title: Fairfax Doctor Pleads Guilty to Obstructing the IRS, Agrees to Pay $5.3 Million

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A Fairfax doctor pleaded guilty today and has agreed to pay $3.1 million in taxes and $2.2 million to insurance companies for corruptly obstructing the IRS by underreporting his income and filing false tax returns in connection with his medical practice. According to court documents, Dr. Jasser Thiara owned and operated an obstetrics medical practice, doing business as Mid-Atlantic Ob-Gyn, and another doctor’s office specializing in pain management called Fairfax Pain Clinic. To reduce his taxable income for the 2017 to 2020 tax years, Thiara filed false returns for Mid-Atlantic that claimed bogus business deductions, which falsely decreased the company’s business income. Thiara then filed false individual income tax returns, which did not fully report the income that he had received from MidAtlantic. Thiara also failed to report hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in gross receipts generated by Fairfax Pain Clinic. In addition to the Mid-Atlantic and Fairfax Pain Clinic schemes, from 2014 through approximately 2016, Thiara received payments for prescriptions referred to certain Virginia pharmacies owned by Mohamed Abdalla, even though some of Mid-Atlantic’s contracts with insurers expressly prohibited such arrangements. In some instances, Abdalla billed insurance companies for these prescriptions but did not send the medications to patients in order to increase profits. Some patients contacted Mid-Atlantic to complain that they had been provided with medicine that they had not requested or did not need. In other instances, patients complained to Mid-Atlantic that their insurance companies had been billed for prescriptions that they had not received, knew nothing about, and did not need. In total, Thiara received approximately $2.2 million from the “referral” scheme, and neither reported, nor paid taxes on this income. Finally, for the 2017 to 2020 tax years, Thiara used a business called NTMT to receive payments for medical services billed out-of-network, principally from Aetna and United Healthcare, even though Thiara was an in-network provider for both insurers. Thiara then filed returns which falsely reported that NTMT had received minimal to no business income, when in fact it had received millions of dollars from insurance companies. In total, Thiara did not pay the Internal Revenue Service $3,172,001 in taxes owed for the tax years 2015 to 2020. Thiara used these funds to purchase a lavish $3.5 million residence and a $340,000 Ferrari, and spent hundreds of thousands more on credit cards and luxury items. Thiara is scheduled to be sentenced on March 15, 2024. He faces a maximum penalty of 3 years in prison. Actual sentences for federal crimes are typically less than the maximum penalties. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after taking into account the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Thiara has also agreed to pay $3,172,001 in restitution to the Internal Revenue Service and another $2,214,830 to third-party victims. Adballa was sentenced on March 19, 2021, to four years in prison for his role in the kickback scheme. Jessica D. Aber, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of Virginia; David Geist, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Washington Field Office Criminal Division; Kareem Carter, Special Agent in Charge of the IRS Criminal Investigations Washington Field Office; Maureen R. Dixon, Special Agent in Charge of the Office of Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS); Christopher Dillard, Special Agent in Charge for the Department of Defense, Defense Criminal Investigative Service’s (DCIS) Mid-Atlantic Field Office; Derek Holt, Special Agent in Charge, U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM); and George Scavdis, Special Agent in Charge, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Office of Criminal Investigations, Metro Washington Field Office, made the announcement after Senior U.S District Judge Claude M. Hilton accepted the plea. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jack Morgan and Zoe Bedell are prosecuting the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:23-cr-00194.


title: Lodge Grass meth trafficker sentenced to more than five years in prison for role in large conspiracy based on Crow Indian Reservation

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: BILLINGS — A Lodge Grass woman who admitted to trafficking methamphetamine as part of a large-scale conspiracy based on the Crow Indian Reservation was sentenced on Dec. 14 to five years and three months in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today. Ranita Roselle Redfield, 47, pleaded guilty in August to possession with intent to distribute meth. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. In court documents, the government alleged that federal law enforcement, in a collaborative effort with local and tribal law enforcement, engaged in a large-scale, multiple-state narcotics trafficking investigation centered on multiple properties on the Crow Indian Reservation. The properties, including one referred to as Spear Siding, were a source of supply of meth for both the Crow and Northern Cheyenne Indian reservations in 2022 and 2023. The investigation identified Redfield as one of the members of the organization. Redfield communicated with multiple co-conspirators regarding the distribution of meth, and she often sold meth in ounce quantities. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case. The Bureau of Indian Affairs, Drug Enforcement Administration and FBI conducted the investigation. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. XXX


title: Four Men Charged with Allegedly Running Drug Trafficking Ring that Shipped Wholesale Amounts of Narcotics to Indo-Pacific Region

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – Two Orange County men have been arrested on a three-count federal grand jury indictment alleging they ran a transnational drug trafficking organization that exported wholesale amounts of cocaine and methamphetamine – concealed within commercial products such as instant noodle packets, car parts, emergency kits, and subwoofers – to Australia, Papua New Guinea, and New Zealand, the Justice Department announced today. Hoang Xuan Le, 42, a.k.a. “Big Bro,” “Blue,” and “Knockout,” of Tustin, and Tri Cao Buinguyen, 38, a.k.a. “Bro” and “Mango,” of Garden Grove, were arrested Thursday. They are scheduled for arraignment this afternoon at United States District Court in Los Angeles. In total, four defendants – including Trung Buinguyen, 40, of Lakewood, and Narongsak Champy, 28, of Long Beach – have been charged with one count of conspiracy to export controlled substances and one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. Le and Tri Buinguyen are charged with one additional count of distribution of methamphetamine. Trung Buinguyen and Champy are being sought by law enforcement. As part of this case, law enforcement seized a total of 755 kilograms (1,664 pounds) of methamphetamine and more than 100 kilograms of cocaine. Law enforcement estimates that the value of the drugs seized exceeds $65 million and ranges up to $160 million. According to the indictment, from at least February 2017 to September 2022, Le and Tri Buinguyen communicated with members of the drug trafficking organization in Australia, New Zealand, and Papua New Guinea. They then arranged for the export of bulk quantities of drugs from the United States to these nations via air cargo, ocean freight, and the U.S. mail, concealing the drugs in a variety of commercial products and falsifying their true nature on the manifests and customs documents. The defendants allegedly used phones equipped with military-grade encryption software and encrypted messaging applications, particularly “Signal,” to coordinate the export of drugs from the United States. They also allegedly used fictitious names, businesses, and email accounts to communicate with intermediaries, including vendors, freight forwarders, shipping companies, customs brokers, and customs officials in the United States and foreign countries, to fraudulently disguise the drugs as legitimate commercial products. For example, Le and Tri Buinguyen allegedly directed the summer 2018 shipment to Australia of 390 kilograms (860 pounds) of methamphetamine concealed in packets of instant noodles and mushroom seasoning, as well as the September 2018 export of 113 kilograms (249 pounds) of methamphetamine and 100 kilograms (over 220 pounds) of cocaine disguised as garlic seasoning. Additional shipments of drugs in October 2018, November 2019, February 2020, and August 2020 were allegedly concealed in emergency kits, car parts, subwoofers, and customized metal boxes. In June 2021, Le and Tri Buinguyen orchestrated a bulk shipment of 150 kilograms (over 330 pounds) of methamphetamine concealed in food storage buckets for export to Papua New Guinea, according to the indictment. Finally, in August and September of 2022, Tri Buinguyen allegedly arranged for the export to New Zealand of 32 kilograms (more than 70 pounds) of methamphetamine concealed in meals ready-to-eat packets. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. If convicted of all charges, each defendant would face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison. Homeland Security Investigations is investigating this matter. The following agencies have provided substantial assistance to this investigation: United States Postal Inspection Service, the Drug Enforcement Administration, United States Customs and Border Protection, the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Border Force, the Australian Department of Homeland Affairs – Intelligence Division, the Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary, the Papua New Guinea Customs Service, and the New Zealand Customs Service. This case is the result of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California and HSI. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking, and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply. OCDETF uses a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Assistant United States Attorney Gregg E. Marmaro of the International Narcotics, Money Laundering, and Racketeering Section is prosecuting this case.


title: Mount Dora Man Arrested For Possession Of Child Sex Abuse Material

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Ocala, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the arrest and filing of a criminal complaint charging Brett Baldwin (43, Mount Dora) him with possession of child sex abuse material. If convicted, Baldwin faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison. According to court documents, law enforcement seized Baldwin’s cellphone during an investigation involving a missing person in Lake County. While forensically examining the cellphone, investigators discovered numerous images of child sex abuse material. Some of the juveniles depicted in the images and videos were under the age of 12. A complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Mount Dora Police Department, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Sarah Janette Swartzberg. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Baker man sentenced to two years in prison for possessing child pornography

