title: Two Co-Conspirators Indicted for Role in Prolific, Global Human Smuggling Conspiracy

component: Criminal Division

body_text: Note : View the indictment here . Extensive coordination and cooperation efforts between U.S. and Mexican law enforcement authorities culminated in the International Criminal Police Organization (INTERPOL) Mexico and the Fuerza Estatal de Seguridad Ciudadana (FESC) executing the arrests of a human smuggler, along with a co-conspirator, alleged to have operated on the U.S.-Mexico border for several years. Ofelia Hernandez-Salas, 60, and co-conspirator Raul Saucedo-Huipio, 48, were arrested in Mexico at the request of the United States pursuant to charges previously filed in the District of Arizona and unsealed last week. Hernandez-Salas and Saucedo-Huipio allegedly conspired with other smugglers to facilitate the travel of large numbers of migrants from and through Bangladesh, Yemen, Pakistan, Eritrea, India, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan, Russia, Egypt, Brazil, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Honduras, El Salvador, Guatemala, Mexico, and ultimately, into the United States. Hernandez-Salas and Saucedo-Huipio allegedly charged the migrants as much as tens of thousands of dollars to make the illegal and perilous journey. In addition to the large-scale smuggling of migrants to the United States, Hernandez-Salas and Saucedo-Huipio often allegedly robbed the migrants of their personal belongings while armed with weapons such as guns and knives. “The indictment and arrests of human smugglers send a stark message that the Department of Justice will not rest until all those who feed on the desperation of others are brought to justice,” said Assistant Attorney General Kenneth A. Polite, Jr. of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “By dismantling an organization that has operated with impunity for so many years, we have taken yet another stride toward making the global community a safer place. It is thanks to our tremendous partnerships with countries like Mexico that we are able to draw a line in the sand and make it crystal clear that people will no longer be treated like commodities and their lives will no longer be put at risk in the name of profit.” “Once again we see that international cooperation is far more important to a border strategy than physical barriers,” said U.S. Attorney Gary Restaino for the District of Arizona. “These defendants allegedly conspired to flout America’s immigration laws, and to victimize the very migrants they were purporting to help. Our friends and neighbors in Mexican law enforcement have been integral to our efforts to bring this smuggling ring to justice.” The indictments against Hernandez-Salas and Saucedo-Huipio and their subsequent arrests were coordinated under Joint Task Force Alpha (JTFA). JTFA was created by Attorney General Merrick B. Garland in June 2021, in partnership with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas, to strengthen the department’s overall efforts to combat these crimes based on the rise in prolific and dangerous smuggling emanating from Central America and impacting our border communities. JTFA’s goal is to disrupt and dismantle those human smuggling and trafficking networks operating in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico, with a focus on networks that endanger, abuse, or exploit migrants, present national security risks, or engage in other types of transnational organized crime. “This administration has led an unprecedented anti-human smuggling campaign that leverages the full weight of the U.S. government, and it is showing results,” said Deputy Secretary John K. Tien of the Department of Homeland Security. “These indictments build on tremendous collaboration across the federal government, which includes JTFA, and the investments we continue to make in strengthening our relationships with partners in the region and throughout the hemisphere. We are unwavering in our commitment to continuing to hold transnational criminal networks accountable, and to bring them to justice.” “Combatting human smuggling is one of our top law enforcement priorities, and a critical component of national security,” said Deputy Director and Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Director Tae D. Johnson of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “Homeland Security Investigations special agents are committed to holding transnational criminal organizations accountable for perpetrating this horrific crime. We will continue to employ our full range of law enforcement techniques and authorities against human smugglers – let today’s announcement serve as a reminder that we will expose you, dismantle your networks, and see that you face justice.” “U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), along with our partners, will continue to use every authority at our disposal to curtail these threats and prevent harm,” said Acting Commissioner Troy Miller of the CBP. “Our ongoing joint enforcement efforts to attack and dismantle these dangerous global criminal networks will keep our borders strong and local streets and communities safe.” Since its creation, JTFA has successfully increased coordination and collaboration between the Justice Department, DHS, and other interagency law enforcement participants, and with foreign law enforcement partners, including El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Mexico; targeted those organizations who have the most impact on the United States; and coordinated significant smuggling indictments and extradition efforts in U.S. Attorneys’ offices across the country. JTFA is comprised of detailees from southwest border U.S. Attorneys’ offices, including the Southern District of Texas, the Western District of Texas, the District of New Mexico, the District of Arizona, and the Southern District of California, and dedicated support for the program is also provided by numerous components of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division that are part of JTFA – led by the Human Rights and Special Prosecutions Section (HRSP) and supported by the Office of Prosecutorial Development, Assistance, and Training (OPDAT), the Narcotic and Dangerous Drug Section (NDDS), the Money Laundering and Asset Recovery Section (MLARS), the Office of Enforcement Operations (OEO), the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs (OIA), and the Organized Crime and Gang Section (OCGS). JTFA is made possible by substantial law enforcement investment from DHS, FBI, DEA, and other partners. The investigation is also supported by the Extraterritorial Criminal Travel Strike Force (ECT) program, a joint partnership between the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and HSI. The ECT program focuses on human smuggling networks that may present particular national security or public safety risks, or present grave humanitarian concerns. ECT has dedicated investigative, intelligence, and prosecutorial resources. ECT coordinates and receives assistance from other U.S. government agencies and foreign law enforcement authorities. HSI Yuma is investigating the case with assistance from the U.S. Border Patrol (USBP), CBP, U.S. Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ICE-ERO), FBI, and U.S. Marshals Service (USMS), working in concert with HSI Tijuana, INTERPOL, and the HSI Human Smuggling Unit in Washington, D.C. HSI also received substantial assistance from CBP’s National Targeting Center/Counter Network Division and the Office of Foreign Assets Control. The Department of Justice thanks Mexican law enforcement, who were instrumental in arresting Hernandez-Salas, including substantial assistance provided by FESC. JTFA Co-Director James Hepburn and Trial Attorney Patrick Jasperse of HRSP and Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Jennis for the District of Arizona are prosecuting the case, with significant assistance provided by the Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs. The charges contained in an indictment are merely allegations. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Oklahoma City Man Charged with Attempted Enticement and Coercion of a Minor to Engage in Sexual Activity

component: USAO - Oklahoma, Western

body_text: OKLAHOMA CITY — Today, STEVEN NEEL HARRY , 61, of Oklahoma City was arrested on a charge of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor to engage in sexual activity, announced United States Attorney Robert J. Troester. A criminal complaint filed today charges Harry with one count of attempt to persuade, induce, entice and coerce an individual who had not reached the age of 18 to engage in sexual activity. An affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint indicates that Harry started communicating with an undercover law enforcement officer in September 2022. During those conversations, Harry discussed meeting an individual at a hotel in Oklahoma City to engage in sexual activity with a person whom Harry believed was a 12-year-old girl. FBI agents arrested Harry after he arrived at the metro hotel this morning. This afternoon, Harry had his initial appearance on the complaint in federal court in Oklahoma City. Harry is detained in federal custody pending further proceedings in the case. If found guilty of attempted coercion and enticement of a minor, the defendant faces no less than 10 years and up to life in federal prison, a fine of $250,000, and a special assessment of $55,100. The defendant would also be required to serve a term of supervised release of at least five years and up to life. This case is the result of an investigation by the FBI Oklahoma City Field Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Allison Christian and Brandon Hale are prosecuting the case. This case is part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice (DOJ) to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by U.S. Attorney’s Offices and the DOJ Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, PSC marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about PSC, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . The public is reminded that these charges are merely allegations, and that the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. Reference is made to public records for more information. The criminal complaint filed in this case is attached.


