title: Luzerne County Man Charged With Drug Trafficking And Ammunition Violations

body_text: SCRANTON- The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Wendell Freeman, age 30, of Edwardsville, Pennsylvania, was indicted by a federal grand jury on drug trafficking and ammunition charges. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that in September 2024, Freeman distributed cocaine on multiple occasions in Luzerne County. The indictment further alleges that on September 25, 2024, Freeman possessed fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana for purposes of distribution. The indictment also alleges that Freeman possessed multiple rounds of various ammunition when he was prohibited by a prior felony conviction from possessing ammunition. The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Luzerne County Drug Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jenny P. Roberts is prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 30 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: FCI Schuylkill Inmate Charged With Possession Of A Weapon

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: SCRANTON – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Rasaan Gourrier, age 29, an inmate at the Schuylkill Federal Correctional Institution, was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury for possessing a weapon in prison. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that on August 7, 2024, Gourrier was discovered to be in possession of a homemade plexiglass weapon, known as a “shank.” This matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI). Assistant United States Attorney Sarah R. Lloyd is prosecuting the case. The maximum penalty under federal law for possessing a weapon in prison is 5 years imprisonment, a term of supervision following release, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: Minneapolis Gang Member Pleads Guilty to Illegal Possession of a Machinegun

component: USAO - Minnesota

body_text: MINNEAPOLIS – A member of the 10z street gang in South Minneapolis has pleaded guilty for illegally possessing a machinegun, announced U.S. Attorney Andrew M. Luger. According to court documents, on March 21, 2024, Austin Joevon Toy, a.k.a. “Ace,” 23, knowingly possessed a Glock model 23 .40 semiautomatic pistol with an obliterated serial number and an attached conversion device commonly referred to as a “switch” or an “auto-sear,” which allow for the firearm to be fired as fully automatic weapons with the single pull of the trigger. Toy pleaded guilty yesterday in U.S. District Court before Judge Nancy E. Brasel to one count of illegal possession of a machinegun. A sentencing hearing will take place at a later date. This case is the result of an investigation conducted by the Minneapolis Police Department and the FBI. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kristian C. Weir is prosecuting the case.


title: Man Sentenced For Supplying Machineguns To Lansing Gang Members

component: USAO - Michigan, Western

body_text: GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN — U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Michigan Mark Totten today announced that Jaquan Foreman, 22, of Lansing was sentenced to 37 months in federal prison and two years of supervised release for possessing machineguns and supplying them to fellow gang members in the Lansing area. Specifically, Foreman possessed and was selling machinegun conversion devices (MCDs), small devices – also called “switches,” “buttons,” or “auto-sears” – that quickly convert a semi-automatic firearm into a machinegun, capable of firing hundreds of rounds a minute with the single pull of a trigger. “With this case I am sending a very clear message: if you possess a machinegun conversion device and are driving violence in your community, you are a target for federal prosecution,” announced U.S. Attorney Mark Totten . “The devastation machineguns can inflict is horrific. Although violent crime rates have dropped, the spread of machineguns is a growing threat that we are attacking head on.” WATCH: To reinforce this message, and following today’s sentencing, U.S. Attorney Totten shared a video message on social media. Jaquan Foreman is a member of a Lansing-area gang responsible for a rash of violent incidents over the past few years, including numerous shootings and murders. Investigators discovered electronic evidence that Defendant was selling machinegun conversion devices, then searched his home and found ammunition, gun parts, a pistol, and a MCD. Reviewing the cell phones of other federal defendants, investigators learned that Foreman was distributing MCDs to other gang members. Text messages suggested that one of these buyers was Valentino Wallace, who was convicted by a federal jury on August 15, 2024, of possessing a machinegun and now awaits sentencing. Further details are available in the attached Government’s Sentencing Memorandum. “Anyone who contributes to the gun violence in the city of Lansing will be targeted with all the resources available to the Lansing Police Department,” said Chief Rob Backus, Lansing Police Department . “This includes our violent crimes initiative partners, which include local, state, and federal agencies.” The Lansing Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Timothy VerHey prosecuted it. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement, and the local community to develop effective, locally based strategies to reduce violent crime. For more information, visit www.justice.gov/psn . ###


title: New York Man Indicted for Bank Fraud and Identity Theft in Connection with Stolen $810,000 Tax Refund Check

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Yonkers, N.Y. man was indicted yesterday by a federal grand jury in Boston in connection with a scheme to steal an $810,000 tax refund by impersonating a corporate executive in Connecticut. Steven Ware, 63, was charged by criminal complaint with one count of bank fraud and two counts of aggravated identity theft. Ware was initially arrested and charged by criminal complaint on Sept. 10, 2024 . According to charging documents, in December 2023, Ware opened bank accounts in the name of a Connecticut investment company and one of its executives at a credit union in Tyngsborough, Mass. When opening the account, Ware allegedly identified himself as the executive – using the executive’s full name, date of birth, Social Security number and other documents. Shortly after opening the account, it is alleged that Ware returned to the credit union pretending to be the executive and deposited a United States Treasury check payable to the company and the executive for $810,337. Once the check cleared, a debit card was allegedly used to withdraw money from the account to buy goods at various retailers in New York, New Hampshire and Massachusetts. It is further alleged that Ware returned to the Tyngsborough credit union several times over the following days and weeks pretending to be the executive and wired more than $634,000 of the stolen funds. 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 up to $1 million. The charges of aggravated identity theft each provide for a mandatory two years in prison, in addition to any sentence imposed for bank fraud, 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; Jodi Cohen, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Harry Chavis, Jr., Special Agent in Charge of the Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Boston Field Office; and Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service’s Boston Division made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Tyngsborough Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kriss Basil of the Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: St. Louis Man Admits Being Caught with Guns and Drugs After Fleeing Police

component: USAO - Missouri, Eastern

body_text: ST. LOUIS – A man from St. Louis on Wednesday admitted being caught with three guns, cocaine base and methamphetamine after fleeing from police. Perry A. McCoy, 33, pleaded guilty to one count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and one count of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine base. He admitted that on Oct. 24, 2023, St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department officers and detectives arrived in the 6100 block of Sherry Avenue to conduct a court-approved search. Prior to the search, McCoy arrived in a red Dodge Charger, entered the home and then left. Police followed the Charger and another vehicle parked at the home, and saw McCoy conduct a hand-to-hand transaction with someone at a nearby gas station. When officers tried to stop the Charger, McCoy drove away, rolling over spike strips that had been placed in front of the car. McCoy sped off before making a U-turn to avoid another set of spike strips and was “T-boned” by a Toyota Tacoma. McCoy then fled on foot before being tackled by police. Officers found meth in a fanny pack McCoy discarded during the foot chase. They found three Glock pistols and drugs in the car. In all, McCoy was arrested with drugs including a plastic bag containing 16.10 grams of cocaine base, a plastic bag containing 2.33 grams of meth and a glass jar containing 47.53 grams of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC). McCoy is scheduled to be sentenced Jan. 15, 2025. The gun charge is punishable by up to 15 years in prison and the drug charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison. The St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Jones is prosecuting the case.


title: 68 Defendants Charged in Indictment of Dozens of Members and Associates of San Fernando Valley White Supremacist Gang