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: BILLINGS — A Baker man who admitted to possessing child pornography was sentenced today to two years in prison, to be followed by five years of supervised release, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said. Dane Ralph James Curry, 40, pleaded guilty in August to possession of child pornography. U.S. District Judge Susan P. Watters presided. The court also ordered $2,511 restitution. In court documents, the government alleged that in October 2021, law enforcement began an investigation of Curry after it received reports that he had produced child pornography. A minor person, identified as Jane Doe, disclosed to law enforcement that Curry arranged to take sexually explicit picture of her and provided her with alcohol for that purpose. This conduct led to a search warrant of a social media account associated with Curry and the discovery of child pornography on the account. The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (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. XXX


title: Activist Pleads Guilty to Defacing a Degas Exhibit at the National Gallery of Art

body_text: WASHINGTON – A New York woman pleaded guilty today to one count of causing injury to a National Gallery of Art exhibit in the May 26, 2023, defacement of Edgar Degas’ Little Dancer, Age Fourteen. Joanna Smith, 54, of Brooklyn, N.Y., pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Amy Berman Jackson in Washington D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the FBI’s Washington Field Office’s Criminal and Cyber Division. According to the government’s evidence, Smith, along with other co-conspirators, traveled to Washington D.C., to smear red and black paint on the National Gallery of Art permanent exhibition of Little Dancer, Age Fourteen , a sculpture created by Degas in 1881. Smith and a co-conspirator previously had conducted research on the piece and specifically targeted it. Before entering the National Gallery, the duo recorded video statements explaining their intent. Smith and the co-conspirator passed through security undetected with paint secreted inside water bottles. The duo approached the exhibit, removed the bottles from their bags, and began smearing paint on the case and base surrounding Little Dancer, Age Fourteen . Smith delivered statements telling onlookers why she was undertaking the action as paint dripped from the exhibit onto the surrounding floor. Following the action, the National Gallery was required to remove the sculpture from public display for 10 days. Gallery officials said it cost over $4,000 to repair the damage. Judge Berman Jackson scheduled sentencing for Apr. 3, 2024. The charge carries a statutory maximum sentence of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The maximum statutory sentence for federal offenses is prescribed by Congress and is provided here for informational purposes. The sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The case is being investigated by the FBI’s Washington Field Office, specifically the FBI’s Art Crime Team, with assistance from National Gallery of Art Police, and U.S. Park Police. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Cameron A. Tepfer of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia.


title: Farmington Man Sentenced to More Than 6 Years in Federal Prison for Fentanyl and Cocaine Trafficking Offenses

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that DENIS MURTIC, 38, of Farmington, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Omar A. Williams in Hartford to 78 months of imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release, for fentanyl and cocaine trafficking offenses. Judge Williams also ordered Murtic to pay a $25,000 fine. According to court documents and statements made in court, the DEA’s Hartford Task Force launched an investigation of Murtic for trafficking large quantities of fentanyl and cocaine. On September 3, 2020, a court-authorized search of an apartment on Grafton Street in Hartford apartment connected to Murtic revealed thousands of wax folds of fentanyl, more than 700 grams of cocaine, and items used to process and package narcotics for distribution. On October 18, 2021, investigators made a controlled purchase of approximately 50 grams of fentanyl from Murtic and Alexander Rodriguez at a parking lot in East Hartford. After the transaction, investigators observed Murtic and Rodriguez travel to an apartment on Wakefield Circle in East Hartford. On October 26, 2021, Murtic, Rodriguez, and Efrain Rosario were arrested at the apartment, which was being used as a narcotics processing and packaging mill. A search of the apartment revealed more than 40,000 glassine bags and wax folds of fentanyl, approximately 1.7 kilograms of loose fentanyl, two compressed bricks of cocaine weighing a total of approximately 1.5 kilograms, and numerous narcotics processing and packaging items, including a kilogram press. A related search of Murtic’s business resulted in the seizure of a .22 caliber handgun and ammunition. Analysis of Murtic’s phone revealed numerous texts and images involving Murtic’s illegal acquisition of other firearms. Murtic has been detained since his arrest. On January 20, 2023, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine. Rodriguez, of East Windsor, and Rosario, of Hartford, have pleaded guilty and await sentencing. The DEA Task Force includes personnel from the DEA Hartford Resident Office, the Connecticut State Police, and the Bristol, Hartford, East Hartford, Enfield, Manchester, New Britain, Rocky Hill, Wethersfield, and Windsor Locks Police Departments. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Geoffrey M. Stone through the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Program. OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF .


title: Man Sentenced to Nine Years for Assault of Federal Agent and Brandishing Firearm in Vermont’s Northeast Kingdom

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: Burlington, Vermont – The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Vermont announced that Ivan Carmona (also known as “Flacco”), 32, of Springfield, Massachusetts was sentenced in the United States District Court in Rutland on December 13, 2023, following his guilty pleas to assaulting a federal agent and brandishing a firearm during the assault. Chief United States District Judge Geoffrey W. Crawford sentenced Carmona to 108 months’ imprisonment to be followed by a three-year term of supervised release. According to court records, Carmona was wanted by state and local authorities based on his alleged involvement in multiple crimes and his flight from law enforcement on November 17, 2021. United States Border Patrol (USBP) agents from the Newport Station were assisting in the pursuit based on Carmona’s proximity to, and possible crossing of, the international border during his flight. USBP agents located Carmona and a companion near North Troy, Vermont on November 18, 2021, walking along Bear Mountain Road and stopped them to investigate. Upon being asked for identification, Carmona fled from the encounter, and one of the USBP agents pursued him on foot. During the pursuit, defendant Carmona drew a loaded handgun and pointed it at the pursuing agent. Several law enforcement agencies participated in the pursuit and apprehension of Carmona, including USBP; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF); Air & Marine Operations, a division of Customs and Border Protection; the Orleans County Sheriff’s Department; the Vermont State Police; the Newport Police Department; and the Vermont Drug Task Force. U.S. Attorney Nikolas P. Kerest stated, “Our law enforcement partners make our communities safer every day. They deserve our respect and support. When law enforcement officers are assaulted while doing their jobs to enhance public safety, this office will respond with the full extent of our resources as this case demonstrates.” U.S. Attorney Kerest also commended the mutually supportive efforts of the agencies that led to the safe apprehension of an armed fugitive. “Law enforcement officers put their lives on the line to protect and defend our communities from violent criminals on a daily basis, and all too often those acts of violence are directed against them,” said Special Agent in Charge James M. Ferguson of the ATF Boston Field Division. “This sentencing reaffirms the ATF’s commitment to hold violent members of society accountable and send to prison those who commit crimes against the brave men and women who dedicate themselves to upholding and enforcing the law.” Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Lasher prosecuted the case. Carmona is represented by Assistant Federal Public Defender Sara Puls. 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 https://www.justice.gov/psn .


title: Nash County Duo Sentenced After Theft of Nearly Sixty Firearms Leads to Their Arrest

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Nash County man who bought and sold stolen guns from a Nashville resident was sentenced today to 130 months in prison for possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime and for possessing a firearm while a felon. On August 9, 2023, Kenneth Pomeroy, a convicted felon, pled guilty to the charges. Pomeroy’s co-conspirator, Rodney Alligood, also of Nash County, pled guilty to engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license. Alligood was sentenced to 51 months in prison on September 26, 2023. The pair were arrested following the investigation into the theft of nearly 60 firearms. “Sixty guns were stolen and then sold on the streets which could have allowed criminals to bypass background checks and get their hands on weapons to be used in violent activity,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Gun traffickers who fuel violence by pushing stolen weapons into the community will face hard time in federal prison.” "This case is a great example of how partnerships between local and federal law enforcement agencies take violent offenders off of the streets in our county,” said Nash County Sheriff Keith Stone. “Criminals like these two defendants are contributing to the potential for illegal guns to end up in the wrong hands and be used for violence. I would like to personally thank the U.S, Attorney's Office and the law enforcement officers involved for their hard work and dedication to making our communities safer each day." According to court documents and other information presented in court, on May 28, 2022, a Nashville man witnessed Alligood, 33, removing firearms from a neighbor’s locked outbuilding and called the police. The police contacted the homeowner who stated that nearly 60 of her late-ex-husband’s firearms had been stolen from the outbuilding, including pistols, revolvers, rifles and shotguns. She suspected Alligood of the crime, and a review of GPS ankle-monitoring data confirmed that Alligood, who was on active probation at the time for possession of drug paraphernalia, was in the vicinity at the time of the crime. Further review of ankle-monitoring data led authorities to Pomeroy, 38, as Alligood went directly from the crime scene to Pomeroy’s house to sell him the stolen firearms. Law enforcement executed a search warrant on both Alligood and Pomeroy’s residences and recovered stolen firearms at both locations. At Pomeroy’s they also recovered a distributable amount of methamphetamine and fentanyl. Pomeroy admitted to dealing methamphetamine and fentanyl and to purchasing more than twenty firearms from Alligood and then reselling them in Fayetteville. Neither Pomeroy nor Alligood had a license to legally sell firearms. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. Nashville PD, Nash County Sheriff’s Office, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Phil Aubart prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-68-M-BM.