title: Trio Indicted and Arrested in Fentanyl Distribution Conspiracy Spanning From California to D.C.

body_text: WASHINGTON – Federal law enforcement arrested one member of the conspiracy last month, and two remaining members of the conspiracy, this morning, for a fentanyl distribution conspiracy responsible for bringing thousands of fake blue Oxycodone (M30) pills, containing fentanyl, from California to D.C., announced U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, and DEA Special Agent in Charge Jarod Forget, of the Washington Division, and Chief Robert J. Contee, III, of the Metropolitan Police Department. Hector David Valdez, 25, of Los Angeles, California, Charles Jeffrey Taylor, 19, of Washington D.C., and Craig Eastman, 19, of Washington D.C., are charged in an indictment with conspiracy to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl. Valdez was arrested in Los Angeles, California, on March 13, 2023 and was ordered detained by the Central District of California pending his transfer to the District of Columbia. Eastman and Taylor were arrested on March 22, 2023, and made their initial appearance in the District of Columbia this afternoon. They will have a detention hearing before United States Magistrate Judge Robin M. Meriweather on March 28, 2023. According to the indictment, from on or about January 2021 to February 24, 2023, Valdez, Taylor, and Eastman conspired together to distribute 400 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing fentanyl. The indictment further charges Eastman with three additional counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, including one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl within 1,000 feet of a protected location (a school and a public housing apartment). Valdez was arrested on February 24, 2023, in the Central District of California. During a search of his residence, law enforcement recovered over 4.4 kilograms of blue M30 pills and a half-kilogram brick of powder, which tested positive for fentanyl. Valdez was ordered detained pending trial and is currently being transferred to the District of Columbia for prosecution. This morning, law enforcement arrested Taylor and Eastman inside Taylor’s residence and seized seven firearms while executing a search warrant. The conspiracy charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison up to life; the possession with intent to distribute charge carries a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in prison; and the possession within 1,000 feet of a protected location carries a mandatory minimum sentence of one year up to 40 years in prison. The sentencing will be determined by the court based on the advisory Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. The investigation of this case had the sponsorship and support of the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). OCDETF specializes in the investigation and prosecution of drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and related criminal enterprises. The prosecutions followed a joint investigation by the DEA Washington Division in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) Washington Field Division, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, with additional support from the DEA Los Angeles and Riverside Field Offices. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys David Henek, Andy Wang, and Matthew Kinskey of the Violence Reduction and Trafficking Offenses (VRTO) Section. An indictment is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Readout of Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke’s Trip to Louisiana

component: Civil Rights Division

body_text: Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division traveled to Louisiana as part of the division's civil rights tour to engage with stakeholders in underserved communities and reaffirm the department’s commitment to protecting the civil rights of all Americans. On Monday, Assistant Attorney General Clarke along with U.S. Attorney Brandon Brown for the Western District of Louisiana met with approximately 20 community stakeholders in Tallulah, Louisiana. Tallulah is in Madison Parish, which has one of the highest poverty rates in the state. The meeting focused on a range of civil rights issues, including equitable education, voting rights and reentry efforts. The community leaders expressed their gratitude for the Justice Department’s willingness to engage with rural communities. That afternoon, she traveled west to Grambling, Louisiana, to visit Grambling State University where she met with President Richard Gallot Jr. and participated in a fireside chat for students to hear their civil rights concerns, to discuss their paths as attorneys and to encourage the students to consider careers in civil rights. For her last stop, Assistant Attorney General Clarke traveled to Shreveport, Louisiana. On Tuesday, she met with U.S. Attorney Brown’s “Focusing on the Future” Community Advisory Group to hear about racial justice issues in Shreveport, including, education, prison conditions and criminal civil rights prosecutions. Later that afternoon, she met with the staff for the U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana and thanked them for their dedicated service and commitment to protecting civil rights. In the coming weeks, Assistant Attorney General Clarke will continue meeting with stakeholders in underserved communities with the next stop in Memphis, Tennessee, in early April. Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke (seated left center) with U.S. Attorney Brandon Brown (seated right center) with Civil Rights Division and Western District of Louisiana staff (seated) and Tallulah-Madison Parish community stakeholders (standing). Assistant Attorney General Clarke (center) with U.S. Attorney Brown (left) and Grambling State University President Gallot on campus. Assistant Attorney General Clarke and U.S. Attorney Brown took questions from students during their fireside chat discussion. Assistant Attorney General Clarke (center left) and U.S. Attorney Brown (center) with members of his “Focusing on the Future” Community Advisory Group. Assistant Attorney General Clarke and U.S. Attorney Brown with Western District of Louisiana staff in the Shreveport office and Shreveport Chief of Police Wayne Smith and Deputy Chief Antoine White.


title: Hot Springs Man Sentenced to More Than 10 Years in Federal Prison for Drug Trafficking and Firearms Possession

component: USAO - Arkansas, Western

body_text: HOT SPRINGS – A Hot Springs man was sentenced today to 130 months in prison followed by four years of supervised release on one count of Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine and Possession of a Firearm in Furtherance of a Drug Trafficking Offense. The Honorable Chief Judge Susan O. Hickey presided over the sentencing hearing in the U.S. District Court in Hot Springs. According to court documents, George Monroe Walston, age 51, was identified by law enforcement to be distributing methamphetamine in Hot Springs, Arkansas area. Between the months of May 2021 and October 2021, investigators were able to conduct multiple controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Walston. On April 19, 2021, a search was conducted at Walston’s residence, resulting in investigators locating and seizing approximately 205.3 grams of a mixture or substance containing a detectable amount of methamphetamine, located in various locations throughout the residence; approximately 359.7 grams of marijuana; nineteen (19) individual dosage units of Lysergic Acid Diethylamide (aka “LSD” or “Acid”); $6,330 United States Currency; and ten (10) firearms, including five (5) handguns, two (2) shotguns, and three (3) rifles; and various ammunition for the recovered firearms. The methamphetamine and the LSD recovered and seized, was subsequently forwarded to the Drug Enforcement Administration Laboratory for confirmatory testing. U.S. Attorney David Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement. The Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations Little Rock, Hot Springs Police Department, Garland County Sheriff’s Department and 18th East Judicial District Drug Task Force investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Bryan Achorn and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Daniels prosecuted the case. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.


title: Crown Point Woman Sentenced to Prison

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: HAMMOND – Oneida Herrera, 24 years old, of Crown Point, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Chief Judge Jon E. DeGiulio after pleading guilty to one count of Conspiracy to Commit Bank Fraud, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson. Herrera was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison, 2 years of supervised release and ordered to pay $190,178 to the victim bank that incurred the loss. According to documents in the case, between October 2020 and June 2021, Herrera participated in a scheme with her codefendant, Wendell Burts, to steal funds from customer accounts at the bank where she was employed. Herrera provided Burts with customers’ personal identification information, including names, social security numbers, addresses, dates of birth, driver’s license numbers and recent account transaction details. Burts used this confidential information to make changes to the accounts online and to electronically transfer funds. Herrera and Burts attempted to steal over $480,000, and were successful in stealing the sum of $190,178. Codefendant Wendell Burts was previously sentenced to 27 months for his role in the scheme. This case was investigated by Federal Bureau of Investigation. This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Abizer Zanzi.