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – Federal and local law enforcement have arrested 42 members and associates of the SFV Peckerwoods, a San Fernando Valley-based white supremacist street gang, on a 76-count federal grand jury indictment alleging they engaged in a years-long pattern of racketeering activity that included trafficking of drugs – including fentanyl – illegal firearms possession, and COVID-19 benefits and loan fraud, the Justice Department announced today. The indictment unsealed today charges a total of 68 defendants with a score of federal crimes: conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, distribution of controlled substances, bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon, and possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices. The 29 defendants arrested today are expected to be arraigned this afternoon in United States District Court in downtown Los Angeles. Prior to today’s takedown, 13 defendants were already in custody. During the investigation, law enforcement seized large quantities of illegal firearms, and dozens of pounds of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin, according to the indictment. “The Peckerwoods’ violent white-supremacist ideology and wide-ranging criminal activity pose a grave menace to our community,” said United States Attorney Martin Estrada. “By allegedly engaging in everything from drug-trafficking to firearms offenses to identity theft to COVID fraud, and through their alliance with a neo-Nazi prison gang, the Peckerwoods are a destructive force. In prosecuting the members of the Peckerwoods criminal organization, our office is carrying out its mission to protect the public from the most dangerous threats.” “The Justice Department has dealt a decisive blow to the San Fernando Valley (SFV) Peckerwoods, a violent white supremacist gang that we charge is responsible for trafficking deadly fentanyl and other drugs, committing robberies, and perpetrating financial fraud to fund both their criminal enterprise and that of the Aryan Brotherhood,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “With today’s charges and arrests, the Justice Department, together with our state, local, and federal partners has targeted the heart of this gang’s operations, and we will continue to zero in on the criminal enterprises that endanger our communities.” “This operation, led by our Joint Terrorism Task Force, disrupted a racially motivated violent extremist group who engaged in a wide range of criminal activity,” said Akil Davis, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “This case strikes at the heart of our collective mission to rid our communities of the corrosive elements that fuel violence and extremism that greatly impact our way of life. The FBI, along with our federal, state, and local partners, remains strongly committed to working every day to make sure the people of the Southland remain safe.” “The San Fernando Valley Peckerwoods, the Aryan Brotherhood and their associates are fused by one thing: hatred,” Matthew Allen, Special Agent in Charge, DEA Los Angeles Field Division. “It appears, however, that the business of hate was not enough for them. Driven by greed, they engaged in other crimes, including drug distribution, pushing out deadly fentanyl onto our streets. Operating from corners of the San Fernando Valley, they conducted their crimes within and beyond the 8-1-8 community. Today’s large-scale indictments and arrests reflect our relentless commitment to dismantling criminal organizations that continue to harm our communities.” According to the indictment that a grand jury returned on September 26, the Peckerwoods is a street gang based in communities in the San Fernando Valley whose members engage in a wide variety of criminal activity, including drug trafficking, violent crime, and fraud. As a white supremacist gang, the Peckerwoods at times takes orders from the Aryan Brotherhood, California’s dominant prison-based white supremacist gang, and maintains an alliance with the Mexican Mafia prison gang, which controls most Latino street gangs in California. The Peckerwoods use Nazi tattoos, graffiti, and iconography to indicate their violent white supremacy extremist ideology. These tattoos and iconography include swastikas, the symbol “88”, used by violent white supremacy extremists as code for “Heil Hitler,” and images of Nazi aircraft. Members and associates of the gang used social media to share information with each other about their criminal activities and gang rules, to identify gang members in good standing, and to target people who broke the gang’s rules. The social media use included a members-only Facebook group and private, direct messages between the gang’s members and associates. From at least December 2016 to September 2024, Peckerwoods members conducted and participated in the affairs of their criminal enterprise by engaging in violence and threats of violence to preserve and expand the gang’s criminal operations, which promoted a climate of fear. Members and associates of the gang illegally maintained firearms and ammunition in furtherance of these aims. To generate revenue for the gang, its members trafficked narcotics, including fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine. Specifically, lead defendant Claire Patricia Haviland, 62, of Chatsworth, and co-defendants Brian Glenn Ekelund, 53, of Chatsworth, and Brianne Brewer, 38, of North Hollywood, maintained and oversaw drug stash houses where large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, and other drugs were stored prior to distribution. Haviland and Ekelund allegedly mailed illegal drugs to customers and used applications such as Zelle and CashApp to receive money from drug buyers and send money to their drug sources. They also generated revenue via robberies and financial fraud and participated in identity theft schemes. For example, from at least March 2021 to July 2023, defendants Sean Craig Gluckman, 35, of Encino, Maria Anna James, 30, of Canyon Country, and others submitted false and fraudulent applications for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was designed to aid businesses harmed by the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. The defendants – posing as sole proprietors – signed fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of individuals incarcerated in California state prisons and collected a portion of the fraudulently obtained proceeds from co-conspirators as payment for their assistance. Gluckman in April 2021 submitted an application that falsely stated he was a self-employed “artist/writer” with a gross income of nearly $250,000. Later that month, he obtained a PPP loan in the amount of $20,833. In a separate scheme, Gluckman submitted fraudulent unemployment insurance (UI) applications in the names of other people to the California Employment Development Department (EDD) to fraudulently obtain jobless benefits. “The proliferation of gang related organized crime deteriorates the core of our society,” said Los Angeles Police Chief Dominic Choi. “Taking guns out of the hands of gang members and drugs from our streets is just one more step towards reducing this deterioration. Today is yet another example of how local, regional, and federal law enforcement, with a matched dedication, are working together to investigate, apprehend and prosecute criminals.” “When criminal organizations cross jurisdictional lines, it makes conducting investigations and subsequent prosecutions much more difficult,” said Ventura County Sheriff Jim Fryhoff. “Having our federal law enforcement partners involvement in such cases greatly enhances our ability to protect not only the citizens of our county, but also those of our region of the state.” “The DOL-OIG will continue to allocate investigative resources to support our local, state, and federal law enforcement partners in the fight against organized crime, particularly when it involves matters within our jurisdiction,” said Quentin Heiden, Special Agent in Charge of the United States Department of Labor Office of Inspector General’s Western Region. “This investigation reinforces our commitment to protecting the integrity of the nation's unemployment system.” An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty in court. If convicted, the defendants would face a statutory maximum sentence of life in federal prison. The FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Los Angeles Police Department, and the Ventura County Sheriff’s Office are investigating this matter. Other law enforcement agencies that assisted in today’s takedown are the Simi Valley Police Department; California Highway Patrol; the Glendale Police Department; the Burbank Police Department; the Redondo Beach Police Department; the Beverly Hills Police Department; the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department; the United States Marshals Service; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; the United States Department of Veterans Affairs Police; the United States Department of Labor; the Federal Bureau of Prisons; the Los Angeles County Probation Department; the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services; the Pasadena Fire Department; United States Customs and Border Protection; and IRS Criminal Investigation. Assistant United States Attorneys Reema M. El-Amamy of the Terrorism and Export Crimes Section, Jeremiah M. Levine of the Violent and Organized Crime Section, and Alexander Su of the Asset Forfeiture and Recovery Section are prosecuting this case. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus . On September 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Central and Eastern Districts of California to jointly head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Department of Justice established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. The Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors, as well as those who committed multiple instances of pandemic relief fraud. The Strike Force uses prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. Additional information regarding the Strike Force may be found at https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-covid-19-fraud-strike-force-teams . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form .


title: Justice Department Secures Agreement with Maryland Department of State Police to Resolve Allegations of Race and Gender Discrimination in State Trooper Hiring Process

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: Remote video URL The Justice Department announced today that it has reached a settlement agreement with the Maryland Department of State Police (MDSP) to resolve the United States’ claims that MDSP’s hiring process for state troopers violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Specifically, the United States alleges that MDSP uses a written test that discriminates against Black candidates and a physical fitness test that discriminates against female candidates. The agreement must still be approved by a federal judge. The settlement agreement resolves a civil pattern and practice investigation the Civil Rights Division opened on July 15, 2022. As part of the investigation, the division conducted an in-depth review of MDSP’s hiring practices, the composition of its sworn personnel, applicant data, and information received from the Maryland State Police, and concluded the State’s written and physical fitness tests do not meaningfully distinguish between applicants who can and cannot perform the position of Trooper. These tests also had the effect of disqualifying Black and female applicants from the hiring process at significantly disproportionate rates. The department thus concluded that these tests violate Title VII. “Equal employment opportunities in law enforcement are not just a core civil right but essential to ensuring that those who serve reflect the rich racial and gender diversity of the communities they are sworn to protect,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The underrepresentation of Blacks and women in law enforcement undermines public safety and runs contrary to the principle of equal opportunity which is central in our job market. This agreement requires the Maryland Department of State Police to institute meaningful reforms, remove unlawful barriers in its hiring process, and provide restitution and relief to those already harmed, ensuring that all qualified applicants have a fair chance to serve. The Justice Department will continue working to ensure equal access to employment opportunities for all Americans.” “This settlement agreement is a reflection of our continued mission to protect the civil rights of all Marylanders, including those of our sworn law enforcement officers,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. “Law enforcement agencies have a responsibility to protect all citizens equally. We are pleased that MDSP is committed to ensuring that its hiring processes will not discriminate on the basis of race or gender.” The complaint , filed today in the District of Maryland, alleges that MDSP’s use of a written test called the Police Officer Selection Test (POST) disproportionately excludes Black candidates, and its use of a physical fitness test called the Functional Fitness Assessment Test (FFAT) disproportionately excludes female candidates, from employment as troopers. The United States alleges that MDSP’s uses of the POST and the FFAT are not job related or consistent with business necessity, and thus, violate Title VII. Under the terms of the consent decree , MDSP will: Adopt written and physical fitness tests that do not discriminate in violation of Title VII; Provide data to the United States on the administration of the new tests to ensure compliance; Pay $2.75 million in back pay to applicants who were disqualified by MDSP’s use of the challenged tests; and Hire up to 25 applicants who were unfairly disqualified by those tests and who successfully complete MDSP’s new trooper screening and selection process. Title VII is a federal statute that prohibits employment discrimination based on race, sex, color, national origin, and religion. Title VII prohibits not only intentional discrimination but also employment practices that result in a disparate impact on a protected group, unless such practices are job related and consistent with business necessity. You can learn more about the contents of the agreement from this fact sheet and a statement from Assistant Attorney General Clarke here . The full and fair enforcement of Title VII is a top priority of the Civil Rights Division. The Division has issued a new fact sheet on Combating Hiring Discrimination by Police and Fire Departments to help applicants for public safety jobs understand their Title VII rights to be free from discriminatory hiring processes. More information about the Civil Rights Division can be found at www.justice.gov/crt . Senior Trial Attorneys Emily Given and Cheyenne N. Chambers of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Phillips for the District of Maryland are handling this matter.