title: Cape Girardeau Man Sentenced to Serve 7 Years in Federal Prison for Possession of a Firearm Later Used in Bar Shootout

body_text: CAPE GIRARDEAU – The U.S. Attorney's Office announced that Jeremiah R. Twiggs, age 40, of Cape Girardeau, Missouri, was sentenced Friday to 7 years in federal prison following his guilty plea to the offense of being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Twiggs appeared for his sentencing hearing before U.S. District Judge Stephen R. Clark at the federal courthouse in Cape Girardeau, Missouri. According to court documents, officers were dispatched to a bar known as “Hot Shots” in Cape Girardeau last March in response to a report of multiple shots being fired inside the establishment. Upon arrival, officers discovered a male subject identified as Larry McIntyre lying on the ground with multiple gunshot wounds. McIntyre was rushed to the emergency room for treatment of serious injuries. Officers processed the scene and discovered a .40 caliber pistol on the floor, along with a total of sixteen spent shell casings. Officers subsequently reviewed video surveillance footage, which depicted McIntyre getting into an altercation with two male subjects around a pool table. Moments before shots were fired, the footage depicted McIntyre reach into another subject’s sweatshirt to retrieve a firearm. McIntyre then discharged the firearm as he was simultaneously shot by the other two assailants multiple times. Through their investigation, the Cape Girardeau Police Department identified Twiggs as the person from whom McIntyre obtained the firearm. During an interview with detectives, Twiggs confirmed that he accompanied McIntyre to the bar on the night in question. Twiggs told detectives that the .40 caliber pistol belonged to McIntyre. According to Twiggs, he concealed the pistol inside his sweatshirt at McIntyre’s request before entering the bar. Twiggs further stated that, during the altercation around the pool table, McIntyre took the pistol from him right before he was shot. Twiggs is prohibited from possessing firearms under federal law due to numerous felony convictions. After serving his prison sentence, Twiggs will be placed on supervised release for a period of three years. The Cape Girardeau Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jack Koester handled the prosecution for the government.


title: Two Men Sentenced for Fraudulent Rural Hospital Billing Scheme

component: Criminal Division

body_text: Two Florida men were sentenced today for their roles in a multi-state scheme to defraud insurance companies by using rural hospitals to bill for urine drug testing that was not reimbursable and not medically necessary. Jorge Perez, 63, of Miami, was sentenced to eight years and four months in prison. Ricardo Perez, 60, also of Miami, was sentenced to six years and three months in prison. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Jorge Perez, an owner and manager of hospitals and the owner of a billing company, and Ricardo Perez, the manager of a billing company, conspired with each other and other individuals to unlawfully bill for laboratory testing services, primarily urine drug tests, that were medically unnecessary and that were fraudulently billed through rural hospitals in Florida and Missouri rather than the independent laboratories where much of the testing took place. Jorge Perez and Ricardo Perez targeted and obtained control over financially distressed rural hospitals, and then used them for billing in order to take advantage of private insurance contracts that provided higher reimbursement rates for these hospitals than for out-of-network laboratories. The claims were submitted to falsely appear that the hospitals themselves did the laboratory testing when, in most cases, it was done by testing laboratories controlled by others, including a co-conspirator. The evidence further showed that much of the testing was for vulnerable addiction treatment patients and patients of pain clinics, with samples often obtained through kickbacks paid to recruiters and substance abuse treatment facilities. The tests billed by Jorge Perez and Ricardo Perez were often not medically necessary — testing was performed at a frequency that far exceeded what would be needed for patient care, including performing repeated screening and definitive testing before results from prior tests could have been reviewed or used by the ordering providers. The rural hospitals involved in this case were Campbellton-Graceville Hospital (CGH), a 25-bed rural hospital located in Graceville, Florida, that declared bankruptcy in 2017; Regional General Hospital Williston (RGH), a 40-bed facility located in Williston, Florida, that has closed; and Putnam County Memorial Hospital (Putnam), a 15-bed rural hospital located in Unionville, Missouri, that has struggled since Jorge Perez and Ricardo Perez’s misuse of it as a vehicle for laboratory billing. On June 27, 2022, a federal jury in the Middle District of Florida convicted Jorge Perez and Ricardo Perez of conspiracy to commit health care fraud and wire fraud, five counts of health care fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Acting Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg for the Middle District of Florida, Assistant Director Michael Nordwall of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division, Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Investigations Conrad J. Quarles of the Office of Personnel Management Office of the Inspector General (OPM-OIG), Special Agent in Charge Mathew Broadhurst of the Department of Labor Office of Inspector General (DOL-OIG) Southeast Region, and Special Agent in Charge Basil Demczak of Amtrak Office of Inspector General's (Amtrak OIG) Central Field Office made the announcement. The FBI Jacksonville Field Office, OPM-OIG, DOL-OIG, and Amtrak OIG investigated the case. Senior Litigation Counsel Jim Hayes and Trial Attorney Gary Winters of the Criminal Division’s Fraud Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Tysen Duva for the Middle District of Florida prosecuted the case. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of Health and Human Services, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit .


title: Former Edinboro Resident Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Receipt and Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: ERIE, PA - A former resident of Edinboro, Pennsylvania, has been sentenced in federal court to 5 years in prison, to be followed by 10 years of supervised release, and ordered to pay a special assessment of $5,100 on his conviction of violating federal laws relating to the sexual exploitation of children, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. United States District Judge Susan Paradise Baxter imposed the sentence on James Paredes Andrada, age 25. According to information presented to the court, from November 2019 to February 2020, Andrada received and possessed computer and cell phone images depicting minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section (CEOS), Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc. Assistant United States Attorney Christian A. Trabold prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Pennsylvania State Police and the Edinboro Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Andrada.


title: Former L.A. Resident Sentenced to More Than 6 Years in Prison for Running Cons Targeting Members of Orthodox Jewish Community

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A former resident of the Fairfax District of Los Angeles was sentenced today to 80 months in federal prison for defrauding investors, primarily members of the Orthodox Jewish community, by getting them to invest $25 million in his security camera business and his purported real estate ventures in Israel, while actually using their money for his own expenses. Yossi Engel, 36, who moved to Israel in March 2021 but temporarily returned to the Los Angeles area in February 2023, was sentenced by United States District Judge Maame Ewusi-Mensah Frimpong, who also ordered him to pay $11,758,030 in restitution. Engel pleaded guilty on May 12 to one count of wire fraud. He has been in federal custody since his arrest on March 8 at Los Angeles International Airport as he was attempting to leave the United States. Engel orchestrated a scheme in which he made false representations and used forged documents to induce victims to make investments in and provide loans for iWitness Tech Inc., a Hancock Park-based security camera company and for properties Engel falsely claimed to own and be developing in Israel. From September 2018 to January 2021, Engel used his community relationships to defraud victims, who primarily came from the Orthodox Jewish communities in the Los Angeles and New York metropolitan areas. Engel claimed to need money in the form of short-term loans with high rates of return for iWitness’ business operations, namely the purported purchase and installation of security cameras for its customers. Engel offered short-term investments and loans in iWitness that ranged from $15,000 to $1.3 million. The investments and loans were for two weeks to six months and would purportedly provide investors with 10% to 60% annualized interest. Victims were duped, in part, by being shown copies of false and fraudulent invoices of work iWitness purportedly did with other companies. Engel told victims that iWitness was a large business with many clients, but in fact it did not have as much business as he claimed, and work was so slack that at times iWitness employees sat around waiting for work while Engel slept on a couch. In another part of the scheme, Engel also falsely claimed to own and be developing real estate in Israel, telling victims that he needed money for redevelopment work, and falsely promising he would sell the properties and share the profits with investors. Engel showed victims a video depicting himself socializing with the mayor of Bnei Brak, Israel, and claimed to have met with the mayor concerning Engel’s purported real estate deals in the city. But Engel did not have a close relationship with the mayor, and he did not discuss with the mayor these real estate ventures in the city. Engel used fraudulent Israel land documents to dupe victims into thinking he owned these properties. Through these fake documents and his own trusted position in the Orthodox Jewish community, Engel lulled existing victims and encouraged new victims to send him money. Engel lied to investors that he needed private investments for both iWitness and the Israeli real estate projects because he was from Israel and did not have sufficient credit in the United States to obtain the lower interest rates available through U.S. banks. But Engel did not use the victims’ money as promised, and instead used it for his personal expenses – including trips via private jets and casino visits – and to make Ponzi payments to investors to perpetuate the scheme. Once the scheme fell apart in early 2021, Engel fled the United States for Israel. “The consequences of [Engel’s] dishonesty are not only financial but his victims endured an emotional cost,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. “[Engel’s] greed hurt reputations and broke relationships in the communities he solicited money.” In January 2023, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission sued Engel , alleging he used his ties in the Orthodox Jewish community to perpetuate a multimillion-dollar affinity fraud. The FBI investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Steven M. Arkow of the Major Frauds Section prosecuted this case.


