. “My office is committed to safeguarding our neighborhoods and communities by aggressively prosecuting those who resort to violence.” “Mr. Valencia’s actions clearly warranted this sentence,” said ATF Seattle Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Blais. “Using a firearm in the commission of an already violent crime only further increases the danger to those involved, and to the public in general.” This case was investigated by the ATF and Yakima Police Department. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Tom Hanlon.


title: Dual Citizen Federally Charged After Agents Seize Nearly 200k Fentanyl Pills and Other Illicit Drugs

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: Salt Lake City, Utah – A dual citizen living in Utah was indicted by a federal grand jury today in Salt Lake City for federal drug crimes after FBI agents seized a variety of narcotics, including approximately 196,000 fentanyl pills. According to court documents, Francisco Jesus Bravo, 34, of West Valley City, Utah, became part of a criminal investigation in April 2024, by the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force for allegedly intending to distribute large quantities of narcotics into Utah. As part of the investigation, in May 2024, agents seized approximately 19,802 grams (package weight) of field-tested positive fentanyl that is estimated to be approximately 190,000 pills and a digital scale from Bravo’s storage unit in West Valley City. Agents also seized approximately 2,968.5 grams (package weight) of field-tested positive methamphetamine; approximately 624.72 grams (package weight) of field-tested positive fentanyl that estimated to be approximately 6,000 pills; approximately 295.77 grams (package weight) of field-tested positive heroin; and a digital scale at Bravo’s residence in West Valley City. At a residence in Kearns, Utah, agents seized 860.28 grams (package weight) of field-tested positive heroin. As a result, Bravo was arrested. Bravo is charged with possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of fentanyl with intent to distribute, and possession of heroin with intent to distribute. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for June 13, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. in courtroom 8.4 at the United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. U.S. Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement. The case is being investigated by the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Seth Nielsen of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah 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. The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Foreign National Accused of Attempting to Traffic Over 38 Kilos of Methamphetamine in Utah

body_text: Salt Lake City, Utah – A federal grand jury returned an indictment today charging a foreign national living in Utah for drug crimes after he allegedly possessed over 38,000 grams of methamphetamine that he intended to distribute in the District of Utah. According to court documents, Fermin Castro-Tovar, 25, of West Valley City, Utah, sold illegal narcotics to an undercover agent during a controlled purchase. This controlled purchase from Castro-Tovar was one of several controlled purchases made by agents with the Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force, which received information that a drug trafficking organization was trafficking narcotics in the Salt Lake Valley. During the investigation, agents viewed video surveillance of Castro-Tovar accessing a storage unit in question days before agents seized approximately 24,020 grams of field-tested presumptively positive methamphetamine. Agents also seized approximately 3,401 grams of field-tested methamphetamine at Castro-Tovar’s residence. Additionally, agents seized approximately 11,417 grams of field-tested presumptively positive methamphetamine at an apartment. Castro-Tovar is charged with possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute. His initial appearance on the indictment is scheduled for June 14, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. in courtroom 8.4 at the United States District Courthouse in downtown Salt Lake City. U.S. Attorney, Trina A. Higgins, of the District of Utah made the announcement. The case is being investigated by the FBI Wasatch Metro Drug Task Force. Assistant United States Attorney Seth Nielsen of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Utah 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 . The case was investigated under the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Vero Beach Resident Sentenced to Over 15 Years in Federal Prison for Distributing Fentanyl

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI– On June 10, Sudiata Stinson, 47, of Vero Beach, Fla., was sentenced to 188 months in prison for distributing a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl, by U.S. District Judge Jose E. Martinez sitting in Miami. On February 7, Stinson pleaded guilty to an indictment charging two counts of distributing a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of fentanyl before U.S. Magistrate Judge Shaniek Maynard, sitting in Fort Pierce, Fla. According to court documents filed in the case, following the fentanyl overdose death of a young Vero Beach woman, law enforcement began investigating Stinson as the source of supply. Over the next few months, in a joint investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Indian River County Sheriff’s Office (IRCSO) orchestrated two purchases of fentanyl from Stinson, which led to his indictment for two counts of distributing fentanyl. U.S. Attorney Markenzy Lapointe for the Southern District of Florida, Special Agent in Charge Deanne L. Reuter of the DEA Miami Field Division, and Sheriff Eric Flowers of the IRCSO made the announcement. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Hoover. According to the DEA’s National Drug Threat Assessment , synthetic drugs, such as fentanyl, are poisoning the nation. Fentanyl is the deadliest drug threat the United States has ever faced, killing 38,000 Americans in the first six months of 2023 alone. Just one fentanyl pill can kill, as noted in DEA’s One Pill Can Kill campaign. Two milligrams of fentanyl is considered a potentially fatal dose and laboratory testing indicates seven out of 10 pills seized by the DEA contain a lethal dose of fentanyl. The public is encouraged to be cautious. Related court documents and information may be found on the website of the District Court for the Southern District of Florida at www.flsd.uscourts.gov or at http://pacer.flsd.uscourts.gov under case number 23-CR-14040. ###