title: Social Media Fentanyl Dealer and Blood Gang Member Sentenced to 12 Years in Prison

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: WILMINGTON, N.C. – A Raleigh fentanyl dealer who used social media platforms to advertise his product was sentenced to 144 months in prison, which includes an enhancement for the defendant’s attempts to intimidate government witnesses. On April 25, 2024, Axel Rodriguez a/k/a “Flash,” age 23, pled guilty to conspiracy and trafficking of fentanyl. “Drug traffickers are increasingly pushing deadly fake pills through social media. They’ve learned they don’t need to stand on street corners when they can reach kids on their smart phones,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Counterfeit Oxycontin, Percocet, and Xanax sold on social media are driving addiction and overdose death. It’s time to get the word out and warn kids of the risks.” According to court documents and other information presented in court, in March 2023, Rodriguez became the subject of a Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Raleigh Police Department (RPD) investigation after he was identified as selling fentanyl in the Raleigh area using his Instagram account. Rodriguez regularly used his Instagram account to post pictures of the pills he was selling, as well as guns. Rodriguez would advertise that he was able to sell “K packs” of fentanyl pills, which is slang for 1,000 pills. Investigators reviewed Rodriguez’s Instagram account and observed numerous posts of firearms, gang members with firearms, and fentanyl pills for sale. The investigation revealed Rodriguez was obtaining thousands of pills at a time and then distributing them in the Raleigh area. Between March and May of 2023, investigators conducted multiple controlled purchases of blue pills marked “M-30” from Rodriguez. For example, on March 13, 2023, investigators purchased 25 pills marked “M30.” The confidential informant reported that he observed four firearms in Rodriguez’s vehicle during that transaction. The pills tested positive for the presence of fentanyl. On one occasion in April 2023, Rodriguez was observed purchasing as many as 8,000 pills from a dealer. That same day, Rodriguez was observed in possession of four firearms in a townhouse he was using to store fentanyl pills. Later that month, Rodriguez was observed in possession of four firearms in a hotel room where he was selling fentanyl pills. In total, Rodriguez is being held accountable for more than 700 grams of fentanyl and 3.6 grams of heroin. Rodriguez, a validated member of the Bloods, also used his Instagram account to attempt to intimidate an individual Rodriguez suspected of being a government witness. Specifically, while in custody for the instant offense, Rodriguez directed another individual to post a photo of an individual Rodriguez believed to be a witness against him, along with photos of sealed court documents and an image of a rat. At sentencing, the Government argued Rodriguez’s posts were clear attempts to intimidate a potential witness and asked that his sentence reflect that. The Court agreed and applied an enhancement for attempted obstruction of justice. “The sentencing of this dangerous individual is an example of our strong working relationship with our federal partners, especially the FBI. The Raleigh Police Department (RPD) will not tolerate the use of social media as a tool for drug trafficking in our city. Using social media to harm our community with fentanyl and heroin will be met with the collective investigative efforts of Federal, state, and local law enforcement. The RPD is grateful to the FBI and U.S. Attorney Michael Easley for our partnership in making our community safe,” said Chief Estella Patterson. This investigation was part of Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force Operation (OCDETF). OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by Chief U.S. District Judge Richard E. Myers II. The FBI and RPD investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Casey Peaden 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-00295.


title: U.S. Attorney’s Office For The District Of Maryland Secures Agreement With Maryland Department Of State Police To Resolve Allegations Of Race And Gender Discrimination In State Trooper Hiring Process

component: USAO - Maryland

body_text: Washington – The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland announced today that it has reached a settlement agreement with the Maryland Department of State Police (MDSP) to resolve the United States’ claims that MDSP’s hiring process for state troopers violates Title VII of the Civil Rights Act. Specifically, the United States alleges that MDSP uses a written test that discriminates against Black candidates and a physical fitness test that discriminates against female candidates. The agreement must still be approved by a federal judge. The settlement agreement resolves a civil pattern and practice investigation the U.S. Attorney’s Office opened on July 15, 2022. As part of the investigation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office conducted an in-depth review of MDSP’s hiring practices, the composition of its sworn personnel, applicant data, and information received from the Maryland State Police, and concluded the State’s written and physical fitness tests do not meaningfully distinguish between applicants who can and cannot perform the position of Trooper. These tests also had the effect of disqualifying Black and female applicants from the hiring process at significantly disproportionate rates. The U.S. Attorney’s Office thus concluded that these tests violate Title VII. “This settlement agreement is a reflection of our continued mission to protect the civil rights of all Marylanders, including those of our sworn law enforcement officers,” said U.S. Attorney Erek L. Barron for the District of Maryland. “Law enforcement agencies have a responsibility to protect all citizens equally. We are pleased that MDSP is committed to ensuring that its hiring processes will not discriminate on the basis of race or gender.” “Equal employment opportunities in law enforcement are not just a core civil right but essential to ensuring that those who serve reflect the rich racial and gender diversity of the communities they are sworn to protect,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “The underrepresentation of Blacks and women in law enforcement undermines public safety and runs contrary to the principle of equal opportunity which is central in our job market. This agreement requires the Maryland Department of State Police to institute meaningful reforms, remove unlawful barriers in its hiring process, and provide restitution and relief to those already harmed, ensuring that all qualified applicants have a fair chance to serve. The Justice Department will continue working to ensure equal access to employment opportunities for all Americans.” The complaint , filed today in the District of Maryland, alleges that MDSP’s use of a written test called the Police Officer Selection Test (POST) disproportionately excludes Black candidates, and its use of a physical fitness test called the Functional Fitness Assessment Test (FFAT) disproportionately excludes female candidates, from employment as troopers. The United States alleges that MDSP’s uses of the POST and the FFAT are not job related or consistent with business necessity, and thus, violate Title VII. Under the terms of the consent decree , MDSP will: Adopt written and physical fitness tests that do not discriminate in violation of Title VII; Provide data to the United States on the administration of the new tests to ensure compliance; Pay $2.75 million in back pay to applicants who were disqualified by MDSP’s use of the challenged tests; and Hire up to 25 applicants who were unfairly disqualified by those tests and who successfully complete MDSP’s new trooper screening and selection process. Title VII is a federal statute that prohibits employment discrimination based on race, sex, color, national origin, and religion. Title VII prohibits not only intentional discrimination but also employment practices that result in a disparate impact on a protected group, unless such practices are job related and consistent with business necessity. You can learn more about the contents of the agreement from this fact sheet . The full and fair enforcement of Title VII is a top priority of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland. More information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland can be found at https://www.justice.gov/usao-md and more information about the Office’s Civil Rights and Special Victims Section can be found at https://www.justice.gov/usao-md/civil-rights . This matter is being handled by Assistant United States Attorneys Kimberly Phillips and Sarah Marquardt for the District of Maryland and Senior Trial Attorneys Emily Given and Cheyenne N. Chambers of the Civil Rights Division’s Employment Litigation Section.


