title: Local students exposed to art through U.S. Attorney’s Office art mentoring program

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – For the first time since COVID-19, the Artify Art Mentoring Program of the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the Southern District of Florida has returned. Part of the Law Enforcement Coordination and Community Outreach Section, USAO, this program pairs Paul L. Dunbar K-8 Center students with art mentors from New World School of the Arts, Visual Arts Program, in Miami. The program, which staff began in 2016, was started because research showed the arts provide students with more creative outlets, additional skills, and career options. The proximity of Dunbar K-8 Center to New World School of the Arts made it a natural choice to pilot the program. “It’s a way for a seasoned college art student to provide knowledge on different art subjects to young students who may not get that exposure otherwise,” said Law Enforcement Coordination Specialist Michael L. Martinez. “Each mentor may focus on different mediums. This year, for instance, we have one mentor who specializes in sculpting but has a background in drawing and painting.” Job opportunities for art students include fine artist creating and selling original work; illustrator; graphic designer; art teacher; and interior/furniture designer, among others. “We are always trying to find new ways to impact the lives of our youth and communities in the best way possible,” said Law Enforcement Coordination Specialist Mark McKinney. “Art is a way for students to express themselves and the feelings they have in that moment, plus learn life skills that may benefit them down the road.” New World School of the Arts mentors work with the entire Dunbar 8 th -grade class, which comprises 17 students. The mentors come to Dunbar and work with the class twice per month. The small class size ensures plenty of one-on-one instruction. “The students see the same mentor each session,” said Martinez. “It’s a good way for them to establish trust and build a rapport. You can see the relationship grow. At first, the students may be hesitant to participate or ask questions of the mentor, but as time moves on, they really open up. It’s nice to see.” Past ideas for the students have included new murals on school walls and minor repairs to existing murals, in addition to various assignments provided by the art mentor. “Artify promotes self-esteem, fosters creativity, builds positive relationships, and teaches life skills like problem solving, persistence, and collaboration,” said Community Outreach Specialist Robin McCowen. “Students learn that they have options, and they feel empowered to make positive choices and contribute to their communities.” It’s not just the students who are excited, the mentors also enjoy the interaction. “They’re excited to be in the program,” said Martinez. “Their enthusiasm comes through when teaching the kids. You can see it when they have that lightbulb moment and learn a new skill. It’s special for the mentors.” You may find a copy of this press release (and any updates) on the website of the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Florida at www.justice.gov/usao-sdfl . A New World School of the Arts mentor recently showed Paul L. Dunbar 8 th -grade students techniques to produce art projects using a cyanotype paper, sun exposure, and water to create an almost x-ray effect. The mentorship program is a collaboration between Law Enforcement Coordination & Community Outreach Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the Visual Arts Program of New World School of the Arts. ###


title: Convicted sex offender heads to prison for uploading child pornography to Google accounts

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: McALLEN, Texas – A 38-year-old McAllen resident has been sentenced for transporting child pornography, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. Oscar Ramirez Jr. pleaded guilty Oct. 23, 2023. U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez has now ordered Ramirez to serve 180 months in federal prison. At the hearing, the court heard additional information including that Ramirez had approximately 2,070 files of child pornography, of which 64 were videos. Some videos were over 20 minutes long. In handing down the prison terms, the court reviewed victim letters and noted child pornography is not a victimless crime as these victims continue to suffer lifelong consequences as a result of the abuse they suffered now memorialized on the internet. Ramirez was further ordered to pay $20,000 in restitution to known victims and will serve the rest of his life on supervised release following completion of his prison term. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. The court also heard that Ramirez was previously convicted of aggravated sexual assault in 2010. He will again be ordered to register as a sex offender following this sentence. In July 2022, law enforcement received information involving an individual uploading multiple files of child pornography to a Google account on or about May 4, 2022. Authorities determined the IP address associated with this activity belonged to Ramirez. A review of the Google accounts associated with Ramirez revealed images and videos of child pornography. Ramirez also had images and videos of a nude minor victim Ramirez had recorded from outside a window as well as from a vent in the ceiling of a bathroom. In September 2022, law enforcement executed a federal search warrant at his residence in McAllen. At that time, Ramirez identified himself in videos on the Google accounts. Ramirez will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future. Homeland Security Investigations Rio Grande Valley Child Exploitation Investigations Task Force conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexa D. Parcell prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page .


title: La Vista Woman Sentenced to more than 11 Years’ Imprisonment for Drug Charge

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that, Asia Gabriel Blackburn, 29, of La Vista, Nebraska, was sentenced March 27, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, after having pled guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, cocaine, and methamphetamine. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Blackburn to 140 months’ imprisonment on the drug charge. After completing her term of imprisonment, Blackburn will be required to serve a 5-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. On October 22, 2022, law enforcement located a suspicious parcel at a Omaha UPS facility. After a drug detecting canine indicated the presence of narcotics in the parcel, a search warrant was obtained. A subsequent search revealed approximately 123 grams of blue M-30 fentanyl pills, 523 grams of cocaine, and 13.4 grams of meth. On October 24, 2022, law enforcement obtained an anticipatory search warrant for a controlled delivery to the South Omaha residence the parcel was addressed to. A law enforcement officer acting in an undercover capacity delivered the parcel where Asia Blackburn accepted it and took it inside the residence. The search warrant was executed shortly thereafter revealing the unopened package. During the execution of the search warrant Blackburn’s cell phone was seized. A search warrant executed on Blackburn’s phone revealed text messages referencing delivery of the package to Blackburn’s residence. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.


title: Omaha Man Sentenced for Failing to Register as a Sex Offender

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Dominique Boyd, age 31, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on March 27, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for failure to register as a sex offender. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Boyd to 18 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Boyd’s release from prison, he will begin a 5-year term of supervised release. Boyd has a lifetime registration requirement to register as a sex offender due to a 2010 conviction for Attempted Sexual Assault in the First Degree in the District Court of Douglas County, Nebraska. Boyd had previously registered as a sex offender in the state of Nebraska and moved to the state of Michigan in February 2023. Between May 13 th and August 8 th of 2023, Boyd returned to Nebraska from Michigan and failed to update his sex offender registration as required. This case was investigated by the United States Marshals Service.


title: Man Sentenced to 9 Years for Meth Conspiracy

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Jose Luis Garcia-Perez, 23, a Mexican citizen living in Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced March 27, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Garcia-Perez to 108 months’ imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. After Garcia-Perez’s release from prison, he will begin a 3-year term of supervised release. On August 2, 2023, Garcia-Perez arrived at an Autozone parking lot in Omaha to receive approximately 22.75 kilograms of meth coming from Texas. He was arrested by DEA agents along with three co-defendants. In a post-arrest interview after he was advised of his rights, Garcia-Perez admitted to agents that he was sent a message on Facebook to go to the Autozone parking lot to pick up some “things,” which he knew were drugs. Garcia-Perez further admitted this was not his first time picking up drugs. Co-defendants Gregorio Mina-Falcon, 35, of Omaha and Eliuth Montero-Barrera, 24, of Dallas have pleaded guilty to the same charge and are scheduled to be sentenced in May. Co-defendant Alexis Rodriguez, 22, of Dallas is scheduled to plead guilty to the same charge on March 28, 2023. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration.


title: Colorado Woman Sentenced to 15 Years’ Imprisonment for Drug and  Firearm Charges