title: Federal Jury Convicts Tahlequah Resident Of Multiple Counts Of Aggravated Sexual Abuse And Exploitation Of Children In Indian Country

body_text: MUSKOGEE, OKLAHOMA - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma, announced today that Leiloni Blake Smith, age 30, of Tahlequah, Oklahoma was found guilty by a federal jury of eight counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child in Indian Country; two counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child; and one count of Possession of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor. The jury trial began on Monday, March 20, 2023, and concluded on Tuesday, March 21, 2023, with the guilty verdicts. During the trial, the United States presented evidence that an investigation began in 2020 based on CyberTips received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Those CyberTips indicated that an individual in the Tahlequah area was uploading child sexual abuse materials through an online provider. Gregory Neil Bias was identified, located, and arrested in January of 2022 for those offenses. During the investigation, electronic devices including the cell phones of Smith and Bias were seized and examined. Investigators discovered videos depicting the aggravated sexual abuse of two children. The guilty verdicts were the result of an investigation by the Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and Homeland Security Investigations. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorneys' Offices and the Criminal Division's Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children, and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc . For more information about Internet safety education, please visit www.justice.gov/psc and click on the tab "resources." The United States Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Oklahoma prosecuted the case because the defendants in this case are members of a federally recognized Indian tribe and the crimes occurred in Cherokee County, within the boundaries of the Cherokee Nation Reservation and within the Eastern District of Oklahoma. The Honorable Ronald A. White, U.S. District Judge in the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Oklahoma in Muskogee, presided over the trial of Smith and ordered the completion of a presentence report. Sentencing will be scheduled following completion of the report. Smith was remanded to the custody of the United States Marshal pending the imposition of sentencing. The co-defendant in this case, Gregory Neil Bias, age 39, entered pleas of guilty on January 18, 2023 to nine counts of Aggravated Sexual Abuse of a Child in Indian Country; two counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child; two counts of Possession of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor; one count of Receipt of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor; one count of Distribution of Certain Material Involving the Sexual Exploitation of a Minor; and one count of Felon in Possession of Firearm. Completion of a presentence report was previously ordered for Bias and he is in the custody of the United States Marshal pending the imposition of sentencing. Assistant United States Attorneys Edith Singer and Kyra Jenner represented the United States.


title: Lincoln Man Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

component: USAO - Nebraska

body_text: United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Daniel Drews, 41, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Lincoln. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Drews to 10 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute 5 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual) with a prior serious drug felony conviction. Because of Drews’s prior drug trafficking conviction, he faced a 10-year mandatory minimum sentence. After serving his sentence, Drews will be placed on supervised release for 8 years. There is no parole in the federal system. On May 10, 2022, drug investigators were surveilling a residence in Lincoln. Investigators saw Drews and two others exit the residence and get in the vehicle. Drews got in the passenger side of the vehicle. The vehicle departed and officers followed. Law enforcement stopped the vehicle for a traffic violation, and Drews exited the vehicle and started walking away with a backpack. Officers instructed him not to run, but he ran and threw the backpack on the ground. Drews was eventually apprehended and taken into custody. Officers searched the backpack that he threw on the ground and found two bags of marijuana, a gun, and a knife. Officers searched his person and found two baggies of suspected methamphetamine and $240 in currency. The suspected methamphetamine was sent to the lab for testing. The lab confirmed that there was at least 22.5 grams of methamphetamine, of which at least 21 grams was actual methamphetamine. This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force.


title: Colorado Man Sentenced to 31 Years for Conspiracy to Distribute Methamphetamine

body_text: United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Jose O. Maes, 38, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was sentenced today in Lincoln, Nebraska, by Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard to 31 years in federal prison for conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 500 grams or more of methamphetamine mixture with a prior violent felony conviction. Maes was convicted of the offense in November of 2022 after a three-day trial. Following the prison term, Maes will serve 15 years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. Testimony and evidence presented at trial showed between June of 2020 and February 12, 2021, Maes was involved in a methamphetamine distribution organization which transported multiple pounds of methamphetamine from the Colorado Springs, Colorado, area to the Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska/Council Bluffs, Iowa areas between the latter part of 2020 and February 12, 2022. On February 11, 2022, investigators with the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force saw Maes meet with two co-conspirators at the Horseshoe Casino in Council Bluffs. The three were engaged in what appeared to be the transfer of drugs in the casino parking garage. Shortly thereafter, an exchange of cash occurred at a nearby gas station. Later that evening, the two co-conspirators, driving separate vehicles, were stopped on westbound Interstate 80 on their way back to Lincoln by the Nebraska State Patrol. Both vehicles were searched, and a total of approximately four pounds of methamphetamine, numerous fentanyl pills, two handguns and $5,000 in cash were found. As a result of these stops and searches, Iowa investigators were told Maes was believed to have returned to the casinos and was likely in possession of methamphetamine, cash and a firearm. Around 2:30 a.m. on February 12, 2022, an investigator from the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement and a Council Bluffs Police Officer found Maes’s car in the Harrah’s Casino parking garage. Maes evaded efforts to contact him. This resulted in a pursuit involving multiple law enforcement agencies which ended approximately 30 miles away in a rural area of Pottawattamie County, Iowa. A search of Maes’s car resulted in the seizure of ¼ ounce of methamphetamine, a few fentanyl pills, a loaded handgun with an extended magazine and more than $34,153 in cash. That cash was later forfeited to the United States of America by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force, the Nebraska State Patrol, the Iowa Division of Narcotics Enforcement, the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation, the Iowa Division of Intelligence, the Council Bluffs Police Department, the Pottawattamie County Sheriff’s Department, the Iowa State Patrol, the Omaha Police Department, and Federal Bureau of Investigation.


body_text: United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Travis J. Nyhoff, 41, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced today in federal court in Lincoln. Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard sentenced Nyhoff to 10 years in prison for possession with intent to distribute 50 grams or more of methamphetamine (actual). After serving his sentence, Nyhoff will be placed on supervised release for 5 years. There is no parole in the federal system. On September 21, 2021, investigators with the Lincoln Police Department saw Nyhoff walking on a sidewalk in Lincoln. The investigators determined that Nyhoff had warrants for his arrest. The investigators contacted Nyhoff at a gas station parking lot. Nyhoff was carrying a backpack with a smaller bag clipped to it. They arrested Nyhoff pursuant to those warrants and searched his person. They found a glass meth pipe with residue on his person. During his arrest, he dropped the backpack he was carrying. Officers searched the bag attached to the backpack and found three baggies containing suspected methamphetamine. Investigators found in the backpack a digital scale with suspected methamphetamine residue. The suspected methamphetamine was sent to the lab for testing. The lab determined that the largest bag contained 60.23 grams of methamphetamine, of which at least 58 grams was actual methamphetamine. The other two bags were confirmed to contain methamphetamine and totaled 80.2 grams. This case was investigated by the Lincoln/Lancaster County Narcotics Task Force.