title: Manchester Man Sentenced for Intending to Traffic Methamphetamine and Fentanyl

component: USAO - New Hampshire

body_text: CONCORD – A Manchester man was sentenced in federal court for drug trafficking offenses, U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young announces. John Barber, 32, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Samantha Elliott to 60 months in federal prison and 3 years of supervised release. The defendant was ordered to forfeit approximately $3,000. “The defendant possessed significant amounts of fentanyl and methamphetamine that he intended to traffic into our communities,” said U.S. Attorney Jane E. Young. “The sentence imposed by the Court not only stops the defendant from selling drugs for the next 60 months, but it also strips from him his ill-gotten drug trafficking proceeds.” “John Barber intended to traffic significant amounts of meth and fentanyl onto New Hampshire’s streets,” said Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Boston Division. “But thankfully, the FBI’s Major Offender Task Force and the New Hampshire State Police were able to stop him. Today’s sentence puts Mr. Barber officially out of business.” On February 23, 2022, a New Hampshire State Trooper stopped a car on Interstate 93 for a traffic violation. The defendant was a passenger in the car. After the driver gave consent to search the car, law enforcement officers found numerous plastic baggies, a digital scale and a locked zipper pouch in the vicinity of the defendant. The pouch was later searched pursuant to a warrant and contained roughly 45 grams of methamphetamine and 130 grams of fentanyl. The defendant had $2,000 in his pocket and over $1,000 in his wallet. The defendant admitted that he intended to distribute the pouch of drugs to someone else. On August 23, 2022, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant of a camper belonging to the defendant in Manchester and found approximately 75 grams of methamphetamine in a plastic bag containing other smaller baggies, in the defendant’s bedroom. The defendant admitted the methamphetamine was his. The method of packaging and quantity of methamphetamine is indicative of distribution. The charging statute provides a sentence of no greater than 20 years in prison, at least three (3) years of supervised release, and a maximum fine of $1,000,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. The Federal Bureau of Investigation led the investigation. Valuable assistance was provided by the Manchester Police Department and the New Hampshire State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Aaron Gingrande and Matthew Hunter are prosecuting the case. ###


title: Omaha Man Sentenced to Nearly 12 Years Imprisonment for Armed Bank Robberies

body_text: United States Attorney Susan T. Lehr announced that on June 12, 2024, Tre D. Boswell, 27, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced in federal court in Omaha, for bank robbery and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence. Chief United States District Judge Robert F. Rossiter, Jr. sentenced Boswell to 141 months’ imprisonment and to pay $195,217.50 in restitution. There is no parole in the federal system. After his release from prison, Boswell will be required to complete a 5-year term of supervised release. Boswell and another suspect, brandishing a firearm, robbed, or attempted to rob a series of banks in the Omaha area between December of 2021 and December of 2022. Although Boswell and the second suspect concealed their appearances during the robberies, investigators obtained their general physical descriptions and a detailed description of the firearm they used in the robberies. The suspects threatened bank employees with the firearm and nearly $200,000 was stolen from two banks during the completed robberies. Investigators collected potential DNA evidence throughout the investigation and ultimately obtained warrants authorizing them to obtain a sample of Boswell’s DNA, and to seize and search his cell phone. In addition to the physical descriptions of the suspects and of the firearm, GPS data from Boswell’s phone placed him in the vicinity of the robberies when they occurred, and DNA evidence further corroborated his involvement. The other suspect has not been identified at this time. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Great Plains Violent Crimes Task Force and the Omaha Police Department.