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Sheri Ann Griego, 42, of Denver, Colorado, was sentenced March 27, 2024, in federal court in Omaha, Nebraska, after having pled guilty to possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Griego to 120 months’ imprisonment on the drug charge, and a consecutive 60 months’ imprisonment for the gun charge. After completing her term of imprisonment, Griego will be required to serve a 8-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. On December 1, 2021, Sheri Ann Griego and Daniel M. Gutirez were stopped while driving in the area of 8th and Brown Street, Omaha after officers observed their vehicle commit several traffic infractions. Griego was identified as the driver and Gutirez as the passenger. After speaking to the two, officers became suspicious that they were involved in criminal activity and Gutirez was asked if he had any weapons on him. Gutirez said he had a gun in his waistband. He was detained and a handgun was found in his waistband. A search of his person revealed a quantity of meth. A search of the car revealed a rifle wrapped in a coat between the front center console and passenger seat. A loaded high-capacity magazine was found on the passenger floorboard. A search of the trunk revealed a makeup bag containing approximately 100 grams of meth. A drug scale was found in a suitcase containing woman’s clothing. Gutirez was sentenced to 160 months’ imprisonment for gun and drug charges on June 26, 2023. This case was investigated by the Omaha Police Department and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.


title: Williston, ND, Man Pleads Guilty to Sexually Exploiting Several Minor Children

component: USAO - North Dakota

body_text: Bismarck – United States Attorney Mac Schneider, District of North Dakota, announced that Nicholas Anfin Nesdahl, age 29, from Williston, ND, appeared in Federal court on March 27, 2024, in Bismarck and pleaded guilty before District Court Judge Daniel M. Traynor to seven counts of producing or attempting to produce images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of minors charged in the District of North Dakota and two counts related to producing or attempting to produce and receiving images and videos of minors that were charged out of the Western District of Pennsylvania. Nesdahl is scheduled to be sentenced on June 24, 2024, is facing 360 to 3,240 months in Federal prison, with a mandatory minimum of 180 months. Nesdahl’s conduct consisted of himself friending minors using various social networking platforms on the internet. Once his friend request was granted, Nesdahl would begin to groom the minors to produce images and videos of themselves nude or engaging in sexual activity. The activity was first discovered and reported to law enforcement by a parent of two victims located in Pennsylvania, which then resulted in a search of Nesdahl’s residence in Williston, North Dakota. As a result of that search, it was discovered that Nesdahl had victimized at least seven other victims that were located in North Dakota, Minnesota, Maryland, Texas, and New Jersey. The victims ages ranged from 6 to 15 years of age. “Without the teamwork between our career prosecutors and their partners, this defendant would still be in the community preying on kids,” Schneider said. “While this guilty plea will increase public safety, it is also a reminder of the need to stay vigilant in the effort to protect children. The United States Attorney’s Office will continue to work closely with state and federal law enforcement to aggressively pursue child predators.” “Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) St. Paul special agents work tirelessly to combat child predators like Nesdahl,” said Jamie Holt, HSI St. Paul Special Agent in Charge. “We will continue to fight against the exploitation of children and support victims by providing critical resources and services. Well done to the HSI special agents in North Dakota and our law enforcement community partners for bringing Nesdahl to justice for his reprehensible crimes.” This case was prosecuted as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices throughout the nation, Project Safe Childhood, in conjunction with Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC), help federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies enhance their investigative responses to offenders who use the Internet, online communications systems, or computer technology to sexually exploit children. The ICAC Program is a national network of 61 coordinated task forces engaging in proactive investigations, forensic investigations, and criminal prosecutions. Project Safe Childhood also helps to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov. For additional resources for survivors or victims, help is available at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) and CyberTipline URL https://report.cybertip.org. This case is being investigated by the Homeland Security Investigations and the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigations Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gary Delorme, District of North Dakota. # # #


title: Eight Arrested in San Antonio, Houston, Corpus Christi Areas on Narcotics Trafficking Charges

body_text: SAN ANTONIO – Eight individuals were arrested in various cities across the Western and Southern Districts of Texas Tuesday on criminal charges related to their alleged narcotics trafficking. According to court documents, Rene Gonzales aka “Uber,” 31, Michael Fuentes, 50, Rene Velazquez, 52, of Mexico, Mario Zulaica, 50, George Gonzalez, 47, Reynaldo Sanchez, 38, Richard Gonzales, 40, and Rene Rivera, 41, were arrested as the result of an FBI-led investigation into the trafficking of methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin. During this investigation, federal, state and local law enforcement agencies seized nearly 60 kilograms of cocaine valued at more than $1 million, as well as more than $250,000 in cash. Additionally, FBI agents learned of a clandestine laboratory in Von Ormy, Texas, that had allegedly been used to convert liquid methamphetamine to crystal methamphetamine. Law enforcement agencies dismantled the lab, seizing approximately 15 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine and 16 gallons of liquid methamphetamine. Rene Gonzales is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine, one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of a mixture or substance containing cocaine, one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 100 grams of a mixture or substance containing heroin, one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, aiding and abetting, one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and two counts of possession with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of a mixture or substance containing cocaine, aiding and abetting. If convicted, he faces ten years to life in prison and a $10 million fine for counts one, two, four, five, six, and seven; and five to 40 years in prison with a $5 million fine for count three. Fuentes is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine, one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of a mixture or substance containing cocaine, one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 100 grams of a mixture or substance containing heroin, one count of possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, aiding and abetting, and two counts of possession with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of a mixture or substance containing cocaine, aiding and abetting. If convicted, he faces ten years to life in prison and a $10 million fine for counts one, two, four, six, and seven; and five to 40 years in prison with a $5 million fine for counts three and eight. Velazquez is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine, one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of a mixture or substance containing cocaine, and one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of a mixture or substance containing cocaine, aiding and abetting. If convicted, he faces ten years to life in prison and a $10 million fine per count. Zulaica is charged with one count of one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of a mixture or substance containing cocaine and one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 5 kilograms of a mixture or substance containing cocaine, aiding and abetting. If convicted, he faces ten years to life in prison and a $10 million fine per count. George Gonzalez is charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 100 grams of a mixture or substance containing heroin and one count of possession with intent to distribute more than 100 grams of a mixture or substance containing heroin, aiding and abetting. If convicted, he faces up to 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine per count. Sanchez, Richard Gonzales and Rivera are each charged with one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 500 grams of a mixture or substance containing methamphetamine. If convicted, the three face 10 years to life in prison with a $10 million fine. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. U.S. Attorney Jaime Esparza of the Western District of Texas made the announcement. The FBI; Drug Enforcement Administration; Immigration and Customs Enforcement; San Antonio Police Department; New Braunfels Police Department; Bexar County Sheriff's Office; Texas Department of Public Safety; Texas Department of Criminal Justice - Office of Inspector General; Boerne Police Department; Alice Police Department; Houston Police Department; Chambers County Sheriff's Office; Jefferson County Sheriff's Office; Corpus Christi Police Department; Laredo Police Department; and Hollywood Park Police Department are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Eric Yuen is prosecuting the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . An indictment is merely an allegation and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: New Haven Man Admits Stealing and Selling Catalytic Converters

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, announced that MICHAEL ALMODOVAR, also known as “Eme ElColorado,” 30, of New Haven, pleaded guilty today before U.S. District Judge Sarala V. Nagala in Hartford to offenses related to his participation in a stolen catalytic converter trafficking ring. According to court documents and statements made in court, law enforcement has been investigating the theft of catalytic converters from motor vehicles across Connecticut. A catalytic converter contains precious metals, can easily be removed from its vehicle, and is difficult to trace, making it a desirable target for thieves. The average scrap price for catalytic converters currently varies between $300 and $1,500, depending on the model and type of precious metal component. The investigation revealed that Downpipe Depot & Recycling LLC (“Downpipe Depot”), which had a warehouse on Park Avenue in East Hartford, purchased stolen catalytic converters from a network of thieves, including Almodovar, and then transported and sold the catalytic converters to recycling businesses in New York and New Jersey. Business records seized during the investigation revealed that, between March 2022 and May 2022, Downpipe Depot paid Almodovar $34,445 for catalytic converters. In one incident, while Almodovar was in the process of stealing a catalytic converter from a car parked in a parking lot, he was interrupted by a witness who used his cellphone take pictures of Almodovar. Almodovar attacked the witness, smashed his car window, cut him with the saw he used to steal the converter, and then fled. The next day, Almodovar sold six converters to Downpipe Depot in exchange for $2,180. Almodovar pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit interstate transportation of stolen property, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of five years, and one count of interstate transportation of stolen property, an offense that carries a maximum term of imprisonment of 10 years. Judge Nagala scheduled sentencing for June 18. Almodovar was arrested on November 28, 2023. He is detained pending sentencing. This investigation is being led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation Division (IRS-CI), and the East Hartford Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Lauren C. Clark and A. Reed Durham.