title: Lincoln Man Sentenced for Possession with Intent to Distribute Methamphetamine

body_text: United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that Rogelio Torres-Rodriguez, 26, of Lincoln, Nebraska, was sentenced today by Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard to three years and four months in federal prison for possession with the intent to distribute 50 grams or more of actual methamphetamine. Following the prison term, Torres-Rodriguez will serve three years on supervised release. There is no parole in the federal system. On May 25, 2022, the Drug Enforcement Administration, (DEA), intercepted a package at United Parcel Service in Lincoln, and a trained canine indicated the odor of drugs. The Nebraska State Patrol obtained a search warrant for the package which was found to contain approximately four pounds of methamphetamine. Purity testing at the DEA lab showed more than 1.6 kilograms, (approximately 3 ½ pounds), of actual methamphetamine. An undercover DEA agent delivered a similar-looking package containing about half the methamphetamine to the listed address in Lincoln where it was accepted by Torres-Rodriguez. A search warrant was then executed at that residence for the package, and Torres-Rodriguez was arrested. He waived his rights and told investigators he was expecting the package and knew it contained methamphetamine. Torres-Rodriguez said he intended to turn it over to another person who was supposed to pay him for accepting the package. This case was investigated by the DEA and the Nebraska State Patrol.


title: Couple Sentenced for Failure to Pay Withheld Payroll Taxes

body_text: United States Attorney Steven Russell announced that William H. White, 55, and Sarah A. White, 40, husband and wife, formerly of Roca, Nebraska, were sentenced on March 21, 2023, by the Senior United States District Judge John M. Gerrard for Failure to Pay Over Employment Tax that had been withheld from employees’ paychecks. William White was sentenced to one year and one day imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Sarah White was sentenced to three years of probation and a fine of $10,000. Each was ordered to pay $426,047.75 restitution but was credited for payments they had made previously totaling that same amount. William and Sarah White owned two businesses that operated in tandem -- B&B Midwest Trucking (B&B) and 419, LLC (419). During portions of 2015 to 2018, B&B and 419 withheld federal income taxes and FICA taxes (Social Security and Medicare) from employees’ paychecks but failed to account for those taxes on time and to pay them over to the Internal Revenue Service. The withheld employee payroll taxes totaled $144,220.31 for B&B, and $281,827.44 for 419. Each business had sufficient funds available to pay the payroll taxes when due. William and Sarah White were aware of the obligation to account for and pay the payroll taxes and were responsible to pay them, but instead used the funds withheld from employees’ paychecks to pay other business creditors and to pay for personal expenses. The businesses had further failed to pay over the employer’s share of payroll taxes to the IRS, but the Whites paid those amounts as well prior to sentencing. “Business owners have a significant duty to collect and turn over all IRS withholding taxes,” said Thomas F. Murdock, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation, St. Louis Field Office. “Those who fail to do so gain an unfair competitive advantage. The failure to abide by IRS laws will not be tolerated, and those criminals will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.” This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service.


title: Grand jury indicts 3 local men for fentanyl, firearms crimes within 1,000 feet of public elementary schools

component: USAO - Ohio, Southern

body_text: DAYTON, Ohio – A federal grand jury has charged area men in two separate cases involving drugs sold near elementary schools in Springfield and Vandalia. Robert Holmes, 39, and Jamel Williams, 37, both of Springfield, are charged together in one indictment with conspiring to possess with the intent to distribute 400 grams or more of fentanyl and 500 grams or more of cocaine. It is alleged their drug trafficking took place within 1,000 feet of Fulton Elementary School on S. Yellow Springs St. in Springfield. Holmes and Williams also allegedly possessed firearms in furtherance of their drug trafficking, which legally qualifies as a serious drug offense. As part of this investigation, law enforcement officials seized five firearms, including an assault rifle, more than one kilogram of fentanyl, three kilograms of cocaine, and more than $143,000 in cash from Holmes’s property and vehicle near the school., If convicted, Holmes and Williams face a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison for drug offenses and a potential consecutive mandatory minimum of five years and up to life in prison for firearms offenses. Jason Glanton, 34, of Vandalia, allegedly distributed fentanyl within 1,000 feet of Helke Elementary School on Randler Avenue in Vandalia. Glanton’s indictment alleges he possessed and distributed fentanyl and owned a firearm in furtherance of his serious drug offense. While executing a search warrant, agents seized nine firearms and $21,000 in cash from Glanton. The grand jury returned both indictments on March 14. Glanton appeared in federal court yesterday and Holmes and Williams appeared in federal court this afternoon. Their cases were subsequently unsealed. Kenneth L. Parker, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio; Orville O. Greene, Special Agent in Charge, Drug Enforcement Administration; J. William Rivers, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Cincinnati Division; and Dayton Police Chief Kamran Aftal announced the charges. Assistant United States Attorney Kelly K. Rossi is representing the United States in this case. An indictment merely contains allegations, and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law. # # #


title: Second Illinois Prison Guard Sentenced to 20 Years of Imprisonment Following Conviction for Civil Rights Deprivation Resulting in Bodily Injury and Death and Obstruction Charges