title: Recovery of Nearly a Kilo of Fentanyl in Scarborough Leads to 13 Year Sentence for Massachusetts Man

body_text: PORTLAND, Maine: A career offender from Lawrence, Massachusetts was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Portland for possessing 400 grams or more of fentanyl with intent to distribute. Chief Judge Jon D. Levy sentenced Eddy Azcona, aka Cucu, 27, to 13 years in prison followed by five years of supervised release. Azcona pleaded guilty on July 31, 2023. According to court records, in February 2023, members of the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), assisted by members of the Scarborough Police Department, arranged to make a controlled purchase of approximately a kilogram of fentanyl from Azcona. When Azcona arrived to complete the drug deal in a shopping center parking lot in Scarborough, law enforcement approached him and he attempted to flee. Driving his vehicle at high speed, Azcona crashed into an unmarked police vehicle, lost control of his vehicle and hit a light pole in the parking lot. Investigators recovered 975.4 grams of fentanyl from Azcona. At the time of his federal arrest, Azcona had prior state convictions for drug offenses in both New Hampshire and Maine. The DEA and Scarborough Police Department investigated this case. ###


title: District Man Sentenced to 16 Months in Prison for Felony Second Degree Theft  For Stealing from CVS after Multiple Prior Theft Convictions

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – Jamal Calloway, 34, of Washington, D.C., was sentenced today to sixteen months incarceration to be followed by three years of supervised release for felony second degree theft by the Honorable Lynn Leibovitz of the Superior Court for the District of Columbia. According to the government’s evidence, on August 21, 2023, around 9:00 p.m., Jamal Calloway entered the CVS located at 2129 14th Street, NW, picked up store merchandise, and left the store without paying for the items. About an hour later, Calloway went back into that same CVS and was arrested while inside. On September 20, 2023, a grand jury indicted Jamal Calloway on one count of felony second degree theft pursuant to DC Code § 22–3212(c); Calloway had multiple prior theft convictions, not from the same occasion, and was therefore subject to enhanced penalties for his alleged theft, including a mandatory minimum sentence of one year of incarceration. On October 18, 2023, Calloway pleaded guilty to that offense. At sentencing on December 15, 2023, Judge Leibovitz heard a victim impact statement from a representative of CVS. The CVS representative explained that “Mr. Calloway’s theft has not only harmed the stores’ performance, but also created an atmosphere of insecurity and demotivation among the hardworking employees by affecting their morale and overall well-being.” In announcing the sentence, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Smith commended the work of those investigating the case from the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). They acknowledged the efforts of those who are working on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Augustin Horner, who investigated and prosecuted the case.


title: Two Men Sentenced for Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl Resulting in Serious Bodily Injury

body_text: COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – Two men were sentenced yesterday for their involvement in a conspiracy to distribute fentanyl which resulted in serious bodily injury to two victims. According to public court documents, Curclund Jackson VanAernam, 23, of Atlantic, and Luis Alberto Hernandez, 31, of Omaha, distributed fentanyl pills in Omaha and the surrounding areas, including Atlantic, Iowa. At least two victims overdosed after ingesting pills containing fentanyl that VanAernam and Hernandez distributed. Both victims survived after receiving doses of Narcan. VanAernam was sentenced to 16 years in federal prison and will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release following his prison term. Hernandez was sentenced to 22 years in prison, to be followed by a four-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Iowa Department of Public Safety Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Southwest Iowa Narcotics Enforcement (SWINE) Task Force, Atlantic Police Department, Cass County Sheriff’s Office, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Omaha Police Department investigated the case. Fentanyl has become the leading cause of drug overdose deaths in the United States. Counterfeit, fentanyl-laced pills often resemble pharmaceutical pills, but contain potentially lethal doses of fentanyl. Visit the Drug Enforcement Administration’s website to learn more about One Pill Can Kill .


title: Council Bluffs Man Sentenced to Five Years in Federal Prison for Drug and Firearm Charges

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

body_text: COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – A Council Bluffs man was sentenced yesterday to five years in federal prison for possession of a firearm a felon and possession of cocaine and marijuana with the intent to distribute it. According to public court documents, Terrance Tethur Yager, 58, was on probation when probation officers visited his home and found cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, mushrooms, and prescription pills in his garage and a loaded pistol in his truck. After completing his prison term, Yager will be required to serve a five-year term of supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. United States Attorney Richard D. Westphal of the Southern District of Iowa made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Council Bluffs Police Department investigated the case.


title: Sudbury Bookkeeper Pleads Guilty to Fraud Charges

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A former bookkeeper for a Lexington interior design firm pleaded guilty today to bank fraud charges in connection with her embezzling more than $180,000 from her former employer. Christina Iannelli, 51, of Sudbury, pleaded guilty to seven counts of bank fraud. U.S. District Court Judge Nathaniel M. Gorton scheduled sentencing for March 14, 2024. Iannelli was arrested and charged in March 2022. Iannelli was an independent contractor for an interior design firm based in Lexington. Beginning in or about October 2018, Iannelli prepared dozens of fraudulent invoices with inflated totals derived from inaccurate math, and then issued herself checks for the inflated amounts due from the firm’s checking account. Additionally, beginning in or about July 2019, Iannelli issued herself dozens of additional unauthorized checks. In both instances, Iannelli used a signature stamp in the name of the firm’s owner to issue the fraudulent checks. To conceal the fraudulent payments, Iannelli made false entries in the firm’s accounting records. In total, Iannelli embezzled more than $30,000 through inflated compensation checks and more than $150,000 through additional unauthorized checks. The charge of bank fraud provides for a sentence of up to 30 years in prison, five years of supervised release and a fine of $1 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; and Lexington Police Chief Michael McLean made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Sudbury Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney James R. Drabick of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case.


title: Leader of Fentanyl Trafficking Organization Pleads Guilty

body_text: BOSTON – A Providence man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Boston to leading a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. Estarlin Ortiz-Alcantara, 37, pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl. U.S. District Court Judge Allison D. Burroughs scheduled sentencing for March 7, 2024. Ortiz-Alcantara was charged in July 2022 and subsequently indicted by a federal grand jury in August 2022. Between approximately February 2021 and July 2022, Ortiz-Alcantara managed a DTO that distributed fentanyl across in Southeastern Massachusetts and Rhode Island. As part of his DTO’s operations, Ortiz-Alcantara controlled a stash house in Fall River to store, process and distribute fentanyl and employed numerous individuals who assisted with mixing, packaging and distributing fentanyl. During a search of Ortiz-Alcantara’s stash house in July 2022, more than 12 kilograms of fentanyl, as well as items consistent with running a fentanyl business, including blenders, a hydraulic press and baggies were seized. Each of the charges provide for a sentence of at least 10 years and up to life in prison, at least five years and up to life of supervised release and a fine of up to $10 million. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Brian D. Boyle, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Division; New Bedford Police Chief Paul Oliveira; and Fairhaven Police Chief Michael J. Myers made the announcement today. Special assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Homeland Security Investigations; Bristol County Sherriff’s Office; and the Fall River, Taunton, Attleboro, Scituate, Yarmouth, Providence (R.I.) and West Warwick (R.I.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorney John T. Mulcahy of the Narcotics & Money Laundering Unit 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 .