title: Statement Of U.S. Attorney Damian Williams On The Convictions Of Three Lev Tahor Leaders Of Child Exploitation And Kidnapping Offenses

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: “Yoil Weingarten, Yakov Weingarten, and Shmiel Weingarten, leaders of Lev Tahor, an extremist Jewish sect based in Guatemala, have been found guilty of kidnapping a 12-year-old boy and a 14-year-old girl and transporting the 14-year-old girl outside the United States to continue a sexual relationship with her adult male ‘husband.’ With this verdict, all nine Lev Tahor leaders and operatives charged for these heinous crimes have been held accountable. The defendants’ conduct — which included forced child marriages, physical beatings, and family separations — is unthinkable and has caused irreparable harm to children in their formative years. Whether in the name of religion or any other belief system, subjecting children to physical, sexual, or emotional abuse will never be tolerated by this Office.”


title: Maryland Man Sentenced to Six Years in Federal Prison for Lying to a Federal Grand Jury in Connection with a Murder

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Baltimore , Maryland – Chief U.S. District Judge James K. Bredar today sentenced John Willie Kennedy, a/k/a “Cognac” and “Yak,” age 46, of Gaithersburg, Maryland, to six years in federal prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for obstruction of justice, specifically for lying to a federal grand jury and to law enforcement in connection with a murder. The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Erek L. Barron; Special Agent in Charge Toni M. Crosby of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Baltimore Field Division; Commissioner Richard Worley of the Baltimore Police Department; Chief Gregory Der of the Howard County Police Department and Howard County State’s Attorney Rich Gibson. According to court documents, on September 3, 2017, Meiko Locksley was found shot in front of a townhouse in the 5500 block of Harpers Farm Road in Columbia, Maryland. Locksley was transported to the hospital, where he was pronounced deceased. Kennedy, who called 911 to report the shooting, lived in the townhouse row directly behind the townhouses where Locksley was found. In the days following the shooting, law enforcement interviewed Kennedy about the shooting, but Kennedy claimed he had not seen anything. Kennedy said he was at home and found Locksley after hearing a loud “bang” and going to investigate. Although Kennedy claimed not to have seen Locksley on September 3, phone records showed that the two had a series of calls shortly before Locksley was killed. According to his plea agreement, on January 4, 2018, investigators interviewed Kennedy again, confronting him with the phone contact between his cellphone and Locksley’s cellphone. Kennedy admitted that he “might have” sold marijuana to Locksley but denied having any information about the shooting. Kennedy again maintained that he was in his house and only went out to investigate after hearing gunshots. After the murder weapon was found in Baltimore City in March 2020, federal investigators obtained a search warrant for location data for Kennedy’s cellphone at the time of the murder. The location data proved that at the time of the murder, Kennedy was in the parking lot in front of the townhouse where Locksley was killed. As detailed in the plea agreement, on April 4, 2021, Kennedy falsely testified before the federal grand jury that he was in his house at the time that Meiko Locksley was shot. Federal investigators subsequently learned that witnesses saw Kennedy in front of the townhome where Locksley was shot immediately before and after the shooting. Kennedy was seen putting something in the back of his truck immediately after the shooting, then ran towards the direction of his townhome. Kennedy admits that he lied to the grand jury and that by doing so he obstructed the proceeding and impeded the investigation. This case was made possible by investigative leads generated from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives’ National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (“NIBIN”). NIBIN is the only national network that allows for the capture and comparison of ballistic evidence to aid in solving and preventing violent crimes involving firearms. NIBIN is a proven investigative and intelligence tool that can link firearms from multiple crime scenes, allowing law enforcement to quickly disrupt shooting cycles. For more information on NIBIN, visit https://www.atf.gov/firearms/national-integrated-ballistic-information-network-nibin. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (“PSN”), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. United States Attorney Erek L. Barron commended the ATF, the Baltimore Police Department, the Howard County Police Department, and the Howard County State’s Attorney’s Office for their work in the investigation and prosecution. Mr. Barron thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kim Hagan and Colleen Elizabeth McGuinn, who prosecuted the case. For more information on the Maryland U.S. Attorney’s Office, its priorities, and resources available to help the community, please visit https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/project-safe-neighborhoods-psn and https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/community-outreach . # # #


title: Man Sentenced for $87M Healthcare Fraud Kickback Conspiracy

component: Criminal Division

body_text: UPDATE The defendant’s conviction was overturned pursuant to a decision by the Seventh Circuit, and he was acquitted on all counts. An owner of a durable medical equipment (DME) company was sentenced yesterday to three and a half years in prison and ordered to forfeit $1.8 million for his participation in a healthcare fraud kickback conspiracy. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Mark Sorensen, 53, of Chicago, owned Symed Inc. (Symed), a Chicago DME pharmacy that paid illegal kickbacks to obtain patients to bill to Medicare, TRICARE, and the Department of Labor’s Office of Workers’ Compensation Programs. Between 2015 and 2018, Sorensen illegally bought patient leads from Bernie Perconti, who in turn obtained the leads from others, including Craig O’Neil and Christine Anderson. Sorensen and his co-conspirators also tricked patients into agreeing to receive braces. Many times, patients received braces that they did not need or want, and sometimes received four, five, or six braces. The co-conspirators also repeatedly called and faxed doctors to get them to sign the prescriptions authorizing the braces. In total, Sorensen and his co-conspirators, through Symed, fraudulently billed Medicare $87 million and received $23.6 million. Perconti, O’Neil, and Anderson each pleaded guilty to conspiracy to pay and receive kickbacks in October 2019, July 2020, and January 2021, respectively. Perconti and O’Neil are scheduled to be sentenced at a later date. Anderson was sentenced in April 2022. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; Special Agent in Charge Robert W. Wheeler Jr. of the FBI Chicago Field Office; Special Agent in Charge Mario Pinto for the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG); Special Agent in Charge Irene Lindow for the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG); and Special Agent in Charge Darrin K. Jones of the Department of Defense Office of Inspector General, Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) Southeast Field Office made the announcement. The FBI, HHS-OIG, DOL-OIG, and DCIS are investigating the cases. Assistant Chief Leslie S. Garthwaite and Trial Attorney Jeffrey Crapko of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case.