title: Navy Sailor Sentenced To 10 Years In Federal Prison For Attempting To Entice And Meet A 13-Year-Old Child To Engage In Sexual Activity

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – United States District Judge Marcia Morales Howard has sentenced Michael Buck Brockway (40, Jacksonville) to 10 years in federal prison for using the internet and his cellphone to attempt to entice a 13-year-old child to engage in sexual activity. Brockway was also ordered to serve a 10-year term of supervised release, pay $48,000 in restitution to child victims, and register as a sex offender. Brockway was arrested on July 28, 2023, and has been detained since that date. According to court documents, on July 17, 2023, an agent with the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS), posing as a 13-year-old child, began an undercover investigation designed to identify individuals who were seeking to meet children in person for sexual activity. The undercover agent, acting as the “child,” began an online conversation on a particular social media application (app) with user “Telly_Rider,” who was later identified as Brockway. From that day, continuing through July 28, 2023, Brockway and the “child” engaged in numerous sexually explicit conversations using two different social media apps and text messaging. During these online conversations, Brockway confirmed that the “child” was 13 years old, inquired about the “child’s” sexual experience, and asked if the “child” wanted to meet him in person for sex. On July 27, 2023, Brockway asked the “child” if “she” was alone for the next few days, and he confirmed that the “child” was living at a particular apartment complex in Jacksonville. Brockway sent the “child” explicit videos of himself that he produced while on duty as a sailor onboard a U.S. Navy ship docked at Naval Station Mayport. The following day, Brockway drove into the apartment complex where the “child” purportedly lived, then over to a nearby restaurant where the “child” agreed to meet him. Brockway exited his car, entered the restaurant to meet the “child,” and was arrested by detectives from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. During a search incident to his arrest, Brockway’s cellphone and three condoms were found in his pockets. A search of Brockway’s car revealed a container of personal lubricant, an unopened bottle of vodka, and a sex toy. A search of Brockway’s cellphone revealed numerous photos and videos that depicted children being sexually abused. This case was investigated by the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, the Naval Criminal Investigative Service, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney D. Rodney Brown. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue child victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.


title: Jackson Man Sentenced to over 15 Years in Prison as Armed Career Criminal

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

body_text: Jackson, Miss. – A Jackson man was sentenced to 188 months in prison as an Armed Career Criminal for possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. Bernard Caston, 54, was sentenced in U.S. District Court in Jackson. According to court documents, Caston and Fredrick Harper, also of Jackson, stole four firearms from another individual on February 24, 2018. Caston and Harper were stopped by a JPD officer when they were driving to another location in Jackson to sell the stolen guns. Caston had numerous prior felony convictions for crimes of violence, including a federal armed bank robbery conviction, which triggered the application of the Armed Career Criminal Act. U.S. Attorney Todd W. Gee and Special Agent in Charge Joshua Jackson of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives made the announcement. The case was investigated by the ATF and the Jackson Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Amber Jones and Dave Fulcher prosecuted the case.


title: Mexican National Sentenced to 15 Years for Meth Conspiracy

component: USAO - Missouri, Western

body_text: KANSAS CITY, Mo. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was sentenced in federal court today for his role in a conspiracy to distribute more than 60 kilograms of methamphetamine. Juan Hernandez-Guzman, 31, a citizen of Mexico who is a permanent resident of the United States, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Howard F. Sachs to 15 years in federal prison without parole. The court also ordered Hernandez-Guzman to forfeit to the government $13,048 that was seized by law enforcement officers, which represents the proceeds of drug trafficking. On April 16, 2024, Hernandez-Guzman pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine from April 10 to April 23, 2023. Police officers executed a search warrant at Hernandez-Guzman’s residence on April 23, 2023. Officers found a loaded Glock .357-caliber handgun, which had been modified so that it was capable of firing automatically, and a loaded Glock 9mm handgun, and a non-functioning .22-caliber revolver. Each of the Glock handguns had an extended magazine loaded with 27 rounds of ammunition. Officers also seized $4,048 in cash. Officers took protective custody of two children who were present. Officers also found 10.9 kilograms of methamphetamine inside a cardboard box in the back seat of Hernandez-Guzman’s Tahoe. The vehicle also contained $9,000 in cash. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick C. Edwards and Megan A. Baker. It was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations, the Jackson County Drug Task Force, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, and the Independence, Mo., Police Department. KC Metro Strike Force This prosecution was brought as a part of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Co-located Strike Forces Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations against a continuum of priority targets and their affiliate illicit financial networks. These prosecutor-led co-located Strike Forces capitalize on the synergy created through the long-term relationships that can be forged by agents, analysts, and prosecutors who remain together over time, and they epitomize the model that has proven most effective in combating organized crime. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking organizations, transnational criminal organizations, and money laundering organizations that present a significant threat to the public safety, economic, or national security of the United States.


title: Sixty-Eight Defendants Charged in Indictment of Dozens of Members and Associates of California White Supremacist Gang