title: Maryland Man Sentenced to 70 Months For Fentanyl Conspiracy and Wire Fraud

body_text: WASHINGTON – Tyronn Waters, 32, of Silver Spring, Maryland, was sentenced today to 70 months in prison for his role in a drug trafficking operation in the metropolitan region, announced U.S. Attorney Graves; Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist, of the FBI Washington Field Office's Criminal and Cyber Division; and Special Agent in Charge Troy W. Springer of the National Capital Region, U.S. Department of Labor - Office of Inspector General. Waters pleaded guilty on July 13, 2023, in U.S. District Court in the District of Columbia to one count of conspiracy to distribute 40 grams or more of fentanyl and one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. According to the government’s evidence, law enforcement launched an investigation in August 2021 into a suspected drug trafficking ring that was running a fentanyl pill pressing operation in the District and Maryland. According to court documents, Waters admitted he played a part in the ring, and conspired to possess with intent to distribute various narcotics. Those narcotics included counterfeit Oxycodone pills containing fentanyl, produced using the ring’s three pill presses that pressed fentanyl mixes into what appeared to be genuine prescription pills. Waters admitted he purchased wholesale quantities of the counterfeit prescription pills and redistributed them for profit. Waters also admitted to possessing a firearm in connection with the offense. On March 29, 2022, the FBI executed a search warrant at an apartment on the 1300 block of 4th St. SE, a stash house used by the conspiracy to house its pill pressing operation. During the search, law enforcement seized baggies of pills and loose powder, together amounting to more than 516 pills and more than 76 grams of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl. Waters also was sentenced in connection with a guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Waters and his co-conspirators obtained stolen personal identifiable information (PII) from numerous unwitting victims and used this PII to apply for unemployment insurance benefits in victim names from Maryland, North Carolina, California, and elsewhere. Waters and his co-conspirators used the unemployment insurance benefits to obtain pre-loaded debit cards used to make purchases throughout the District and Maryland. At times they wore masks and wigs to make cash withdrawals from the accounts of victims at ATMs throughout the region. Waters admitted he is accountable for losses of more than $250,000 but less than $550,000, U.S. District Court Judge Amit P. Mehta ordered Waters to serve three years of supervised release after completing his prison sentence and to forfeit $100,000. In announcing the sentencing, U.S. Attorney Graves, Special Agent in Charge Geist, Special Agent in Charge Springer, and Chief Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Montgomery County Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and the Department of Labor’s Office of the Inspector General. They also acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office, including Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin Rosenberg who investigated and prosecuted the case along with former Special Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sarah Rasalam and Marnee Rand.


title: Former Owner of Plymouth Restaurant Sentenced for Tax Evasion

body_text: BOSTON – The former owner of a beachfront restaurant and bar in Plymouth was sentenced today for concealing business income from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and paying restaurant employees under the table. Rudolph Ferrucci, 66, of Plymouth, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Angel Kelley to two years’ probation, with the first six months to be served on home confinement, 400 hours of community service and a fine of $5,500. On Aug. 23, 2023, Ferrucci pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion and one count of failure to collect and pay over employee taxes. Ferrucci owned and operated Sandy’s, a seasonal, cash-only restaurant and bar. From 2016 through 2020, Ferrucci diverted a portion of Sandy’s sales receipts for cash payments to suppliers and employees and to personal income for himself and his spouse. Ferrucci kept separate sets of financial records for Sandy’s, including one omitting diverted sales receipts, which Ferrucci’s tax return preparer used to report Sandy’s income to the IRS. As a result, Ferrucci underreported his and his spouse’s personal income tax obligations by $1.2 million over those four years, causing a loss to the IRS of over $250,000. Additionally, Ferrucci paid Sandy’s employees more than $315,000 in cash wages, memorialized in a handwritten “second set of books” and not recorded in Sandy’s payroll records or tax returns. By not reporting these cash wages to the IRS, Ferrucci caused Sandy’s to fail to pay $75,000 in employment taxes owed to the IRS. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service’s Criminal Investigation in Boston made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorney David M. Holcomb of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Michigan City Man Sentenced to 292 Months in Prison

component: USAO - Indiana, Northern

body_text: SOUTH BEND – Opediah Barnett, 31 years old, of Michigan City, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Damon R. Leichty after pleading guilty to two counts of production of child pornography, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Barnett was sentenced to 292 months in prison followed by 10 years of supervised release as well as $6000 in restitution. According to documents in the case, in July of 2021 and January of 2022, Barnett persuaded two separate minors he met online to send him images of child sexual abuse material. Barnett also traveled out of state in an attempt to meet with one of the minors. This case was investigated by the United States Department of Homeland Security, Department of Homeland Security Investigations with the assistance of the Indiana State Police; the Spokane County, Washington Sheriff’s Department; and the Raleigh County, West Virginia, Sheriff’s Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John Maciejczyk. The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In 2006, the Department of Justice created Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from exploitation and abuse. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov .


title: Mason City Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Conspiring to Distribute Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Iowa, Northern

body_text: A man who sold methamphetamine in the Mason City area was sentenced today to more than 8 years in federal prison. Jay James Eden, age 32, from Mason City, Iowa, received the prison term after a January 13, 2023, guilty plea to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance. In a plea agreement, Eden admitted that between fall of 2020, and the fall of 2021, he and Nathan Carlson conspired with others to distribute 500 grams or more of a mixture containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine. Eden further admitted that on or about September 20, 2021, he knowingly distributed more than 50 grams of “ice” methamphetamine in the Mason City area. Eden was a drug dealer who was getting methamphetamine from Minnesota and re-selling it in and around Mason City. Eden was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Eden was sentenced to 100 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment of $100. He must also serve a 5-year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Eden 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 Jack Lammers and investigated by the Cerro Gordo Sheriff’s Office, Mason City Police Department, Clear Lake Police Department, Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, and the North Central Iowa Drug Task Force. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 22-CR-3025. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: North Dakota Man Sentenced to 14 Years in Federal Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Illegal Drugs

body_text: A man, who admitted he was delivering drugs for a drug cartel was sentenced on December 6, 2023, to 14 years in federal prison. Ethan Longie, 20 from Bismarck, North Dakota received the prison term after an October 5, 2022, guilty plea to Possession with Intent to Distribute a Controlled Substance. In a plea agreement, Longie admitted on February 4, 2022, he was stopped after a short pursuit in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa and was found in possession of more than 350 grams of actual methamphetamine, fentanyl pills, fentanyl powder, and other narcotics. Longie further admitted he was delivering drugs for the “Cartel” and that he had been delivering methamphetamine to various areas. While in custody pending his federal sentencing, Longie continued to distribute drugs and threatened to stab another inmate to keep him from informing on Longie. Longie was sentenced in Sioux City by United States District Court Chief Judge Leonard T. Strand. Longie was sentenced to 168 months’ imprisonment. He was ordered to pay a mandatory special assessment of $100. He must also serve a 5 -year term of supervised release after the prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Longie 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 Jack Lammers and investigated by Cerro Gordo County Sheriff’s Office, Mason City Police, the North Central Iowa Drug Task Force, and the Iowa Department of Narcotics Enforcement. Court file information at https://ecf.iand.uscourts.gov/cgi-bin/login.pl . The case file number is 22-CR-3014-LTS-KEM. Follow us on Twitter @USAO_NDIA.


title: South Los Angeles-Based Gang Member Sentenced to 14 Years in Prison for Leading Crack Cocaine Trafficking Ring in Watts

body_text: LOS ANGELES – A leader of the Bounty Hunter Bloods (BHB) street gang was sentenced today to 168 months in federal prison for leading a manufacturing and distribution of crack cocaine organization in and around the gang’s “territory” of the Nickerson Gardens public housing projects in the Watts neighborhood of Los Angeles. Damion Baker, 46, a.k.a. “Fatts,” of the Harbor Gateway area of Los Angeles, was sentenced by United States District Judge Fernando L. Aenlle-Rocha. Baker pleaded guilty on February 17 to one count of conspiracy to manufacture, distribute, and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. Baker was the lead defendant in an indictment targeting members and associates of the BHB street gang for drug- and firearm-related crimes. He has been in federal custody since his April 2021 arrest in this case. From August 2019 to May 2020, Baker organized and led a drug trafficking conspiracy in which he and his accomplices agreed to distribute cocaine. Specifically, Baker arranged to obtain powder cocaine from at least two drug suppliers. He then directed his co-conspirators to cook, and would himself cook, the powder cocaine and manufacture it into crack cocaine to sell to customers, including back to his powder cocaine suppliers to sell in crack form. Baker directed his accomplices in the packaging, sale, and delivery of crack cocaine to customers, which included co-conspirators and other BHB gang members. Baker also directed the receipt and storage of drug proceeds throughout BHB-claimed territory in South Los Angeles. As part of these activities, Baker arranged for an accomplice’s residence in the Nickerson Gardens housing projects in Watts to be used as a stash house in which Baker and his co-conspirators continuously sold crack cocaine over a period of many months. Baker recruited and hired co-conspirators to work at the Watts stash house and directed them in selling narcotics to customers there and in nearby areas, restocking the stash house’s drug supply, and transporting drug proceeds to Baker and other accomplices at various locations. Baker admitted in his plea agreement to possessing a firearm in May 2020. He was not permitted to do so because he previously had been convicted of felonies in Los Angeles Superior Court, including a cocaine possession charge in 1998 and a domestic violence-related charge in 2001. He has admitted that he possessed the firearm for the purpose of protecting his crack cocaine distribution business. Baker also agreed to forfeit the firearm and $44,600 in cash law enforcement seized at his residence in Los Angeles and at another residence in Compton. “A member of the BHB gang, [Baker] was the most culpable and essential figure in this serious criminal conspiracy that plagued BHB territory in and around the Nickerson Gardens Housing Projects in Watts…and elsewhere in Los Angeles,” prosecutors argued in a sentencing memorandum. The other 11 defendants in this indictment either have pleaded guilty or signed plea agreements in this case and await sentencing. Another BHB gang member, and Baker’s second in command in the drug trafficking conspiracy, Tony Carr, 52, a.k.a. “T-Bone,” of Watts, pleaded guilty in July 2022 to one count of cocaine trafficking conspiracy and one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm. In October 2022, Judge Aenlle-Rocha sentenced Carr to 188 months in federal prison. The FBI’s Los Angeles Metropolitan Task Force on Violent Gangs, which consists of the FBI, the Los Angeles Police Department, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, investigated this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Amy E. Pomerantz of the Violent and Organized Crime Section prosecuted this case.