title: Seventh Correctional Officer at Federal Facility in Dublin, California, Sentenced to Prison for Sexual Abuse of Female Prisoners

body_text: A former correctional officer at the Federal Correctional Institution Dublin (FCI Dublin), where he supervised prisoners, was sentenced to 72 months in prison for sexually abusing five inmates at FCI Dublin. This is the seventh correctional officer to be sentenced in connection with the wide-ranging investigation into sexual abuse of the inmates in the prison. Nakie Nunley, 48, of Fairfield, California, pleaded guilty on Sep. 5, 2023 to four counts of sexual abuse of a ward, five counts of abusive sexual contact, and one count of making false statements in connection with the investigation into abuse allegations at FCI Dublin. In addition to admitting he was guilty of crimes related to his sexual acts and sexual contacts with five separate women, Nunley also describes in his plea agreement how he engaged in sexual acts with two other inmates and how he lied to Justice Department Office of Inspector General (DOJ-OIG) agents who were investigating allegations regarding his conduct. “Nakie Nunley egregiously exploited his authority by sexually abusing multiple incarcerated women and then retaliating against those who blew the whistle,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “As today’s sentence shows, the Justice Department will hold accountable officials who abuse their authority to harm those they are sworn to protect — and will not tolerate retaliation against victims.” “Rooting out injustice in prisons is difficult work,” said U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey for the Northern District of California. “But we will not shy away from the task. I want to thank the DOJ-OIG and the FBI for their continued partnership in prosecuting this case. With their help, we will ensure that prison personnel who violate the rights of inmates are held accountable.” “Today’s sentencing holds Nunley accountable for his heinous abuse of his authority by sexually assaulting multiple inmates under his custody and care, and retaliating against his victims by threatening to take away their UNICOR jobs and transfer them to another facility,” said Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz. of DOJ-OIG “The DOJ-OIG will continue to aggressively investigate sexual abuse at FCI Dublin and across the Federal Bureau of Prisons.” "The defendant sexually assaulted multiple female inmates, disregarding their dignity and violating his responsibilities as a corrections officer,” said Assistant Director Michael D. Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. “Today’s sentencing demonstrates the FBI’s dedication to investigating civil rights violations and holding accountable any corrections officers who abuse their authority." At the time that Nunley abused his victims, he was assigned to supervise prisoners who worked for UNICOR, a trade name for the federal prison industries. All of Nunley’s victims worked at the UNICOR call center at the time he abused them. According to his plea agreement, Nunley admitted that, between March 2020 and November 2021, he engaged in sexual acts with two prisoners, including having oral and vaginal sex with one victim and digitally penetrating another victim on multiple occasions. He also admitted that he was guilty of crimes related to his illegal sexual contacts with three other prisoners. In addition to his conduct with the five victims that resulted in criminal charges, Nunley admitted he sexually abused two additional prisoners and engaged in inappropriate conduct with multiple other prisoners who worked at UNICOR. With respect to one victim, Nunley admitted he digitally penetrated her vagina and caused her to touch his penis under his pants, resulting in him ejaculating in her hand. Further, Nunley admitted he caused another victim to perform oral sex on him. Moreover, Nunley wrote sexual notes to one of his victims and made sexual comments to multiple additional victims. Nunley’s plea agreement also describes how he retaliated against prisoners who complained about his conduct. For example, the plea agreement describes how one of his victims approached Nunley about his conduct towards another victim. In response, Nunley threatened her by telling her she could get transferred to another facility and that she could lose her job. Similarly, Nunley admitted that he told another victim that if she wanted to keep her job at UNICOR, she needed to pull down her underwear and bend over. When she complied, Nunley slapped her buttocks several times. In addition to admitting he engaged in illegal and improper conduct towards prisoners, Nunley also admitted in his plea agreement that he lied to federal investigators about sexually abusing his victims and about sending one of his victims sexually explicit notes. DOJ-OIG and the FBI investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Molly K. Priedeman and Andrew Paulson for the Northern District of California are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Legal Assistant Kay Konopaske.


title: Florida Man Sentenced to 42 Months in Prison for Fraudulently Obtaining more than $1.5 Million in Unemployment Benefits and EIDL Loans

component: USAO - New Jersey

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Florida man was sentenced today to 42 months in prison for illegally obtaining more than $1.5 million in government benefits, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Michael Blanc, 34, of Miami, Florida, pleaded guilty on Sept. 13, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court on to an information charging him with wire fraud. Judge Shipp imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court. “Michael Blanc today learned the cost of taking advantage of government programs that were specifically designed to provide needed financial assistance to Americans during the COVID-19 pandemic. Combatting pandemic fraud in all of its forms is a top priority for this office and our law enforcement partners. We stand ready with our law enforcement partners to root out those who have exploited the suffering of others to line their own pockets.” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court: The Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act is a federal law designed to provide emergency financial assistance to Americans suffering the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. It expanded states’ ability to help many workers impacted by COVID-19, including for workers who are not ordinarily eligible for unemployment insurance benefits. The CARES Act also enabled the Small Business Association (SBA) to offer funding through the COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL) program to business owners negatively affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Blanc and others applied for unemployment insurance benefits in others’ names without their knowledge or consent and provided false information to induce state workforce agencies to approve those applications. He and others applied for EIDLs in others’ names without their knowledge or consent and provided false information in the applications to induce the SBA to approve the loan applications. Blanc and others obtained more than $1.5 million through their fraudulent scheme. In addition to the prison term, Judge Shipp sentenced Blanc to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay $1.7 million in restitution. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Inspector General, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Jonathan Mellone, in New York, and the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge is Scott Moffit, Cybercrime Investigations Division, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the FBI, Miami Division, and the New Jersey Department of Labor & Workforce Development for their assistance. The government is represented by Senior Trial Counsel Andrew Kogan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cybercrime Unit in Newark.


title: Thoreau Woman Pleads Guilty to Second-Degree Murder

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Second defendant pleads guilty to the brutal 2020 murder of a Gamerco, New Mexico woman. Stacey Yellowhorse , 53, of Thoreau, New Mexico pleaded guilty in federal court on Thursday to second degree murder. Yellowhorse ’s co-defendant, Timothy Chischilly, pleaded guilty in federal court to second-degree murder on Feb. 6, 2024. According to court documents, on Jan. 23, 2020, Yellowhorse and her then boyfriend, Chischilly, invited Jane Doe over to their house in Mexican Springs, New Mexico. During the night, Yellowhorse and Chischilly restrained Jane Doe and bludgeoned her to death. Afterwards, Yellowhorse and Chischilly burned Jane Doe’s remains. The Court ordered that Yellowhorse remain in detention pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, Yellowhorse faces up to life in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Per the terms of her plea agreement, Yellowhorse faces 10 to 20 years at sentencing. There is no parole in the federal system. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, made the announcement today. The Gallup Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case with assistance from the Navajo Nation Police Department and the Gallup Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kimberly Brawley and Tavo Hall are prosecuting the case. View the Plea Agreement # # #


title: Seventh Correctional Officer at Federal Facility in Dublin California Sentenced to Prison for Sexual Abuse of Female Prisoners