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Federal and local law enforcement today arrested 42 members and associates of the SFV Peckerwoods, a San Fernando Valley, California-based white supremacist street gang, on a 76-count federal grand jury indictment alleging they engaged in a years-long pattern of racketeering activity that included trafficking of drugs — including fentanyl — illegal firearms possession, and COVID-19 benefits and loan fraud. “The Justice Department has dealt a decisive blow to the San Fernando Valley (SFV) Peckerwoods, a violent white supremacist gang that we charge is responsible for trafficking deadly fentanyl and other drugs, committing robberies, and perpetrating financial fraud to fund both their criminal enterprise and that of the Aryan Brotherhood,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “With today’s charges and arrests, the Justice Department, together with our state, local, and federal partners has targeted the heart of this gang’s operations, and we will continue to zero in on the criminal enterprises that endanger our communities.” The indictment unsealed today charges a total of 68 defendants with a score of federal crimes: conspiracy to violate the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act, conspiracy to distribute controlled substances, distribution of controlled substances, bank fraud, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, aggravated identity theft, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a felon, and possession of 15 or more unauthorized access devices. The defendants arrested today are expected to be arraigned this afternoon in U.S. District Court in downtown Los Angeles. During the investigation, law enforcement seized large quantities of illegal firearms, and dozens of pounds of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and heroin, according to the indictment. “The Peckerwoods’ violent white-supremacist ideology and wide-ranging criminal activity pose a grave menace to our community,” said U.S. Attorney Martin Estrada for the Central District of California. “By allegedly engaging in everything from drug-trafficking to firearms offenses to identity theft to COVID fraud, and through their alliance with a neo-Nazi prison gang, the Peckerwoods are a destructive force. In prosecuting the members of the Peckerwoods criminal organization, our office is carrying out its mission to protect the public from the most dangerous threats.” “This operation, led by our Joint Terrorism Task Force, disrupted a racially motivated violent extremist group who engaged in a wide range of criminal activity,” said Assistant Director in Charge Akil Davis of the FBI Los Angeles Field Office. “This case strikes at the heart of our collective mission to rid our communities of the corrosive elements that fuel violence and extremism that greatly impact our way of life. The FBI, along with our federal, state, and local partners, remains strongly committed to working every day to make sure the people of the Southland remain safe.” “The San Fernando Valley Peckerwoods, the Aryan Brotherhood, and their associates are fused by one thing: hatred,” said Special Agent in Charge Matthew Allen of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Los Angeles Field Division. “It appears, however, that the business of hate was not enough for them. Driven by greed, they engaged in other crimes, including drug distribution, pushing out deadly fentanyl onto our streets. Operating from corners of the San Fernando Valley, they conducted their crimes within and beyond the 8-1-8 community. Today’s large-scale indictments and arrests reflect our relentless commitment to dismantling criminal organizations that continue to harm our communities.” According to the indictment that a grand jury returned on Sept. 26, the Peckerwoods is a street gang based in communities in the San Fernando Valley whose members engage in a wide variety of criminal activity, including drug trafficking, violent crime, and fraud. As a white supremacist gang, the Peckerwoods at times takes orders from the Aryan Brotherhood, California’s dominant prison-based white supremacist gang, and maintains an alliance with the Mexican Mafia prison gang, which controls most Latino street gangs in California. The Peckerwoods use Nazi tattoos, graffiti, and iconography to indicate their violent white supremacy extremist ideology. These tattoos and iconography include swastikas, the symbol “88”, used by violent white supremacy extremists as code for “Heil Hitler”, and images of Nazi aircraft. Members and associates of the gang used social media to share information with each other about their criminal activities and gang rules, to identify gang members in good standing, and to target people who broke the gang’s rules. The social media use included a members-only Facebook group and private, direct messages between the gang’s members and associates. From at least December 2016 to September, Peckerwoods members conducted and participated in the affairs of their criminal enterprise by engaging in violence and threats of violence to preserve and expand the gang’s criminal operations, which promoted a climate of fear. Members and associates of the gang illegally maintained firearms and ammunition in furtherance of these aims. To generate revenue for the gang, its members trafficked narcotics, including fentanyl, heroin, and methamphetamine. Specifically, lead defendant Claire Patricia Haviland, 62, of Chatsworth, California, and co-defendants Brian Glenn Ekelund, 53, of Chatsworth, and Brianne Brewer, 38, of North Hollywood, California, maintained and oversaw drug stash houses where large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, and other drugs were stored prior to distribution. Haviland and Ekelund allegedly mailed illegal drugs to customers and used applications such as Zelle and CashApp to receive money from drug buyers and send money to their drug sources. They also generated revenue via robberies and financial fraud and participated in identity theft schemes. For example, from at least March 2021 to July 2023, defendants Sean Craig Gluckman, 35, of Encino, California; Maria Anna James, 30, of Canyon Country, California; and others submitted false and fraudulent applications for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), which was designed to aid businesses harmed by the economic fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic. The defendants – posing as sole proprietors – signed fraudulent PPP loan applications on behalf of individuals incarcerated in California state prisons and collected a portion of the fraudulently obtained proceeds from co-conspirators as payment for their assistance. In April 2021, Gluckman submitted an application that falsely stated he was a self-employed “artist/writer” with a gross income of nearly $250,000. Later that month, he obtained a PPP loan in the amount of $20,833. In a separate scheme, Gluckman submitted fraudulent unemployment insurance (UI) applications in the names of other people to the California Employment Development Department (EDD) to fraudulently obtain jobless benefits. “The proliferation of gang related organized crime deteriorates the core of our society,” said Chief Dominic Choi of the Los Angeles Police Department. “Taking guns out of the hands of gang members and drugs from our streets is just one more step towards reducing this deterioration. Today is yet another example of how local, regional, and federal law enforcement, with a matched dedication, are working together to investigate, apprehend and prosecute criminals.” “When criminal organizations cross jurisdictional lines, it makes conducting investigations and subsequent prosecutions much more difficult,” said Sheriff Jim Fryhoff of the Ventura County, California, Sheriff’s Office. “Having our federal law enforcement partners involvement in such cases greatly enhances our ability to protect not only the citizens of our county, but also those of our region of the state.” If convicted, the defendants face a maximum penalty of life in prison. The FBI, DEA, Los Angeles Police Department, and Ventura County Sheriff’s Office are investigating the case. The Simi Valley Police Department; California Highway Patrol; Glendale Police Department; Burbank Police Department; Redondo Beach Police Department; Beverly Hills Police Department; Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department; U.S. Marshals Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; Department of Veterans Affairs Police; Department of Labor; Federal Bureau of Prisons; Los Angeles County Probation Department; Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services; Pasadena Fire Department; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; and IRS Criminal Investigation provided assistance in the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Reema M. El-Amamy, Jeremiah M. Levine, and Alexander Su for the Central District of California are prosecuting this case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Justice Department in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the department’s response to the pandemic, please visit www.justice.gov/coronavirus . On Sept. 15, 2022, the Attorney General selected the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices for the Central and Eastern Districts of California to jointly head one of three national COVID-19 Fraud Strike Force Teams. The Justice Department established the Strike Force to enhance existing efforts to combat and prevent COVID-19 related financial fraud. The Strike Force combines law enforcement and prosecutorial resources and focuses on large-scale, multistate pandemic relief fraud perpetrated by criminal organizations and transnational actors, as well as those who committed multiple instances of pandemic relief fraud. The Strike Force uses prosecutor-led and data analyst-driven teams to identify and bring to justice those who stole pandemic relief funds. Additional information regarding the Strike Force may be found at www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-covid-19-fraud-strike-force-teams . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Justice Department’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at (866) 720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Former Federal Inmate Sentenced to Eight Months for Possessing a Weapon and Alcohol in Butner Prison

component: Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP)

body_text: ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. – A former federal inmate previously housed at the Federal Medical Center in Butner, North Carolina (“FMC Butner”) was sentenced to eight months incarceration for possessing a weapon and alcohol inside the federal prison. “We are prioritizing prison contraband cases for prosecution, and proud of our tight partnership with the Bureau of Prisons on these cases,” said U.S. Attorney Michael Easley. “Taking a hard line on prison contraband - especially drugs, weapons, and cellphones – is vital to the safety of our corrections professionals and other inmates. We won’t stop till our federal facilities are as safe and secure as they can possibly be.” According to court documents, Gencis Martinez-Rodriguez, 30, an inmate located at FMC Butner at the time of the offense, was found by Federal Bureau of Prisons (“BOP”) staff to be in possession of a homemade sharpened weapon, which Martinez-Rodriguez had attempted to conceal in the waistband of his pants. After conducting a search of his cell, BOP staff also discovered that Martinez-Rodriguez was in possession of an alcoholic liquid. Martinez-Rodriguez was charged by way of a two count indictment for possession of contraband in prison. On June 20, 2024, Martinez-Rodriguez pled guilty to both counts. Martinez-Rodriguez received eight months incarceration on each count to be served concurrently. Martinez-Rodriguez’s convictions for possession of a weapon and alcohol also make him ineligible to earn time credits under the First Step Act, which allows federal inmates to earn up to 365 days off of their sentence for participating in eligible programming while incarcerated. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Prisons investigated the case and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Merrill Ward prosecuted the case. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:24-CR-00041-BO-BM.


title: Jacksonville Armed Drug Trafficker Sentenced To More Than 8 Years In Federal Prison After High-Speed Chase

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – U.S. District Judge Wendy W. Berger today sentenced Sedrick Williams, Jr. (25, Jacksonville) to 8 years and 4 months in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine. Williams entered a guilty plea on June 25, 2024. According to court documents, detectives with the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office (JSO) were patrolling the area of Broadway Street and Garfield Street in Jacksonville in reference to an ongoing investigation. The detectives observed Williams driving a vehicle and committing multiple traffic violations, including running a red light. When detectives activated their emergency equipment to conduct a traffic stop, Williams led JSO on a high-speed chase that continued along multiple streets. During the chase, Williams drove into oncoming traffic, forcing vehicles and pedestrians off the road. Williams made multiple turns attempting to flee before crashing in a ditch, then attempted to flee on foot, but was apprehended after a short distance. Inside Williams’s vehicle, JSO detectives recovered multiple bags of narcotics, including fentanyl, crack cocaine, and methamphetamine. Additionally, detectives found a loaded 9mm handgun. Detectives learned the firearm was reported stolen from Jacksonville in 2022. At the time of the offense, Williams was a convicted felon and, therefore, is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Aakash Singh. This case is part of the 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 for occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Claremore Man Sentenced to 50 Years in Prison After Sharing Video of Himself Sexually Abusing a Toddler

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Northern

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge John D. Russell sentenced Brayden Kent Bull, 26, for Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Minor Under 12 in Indian Country, Production of Child Pornography, and for the Receipt and Distribution of Child Pornography. Judge Russell ordered Bull to be sentenced to 600 months imprisonment, followed by a lifetime supervised release. Upon his release, Bull will also be required to register as a sex offender. “This 50 year sentence of imprisonment is direct consequence of the severity and depravity of Bull’s criminal conduct,” said U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson. “To combat child predators it takes a community effort. Parents, teachers, caregivers, and law enforcement are vital players in this effort. I want to commend all those that helped bring this sexual predator to justice.” “Those who produce, share, and view images of child sexual abuse materials create a lasting cycle of trauma and victimization, making these offenses extremely harmful," said acting Special Agent in Charge Travis Picard HSI Dallas. "Identifying child predators particularly those involved in the sexual abuse of innocent children requires a collaborative effort in bringing them to justice. We greatly appreciate the strong partnerships we have with our law enforcement colleagues, ensuring this individual will never harm a child again." According to court documents, Bull admittingly filmed himself sexually abusing a toddler he was babysitting. Bull then shared the video on social media. Law enforcement received several CyberTips that led them to Bull. After a search warrant was conducted, law enforcement found additional material that showed explicit videos of children being sexually abused. Bull is a citizen of the Navajo Nation and will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. Homeland Security Investigations and the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ashley Robert and Christopher J. Nassar prosecuted the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. U.S. Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page . For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources tab on that page .