title: Fraudulent Nursing Diploma Scheme Leads to Federal Convictions

component: USAO - Florida, Southern

body_text: MIAMI – Today a federal jury sitting in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida found defendants Gail Russ, registrar of the Palm Beach School of Nursing in Lake Worth, Florida, Cassandre Jean, owner and operator of Success Nursing Review in Brooklyn, New York, and Vilaire Duroseau, owner and operator of the Center for Advance Training and Studies in West Orange, New Jersey, guilty of wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud charges after a three-week trial. These defendants were charged, along with eleven co-defendants, for their involvement in a scheme to sell fraudulent nursing degree diplomas and transcripts obtained from two private nursing schools that at one time were approved by the State of Florida to issue diplomas and transcripts to individuals seeking licenses and jobs as registered nurses (RNs) and licensed practical/vocational nurses (LPN/VNs). The bogus diplomas and transcripts qualified purchasers to sit for the national nursing board exam and, after passing it, to obtain licenses and jobs in various states as RNs and LPN/VNs. The overall scheme involved the distribution of more than 7,600 fake nursing diplomas by Palm Beach School of Nursing and Quisqueya School of Nursing LLC in Palm Beach County, Fla. These schools are now closed due to the excessive failure rates of their students taking the state nursing board exam. Those nursing applicants who passed the national nursing board exam used the fraudulent diplomas to obtain RN or LPN/VN licenses and nursing jobs with unwitting health care providers throughout the United States. An additional eleven defendants entered pleas of guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud in Case No. 23-60007-Cr-Singhal. In total, 27 defendants were charged and convicted in 2023 for their participation in this nursing diploma fraud scheme, known as Operation Nightingale, that created an illegal licensing and employment shortcut for aspiring nurses. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida Markenzy Lapointe; Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey B. Veltri, FBI, Miami Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Omar Pérez Aybar, HHS-OIG, made the announcement. FBI Miami and HHS-OIG Miami investigated these cases. Valuable assistance was provided by Homeland Security Investigations, Miami Field Office; U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs-Office of Inspector General; and Florida Attorney General-Florida Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, Mid-Atlantic Field Office. Senior Litigation Counsel Christopher J. Clark and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jon M. Juenger prosecuted these cases and Assistant U.S. Attorney Nicole Grosnoff is handling asset forfeiture. 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 23-60007-CR. ###


title: Settlement with Hamden/North Haven YMCA Ensures Access to Programs for Children with Disabilities

component: USAO - Connecticut

body_text: Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that the United States and the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA have entered into a settlement agreement to resolve allegations that staff at one of its branches, the Hamden/North Haven YMCA, discriminated against a child with Down syndrome in violation of the Americans with Disability Act (“ADA”). This matter was initiated by a complaint made with the U.S. Department of Justice on behalf of a child with Down syndrome who requires toileting assistance. The complaint claimed that staff at the Hamden/North Hamden YMCA did not provide reasonable modifications to allow the child to enjoy the full benefits of the before-school program and did not allow the child to enroll in the after-school program until and unless the child’s family found and, if necessary, paid for a personal aide to accompany the child. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, the Hamden/North Haven YMCA has agreed not to discriminate against children with disabilities in the future. It will implement new policies and procedures for handling requests for reasonable modifications that are consistent with the ADA and that include obligations to conduct an individualized assessment of each child’s needs and engage in a back-and-forth interactive process with parents, guardians, and caregivers about a child’s needs. The Hamden/North Haven YMCA will also provide training to its staff on the ADA. In addition, working with the Hamden Special Education Parents Teacher Association, the Hamden North Haven YMCA has also agreed to conduct outreach to parents, guardians, and caregivers of children with disabilities in the Hamden community, including making reasonable efforts to reach those who do not speak English as their primary language. The Hamden/North Haven YMCA will also designate an ADA coordinator, who will be responsible for reviewing requests for reasonable modifications and ensuring that proper communication occurs between the YMCA staff and parents, guardians, caregivers, and school personnel about the needs of each child with a disability enrolled in its programs. The Central Connecticut Coast YMCA has also agreed to pay $3,000 to the individual who complained and to allow the complainant’s child to enroll in the before- and after-school programs in future with appropriate reasonable modifications, if needed. “Families depend on childcare so that they can go to work and earn a living to support their families,” said U.S. Attorney Avery. “This includes finding appropriate childcare for children with disabilities. My office is committed to ensuring that every child’s family has equal access to childcare in Connecticut. I want to thank the Central Connecticut Coast YMCA and the Hamden/North Haven YMCA for signing this settlement agreement, which signals their commitment to serving children with disabilities and their families in the future.” The settlement agreement is effective for three years, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office will monitor compliance during that time. This matter was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorney Stewart C. Dearing. Any member of the public who wishes to file a complaint alleging that any place of public accommodation or public entity in Connecticut is not accessible to persons with disabilities may contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office at 203-821-3700 and ask for the Civil Rights Intake Specialist. Additional information about the ADA can be found at www.ada.gov, or by calling the Justice Department’s toll-free information line at (800) 514-0301 and (800) 514-0383 (TTY). More information about the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division and the laws it enforces is available at www.justice.gov/crt .


title: Jefferson County Woman Who Falsely Claimed to be Disabled Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison

body_text: ST. LOUIS – U.S. District Judge Sarah E. Pitlyk on Friday sentenced a Jefferson County, Missouri woman who was part of a wide-ranging scheme that fraudulently obtained millions of dollars in disability payments to 15 months in prison. Elizabeth Guetersloh, 67, was also ordered to repay $423,513. A jury in U.S. District Court in St. Louis in May found Guetersloh guilty of two counts of mail fraud, 16 counts of wire fraud and eight counts of theft of government funds. Guetersloh was among a group of now former Anheuser-Busch employees who went to a Jefferson County chiropractic clinic as part of a scheme to falsely claim disability payments from the Social Security Administration’s Disability Trust Fund and through private disability benefit insurance providers. In all, 17 defendants have pleaded guilty or been convicted at trial of charges connected to the investigation. “These defendants schemed to take advantage of a system intended to support those who become too disabled to work. The chiropractors took thousands of dollars in fees to teach the other defendants how to fake medical conditions and pretend they were unable to perform some of the basic necessities of life, like walking, standing, sitting and lifting objects. Evidence at her trial showed that this defendant, Elizabeth Guetersloh, fraudulently filed for disability payments and then danced, hiked through waterfalls, rode roller coasters, went to wineries, and traveled to Europe, Hawaii and the Caribbean. Each defendant has been ordered to repay all of the money that was lost, which should serve as an important message that you will never come out ahead if you attempt to commit fraud.” Chiropractors Thomas G. Hobbs and Vivian Carbone-Hobbs, co-owners of Power-Med Inc., a chiropractic clinic in Arnold, Missouri, were each sentenced to four years in prison earlier this year. Hobbs was ordered to repay $4.3 million and Carbone-Hobbs was ordered to repay $16.4 million. Hobbs, now 66, pleaded guilty in January to a conspiracy charge and admitted conspiring to commit the crimes of health care fraud, making false statements, theft of government funds and Social Security fraud. Carbone-Hobbs, now 61, was convicted by a jury in February of conspiracy to defraud the Social Security Administration, 10 counts of health care fraud and two counts of theft of money from the United States. “This sentence holds Ms. Elizabeth Guetersloh accountable for her criminal actions and concludes a major case that involved several medical professionals and many other defendants, who conspired to defraud SSA’s disability program and private insurers,” said Gail S. Ennis, Inspector General for the Social Security Administration. “I applaud the efforts of those who uncovered this fraud and the investigators who tirelessly unraveled this scheme. I also commend Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tracy Berry, Dorothy McMurtry, Gwendolyn Carroll, and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Diane Klocke who worked diligently to bring these cases to conclusion.” The cases were investigated by the Social Security Administration – Office of Inspector General and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tracy Berry, Dorothy McMurtry, Diane Klocke and Gwendolyn Carroll prosecuted the case. Anyone who suspects fraud involving the Disability Insurance Benefit Program should contact the Social Security Administration Office of Inspector General Hotline at: 1-800-269-0271 or https://oig.ssa.gov/report/ .