component: Department of Justice

body_text: SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Todd Sheffler. 54, a former lieutenant at the Western Illinois Correctional Center in Mt. Sterling, Illinois, was sentenced today to an aggregate 20 years’ imprisonment, to be followed by five years of supervised release, for civil rights deprivation resulting in bodily injury and death and obstruction of justice in connection with the death of Larry Earvin, an inmate at the facility. At the sentencing hearing in front of Senior U.S. District Judge Sue E. Myerscough, the government summarized the evidence from Sheffler’s 2022 trial. During the trial, the government presented evidence that Sheffler and co-defendants Alex Banta, 31, who was a correctional officer, and Willie Hedden, 43, who was a sergeant, participated in the May 17, 2018, assault of Earvin, 65, during their forcible escort of Earvin from the residential housing unit of the prison to the segregation housing unit while he was restrained and handcuffed behind his back and while he posed no physical threat to the defendants or other correctional officers. The government presented further evidence that Sheffler, as the lieutenant and senior officer to co-defendants Hedden and Banta, not only participated in the assault but had a duty to intervene to prevent it. The assault resulted in serious bodily injury to Earvin, including multiple broken ribs, a punctured mesentery, and other serious internal injuries, and resulted in Earvin’s death in June 2018. After the assault, all three defendants failed to ensure Earvin received medical care and instead sought medical attention for their own minor scratches and thereafter falsified incident reports that they filed with prison officials and lied to the Illinois State Police by denying any knowledge of or participation in the assault. Also at the sentencing, the government presented evidence, including testimony from co-defendant Hedden, that it was part of the culture at the facility to abuse inmates and lie to cover up the abuse. At Banta’s sentencing last week, during which Judge Myerscough also sentenced him to 20 years’ imprisonment, the government summarized the evidence establishing that Banta had inflicted the most serious blows leading to Earvin’s death, including jumping in the air and landing on Earvin with both knees. Hedden testified at today’s sentencing about a prior incident in which Sheffler was the segregation lieutenant during a previous beating of an inmate in the segregation building. During that beating, according to Hedden, Sheffler instructed the assaulting correctional officers through hand motions to strike the inmate below the head but above the waist. And the government also again presented the testimony of Earvin’s son, who stated that although he didn’t wish for anyone to go to prison, he believed that Sheffler’s request for a 30-month sentence for causing the death of his father was an “insult.” Sheffler’s sentence, like Banta’s sentence, consisted of concurrent 15-year terms of imprisonment on two of the five counts of the indictment: conspiracy to deprive civil rights and deprivation of civil rights under color of law resulting in bodily injury and death. He also received five-year terms of imprisonment on the remaining three counts – conspiracy to engage in misleading conduct; obstruction – falsification of a document; and obstruction – misleading conduct – to run concurrent to each other and consecutive to the fifteen-year terms. A federal grand jury had previously returned an indictment against Sheffler, of Mendon, Illinois; Hedden, of Mt. Sterling, Illinois; and Banta, of Quincy, Illinois, in December 2019. At the first trial in April 2022, Banta was convicted of all five charges in the indictment. The jury in that joint trial was unable to reach verdicts as to Sheffler, resulting in a retrial in August 2022 at which he was convicted of the same charges. Judge Myerscough ordered that both Banta and Sheffler be detained pending their sentencings. Hedden pleaded guilty in March 2022 to both civil rights charges and to conspiracy to engage in misleading conduct. His sentencing is set for March 22, 2023, at 10 a.m. in the federal courthouse in Springfield, Illinois. “At today’s and last week’s sentencings, we advised the court that the government’s job is to seek justice and not to win, and that an appropriate sentence in this case should include justice for the victim, Mr. Earvin,” said U.S. Attorney Gregory K. Harris. “We hope that the convictions of Todd Sheffler, Alex Banta, and Willie Hedden and today’s sentence for Todd Sheffler and last week’s sentence for Alex Banta provide a measure of justice for Larry Earvin and his family. We also hope it serves as a warning to all those who would abuse governmental power that they will be held accountable under the law. Although the vicious and brutal beating of Mr. Earvin cost him his life, and that is a loss that can never be remedied, all of those persons whom the evidence established violated Mr. Earvin’s constitutional rights and caused his death (Sheffler, Hedden, and Banta) have been and are being held accountable. Our prosecution of this case demonstrates our continued commitment to equal justice under the law and to protecting society’s vulnerable, including those in our prisons.” Harris added that his office also wanted to express its appreciation to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Springfield Office and highlighted the complete cooperation of the Illinois State Police and the Illinois Department of Corrections (IDOC), for their thorough and professional investigation of this most important civil rights matter. Harris also especially recognized and thanked the efforts of FBI Special Agents Angela Bray and Price McCarty for their tireless efforts, without which a just outcome in this matter would not have been possible. In addition, Harris noted the important testimony of IDOC witnesses who initially participated in the cover up of these offenses, but ultimately came forward and told the truth about the events surrounding Mr. Earvin’s death. Holding the defendants accountable for their murder of Mr. Earvin would not have been possible without their testimony. Finally, Harris noted that the actions of a few here had unfairly tarnished the reputations of the men and women in law enforcement who honorably serve their communities with professionalism on a daily basis. “While the conduct of Todd Sheffler is not characteristic of the vast majority of those working in law enforcement, it unfortunately undermines the efforts of officers who serve with integrity and who bear the responsibility to respect and defend the rights of those under their watch,” said FBI Springfield Special Agent in Charge David Nanz. “Sheffler’s actions tarnished the reputation and badge worn proudly by the many hard-working and upstanding officers who abide by their oath. The FBI is unyielding in our commitment to zealously protect the rights of all Americans and to hold accountable anyone charged with safeguarding those rights.” “ISP thoroughly investigates civil rights violations to hold those who break the law accountable,” said Illinois State Police Director Brendan F. Kelly. “This type of conduct is unacceptable and cannot be tolerated.” The statutory penalties for each of the civil rights resulting in death charges are up to life imprisonment. The statutory penalties for each of the obstruction of justice charges are up to 20 years of imprisonment. The case was the result of a joint investigation by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of Illinois, the FBI-Springfield Field Office, and the Illinois State Police Division of Internal Investigation, with the cooperation of the Illinois Department of Corrections. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Timothy A. Bass and Eugene L. Miller represent the government in the prosecution.


title: Rocky Mount Blood Gang Member Sentenced to 22 Years for Armed Drug Trafficking

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – A Rocky Mount man was sentenced yesterday to 264 months in prison for possession of marijuana and cocaine and for possession of multiple firearms in furtherance of a drug distribution offense. On October 20, 2022, Charven Keivon Gorham pled guilty to the charges. According to court documents and other information presented in court, Rocky Mount Police Department officers received information that Gorham, a validated Blood gang member, was selling drugs out of his residence in Rocky Mount. Officers executed a search warrant at Gorham’s residence on May 27, 2020 after having conducted several controlled purchases of drugs from that location. During the search, officers seized marijuana, cocaine, over $13,000 in U.S. Currency, and two handguns. On October 18, 2021, a second search warrant at Gorham’s residence led to the seizure of another handgun and additional marijuana and cocaine. At the time of these search warrants, Gorham had multiple prior convictions for drug and weapons offenses in Nash County. “This is a welcomed conviction and should serve as a reminder to those who would involve themselves in gun crimes and or attempt to sell drugs in Rocky Mount, that this criminal activity will not be tolerated,” said Rocky Mount Police Chief Robert Hassell. “We value our partnerships with our law enforcement partners and will take cases federally whenever possible to ensure these offenders are taken off our streets. We will continue to focus on drug, guns, and gangs within the city and make our city one of the safest places to live.” This conviction comes as part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. 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 U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III. Rocky Mount Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Caroline Webb 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. 5:21-CR-161-D.


title: Florida Resorts Agree to Pay $325,000 to Settle False Claims Act Allegations Relating to False Certifications on a Paycheck Protection Program Loan Forgiveness Application

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Note: View a copy of the settlement agreement here . Orlando, FL – Florida companies Kingwood Orlando Reunion Resort LLC (Orlando Reunion) and Kingwood Crystal River Resort Corp. (Crystal River) have agreed to settle allegations that they violated the False Claims Act (FCA) and the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act (FIRREA) by knowingly providing false information in support of a Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loan forgiveness application submitted by Crystal River. Congress created the PPP in March 2020, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, to provide emergency loans to small businesses suffering economic hardship due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The CARES Act authorized these businesses to seek forgiveness of the loans if they spent the loan funds on eligible expenses, such as payroll. When applying for forgiveness of PPP loans, borrowers were required to certify the truthfulness and accuracy of all information provided in their applications. A PPP recipient seeking loan forgiveness based on the payment of wages was only entitled to forgiveness for the amount of wages actually paid to its employees during the designated period. Here, Orlando Reunion and Crystal River, which are related but operate separate resorts, both received separate PPP loans. The United States alleged that Crystal River sought forgiveness of its PPP loan, in-part, by certifying that it used a portion of its PPP loan to pay wages of Crystal River employees, when in fact, some of the employees to whom it claimed to have paid wages were actually Orlando Reunion employees whom Crystal River did not employ or pay. As a part of the settlement announced today, Crystal River and Orlando Reunion agreed to pay $271,720 in damages and penalties under the FCA and $53,280 in civil penalties under FIRREA. “PPP loans were intended to help small businesses retain employees and keep their doors open during the pandemic,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The department is committed to holding accountable those who knowingly and improperly sought PPP loans or forgiveness of those loans.” “A primary mission of the United States Attorney’s Office is protecting government programs from fraud,” said U.S. Attorney Roger Handberg for the Middle District of Florida. “We will continue to hold accountable those who abuse the CARES Act and PPP Program at the expense of the taxpayers.” “This settlement demonstrates that attempts to wrongfully obtain loan forgiveness will not go unnoticed, and violators will be identified,” said Special Agent in Charge Amaleka McCall-Brathwaite of the Small Business Administration Office of the Inspector General (SBA OIG) Eastern Region. “I want to thank the Department of Justice and our law enforcement partners for their support and dedication to pursuing justice in this case.” The settlement resolved a lawsuit filed under the qui tam or whistleblower provision of the False Claims Act, which permits private parties to file suit on behalf of the United States for false claims and share in a portion of the government’s recovery. The qui tam lawsuit was filed by the former Director of Human Resources for Kingwood resorts and is captioned U.S. ex rel. Falzarano v. Kingwood International Resort, LLC, et al., Dkt. No. 6:20-cv-976-ORL-37EJK (M.D. Fla.) . The whistleblower will receive a total of approximately $46,000 in connection with the settlement. The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida, with assistance from the SBA’s Office of General Counsel and the SBA OIG. This matter was handled by Trial Attorney Jared S. Wiesner of the Civil Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeremy R. Bloor for the Middle District of Florida. 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 . Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud affecting COVID-19 government relief programs can be reported by visiting the webpage of the Civil Division’s Fraud Section, which can be found here . Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can also 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 . The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only. There has been no determination of liability.