title: Four-Time Convicted Felon Pleads Guilty To Possessing A Rifle, Ammunition, Machineguns, And Silencers

body_text: Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Lee Ann Roberts (43, Altamonte Springs) has pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon and possessing unregistered machineguns and silencers. Roberts faces a maximum penalty of 15 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon and up to 10 years in federal prison for possessing unregistered machineguns and silencers. Roberts must also forfeit the firearms, silencers, and ammunition involved the offense. According to court documents, officers and agents with the Altamonte Springs Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives received a tip that Roberts was selling firearms, machineguns, and silencers out of a hotel room in Altamonte Springs and storing the contraband in a white sedan. Law enforcement located Roberts driving the white sedan. When questioned, Roberts admitted that there was at least one firearm in the vehicle and that she is a convicted felon. Officers searched the vehicle and located a hunting rifle, two AR-platform receivers, three silencers, tactical gear, vests, magazines, and hundreds of rounds of assorted ammunition. The AR-platform receivers had been modified to allow fully automatic firing, making them machineguns under federal law. (Machinegun receivers and silencers recovered from Roberts’s vehicle) Law enforcement also searched Roberts’ phone and found evidence that Roberts had sold or attempted to sell several firearms, including many of the firearms which law enforcement found in her car. (Image of firearms, magazines, and ammunition recovered from Roberts’s phone) As a convicted felon, Roberts is prohibited from possessing firearms or ammunition under federal law. None of the machineguns or silencers were registered to Roberts in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record, as required under federal law. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Altamonte Springs Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Richard Varadan. This case is part of the 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 for occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Former University of Delaware Student Who Stalked Women and Defrauded the Government Out of $1.5 Million Sentenced to Over 7 Years in Federal Prison

component: Criminal Investigative Division (FBI)

body_text: WILMINGTON, Del. – David C. Weiss, U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware announced today that a former University of Delaware student was sentenced yesterday to 87 months in prison and three years of supervised release for cyberstalking and threatening to kill two women while, in the same timeframe, filing fraudulent applications for pandemic relief loans and laundering the proceeds. In addition to the term of imprisonment, the Court ordered the forfeiture of $1,428,664.14 in fraud proceeds from Stevens’ bank accounts. The Honorable U.S. District Judge Richard G. Andrews pronounced the sentence. According to court documents, Kyle Stevens, 30, met Victims 1 and 2 while they were all students at the University of Delaware during the 2018-2019 school year. The two Victims did not give Stevens the attention he felt he deserved, and he became fixated on them, building a grudge that lasted four years and stretched overseas. Stevens wrote a document entitled “Stalker Notes,” which showed that he knew he would be arrested eventually but believed he would be able to avoid repercussions by acting a certain way. Stevens’ talking points included: “right after arrest, repentant . . . can be productive instead of being a waste of tax dollars . . . [and] maybe this won’t have to end as a tragedy of me not doing anything productive with my life.” His focus was on the impact of his actions on himself, rather than the women he threatened or the community at large. PPP Fraud Stevens moved to Germany in October 2020 to study abroad. While there, Stevens submitted ten fraudulent applications for COVID-19 pandemic relief loans for small businesses that did not exist. He successfully diverted $1,520,164.14 intended to aid small businesses struggling through the pandemic. In a note to himself, Stevens wrote that his “current priorities” included mundane tasks like getting a German phone number, as well as “more fraud . . . What’s stopping me from fraud and taking out many 50k loans?” Cyberstalking In September 2021, Stevens wrote down a plan to stalk Victims 1 and 2: “vocal harassment bu[i]lds confidence, so steal, move to [h]er, harass, . . . also harass others/family.” Stevens began sending emails and social media messages to Victims 1 and 2, threatening that he “tried to forgive” them for their perceived slights, but that they would get “payback” and “revenge one way or another.” These messages kicked off a months-long stalking campaign which included repeated threats to put a “bullet in your head,” to “kill you,” or to fire a “gunshot” no one would be “able to block.” Stevens used any means he could to reach these women, including numerous email accounts, phone numbers and social media platforms. He went so far as to find Victim 1’s father’s Facebook page and send him a message stating he couldn’t “wait to bash your daughter’s skull in.” And Stevens planned in advance, setting a calendar reminder for himself a month into the future with the heading: “Death threat??” On September 15, 2021 – the same day that he submitted his ninth fraudulent application for a pandemic relief loan - Stevens sent Victim 1 his most explicitly violent threat: I’m going to slaughter you. I’m going to string you up. I’m going to put you on hooks in the back of a freezer like a f[***]ing cow. . . . I could eat your f[***]ing kidneys like Jack the f[***]ing Ripper, dance in your entrails on the UD mall. . . I can jam a barrel down your throat and see how well you can lie to me then. . . . I’m going to come to you. . . . the police can’t help you. I’m going to come to you. I’m going to kill everyone in the way. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, working with the U.S. Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs, coordinated with the German Ministry of Justice to extradite Stevens from Germany to face two indictments, for stalking and fraud, on May 23, 2023. German authorities provided further assistance in restraining Stevens’ German bank accounts into which he had deposited pandemic fraud proceeds. At the time of Stevens’ arrest, German law enforcement agencies seized his cell phone, laptop, and other electronic devices. Within Stevens’ electronic materials, law enforcement found numerous diatribes written by Stevens, with titles like “I Did Not Build This Wall,” “I Hate Pretty Girls,” and “Stalker Notes.” Those writings detailed Stevens’ worldview and justification for his crimes: he believed his life had been unfair, so he was justified in seeking retribution by any means. Because he grew up without the financial resources he desired, he felt justified in stealing as much as he could through fraud. And because the women he met didn’t love him, he vowed to make sure they feared him. Consistent with that worldview, Stevens’ writings also noted that he identified with “incels” or “involuntary celibates” – men whose primary grievance is a lack of sexual attention from women. U.S. Attorney Weiss stated, “The defendant terrorized multiple women and committed over $1.5 million in pandemic relief fraud. He perpetrated this months-long crime spree, harming individual women and the community at large, all from behind a computer in a foreign country. Today’s sentence demonstrates Stevens is not above the law. Our office is committed to rooting out criminals wherever they are, and we will continue to fight for victims.” “Numerous innocent victims suffered greatly, enduring years of emotional distress and torture, because of Kyle Stevens’ violent harassment and stalking,” said Special Agent in Charge William J. DelBagno of the FBI’s Baltimore Field Office. “In addition to his menacing and predatory behavior, Stevens targeted taxpayers by stealing more than a million dollars of pandemic relief aid. The FBI will always hold accountable those seeking to victimize others for their personal gain and gratification.” Assistant U.S. Attorney Carly A. Hudson prosecuted the case, which was investigated by the FBI. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware. Related court documents and information is located on the website of the District Court for the District of Delaware or on PACER by searching for Case Nos. 1:22-CR-65 and 1:22-CR-66.


title: Election Officer Named For District Of Colorado’s Effort  To Ensure Voting Integrity