title: Las Cruces Man Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison for Cyberstalking and Sending Threatening Messages

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Raul Bujanda, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office, announced today that John Benjamin Thornton was sentenced to 5 years in prison. Thornton, 42, of Las Cruces, pleaded guilty on Dec. 3, 2021, to a nine-count superseding indictment charging him with cyberstalking and making threats in interstate commerce. According to court records, Thornton had been the subject of complaints since November 2020 by several people who had received disturbing or threatening messages from him, including his ex-wife, his own father, and a business owner and his employees. The charges stemmed from threatening Facebook messages posted between February and May of 2021, text messages sent to his father in May of 2021, and emails sent to the owner and employees of a quantum computing company which Thornton deemed to be evil. In the Facebook posts, text messages and emails Thornton threatened to kill the recipients. Upon his release from prison, Thornton will be subject to 3 years of supervised release. The Las Cruces Resident Agency of the FBI Albuquerque Field Office investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorneys Marisa A. Ong and Joni Stahl are prosecuting the case. View the Second Superseding Indictment here # # # 23-286


title: North Carolina Lawyer Sentenced to Prison

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Eastern

body_text: United States Attorney Gregory J. Haanstad announced that on December 15, 2023, Jack Daly (age: 51) was sentenced to 4 months’ imprisonment for conspiring to (i) commit mail fraud and (ii) lie to the Federal Election Commission (“FEC”). Daly’s term of imprisonment will be followed by two years of supervised release, and he will also pay a $20,000 fine, along with two separate payments of $69,978.37 for restitution and forfeiture. Publicly filed documents in the case reflect that Daly and his co-conspirator Nathanael Pendley—both lawyers—operated a political action committee (the “Draft PAC”) that solicited donations by promising donors their money would be used to convince David Clarke, Jr., the former Sheriff of Milwaukee County, to campaign for a seat in the United States Senate. Over the relevant period, the Draft PAC raised over $1.6 million. Most of this money was spent on additional fundraising to benefit Daly and Pendley, not genuine efforts to convince Clarke to run for office. Court documents indicate that in their solicitations to small-dollar donors, Daly and Pendley falsely suggested that Clarke was still likely to run for the Senate, even after Clarke’s explicit public statement to the contrary. In communications with both Clarke and the FEC, Daly and Pendley also falsely represented that Daly was no longer responsible for the Draft PAC’s operation. According to court records, Daly targeted vulnerable victims, including a woman with Alzheimer’s and elderly veterans. One 96-year-old victim, who “lived alone on a very limited income,” noted that Daly and Pendley were “con artists” who “should be punished” because “they scammed many working people,” instead of “using their education to help” others. When imposing sentence, United States District Court Judge J.P. Stadtmueller observed that Daly’s behavior “crosses the line with affirmative actions that tended to mask the true facts” surrounding Clarke’s intentions. Judge Stadtmueller also noted Daly’s “level of experience” as both a fundraiser and lawyer in explaining the sentence. “At its core, this was a straightforward fraud case,” said U.S. Attorney Haanstad. “The evidence in this case was clear: Mr. Daly lied to obtain money that he used for his own benefit. I commend everyone who worked together to seek justice for the victims of this scheme.” “Using a political action committee, also known as a PAC, to fraudulently solicit donations for personal gain is a serious offense,” said Special Agent in Charge Michael E. Hensle. “Such actions undermine the integrity of the political process and erode public trust. Jack Daly and Nathanael Pendley used former Milwaukee County Sheriff David Clarke’s name to victimize thousands of individuals who thought they were making legitimate contributions. The FBI will continue to utilize all available resources, and work with our partners to identify, pursue, and bring offenders to face justice.” Pendley is set for sentencing before Judge Stadtmueller on December 28, 2023. This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Kevin Knight and Benjamin Taibleson. # # # For Additional Information Contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov 414-297-1700 Follow us on Twitter


title: Oshkosh Felon Convicted at Trial on Firearm Charge

body_text: Gregory J. Haanstad, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin, announced that on December 14, 2023, Douglas T. Murphy (age: 35) of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, was found guilty following a jury trial in federal court in Green Bay, Wisconsin, of being a felon in possession of a firearm, in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 922(g)(1). According to court documents, on the evening of June 4 and into the early morning hours of June 5, 2023, Murphy repeatedly pointed a Cobra .380 caliber handgun at several children inside a residence located in downtown Oshkosh. Murphy also used the firearm to “pistol whip” the mother of the children, causing an open wound on her scalp. A 911 call from the children led to an almost 6-hour standoff with law enforcement. At around 6 a.m., the Oshkosh Police Department SWAT Team entered the residence and arrested Murphy. The loaded firearm was located in close proximity to Murphy at the time of his arrest. Murphy has prior felony convictions in Waukesha, Manitowoc, and Winnebago Counties. Murphy faces up to a fifteen-year term in federal prison when he is sentenced by Senior United States District Judge William C. Griesbach in March 2024. Murphy will remain in custody pending that hearing. The case was investigated by the Oshkosh Police Department with the assistance of the Winnebago County Sheriff’s Office and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Michael Schindhelm and Daniel R. Humble. ### For Additional Information Contact: Public Information Officer Kenneth.Gales@usdoj.gov 414-297-1700 Follow us on Twitter


title: Activity in the U.S. Attorney's Office

body_text: Attempt to Entice a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity Adam Paul Custeau , age 27, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced to 120 months in prison for attempting to entice a minor to engage in sexual activity. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence on Nov. 30, 2023, in Casper, Wyoming. This crime was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation and the Wyoming Highway Patrol. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Seth Z. Griswold. Drug and Firearms Offenses Zachary Thomas Stott , age 30, of Gillette, Wyoming, was sentenced to 143 months and 9 days for possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Senior U.S. District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal imposed the sentence on Dec. 15 in Cheyenne. According to court documents, on Oct. 7, 2022, Stott was pulled over by the Casper Police Department. Controlled substances, drug paraphernalia and a firearm were located in his vehicle. The defendant admitted that everything belonged to him. Stott is a convicted felon who is prohibited from possessing firearms. This crime was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Casper Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan C. Coppom. Drug Trafficking Matthew Ryan Natoli, age 46, of Menifee, California, was sentenced to 77 months in prison for conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine. Senior U.S. District Court Judge Nancy D. Freudenthal imposed the sentence on Dec. 15 in Cheyenne. According to court documents, Matthew Natoli was shipping methamphetamine to an individual in Evanston, Wyoming. Matthew Natoli pled guilty in September. This crime was investigated by the U.S. Postal Service and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Forwood. Jevon Leon Bynum , age 44, of Casper, Wyoming, was sentenced to 108 months’ imprisonment for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. According to court documents, in February, the U.S. Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) and the Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation (DCI) were investigating an illegal fentanyl trafficker who had been distributing fentanyl throughout Wyoming via the USPS. This distributor was arrested and his cell phone was seized. Bynum’s cell number was seen communicating with the distributor. Agents conducted a search of Bynum’s residence and his mother’s residence, where packages were sent, and recovered 160 grams of fentanyl, a USPS shipping box addressed to Bynum and drug paraphernalia. Bynum waived indictment and pleaded guilty to the information. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Forwood. Chief U.S. District Court Judge Scott W. Skavdahl imposed the sentence, which included $500 in community restitution, on Dec. 12. Raymond Paddock , 66, of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was sentenced to 33 months in prison for possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. According to court documents, on Mar. 12, Paddock was a passenger in a truck that was pulled over for a traffic stop. A Cheyenne Police Department officer arrived and deployed a canine that indicated the presence of narcotics. A search of the vehicle uncovered a plastic bag containing approximately 1,000 fentanyl pills under the passenger seat where Paddock was sitting. Paddock waived indictment and pled guilty to the information in September. The case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration and prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy J. Forwood. About the United States Attorney’s Office The United States Attorney’s Office is responsible for representing the federal government in virtually all litigation involving the United States in the District of Wyoming, including all criminal prosecutions for violations of federal law, civil lawsuits brought by or against the government, and actions to collect judgments and restitution on behalf of victims and taxpayers. The Office is involved in several programs designed to make our communities safer. They include: Environmental Justice The fair treatment and meaningful involvement of all people regardless of race, color, national origin, or income with respect to the development, implementation, and enforcement of environmental laws, regulations, and policies. Project Safe Childhood Project Safe Childhood (PSC) is a DOJ initiative that combats the proliferation of technology-facilitated sexual exploitation crimes against children. The threat of sexual predators soliciting children for sexual contact is well-known and serious. Project Safe Neighborhoods Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN) is a nationwide commitment to reducing gun and gang crime in America by networking existing local programs that target gun crime and providing these programs with additional tools necessary to be successful. Victim Witness Assistance The Victim Witness Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Wyoming is dedicated to making sure that victims of federal crimes and their family members are treated with compassion, fairness, and respect. To report a federal crime, go to: https://www.justice.gov/actioncenter/report-crime#trafficking