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: OAKLAND – Nakie Nunley, a former correctional officer at FCI Dublin where he supervised prisoners, has been ordered to serve 72 months on prison for sexually abusing five inmates at the Federal Correctional Institute Dublin (FCI Dublin). This is the seventh correctional officer to be sentenced in connection with the wide-ranging investigation into sexual abuse of the inmates in the prison. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers, United States District Judge. Nunley, 48, of Fairfield, Calif., pleaded guilty to the charges on September 5, 2023. Specifically, Nunley pleaded guilty to four counts of sexual abuse of a ward, five counts of abusive sexual contact, and one count of making false statements in connection with the investigation into abuse allegations at FCI Dublin. In addition to admitting he was guilty of crimes related to his sexual acts and sexual contacts with five separate women, Nunley also describes in his plea agreement how he engaged in sexual acts with two other inmates and how he lied to federal investigators who were investigating allegations regarding his conduct. “Nakie Nunley egregiously exploited his authority by sexually abusing multiple incarcerated women and then retaliating against those who blew the whistle,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “As today’s sentence shows, the Justice Department will hold accountable officials who abuse their authority to harm those they are sworn to protect — and will not tolerate retaliation against victims.” “Rooting out injustice in prisons is difficult work,” said U.S. Attorney Ismail Ramsey, “but we will not shy away from the task. I want to thank the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General and the FBI for their continued partnership in prosecuting this case. With their help, we will ensure that prison personnel who violate the rights of inmates are held accountable.” “Today’s sentencing holds Nunley accountable for his heinous abuse of his authority by sexually assaulting multiple inmates under his custody and care, and retaliating against his victims by threatening to take away their UNICOR jobs and transfer them to another facility. The Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General will continue to aggressively investigate sexual abuse at FCI Dublin and across the Federal Bureau of Prisons,” said Department of Justice Inspector General Michael E. Horowitz. “This sentence is the result of the tireless efforts by the FBI and our partners to bring to justice Dublin FCI corrections officers and personnel who abused their positions to commit deplorable crimes,” said FBI Special Agent in Charge Robert Tripp. “We continue to work with our partners to protect the safety and civil rights of all individuals and hold public servants accountable when they violate the law and betray public trust.” At the time that Nunley abused his victims, he was assigned to supervise prisoners who worked for UNICOR, a trade name for the federal prison industries. All of Nunley’s victims worked at the UNICOR call center at the time he abused them. According to his plea agreement, Nunley admitted that between March 2020 and November 2021, he engaged in sexual acts with two prisoners, including having oral and vaginal sex with one victim and digitally penetrating another victim on multiple occasions. He also admitted that he was guilty of crimes related to his illegal sexual contacts with three other prisoners. Further, in addition to his conduct with the five victims that resulted in criminal charges, Nunley admitted he sexually abused two additional prisoners and engaged in inappropriate conduct with multiple other prisoners who worked at UNICOR. With respect to one victim, Nunley admitted he digitally penetrated her vagina and caused her to touch his penis under his pants, resulting in him ejaculating in her hand. Further, Nunley admitted he caused another victim to perform oral sex on him. Moreover, Nunley wrote sexual notes to one of his victims and made sexual comments to multiple additional victims. Nunley’s plea agreement also describes how he retaliated against prisoners who complained about his conduct. For example, the plea agreement describes how one of his victims approached Nunley about his conduct towards another victim. In response, Nunley threatened her by telling her she could get transferred to another facility and that she could lose her job. Similarly, Nunley admitted that he told another victim that if she wanted to keep her job at UNICOR, she needed to pull down her underwear and bend over. When she complied, Nunley slapped her buttocks several times. In addition to admitting he engaged in illegal and improper conduct towards prisoners, Nunley also admitted in his plea agreement that he lied to federal investigators about sexually abusing his victims and about sending one of his victims sexually explicit notes. In sum, Nunley was charged by information with four counts of sexual abuse of a ward, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2243(b); five counts of abusive sexual contact, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2244(a)(4); and one count of making false statements to a government agency, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1001(a)(2). He pleaded guilty to all counts. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Molly K. Priedeman and Andrew Paulson are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Kay Konopaske. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the Department of Justice Office of the Inspector General and the FBI.


title: White Swan Couple Sentenced to Federal Prison for Carjacking and Violent Assault on the Yakama Nation

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Yakima, Washington – Chief United States District Judge Stanley A. Bastian sentenced Sundron Larsell Miller, age 37, to 25 years in federal prison for Carjacking, Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, Felon in Possession of a Firearm, and Assault with Intent to Commit Murder. The Court also sentenced Miller’s codefendant, Paula Eulojia Cantu-Lopez, age 28, to 17 years in federal prison for Carjacking, Brandishing a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence, and Assault Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury. Chief District Judge Bastian imposed 5 years of federal supervision on both defendants upon their release from custody. Miller and Cantu-Lopez are each from White Swan, Washington. According to court documents and information presented at trial and the sentencing hearing, Miller and Cantu-Lopez were romantically involved. On December 28, 2021, the victim was with both Miller and Cantu-Lopez driving in the area of Fort Simcoe Road on the Yakama Reservation. The victim was driving her pickup, and Miller began assaulting Cantu-Lopez. When the victim tried to intervene, both Miller and Cantu-Lopez turned and assaulted the victim, who is an enrolled member of the Yakama Nation. During the assault, the victim was pulled out of her own truck, and Miller attempted to shoot the victim with her own rifle. Miller pointed the rifle at the victim’s face, and the victim saw Miller pull the trigger and heard a “clicking “sound. Fortunately, the rifle was unloaded. After attempting to kill the victim, Miller and Cantu-Lopez beat the victim, threw her in the back of the truck and drove her to a residence in White Swan. After arriving at the residence, the victim was again beaten by Miller and Cantu-Lopez. Ultimately, the victim was able to break away and run for her life. The Yakama Nation Police Department quickly responded and collected evidence of the crimes. The Federal Bureau of Investigation also assisted in the investigation. Chief District Judge Bastian presided over the trial which began on August 7, 2023. A jury returned verdicts on August 11, 2023. “The victim in this case suffered horrifying acts of violence. I applaud her bravery in escaping, and her courage to come forward and engage with law enforcement to seek justice,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “I am grateful for our strong partnerships with the Yakama Nation Tribal Police Department, the FBI, and community members. By working together, we can continue to build trust and foster safer and stronger communities on Tribal lands and throughout Eastern Washington.” “The victim in this case was trying to break up an altercation when she became the target of a violent assault.” said Richard A. Collodi, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI’s Seattle field office. “Fortunately, she was able to escape before being killed by Mr. Miller and Ms. Cantu-Lopez. The FBI is dedicated in working with our partners to put an end to this type of violence on our state’s reservations.” This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Yakama Nation Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Michael Murphy, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington.


title: Member of Minneapolis Highs Gang Pleads Guilty to Firearms Violations Involving Fentanyl Trafficking

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A member of the Minneapolis Highs gang has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm as a felon and to carrying a firearm while trafficking fentanyl, announced United States Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, in March 2023, investigators with the Minneapolis Police Department received information that James Edward Hollman, Jr., 32, who at the time was on supervised release for a prior felon-in-possession conviction, carried a firearm while conducting narcotics transactions inside rental vehicles with out-of-state license plates. On March 15, 2023, officers went to Hollman’s apartment complex in Brooklyn Center to execute search warrants on Hollman’s person, rental vehicle, and apartment unit. When officers observed Hollman enter his rental vehicle parked at his apartment complex, they moved in and detained Hollman. Officers recovered a loaded Glock pistol with an obliterated serial number, an inserted high-capacity magazine, and an attached red laser pointer, a knotted plastic baggie containing 252 blue round “M-30” fentanyl pills, and Hollman’s driver’s license from the vehicle’s center console. Officers also recovered a loaded 50-round drum magazine from the front-passenger seat’s rear map pocket. Officers also recovered about $900 cash from Hollman’s apartment. Hollman pleaded guilty today in U.S. District Court before Judge Jerry W. Blackwell to one count of possessing a firearm as a felon and one count of carrying a firearm during and in relation to a drug-trafficking crime. A sentencing hearing will be scheduled at a later time. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the FBI and the Minneapolis Police Department, with assistance from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Marshals Service, Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension, U.S. Postal Inspection Service, IRS Criminal Investigations, Minnesota Department of Corrections, and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Bejar is prosecuting the case.


title: Albuquerque Man Sentenced for Maintaining a Drug-Involved Premises at Motel