title: United States Attorney Martin Estrada Establishes New Executive Position to Oversee Ethics and Post-Conviction Reviews

component: USAO - California, Central

body_text: LOS ANGELES – United States Attorney Martin Estrada today announced that he has created a new executive position to address ethics and post-conviction issues. In conjunction with this, the United States Attorney’s Office is establishing a new committee to review innocence claims brought by defendants convicted in the Central District of California. The Chief of Ethics and Post-Conviction Review will, among other things, oversee the work of the office’s ethics and professional responsibility officers, coordinate the investigation of claims of prosecutorial misconduct, lead the office’s training and development program, and review the office’s responses to requests for pardons and commutations. This position will report directly to the United States Attorney. The Conviction Integrity Committee will review and consider claims of factual innocence brought by defendants who were convicted in the Central District of California. The Chief of Ethics and Post-Conviction Review will chair the committee, the other members of which will include the United States Attorney, the First Assistant United States Attorney, and the Executive Assistant United States Attorney. The new process to review claims of factual innocence is partly modeled on other committees that have been formed the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York and other prosecutorial agencies around the country. “Our foremost duty as federal prosecutors is to achieve justice. Therefore, while we will continue to do everything in our power to protect the public and uphold the rule of law, we will also do all we can to ensure the integrity of our convictions, as well as the fairness of sentences,” Mr. Estrada said. “Transparency in the criminal justice system is important. While wrongful convictions are rare, we will carefully review – and, when appropriate, fully investigate – any claim that the facts of a case do not support a conviction. We are committed to obtaining fair and just outcomes in each and every case we prosecute. “The work of the Conviction Integrity Committee also will serve as an opportunity for my office to continually review our work as prosecutors and will buttress all of the policies and procedures designed to prevent wrongful convictions.” An application to submit innocence claims to the Committee has been placed on the United States Attorney’s Office website . The position of Chief of Ethics and Post-Conviction Review will be held by Assistant United States Attorney Allison L. Westfahl Kong, who will also chair the Conviction Integrity Committee. Ms. Westfahl Kong has been an Assistant United States Attorney for 10 years, most recently serving as the Chief of Trials, Integrity, and Professionalism. This new role will expand her work to include post-conviction review, which is aimed at promoting fairness and integrity at every stage of a criminal prosecution. “Allison is an experienced prosecutor, a respected legal thinker, and a consummate professional,” Mr. Estrada said. “Her experience and judgment will ensure success in her new role.”


title: Level-2 Sex Offender Arrested for Possessing Child Pornography

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A Chelsea man was arrested yesterday for possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Lasall Johnson, 54, was charged with possession of child pornography. Following an initial appearance in federal court in Boston yesterday afternoon before U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Judith G. Dein, Johnson was detained pending a hearing scheduled for March 23, 2023. According to the charging documents, an investigation into suspected CSAM being exchanged on an online peer to peer file sharing network identified a user located at Johnson’s residence. It is alleged that, during a subsequent search of Johnson’s address, six electronic devices were seized that were found to contain several images and videos depicting CSAM. In 1989, Johnson was convicted in Norfolk County Superior Court of two counts of assault to rape, for which he received a 20-year state prison sentence with two years committed and the balance suspended for 18 years. As a result of those convictions, Johnson is a Level-2 registered sex offender. Due to Johnson’s prior convictions, the charge of possession of child pornography provides for a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years and up to 20 years in prison, at least five years and up to a lifetime 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. United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Chelsea Police Keith Houghton made the announcement today. Assistant U.S. Attorney Suzanne Sullivan Jacobus of Rollins’ Major Crimes Unit is prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the DOJ’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children, as well as identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit https://www.justice.gov/psc . 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: Caldwell Woman Sentenced for Conspiring to Distribute Bath Salts and Conspiring to Commit Money Laundering

component: U.S. Attorneys (USAO)

body_text: BOISE – Angela Marie Klinkhamer, 44, of Caldwell, was sentenced to 70 months in federal prison for conspiring to distribute controlled substances and conspiring to commit money laundering, U.S. Attorney Josh Hurwit announced today. According to court records, Klinkhamer and her coconspirators engaged in a lengthy conspiracy to distribute drugs, including bath salts (alpha-PHP or synthetic cathinone). Klinkhamer’s role in the conspiracy involved renting a mailbox where the drugs were shipped from overseas. After the drugs arrived at the mailbox, Klinkhamer distributed the drugs to others. She also collected over $10,000 in drug proceeds for the organization, which she provided to codefendants through bank transactions and crypto currency exchanges. When conducting the financial transactions involving drug proceeds, Klinkhamer took steps to conceal the nature and source of the drug proceeds. Chief U.S. District Judge David C. Nye also sentenced Klinkhamer to serve three years of supervised release following her prison sentence. Klinkhamer pleaded guilty to the crime on November 28, 2022. Codefendant Laura Denise Russell, 65, of Boise, is scheduled to enter a guilty plea on April 4, 2023. Codefendants Troy Thomas Wheeler, 48, of Meridian, and Michael Robert Osborn, 39, of Boise, are scheduled for trial to begin June 20, 2023. “Drug trafficking organizations are constantly evolving in how they traffic drugs and launder money, including by using crypto currencies” said U.S. Attorney Hurwit. “This case shows that, despite their best efforts, these criminals cannot outrun law enforcement.” “Drug trafficking organizations have a devastating impact on our communities, and we are committed to doing everything in our power to disrupt their illegal activities. Our ongoing efforts to dismantle these organizations and bring their members to justice can make a significant impact in reducing their prevalence and keeping our communities safe,” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer, who oversees HSI operations in the Pacific Northwest. “I commend the agents at both HSI and the IRS for their tireless work and dedication to this important mission.” “IRS Special Agents are experts in unraveling complex financial transactions and money laundering schemes involving crypto currencies,” said Andy Tsui, Special Agent in Charge, IRS Criminal Investigation Denver Field Office. “This sentencing should send a clear message to drug traffickers that CI and our law enforcement partners are relentless in our mission to dismantle drug trafficking organizations and bring these criminals to justice.” U.S. Attorney Hurwit credited the cooperative efforts of Homeland Security Investigations, IRS – Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, which led to the charges. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. ###


title: Former Nurse Sentenced To Federal Prison For Illegal Oxycodone Prescription Scheme