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DENVER – Acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch announces that Assistant United States Attorney Alison Connaughty will lead the efforts of his Office in connection with the Justice Department’s nationwide Election Day Program for the upcoming November 5, 2024, general election. AUSA Connaughty has been appointed to serve as the District Election Officer (DEO) for the District of Colorado, and in that capacity is responsible for overseeing the District’s handling of election day complaints of voting rights concerns, threats of violence to election officials or staff, and election fraud, in consultation with Justice Department Headquarters in Washington. “Voting is the cornerstone of American democracy, and our office takes seriously its role in making sure that everyone who is entitled to vote gets to vote,” said Acting United States Attorney for the District of Colorado Matt Kirsch. The Department of Justice has an important role in deterring and combatting discrimination and intimidation at the polls, threats of violence directed at election officials and poll workers, and election fraud. The Department will address these violations wherever they occur. The Department’s longstanding Election Day Program furthers these goals and also seeks to ensure public confidence in the electoral process by providing local points of contact within the Department for the public to report possible federal election law violations. Federal law protects against such crimes as threatening violence against election officials or staff, intimidating or bribing voters, buying and selling votes, impersonating voters, altering vote tallies, stuffing ballot boxes, and marking ballots for voters against their wishes or without their input. It also contains special protections for the rights of voters, and provides that they can vote free from interference, including intimidation, and other acts designed to prevent or discourage people from voting or voting for the candidate of their choice. The Voting Rights Act protects the right of voters to mark their own ballot or to be assisted by a person of their choice where voters need assistance because of disability or inability to read or write in English. In order to respond to complaints of voting rights concerns and election fraud during the upcoming election, and to ensure that such complaints are directed to the appropriate authorities, the District Election Officer will be on duty in the District of Colorado while the polls are open and can be reached at (303) 454-0159. In addition, the FBI will have special agents available in each field office and resident agency throughout the country to receive allegations of election fraud and other election abuses on election day. The local FBI field office can be reached by the public at 1-800-CALL-FBI. Complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division in Washington, DC by phone at 800-253-3931 or by complaint form at https://civilrights.justice.gov/ . In the event of a crime of violence or intimidation, please call 911 immediately and before contacting federal authorities. State and local police have primary jurisdiction over polling places, and almost always have faster reaction capacity in an emergency.


title: Jacksonville Man Sentenced To More Than 15 Years In Federal Prison For Fentanyl And Methamphetamine Trafficking Conspiracy

body_text: Jacksonville, Florida – Senior U.S. District Judge Harvey E. Schlesinger today sentenced Trenton Knight (49, Jacksonville) to 15 years and 8 months in federal prison for conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute and to distribute controlled substances. The court also ordered Knight to forfeit a revolver, assorted ammunition, and $25,000. Knight entered a guilty plea on August 29, 2023. According to court documents, Knight was a supplier of fentanyl and methamphetamine for Geoffrey Carter, a drug dealer and Knight’s co-defendant in the case. Over approximately six months in 2022, Knight supplied Carter with more than 2 kilograms of fentanyl and 20 kilograms of methamphetamine. During that period, a confidential source, acting at the direction of law enforcement, purchased controlled substances from Carter four times at Carter’s home in Jacksonville. During these transactions, Carter sold the confidential source approximately 645 grams of methamphetamine, 3 grams of fentanyl, and a revolver. On November 2, 2022, law enforcement agents and officers executed a federal search warrant at Carter’s home and located seven loaded handguns, two body armor vests, ammunition, a scale, baggies containing methamphetamine and marijuana, a Nazi flag, and a vest with markings associated with the “Unforgiven,” a white-supremacist prison gang. That same day, agents and officers arrested Knight at his home in Jacksonville. They located in his bedroom a loaded revolver and baggies containing methamphetamine and fentanyl. Knight had $7,240 in cash in his pocket. Carter previously pleaded guilty. He was sentenced in January 2024 to 15 years in federal prison for the same drug conspiracy and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, the St. Augustine Beach Police Department, and the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Michael J. Coolican. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Large Scale Narcotics Trafficker Sentenced to Almost 20 Years in Prison on 10 Counts Related to Drug and Firearms Offenses

body_text: WASHINGTON – Antonio Christian Payne, 31, of Northeast Washington D.C., was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 235 months in prison on 10 felony charges related to drug trafficking and firearms offenses in the District of Columbia, announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, ATF Acting Special Agent in Charge Jamey VanVliet of the Washington Field Office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and Chief Pamela A. Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Payne was found guilty by a federal jury on December 18, 2023, following a five-day trial in U.S. District Court of unlawful possession with intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl; unlawful possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine; unlawful possession with intent to distribute marijuana; unlawful possession with intent to distribute cocaine hydrochloride; unlawful possession with intent to distribute cocaine base; unlawful possession with intent to distribute Oxycodone; unlawful opening and maintenance of a premises to manufacture and distribute a controlled substance; using, carrying, and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense; using carrying, and possession of a firearm during and in relation to a drug trafficking offense; and carrying a pistol without a license. In addition to the prison term, the Honorable Tanya S. Chutkan ordered Payne to serve five years of supervised release. According to the government’s evidence, on April 18, 2022, Payne initiated an armed confrontation outside his stash house at his mother’s home in a residential neighborhood in Northeast D.C. full of young families and their children. During the incident, at 2430 Baldwin Crescent, NE, Payne brandished a firearm at a would-be intruder whom he perceived to be staking out his residence and the valuable contraband inside. The individual returned minutes later and, in broad daylight in a residential neighborhood, fired multiple rounds at the Payne’s stash house as well as at Payne’s cousin who happened to be outside. Law enforcement officers responded to the scene to investigate the reported drive-by shooting and to determine if Payne’s cousin needed medical aid. The officers entered the house by consent to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting. At the same time, additional officers and detectives canvassed the area for witnesses and ultimately reviewed surveillance footage. The video revealed that minutes prior to the drive-by shooting, Payne had brandished a firearm at someone who had attempted to access Payne’s car and garage, both of which were later found to have narcotics and ammunition in them. Law enforcement obtained a search warrant for the residence expecting to find the single handgun they believed to be present. Instead, they uncovered base of operations for Payne’s lucrative drug trafficking operation, which entailed a multitude of controlled substances, chief among them almost 750 grams of fentanyl, protected by a small arsenal of assault rifles, handguns, hundreds of rounds ammunition, firearms accessories, and a bullet proof vest. Additional warrants executed on Payne’s digital devices further fleshed out the true breadth and longevity of the Payne’s drug and firearms trafficking business. Payne did not simply possess a large quantity of fentanyl. Officers also recovered a cornucopia of controlled substances, including more than a 125 grams of pure crystal meth; 240 grams of cocaine powder; 175 grams of crack cocaine; hundreds of illegal oxycodone pills; and 12 kilos of marijuana, along with more than $26,000 in U.S. currency. The case was investigated by the ATF High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and MPD. This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Will Hart and Solomon Eppel of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses Section (VRTO). Valuable assistance was provided by paralegal Peter Gaboton, Assistant U.S. Attorney Josh Gold, and former Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Mike Engallena who assisted in the investigation and charging of this case. Leif Hickling and Charlie Bruce of LitTech, and VRTO supervisory paralegal Mary Downing provided valuable assistance on this case. 22cr0155


title: Man admits armed meth trafficking on Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation

body_text: GREAT FALLS — A man accused of armed trafficking of methamphetamine and other substances on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation after he attempted to flee law enforcement during a traffic stop admitted to charges on Sept. 30, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said today. The defendant, David Victor Fast Horse, 36, residence unknown, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute controlled substances and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Fast Horse faces a mandatory minimum of five years to 40 years in prison, a $5 million fine and at least four years of supervised release on the drug charge and a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, consecutive to any other sentence, a $250,000 fine and five years of supervised release on the firearm charge. Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Jan. 30, 2025. Fast Horse was detained pending further proceedings. In court documents, the government alleged that on Aug. 30, 2022, tribal law enforcement conducted a traffic stop of a pickup truck on Upper Road on the Rocky Boy’s Indian Reservation because officers believed the driver had a tribal warrant for her arrest. A man jumped out of the front passenger seat and began running from the truck. A Rocky Boy’s police officer caught up with the man and found him retreating around a shed. He provided a fake name but was later identified as Fast Horse. Officer retraced Fast Horse’s path and located a green pistol and black case hidden near a woodpile where he had emerged. Fast Horse said he was given the gun and stuff and told to run. Officers opened the case and found 18 blue pills, which were determined in tests later to contain a mixture of substances, two small baggies with a small amount of meth, a digital scale and a car key. Fast Horse later admitted he sold meth, but not fentanyl, and that he had come to Rocky Boy’s to buy drugs from his friend. Fast Horse is prohibited from possessing firearms because of a prior federal felony conviction for burglary. The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The Rocky Boy’s Police Department, FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, U.S. Marshals Service, Drug Enforcement Administration and Billings Police Department conducted the investigation. XXX