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A federal judge sentenced an Albuquerque man to 57 months in federal prison for maintaining a drug-involved premises in southeast Albuquerque. As the manager of the Best Choice Inn, Kamal Bhula , 44, of Albuquerque, profited from in a kickback scheme that required drug traffickers and users to pay a “visitor fee” if they wanted to use the motel as a sanctuary for illegal activity. There is no parole in the federal system. According to court records, Bhula acted as the on-site manager for the Best Choice Inn between March 2018 and June 2019 when law enforcement shut it down. As the manager, Bhula employed workers and rented rooms to individuals who he knew were using and selling controlled substances at the hotel. The Best Choice Inn was described as a “one-stop shop” in Southeast Albuquerque for criminal activity of all sorts. Consequently, between January 2018, and December 2018, there were approximately 195 calls for service to the Best Choice Inn. Bhula pled guilty to maintaining a drug-involved premises on July 13, 2023. Bhula ’s co-defendants, Pragneshkumar Patel and Johnathan Craft, pled guilty for their parts in the scheme and were sentenced to 30 and 70 months in prison, respectively. Additionally, Patel was ordered to pay fines in the amount of $40,000 and $9,000 in restitution and ordered to forfeit the Best Choice Inn. Bhula faces likely deportation to South Africa as a consequence of this conviction. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez and Towanda R. Thorne-James, Special Agent in Charge for the Drug Enforcement Administration El Paso Division, made the announcement today. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case with assistance from the New Mexico Attorney General’s Office, the Albuquerque Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bernalillo County Sheriff’s Office, New Mexico State Police and Homeland Security Investigations. Assistant United States Attorneys Letitia Carroll Simms and Jack E. Burkhead prosecuted the case. # # #


title: Portland Area Fentanyl Trafficker Sentenced to Federal Prison

component: USAO - Oregon

body_text: PORTLAND, Ore.—A local drug trafficker who sourced large quantities of fentanyl from out-of-state contacts with ties to Mexican cartels for redistribution and sale in the Portland area and directed the transport and sale of firearms was sentenced to federal prison today. Francisco Moncada, 28, who maintained residences in Portland and Vancouver, Washington, was sentenced to 108 months in federal prison and five years’ supervised release. According to court documents, in October 2021, special agents from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Portland District Office began investigating a drug trafficking organization operating in the Portland area and parts of Washington State. In April 2022, investigators learned that Moncada, who was later determined to be a manager within the drug trafficking organization, was communicating with multiple Portland area drug traffickers to discuss fentanyl sourcing. On April 18, 2022, law enforcement officers stopped a vehicle being used by Moncada and several associates to transport approximately 15 pounds of fentanyl. Just under two weeks later, on April 28, 2022, officers stopped Moncada a second time and seized an additional 10 pounds of fentanyl. Within days, investigators also obtained information that Moncada had instructed other members of his organization to sell various firearms. On May 20, 2022, investigators searched Moncada’s Portland and Vancouver residences and seized seven firearms and two pounds of fentanyl. Between October 2021 and August 2022, investigators located and seized 50 pounds of fentanyl, 40 pounds of methamphetamine, and smaller quantities of cocaine, heroin, and marijuana from Moncada and his associates, and made 16 arrests connected to their organization. On May 21, 2022, Moncada and three others were charged my federal criminal complaint with conspiring with one another to possess and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl. On June 14, 2022, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a six-count indictment charging Moncada and eight associates for conspiring with one another to distribute fentanyl. Moncada was also charged with possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. On December 20, 2023, Moncada became the tenth member of his organization to plead guilty and, today, becomes the seventh member to be sentenced to federal prison. Four others are awaiting sentencing, and one is a fugitive. This case was investigated by DEA with assistance from the FBI Vancouver Resident Agency, Vancouver Police Department, Oregon State Police, Oregon City Police Department and Washington State Department of Corrections. It was prosecuted by Bryan Chinwuba, Assistant U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon. This prosecution is the result 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 U.S. 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.


title: Registered Sex Offender Sentenced To 10 Years In Prison For Possession Of Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Nevada

body_text: LAS VEGAS – A Las Vegas resident who is a registered sex offender was sentenced yesterday by United States District Judge Gloria M. Navarro to 10 years in prison to be followed by 35 years of supervised release for unlawful possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) on his cell phone. According to court documents, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) forwarded a CyberTip to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department that a user uploaded 30 files containing CSAM. On September 30, 2021, William Spahr – a sex offender who was convicted of lewdness with a child under the age of 14 in Clark County – was arrested for failing to register his current address which is required under the Sex Offender Registration Notification Act. A forensic examination of Spahr’s cell phone revealed that he had a total of 33 images of CSAM on the device. In October 2023, Spahr pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography. United States Attorney Jason M. Frierson for the District of Nevada and Special Agent in Charge Spencer L. Evans for the FBI made the announcement. The case was investigated by the FBI and the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. An Assistant United States Attorney prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Justice Department. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . Anyone with information on suspected child sexual exploitation can contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST (1-800-843-5678) or https://report.cybertip.org . ###


title: Ocean County Man Admits Conspiring with Convicted Ponzi Schemer and Others to Defraud Investors of Tens of Millions of Dollars and Obstruct Justice

body_text: TRENTON, N.J. – An Ocean County, New Jersey, man today admitted conspiring with Eliyahu “Eli” Weinstein, whose 24-year federal prison sentence was commuted after being twice convicted of defrauding investors of a total of $230 million, and others to defraud investors of more than $35 million in a new fraud scheme and to obstruct justice, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced. Joel Wittels, 57, of Lakewood, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud, one count of conspiracy to obstruct justice, and one count of conspiracy to engage in the unlicensed wholesale distribution of prescription drugs. “Wittels scammed innocent victims into handing over their money by hiding a twice-convicted fraudster’s identity and capitalizing on the COVID pandemic, the war in Ukraine, and even shortages of baby formula. Instead of investing the money in legitimate ventures, Wittels and his conspirators took it and used some of it to pay off other investors in a classic Ponzi scheme.” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger Three of Wittels’ conspirators, Christopher Anderson, 47, and Richard Curry, 36, and Alaa Hattab, 35, previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit securities fraud and are awaiting sentencing. Charges are still pending against Wittels’ conspirators, Weinstein, Aryeh “Ari” Bromberg, and Shlomo Erez. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: Weinstein was convicted twice in New Jersey federal court for defrauding investors. His first case involved a real estate Ponzi scheme, and his second case stemmed from additional fraud Weinstein committed while on pretrial release. For these crimes, which resulted in combined losses to investors of approximately $230 million, Weinstein was sentenced to serve 24 years in prison, followed by three years of supervised release. On Jan. 19, 2021, after Weinstein had served less than eight years, the President of the United States at that time commuted Weinstein’s term to time served, leaving intact the rest of his sentence. Soon after being released from prison, Weinstein began orchestrating a new scheme to solicit money from investors through a company called Optimus Investments Inc. (Optimus). Using the fake name “Mike Konig,” Weinstein ran Optimus with Bromberg and Wittels. Weinstein, Bromberg, and Wittels received the bulk of investor money through a second company, Tryon Management Group LLC, which was owned and controlled by Anderson and Curry. Tryon promised these individual investors – consisting mostly of friends and family – lucrative opportunities to invest in deals involving COVID-19 masks, scarce baby formula, and first-aid kits supposedly bound for wartime Ukraine. Posing as Mike Konig, Weinstein provided information for these supposed deals. Based on that information, investors gave money to Tryon, believing the deals were legitimate and not knowing about Weinstein’s involvement. In turn, Tryon transferred those funds to Optimus. In February 2022, almost immediately after Tryon and Optimus started receiving investor money, Tryon was unable to pay its investors. Rather than reveal this information to investors, the conspirators agreed to pool money from existing investors of both Optimus and Tryon and use it to make monthly payments to other investors in a Ponzi-like fashion. The conspirators concealed this arrangement from investors by falsely telling investors that the payments derived from legitimate investment returns, not other investors’ money. In August 2022, the conspirators had a series of meetings in which Weinstein revealed his true identity to Anderson and Curry. In these meetings, at least two of which included Wittels, Weinstein also admitted to making various false statements about purported Optimus deals and to misappropriating Tryon investor money. Both during and after these August 2022 meetings, the conspirators agreed to continue concealing Weinstein’s identity from investors and to raise additional money to pay off existing Tryon investors, all in an effort to stop the Ponzi Scheme from falling apart and to cover up the conspirators’ fraud. In addition to defrauding investors, Wittels also conspired with Weinstein, Bromberg, and others to obstruct justice. They helped hide Weinstein’s assets that should have been used to pay over $200 million in restitution that he still owes his previous victims. They also concealed Weinstein’s myriad business activities, which he was required to disclose to the court and which were expressly prohibited by the terms of his supervised release. Wittels also engaged in a separate criminal conspiracy with Curry and others to distribute wholesale quantities of prescription drugs, including insulin, on the secondary market without a wholesale license. The conspiracy charges are each punishable by a maximum of five years in prison and a maximum fine of either $250,000 or twice the gain or loss from the offense, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 20, 2024. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, and the Food and Drug Administration, Office of Criminal Investigations’ Metro Washington Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George Scavdis, with the investigation leading to the charges in this case. He also expressed appreciation for the Securities and Exchange Commission, under the direction of Antonia Apps, Director of the SEC’s New York Regional Office. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Carolyn Silane, Jonathan Fayer, and Marko Pesce, of the Economic Crimes Unit in Newark. The charges and allegatioins against Weinstein, Bromberg, and Erez are merely accusations, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. wittels.information.pdf