title: Federal Jury Finds Defendant Guilty of Murder for Hire, Conspiracy to Commit Murder for Hire, and Solicitation to Commit a Crime of Violence

body_text: Jackson, MS – A federal jury convicted Joshua Druid Bryan of Clinton, MS, today for murder for hire, conspiracy to commit murder for hire, and solicitation to commit a crime of violence. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Bryan, 28, hired a hitman to murder another person. He also entered into a conspiracy with Regan Bryan, his sister, to commit the offense. Regan Bryan previously pled guilty to conspiracy to commit murder for hire. U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee of the Southern District of Mississippi and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives made the announcement. The ATF investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin Payne and Matt Allen prosecuted the case.


title: Guatemalan Man Pleads Guilty to Illegal Reentry

body_text: BOSTON – A Guatemalan man has pleaded guilty in federal court in Boston to unlawfully reentering the United States after deportation. Romeo Waldemar Gabriel Lopez, 32, pleaded guilty on Dec. 12, 2023 to one count of unlawful reentry of a deported alien before U.S. District Court Judge Myong J. Joun, who scheduled sentencing for Feb. 13, 2024. Gabriel Lopez was deported in April 2016, October 2016, April 2017, and March 2020. Sometime after his March 2020 removal, Gabriel Lopez unlawfully reentered the United States. On Sept. 8, 2023, he was arrested by immigration authorities who learned of his arrest in an unrelated state case. The charge of unlawful reentry of a deported alien provides for a sentence of up to two years in prison, one year of supervised release, and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy and Todd M. Lyons, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney John J. Reynolds III of the Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case.


title: District Man Convicted of Assault, Threatening to Injure or Kidnap a Person, and Intimidating, Impeding, Interfering with and Retaliating Against a Government Official

body_text: WASHINGTON - Antoine Nicholson, 34, of Washington, D.C., was convicted at trial of intimidating, impeding, interfering with and retaliating against a government official, among other charges, for a firearm-related assault against a parking enforcement officer that took place in the U Street corridor on Aug. 12, 2023, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Pamela Smith, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department. Nicholson was also found guilty of assault and threatening to injure or kidnap a person. The verdict was returned on Dec. 15, 2023, following a four-day jury trial in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia before the Honorable Maribeth Raffinan. According to the government’s evidence, on Aug. 12, 2023, at approximately 1:30 a.m., Nicholson was illegally parked in a no-parking zone in the 2100 block of 10th Street N.W. His vehicle also had over $3,000 in unpaid parking tickets and had expired tags. The victim and his partner, both Department of Public Works parking enforcement officers, were patrolling the area. Due to the defendant’s parking violations, they began to impound the defendant’s vehicle, during which Nicholson approached the officers and cursed at them. In response, the victim explained to Nicholson why his car was being towed. Nicholson then went inside the driver’s side compartment of the vehicle, retrieved a handgun from the compartment, and threatened to “bust” the victim. Nicholson fled the scene and was apprehended by police approximately a half-mile from the location of the offense. Nicholson is scheduled to be sentenced by D.C. Superior Court Judge Maribeth Raffinan on March 8, 2024. For being convicted of Intimidating, impeding, interfering with and retaliating against a government official, he faces a statutory maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a $12,500 fine. For being convicted of threatening to injure or kidnap a person, he faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $50,000 fine. In announcing the verdict, U.S. Attorney Graves and Chief Pamela Smith commended the work of those who investigated the case from the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s office. Finally, they commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emmanuel Hampton and Kraig Ahalt, who investigated and prosecuted the case.


title: DEA-Led Operation Dismantles Clovis-Based Drug Trafficking Organization

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – Alexander M.M. Uballez, United States Attorney for the District of New Mexico, and Towanda Thorne-James, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s El Paso Division, announced that a 6-count indictment against 7 alleged drug traffickers was unsealed following a coordinated, multiagency enforcement operation in Clovis and Ruidoso Downs, New Mexico. During the federal arrests, agents seized six firearms and several kilograms of methamphetamine. Federal agents also assisted with the arrest of over 40 fugitives on state warrants. A federal grand jury indicted 7 defendants on December 6, 2023. According to the indictment, between October of 2022 and December of 2023, Jose Badillo-Hernandez, 51, of Clovis, Rebecca Chavez, 39, of Portales, Joseph Sandoval, 50, of Clovis, his sister, Michelle Sandoval, 52, of Ruidoso Downs, William Voges, 53, of Ruidoso Downs, Daniel Perez, 53, a citizen of Mexico, and Manuel Pinon-Duran, 47, a citizen of Mexico, conspired to distribute 50 grams and more of methamphetamine in Curry, Lincoln, Roosevelt and Cibola Counties. A criminal indictment is only an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, the defendants face sentences of at least 10 years and up to life in prison. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated this case with the assistance of the Region V Drug Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, , Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department, and New Mexico State Police. The investigation was designated as part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) program, a Department of Justice program that combines the resources and unique expertise of federal agencies, along with their local counterparts, in a coordinated effort to disrupt and dismantle major drug trafficking organizations. Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Hirsch and Raquel Ruiz-Velez are prosecuting the case. Read the Indictment # # # 23-287


title: Bellevue, Washington tax preparer indicted for aiding and assisting with false tax returns

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A 63-year-old Bellevue, Washington, tax preparer was indicted this week on 14 counts of aiding and assisting with the preparation and presentation of false tax returns, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Thanjavur Manavalan, the owner and operator of Mano Accounting Services, made his initial appearance on the indictment today. He entered a plea of “not guilty,” and trial was scheduled in front of U.S. District Judge Lauren King on February 20, 2024. According to the indictment, Manavalan falsified a variety of items on clients’ tax returns, including charitable contributions, proceeds and initial price (basis) of investments sold, business losses, rental income, and private loans. Manavalan’s tax preparation business filed thousands of returns and grew substantially over the course of the fraud scheme. The indictment lists 14 different tax returns for tax years 2018-2020 alleged to contain false and fraudulent information. The total tax loss to the U.S. Treasury from the 14 counts charged in the indictment is estimated to exceed $500,000. Manavalan has owned and operated Mano Accounting Services since 2004. Aiding and assisting with the preparation and presentation of a false tax return is punishable by up to three years in prison. The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The case is being investigated by the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney David T. Martin. manavalan_indictment.pdf


title: District Man Convicted by a Federal Jury of Unlawful Possession of Ammunition and  Unlawful Possession with Intent to Distribute Fentanyl

body_text: WASHINGTON – Roy Tatum, 47, of Washington, DC, was convicted by a federal jury of unlawful possession of ammunition and unlawful possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, both felony offenses. U.S. District Court Judge Dabney L. Friedrich scheduled a sentencing hearing for March 22, 2024. The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). According to the evidence presented to the jury, on October 27, 2021, at approximately 6:04 a.m., members of the Metropolitan Police Department executed a D.C. Superior Court search warrant at 238 35th Street Northeast in Washington D.C. Officers banged loudly on the front door prior to making entry into the apartment. When there was no answer at the front door, officers forced entry. As they entered, they observed Tatum walk out of the bathroom, wearing only shorts and slippers. In that bathroom, officers found numerous packets of narcotics, including fentanyl on the floor and inside the toilet bowl and tank, which Tatum admitted at trial that he was trying to destroy to prevent recovery by police. Additional packets of Fentanyl were recovered from Tatum’s vehicle, which was parked outside the apartment. Moreover, during the search of the apartment, officers recovered from inside Tatum’s pant pocket a .45 caliber Glock magazine containing six rounds of ammunition. Tatum was previously released from incarceration under the D.C. Incarceration Reduction Amendment Act (IRAA) after serving more than 25 years following previous first-degree murder convictions. Less than two years after he was released, MPD was executing a warrant in an unrelated homicide case and arrested Tatum for possession of firearms, ammunition, and drugs. This case was investigated by the Metropolitan Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Emory V. Cole and Ariel L. Dean.