body_text: Tampa, Florida – U.S. District Judge Susan C. Bucklew today sentenced Jacquelyn DeVito (40, Brandon) to 24 months in federal prison for unlawful drug distribution and for acquiring a controlled substance by misrepresentation. DeVito also relinquished her Nurse Practitioner and Advanced Registered Nurse Practitioner licenses to the State of Florida Board of Nursing and agreed never to reapply for a Drug Enforcement Administration registration number. DeVito had pleaded guilty on December 9, 2022. According to court documents, between March 2020 and June 2022, DeVito worked as nurse at an urgent care medical office. During this employment, she offered patients separate home health services through her privately-owned company, Bee Home Medical LLC. DeVito used Bee Home Medical patients’ names and dates of birth to prescribe oxycodone, a Schedule II controlled substance, without their knowledge or consent and issued those prescriptions to local retail pharmacies. When the prescriptions were filled and ready to be picked up, DeVito went to the pharmacies and acquired the controlled substances by falsely stating that she was the victim patients’ caregiver and was picking up the controlled substances on their behalf. In this manner, DeVito prescribed and acquired more than 2,900 oxycodone pills. Many of the victim patients had no knowledge that DeVito had issued the prescriptions in their names and confirmed that there was no legitimate need for them to receive the medication. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (Tampa District Office) and the Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit. The Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit was created by the Department of Justice to help combat the devastating opioid crisis. The Opioid Fraud and Abuse Detection Unit focuses specifically on opioid-related health care fraud, using data to identify and prosecute individuals contributing to the prescription opioid epidemic. The case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Greg Pizzo.


title: Jury Convicts Pair of Fraud and Health Care Fraud in Toledo

component: USAO - Ohio, Northern

body_text: TOLEDO , Ohio - First Assistant United States Attorney Michelle M. Baeppler announced that a federal jury convicted Dr. Oliver Jenkins, age 60, and Sherry-Ann Jenkins, age 58, of Jessup, Georgia, of conspiracy, mail fraud, wire fraud, and health care fraud on Friday, March 17, in Toledo, Ohio following a two- week trial before Judge Jack Zouhary. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Dr. Oliver Jenkins, who was an Ear, Nose, and Throat M.D. at the Toledo Clinic, and his wife, Sherry-Ann Jenkins, who had a Ph.D. but was not licensed to practice medicine in Ohio, started a new business called the “The Toledo Clinic Cognitive Center.” The Jenkinses represented to the Toledo Clinic that patients suspected of cognitive disorders, particularly dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease, could come to the Cognitive Center for neurocognitive testing, diagnosis, treatment, and referrals, and that Sherry-Ann Jenkins would administer the neurocognitive testing under the supervision of Dr. Oliver Jenkins. The Jenkinses represented that Dr. Oliver Jenkins would make a diagnosis, and provide medical treatment, or a referral. Instead, the Jenkinses engaged in a scheme to defraud. Dr. Oliver Jenkins never saw or treated patients at the Cognitive Center. Sherry-Ann Jenkins ordered PET scans of patients’ brains, interpreted the scans, diagnosed patients, including a college-aged student, with Alzheimer’s Disease, Dementia, or other impairments, recommended patients take coconut oil to improve memory, and instructed certain patients to see her every 3-6 weeks for the rest of their lives. The Jenkinses billed Cognitive Center patients and health care benefits programs using Dr. Oliver Jenkins’ billing number. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Toledo, Ohio, the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General in Cleveland, Ohio, the Ohio Attorney General’s Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, and the Ohio State Medical Board. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian McDonough and Robert Melching.


title: Second ex-U.S. soldier sentenced to prison for plotting murder of Fort Stewart servicemember stabbed to death in installation housing

body_text: SAVANNAH, GA: A former U.S. Army soldier has been sentenced to 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to his role in a plot that led to the stabbing death of a fellow soldier in his Fort Stewart barracks. Jordan Brown , 23, of St. Marys, Ga., was sentenced to 240 months in prison after previously pleading guilty to Assault Upon a U.S. Servicemember Involving Bodily Injury or a Deadly Weapon, and Retaliation Against a Witness Involving Bodily Injury, said Jill E. Steinberg, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Georgia. U.S. District Court Judge R. Stan Baker also ordered Brown to serve three years of supervised release upon completion of his prison term. There is no parole in the federal system. Brown’s co-defendant, Byron Booker , 29, of Ludowici, Ga., was sentenced on Feb. 2 to life in prison after previously pleading guilty to Premeditated Murder of a Member of the United States Uniformed Services. “Both of these defendants are responsible for the brutal murder of a U.S. Army soldier who honorably performed his duties as a service member,” said U.S. Attorney Steinberg. “The final sentence in this case hopefully provides justice for Specialist Austin Hawk, and holds his killers accountable.” As described in court testimony and in the plea agreements for the defendants, Brown, a former U.S. Army Private First Class, admitted that he and Booker, a former U.S. Army sergeant, discussed “silencing” Specialist Austin J. Hawk, 21, at Fort Stewart Military Reservation in retaliation for Hawk reporting Brown to U.S. Army leadership for marijuana use. After gaining entry to Hawk’s barracks room shortly after midnight on June 17, 2020, Booker “slashed and stabbed Hawk repeatedly with a sharp-edged weapon.” A medical examiner noted that Hawk received 40 separate stab or slash wounds, many of them that individually would have been fatal, and cut his own hand during the assault. Hawk’s body was found in his Fort Stewart barracks room the next day. Brown was in his own barracks room on the floor below Hawk’s room during the assault. “This sentence holds Brown accountable for his actions and brings closure to the victim’s family,” said Rusty Higgason, Assistant Special Agent-in-Charge of the Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division’s Southeast Field Office. “This complex investigation is a great example of the close teamwork among Army CID, the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory, FBI, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of Georgia.” “Brown’s sentence is a direct result of the hard work and persistence put in by the FBI Savannah Resident Agency and our partners at the U.S. Army and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Georgia,” said Keri Farley, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta. “Hawk’s family and friends will never be rid of the pain this senseless murder has caused them, but hopefully it gives them some sense of resolve to know that justice will be served.” U.S. Attorney Steinberg commended the work of CID Forensic Science Technicians from Fort Stewart, Fort Bragg, Fort Gordon, and Fort Jackson, and from the analysts with the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory and the FBI Crime Lab. The Department of the Army Criminal Investigation Division and the FBI investigated the case, which was prosecuted for the United States by Southern District of Georgia Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer G. Solari and Darron J. Hubbard.


title: California Man Charged with Conspiring to Make Death Threats Against Brooklyn-Based Journalist