title: Middlesex County Man Sentenced to 27 Months in Prison for Embezzling $2.37 Million From his Employer while the Controller of Company

body_text: TRENTON, N.J.– A Middlesex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced to 27 months in prison for his role in a scheme to embezzle $2.37 million from his employer while his was the company’s controller, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Gerard Beauzile, 63, South Plainfield, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before former Chief U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson, an indictment charging him with one count of wire fraud. U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp imposed the sentence on March 26, 2024, in Trenton federal court. According to documents filed in the case and statements made in court: From 2014 through December 2020, Beauzile abused his position as controller of a New York-based company to embezzle funds by issuing fraudulent company checks to himself and then depositing those checks into his bank account for his own personal benefit. Beauzile issued approximately 140 company checks to himself with a total value of $2.37 million. Beauzile concealed the theft from the company by falsely entering the fraudulent checks into the company’s accounting system under various company vendor names as the payees, causing the accounting system to falsely reflect that the checks were made payable to company vendors instead of to Beauzile. He also falsified vendor invoices to correspond to the entries made in the accounting system, and company bank statements by removing and altering opening, running, and closing balances, check payment entries, summary check listings, and inter-account transfers. In addition to the prison term, Judge Shipp sentenced Beauzile to three years of supervised release and ordered restitution of $2.37 million and forfeiture of $2.37 million. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Blake Coppotelli of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Economic Crimes Unit.


title: Bergen County Man Charged with Production of Child Pornography

body_text: NEWARK, N.J. – A Bergen County, New Jersey, man was charged for producing a video depicting child sexual abuse and receiving and possessing images and videos of child sexual abuse, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today. Corey Hipscher, 52, of Lodi, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count each of production, receipt and possession of child pornography. He had his initial appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor in Newark federal court on March 26, 2024, and was detained. According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court: From 2020 to August 2023, Hipscher communicated with a minor victim located outside of the United States using a social media platform. Hipscher encouraged the minor victim to send Hipscher images and videos of the minor victim engaging in sexually explicit conduct. Hipscher began communicating with the minor victim’s mother, beginning a purported online romantic relationship with the minor victim’s mother which he used to arrange for the minor victim and the minor victim’s family to travel to the United States, specifically New Jersey. During the visit, he sexually assaulted the minor victim and took sexually explicit photos of the minor victim and the minor victim’s sibling. The charge of production of child pornography carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 25 years in prison and a maximum potential penalty of 50 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The charge of receipt of child exploitation material carries a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The charge of possession of child exploitation material carries a minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison, and a $250,000 fine. U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited FBI Newark’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges. U.S. Attorney Sellinger also thanked the Lodi Police Department and the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS) in the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov . The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sean Nadel of the General Crimes Unit in Newark. The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. hipscher.complaint.pdf


title: Omaha Man Sentenced for COVID-19 Relief Program Fraud

body_text: United States Attorney Susan Lehr announced that Richard L. Kelly, 61, of Omaha, Nebraska, was sentenced on March 27, 2024, in federal court in Omaha for wire fraud. United States District Court Judge Brian C. Buescher sentenced Kelly to 5 years’ probation and ordered him to pay $196,029.15 in restitution, which reflects the balance remaining after a payment of $9,831.00 was applied before sentencing. As a condition of probation, Kelly must pay at least $1,000 per month toward restitution. During 2020 and 2021, Kelly, assisted by another person, submitted applications for Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and Economic Injury Disaster Loan (“EIDL”) program loans. Those loan programs were created or expanded by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act, which was designed to provide emergency financial assistance to the millions of Americans suffering the economic effects caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The applications misrepresented how much Kelly’s business had paid employees in past compensation and how much revenue Kelly’s business had received, resulting in applications for significantly inflated loan amounts under the PPP and EIDL programs. The PPP applications were supported by false tax documents. The fraudulent applications on behalf of Kelly sought loans totaling approximately $675,094, and he obtained $189,997. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Small Business Administration, Office of Inspector General.


title: Four Sentenced in Federal Court for their Role in Meth Trafficking Ring and Related Firearms Crime

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: COLUMBIA, S.C. — Two men from the Midlands and a California man and woman were sentenced after pleading guilty in federal court to their roles in a methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy and a related firearms crime. Andre Alexander Boulware, 46, of Columbia, was sentenced to more than 11 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute methamphetamine. Victor Guzman, 30, of Long Beach, California, was sentenced to more than 18 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute methamphetamine and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. Alice Hortencia Velazquez, 30, of Long Beach, California, was sentenced to seven years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute methamphetamine. Jessie James York, 44, of Lexington, was sentenced to 14 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute methamphetamine. Evidence presented to the court showed that from 2018 to 2021, Guzman served as a California-based source of supply for extremely pure “ice” methamphetamine, which was shipped to Columbia, South Carolina. Over the course of the conspiracy, Guzman was responsible for trafficking more than eight kilograms of “ice” methamphetamine to the Columbia area. Velazquez was a California-based facilitator/distributor for Guzman. Boulware received methamphetamine from Guzman and Velazquez and distributed drugs to others, including York. On Oct. 29, 2019, law enforcement executed a search warrant at the Long Beach, California home of Guzman and Velazquez. Inside the property and cars parked at the home, law enforcement found approximately two and a half kilograms of “ice” methamphetamine, two 9mm firearms and ammunition. Guzman later admitted he had the firearms because of the dangers involved in drug dealing. In August 2020, law enforcement in Columbia intercepted two boxes sent to Boulware. Each box contained approximately half a kilogram of “ice” methamphetamine. Further investigation revealed that Velazquez, working for and on behalf of Guzman, had helped Boulware obtain that methamphetamine, and that the methamphetamine trafficking conspiracy had been ongoing since at least 2018. “Illegal narcotics pose a serious danger and public health risk,” said Adair F. Boroughs, U.S. Attorney for the District of South Carolina. “As these sentences bring an end to Guzman’s operation, we will continue to prosecute drug traffickers who poison our community. “Driven by greed, these drug traffickers’ activities posed a significant threat from South Carolina to California,” said Robert J. Murphy, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Division. “The success of this investigation is proof that those destroying our communities with methamphetamine will be brought to justice.” “These investigations speak volumes of the success we have in apprehending those that put poison in our communities,” Richland County Sheriff Leon Lott said. “Multiple agencies working together can defeat the drug trafficking organizations.” United States District Judge Mary Geiger Lewis sentenced all four individuals. Andre Alexander Boulware was sentenced to 135 months imprisonment. Victor Guzman was sentenced to 220 months imprisonment, 160 months on the methamphetamine conspiracy, and 60 months consecutive on the firearm count. Guzman’s 220-month sentence in this case will run concurrent to a 60-month custodial sentence imposed on Guzman by the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York for his role in an unrelated fentanyl trafficking conspiracy. Alice Hortencia Velazquez was sentenced to 84 months imprisonment. Jessie James York was sentenced to 168 months imprisonment. There is no parole in the federal system. Boulware, Guzman and York’s terms of imprisonment will all be followed by five-year terms of court-ordered supervision. Velazquez’s term of imprisonment will be followed by a four-year term of court-ordered supervision. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . This case was investigated by Richland County Sheriff’s Department, the South Carolina State Law Enforcement Division, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistant U.S. Attorney Katherine Flynn prosecuted the case. ###