title: Serial Sexual Predator Charged in Five Cold Case Rapes

component: USAO - District of Columbia

body_text: WASHINGTON – U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department today announced the arrest of Ernesto Mercado, 54, of Arlington, Virginia, in connection with five sexual offenses that occurred in the Georgetown area of the District of Columbia between 2008 and 2012. The arrest is the culmination of work by the Cold Case Sexual Assault Initiative, a joint effort by MPD and the U.S. Attorney’s Office, with support from other law enforcement partners, to reinvestigate, solve, and bring charges in previously unsolved sexual assault cases. Mercado was arrested last night and is charged by complaint with three counts of first-degree sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances and five counts of second-degree sexual abuse with aggravating circumstances in connection with five previously unsolved, forensically linked home invasion rapes. He had an appearance in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia today. The Honorable Heide L. Herrmann ordered the defendant held pending a preliminary hearing scheduled for October 10, 2024. Joining in today’s announcement were U.S. Marshal Robert Dixon with D.C. Superior Court, and FBI Acting Special Agent in Charge David Geist of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division. The attacks occurred in the Georgetown area of Northwest Washington, D.C. According to the complaint, evidence testing in all five cases yielded the same unknown male DNA profile which also matched a DNA profile for a separate offense that occurred just off the campus of the University of Maryland in College Park, Maryland. According to the complaint, in multiple attacks, the complainants were sleeping when Mercado began his assault. They reported being awakened to a stranger who was sexually assaulting them. After the victims woke up, the assailant fled. “Thanks to DNA evidence from the rape kits of courageous survivors, improvements in DNA technology, and the tireless efforts of our law enforcement partners and our prosecutors, we were able to link these six rapes,” said U.S. Attorney Graves. “Once we had a DNA profile of the suspect, the team used every forensic tool at its disposal, as well as old-fashioned detective work, to identify the person behind this DNA profile. That hard work led to yesterday’s arrest of Ernesto Mercado. This case, and the Cold Case Initiative itself, are a testament to the law enforcement officers, the prosecutors and the advocates who never stop working on behalf of the victims.” “For the past 16 years, our Sexual Assault Unit detectives have continued to follow-up on leads and connect the cases together – looking for patterns, evidence, and a suspect,” said Chief Pamela A. Smith. “We know that people often want answers right away in cases, but our detectives never gave up and today’s announcement speaks to their unending commitment to bring justice to victims.” “As yesterday's arrest demonstrates, advancements in technology and collaboration among law enforcement partners can lead to breakthroughs in cases that have previously gone unsolved,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Geist. “The FBI Washington and Baltimore field offices reaffirm our commitment to seeking justice for victims of heinous crimes no matter how much time passes. We thank our federal and local partners who contributed to this investigation as well as those who work alongside us every day to protect our communities.” The incidents charged include: a June 26, 2008, sexual assault; a July 10, 2009, sexual assault; a February 28, 2010, sexual assault; an August 29, 2010, sexual assault; and an August 31, 2012, sexual assault, all in the District of Columbia. The defendant was linked to the attacks through DNA testing and other investigative tools. This is an ongoing investigation. Anyone who was a victim of sexual assault or who may have information related to these or other cases, please call the MPD at 202-727-9099 or text 50411. You can remain anonymous. This case is being investigated by the Cold Case Sexual Assault Initiative, a collaboration between the Metropolitan Police Department and the U.S. Attorney’s Office. Significant assistance is being provided by the U.S. Marshal’s Service’s Superior Court Unit, the FBI Investigative Genetic Genealogy Team, FBI’s Baltimore and Washington Field Offices, the D.C. Department of Forensic Sciences, and the Arlington County Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Robert Platt and Amy Zubrensky. A complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. ## 2024 CF1 9884


title: Two Armed Robbers Sentenced After Carjacking and Robbery

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge Gregory K. Frizzell sentenced Ray Alexander Villalba, 22, from Goodyear, Arizona, for Carjacking, Carrying, Obstructing, Delaying, and Affecting Commerce by Robbery and two counts of Using a Firearm During and in Relation to a Crime of Violence. Judge Frizzell ordered Villalba to 220 months imprisonment, followed by four years of supervised release. Villalba’s codefendant, Elijah Paul Titone, 26, of Sand Springs, was sentenced in August for the same counts. Titone was ordered to 190 months imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release for his involvement. On December 4, 2022, Villalba was messaging a male victim through a dating application and agreed to meet up. Upon arrival, the victim’s vehicle was rushed by two armed individuals, Villalba and Titone. They entered the victim's vehicle and zip-tied him. Villalba drove the vehicle away as Titone sat in the backseat with his gun pointed at the victim. Villalba threatened to kill the victim if he did not cooperate with their demands. They drove to several banks, attempting to withdraw funds from the victim's checking account, and left him on the side of the road. During a second incident on December 6th, Villalba and Titone broke into a home in Broken Arrow. Armed, they demand money and weed. Villalba struck the victim in the eye with his gun, causing the victim to lose sight. Villalba and Titone will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Broken Arrow Police Department, and the Tulsa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kenneth Elmore and John Brasher prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about PSN, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Russian Man Sentenced for Running an Illegal Money Transmitting Business

body_text: ATLANTA - Feliks Medvedev has been sentenced to three years, 10 months in prison for conducting an unlicensed money transmitting business which transferred over $150 million in Russian money. “Medvedev threatened our national and economic security by illegally transferring and laundering illicit Russian money,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan. “Medvedev’s sentencing is a warning to others that our office is committed to pursuing and prosecuting individuals, both foreign and domestic, who promote the illegal transfer of foreign proceeds.” “Medvedev used the American banking system to illegally transmit over $150 million,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “This sentencing should serve as a notice to others who seek to undermine the security of American financial institutions, the FBI will continuously work to uncover the truth and push those committing criminal acts to be held accountable.” “Today’s sentencing is a testament to the coordinated efforts between our federal partners effectively targeting illegal financial transactions and money laundering schemes,” said John Johnson, Special Agent in Charge of OEE’s Miami Field Office. “Unlawful use of our financial system undermines the national security and foreign policy of the United States.” According to U.S. Attorney Buchanan, the charges and other information presented in court: Feliks Medvedev is a Russian citizen who resides in North Georgia. He registered eight companies in Georgia that were used to transmit more than $150 million in over 1,300 transactions. The companies were purportedly headquartered in Buford, Georgia, and Dacula, Georgia, but they did not have typical business expenses or employees. The money was used, in part, to purchase over $65 million in overseas gold bullion. Medvedev transferred millions of dollars overseas from multiple bank accounts in the United States. As part of the conspiracy, Medvedev worked with a Russian company and was directed by multiple Russian nationals at that company to make illegal transfers of funds. Subsequent to Medvedev’s indictment, on September 14, 2023, the U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control, acting pursuant to Executive Order 14024, sanctioned two of Medvedev’s alleged co-conspirators: Russian national Alexey Chubarov and his company KSK Group. Earlier this year, on February 13, 2024, Chubarov, KSK Group, and Russian national Lev Solyannikov were separately indicted in the Northern District of Georgia for conspiring with Medvedev. Feliks Medvedev, 43, of Buford, Georgia, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Thomas W. Thrash, Jr. to three years, 10 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. He was also ordered to pay a $10,000 fine. Medvedev was convicted of the charges on February 7, 2024, after he pleaded guilty. Members of the public are reminded that the indictment only contains charges. The defendants are presumed innocent of the charges and it will be the government’s burden to prove the defendants’ guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security with valuable assistance from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher J. Huber and Norman L. Barnett prosecuted the case. This case was coordinated through the Justice Department’s Task Force KleptoCapture, an interagency law enforcement task force dedicated to enforcing the sweeping sanctions, export controls and economic countermeasures that the United States, along with its foreign allies and partners, has imposed in response to Russia’s unprovoked military invasion of Ukraine. Announced by the Attorney General on March 2, 2022, and under the leadership of the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, the task force will continue to leverage all of the department’s tools and authorities to combat efforts to evade or undermine the collective actions taken by the U.S. government in response to Russian military aggression. For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Affairs Office at USAGAN.PressEmails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is http://www.justice.gov/usao-ndga .