title: Former President of Oklahoma Steel Pole Manufacturer Sentenced to Prison for Tax Evasion

component: Tax Division

body_text: An Oklahoma man was sentenced yesterday to 30 months in prison for evading over $1 million in income taxes. According to court documents and statements made in court, from 2014 to 2019, Phillip Barry Albert was President of Pelco Structural LLC, a steel pole manufacturing company located in Claremone, Oklahoma. During that period, Albert directed Pelco’s outside payroll service company to pay him over $2.6 million of Pelco’s funds, which should have been treated as income to him. Albert, however, instructed that the payroll company falsely characterize the payments as reimbursements rather than income, so that the payroll company would not withhold federal income taxes or report the payments as wages on Albert’s Forms W-2. Albert then did not report the payments on his income tax returns for those years. Albert caused a tax loss to the IRS of $1,000,232. In addition to his prison sentence, U.S. District Judge Terence Kern for the Northern District of Oklahoma ordered Albert to serve one year of supervised release and to pay approximately $1,000,232 in restitution to the United States and $2,615,750 in restitution to Pelco Industries Inc., which is the former parent company of Pelco. Acting Deputy Assistant Attorney General Stuart M. Goldberg of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and U.S. Attorney Clinton J. Johnson for the Northern District of Oklahoma made the announcement. IRS Criminal Investigation and the FBI are investigating the case. Trial Attorney Meredith Havekost of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Thomas Duncombe for the Northern District of Oklahoma are prosecuting the case.


title: Federal Grand Jury in Louisville Returns 3 Indictments Charging 14 Defendants

component: USAO - Kentucky, Western

body_text: Louisville, KY – On March 5, 2024, a federal grand jury in Louisville charged 14 Louisville and California residents in three indictments involving fentanyl, methamphetamine, cocaine, and heroin trafficking and firearms and money laundering offenses. U.S. Attorney Michael A. Bennett of the Western District of Kentucky, Acting Special Agent in Charge Erek Davadowich of the Drug Enforcement Administration Louisville Division Office, Special Agent in Charge R. Shawn Morrow of the ATF Louisville Field Division, Special Agent in Charge Rana Saoud of Homeland Security Investigations Nashville, Acting Special Agent in Karen Wingerd of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation, Cincinnati Field Office, and Chief Jacquelyn Gwinn-Villaroel of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement. According to the first indictment, Carl Delph , 53, of California, and Anyelle Curtley , Sr., 47, Anyelle Curtley , Jr., 26, Adrian Richie , 35, Joseph Cousins , 39, Alandro O’Neal , 50, Jeroy Boyd , 44, Ameer Ellis , 45, Paul Butler, Jr. , 35, and Susan Jenkins , 41, all of Louisville, are charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Beginning as early as May 9, 2023, and continuing through February 21, 2024, the defendants conspired to possess with the intent to distribute and distributed over 50 grams of methamphetamine, over 400 grams of fentanyl, and over 500 grams of cocaine. Delph and Curtley , Sr. are also charged with a money laundering conspiracy. Delph is also charged with distributing over 500 grams of cocaine and distributing over 400 grams of fentanyl. Curtley, Sr. is also charged with distributing methamphetamine, cocaine, and fentanyl, attempting to possess with the intent to distribute cocaine and fentanyl, possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl, possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. On December 28, 2023, Curtley, Sr. , possessed a Glock, model 27, .40 caliber handgun. Curtley, Sr. was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted the following felony offense. On May 19, 2010, in the United States District Court for the Western District of Kentucky, Curtley, Sr. was convicted of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Curtley, Jr. is also charged with distributing fentanyl and cocaine. Richie and Cousins are also charged with distributing fentanyl. O’Neal , Ellis , and Jenkins are also charged with distributing methamphetamine. Boyd is also charged with distributing cocaine. Butler, Jr. is also charged with distributing methamphetamine and fentanyl. According to the second indictment, Phillip King, Sr. , 49, of California, and Norton Hazard , 55, of Louisville, are charged with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Beginning as early as March 24, 2022, and continuing through February 21, 2024, the defendants conspired to possess with the intent to distribute and distributed 500 grams or more of methamphetamine and 5 kilograms or more of cocaine. According to the third indictment, Christopher Curtley , 50, and Antoyne Penick , 47, both of Louisville, are charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. Beginning as early as January 9, 2024, and continuing through February 29, 2024, the defendants conspired to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin. Christopher Curtley is also charged with distributing fentanyl and methamphetamine. Penick is also charged with distributing fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin. Penick is also charged with possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. On January 24, 2024, Penick possessed a Heritage Manufacturing Inc., Model Rough Rider, .22 caliber revolver. Penick was prohibited from possessing a firearm because he had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses. On September 27, 2017, in Jefferson Circuit Court, Penick was convicted of flagrant non-support. On October 19, 2015, in Clark Circuit Court, Clark County, Indiana, Penick was convicted of theft. On November 1, 2010, in Clark Superior Court, Clark County, Indiana, Penick was convicted of theft, robbery (two counts), and dealing in marijuana. All defendants except King, Sr. have been arrested and made their initial court appearances over the last two weeks before U.S. Magistrate Judges of the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky and the Southern District of California. King, Sr. has not yet been arrested and is a wanted fugitive. If convicted, the defendants each face mandatory minimum sentences ranging from 10 to 15 years, and all face a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors. There is no parole in the federal system. The cases are being investigated by the DEA, HSI, ATF, IRS-CI, and the Louisville Metro Police Department, with assistance from the Kentucky State Police. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Frank Dahl and Josh Porter are prosecuting the cases. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (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 www.justice.gov/OCDETF. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ###


title: Oklahoma Man with History of Domestic Abuse Convictions Sentenced to 27 Months in Felon-in-Possession Case

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont stated that on March 21, 2024, Kewon Yarbrough, 38, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, was sentenced by United States District Judge William K. Sessions III to a term of 27 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a 3-year term of supervised release. Yarbrough previously pleaded guilty to knowingly possessing a firearm after having been convicted of an offense punishable by more than one year in prison. According to court records, Yarbrough’s criminal history included 7 prior felony convictions, one of which was for a domestic violence offense in Oklahoma. His history also included an Oklahoma misdemeanor conviction for a domestic violence offense. In addition, in 2013, the State of Oklahoma prosecuted him for three felony and one misdemeanor domestic violence offenses. The misdemeanor case resulted in a conviction for violation of a protective order. The felony cases were dismissed for lack of participation by a prosecution witness, but the alleged felony conduct precipitated the revocation of previously suspended sentencing, resulting in a 5-year prison sentence. Court records also show the State of Oklahoma issued domestic abuse protective orders, brought by four different women, against Yarbrough in 2009, 2010, 2011, and 2016. More recently, the State of Oklahoma charged Yarbrough in 2019 and 2022 with felony Domestic Abuse by Strangulation. According to Oklahoma court records, the 2019 case was dismissed for a prosecution witness’s failure to appear, and the 2022 case was dismissed without a reason listed on the docket. United States Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest commended the collaborative investigatory efforts of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; the Killington Police Department; and the Vermont State Police. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Corinne Smith. Yarbrough was represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Steven Barth. 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 .