component: USAO - New York, Eastern

body_text: Nicholas Welker, also known as “King ov Wrath,” was arrested today in San Jose, California based on a complaint filed in Brooklyn federal court charging him with conspiring to make threatening statements. The complaint charges that Welker, the one-time leader of Feuerkrieg Division (FKD), an international racially or ethnically motivated violent extremist group, posted death threats against a Brooklyn-based journalist (the “Journalist”) in a public online forum and his co-conspirators tweeted the death threats at the Journalist for reporting on the extremist group. Welker is expected to appear in federal district court in the Northern District of California in San Jose this afternoon. Breon Peace, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and Michael J. Driscoll, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Office (FBI) announced the charges. “As alleged, Nicholas Welker used threats of violence in an effort to stop a journalist from reporting on the white supremacist hate group that he led. He sought to quell freedom of expression and to intimidate and instill fear in a journalist and the journalist’s employer—a well-known news media organization,” stated United States Attorney Peace. “We will not hesitate to prosecute those who threaten the core values on which our society was founded, including freedom of the press.” Mr. Peace praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI’s New York Joint Terrorism Task Force, which consists of investigators and analysts from the FBI, the New York City Police Department, and over 50 other federal, state, and local agencies, and the FBI’s San Francisco Field Office. Mr. Peace also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California for its assistance, as well as the Estonian Internal Security Service and the Prosecutor’s Office for their valuable support. “As alleged, Mr. Welker and those he encouraged attempted to silence a journalist with threats of violence. Freedom of both speech and the press are integral to our nation, and we will not allow it to be restricted through violence or intimidation. Today’s action serves as a reminder to anyone willing to attack these rights - the FBI will do everything in our power to fulfill our mission of protecting the American people and upholding the Constitution,” stated FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Driscoll. Welker’s threat included an image that featured a gun aimed at the Journalist’s head with the words “Race Traitor” over the Journalist’s eyes and stated, “JOURNALIST F[***] OFF! YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.” The threat highlighted that the Journalist “Works as a Reporter” at a news media company and is “Responsible for Stalking our Boys for Information.” After Welker posted the threat to an online forum, Welker’s two minor-aged co-conspirators (who were also members of the white supremacist group) tweeted the threat directly at the Journalist’s twitter handle, in the hope that the Journalist would see the death threat and stop reporting. As alleged in the complaint, Welker was the leader of an extremist group whose members share a common goal of challenging laws, social order, and the government via terrorism and other violent acts. The organization encourages attacks on racial minorities, the Jewish community, the LGBTQ+ community, the U.S. Government, journalists, and critical infrastructure. FKD has members in the United States and abroad. The charge in the complaint is an allegation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. If convicted, Welker faces a maximum sentence of five years’ imprisonment. The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s National Security and Cybercrime Section. Assistant United States Attorney Ellen H. Sise is in charge of the prosecution with assistance from Trial Attorney Jennifer Levy of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section and EDNY Litigation Analyst Ben Richmond. The Defendant : NiCHOLAS WELKER (also known as “King ov Wrath”) Age: 31 San Jose, California E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 23-MJ-230


title: Beaufort County Man Sentenced for Tax Evasion and Ordered to Pay $3,097,582 in Restitution

component: USAO - South Carolina

body_text: CHARLESTON, SOUTH CAROLINA — Michael Sturms, 78, of Bluffton, was sentenced to five years of probation and ordered to pay restitution to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) after pleading guilty to tax evasion. Evidence presented to the Court showed that Sturms failed to timely file individual income tax returns with the IRS for tax years 2007 through 2012, and he only filed these delinquent returns in 2014 as part of divorce proceedings from his then-wife. Sturms signed each of these late filed returns, admitting to a significant tax deficiency. In 2015, the IRS filed a number of federal tax liens in South Carolina and Florida against Sturms and his business entities for taxes owed. On March 9, 2015, the IRS sent Sturms a Final Notice of Intent to Levy in the amount of $2,368,409.94, which included the total taxes, penalties, and interest then due and owing. Knowing that he had taxes due and owing, Sturms attempted to evade and defeat the payment of income tax by engaging in a series of financial transactions that were designed to hide funds that Sturms received from a large breach-of-contract settlement. These efforts to evade the payment of taxes included Sturms’ creation of a new business checking account in the name of Worldwide Financials, LLC, to deposit $1,181,321.64 of settlement money, a failed attempt to withdraw $1 million in cash from this newly created account, and the transfer of $550,000 of these settlement proceeds to his new wife, which then was used to purchase a residence lien-free in his new wife’s name. As part of his sentence, United States District Judge Richard M. Gergel ordered defendant to pay $3,097,582 in restitution, which represents the accrued unpaid taxes, interest, and fees owed to the United States. This case was investigated by the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Allessandra Stewart is prosecuting the case. ###


title: Worcester Man Sentenced for Robbery and Drug Trafficking Conspiracies

body_text: BOSTON – A Worcester man has been sentenced in federal court in Worcester for conspiracy to commit a robbery and distribute over 500 grams of cocaine. Junior a/k/a “Junito” Melendez, 42, was sentenced on March 17, 2023 by U.S. Senior District Court Judge Timothy S. Hillman to 156 months in prison followed by eight years of supervised release. In March 2022, Melendez was convicted after trial of conspiracy to distribute over 500 grams of cocaine. On May 17, 2022, Melendez pleaded guilty to conspiring to commit a Hobbs Act robbery. In March 2019, law enforcement intercepted a series of calls revealing that Melendez and three other Worcester men – Grace Katana, Keith Johnson and Shaun Walker – were organizing a robbery. On March 25, 2019, the four men were tracked as they drove over 60 miles in two cars from Worcester to the robbery target in Rockland, specifically, the home of a seller of glass marijuana smoking devices. Melendez and Katana went to a nearby hardware store and purchased a crowbar, razor blades and an 8-inch screwdriver, while Johnson and Walker waited in a parked car outside the store. Law enforcement intervened and seized a loaded .380 caliber firearm from the car occupied by Johnson and Walker, who were arrested. Melendez and Katana were released from the scene. Intercepted communications following the robbery confirmed that Melendez was conspiring with at least five other men – including Juan Rodriguez, Antoine Mack, Kevin Jean, Angel Cordova and Carlos Richards – to buy significant quantities of powder cocaine, convert some of that powder cocaine into crack cocaine and distribute powder and crack cocaine in Massachusetts and New Hampshire. From March 2019 through June 2019, investigators identified over four kilograms of cocaine that Melendez either purchased or sold, including over 300 grams of cocaine that was seized in New Hampshire on May 25, 2019. All three of Melendez’s co-defendants in the robbery conspiracy have been convicted. Katana was convicted after jury trial and sentenced to 64 months in prison. Walker pleaded guilty and was sentenced to three years in prison. Keith Johnson pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. As to Melendez’s co-defendants in the drug trafficking conspiracy, Juan Rodriguez and Kevin Jean were convicted after a jury trial and sentenced to 52 months and 40 months in prison, respectively. Antoine Mack pleaded guilty and was sentenced 54 months in prison. Angel Cordova pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing. Carlos Richards remains a fugitive. United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; and Worcester Police Chief Steven M. Sargent made the announcement today. Valuable was provided by Massachusetts State Police, New Hampshire State Police, Shrewsbury Police and the Worcester County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Greg A. Friedholm, Kristen M. Noto and Lauren A. Graber of Rollins’ Criminal Division prosecuted the cases. 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 details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The remaining defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: Money Launderer Sentenced for $8 Million Romance Scam Fraud Scheme

body_text: BOSTON – A Massachusetts man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in a fraud scheme that stole more than $8 million from hundreds of romance scam victims. Kofi Osei, 30, was sentenced by U.S. District Court Judge Indira Talwani to 54 months in prison and two years of supervised release. Osei was also ordered to pay $4,122,558 in restitution and forfeiture. In September 2022, Osei pleaded guilty to seven counts of making a false statement to a bank, six counts of wire fraud and two counts of money laundering. Between 2016 and 2020, Osei opened at least 77 bank accounts using fake passports in others’ names and then received and quickly withdrew proceeds obtained from fraud victims. The victims, often elderly, were the targets of romance scams. Osei’s co-conspirators created and used fictious online dating profiles to capitalize on the victims’ desire for companionship, gain their trust and direct victims to transfer money based on lies. Osei coordinated with his co-conspirators to receive the fraud proceeds into the bank accounts he opened. Osei then withdrew the fraud proceeds in cash or with a cashier’s check, sending a portion back to his co-conspirators. In total, the money-laundering scheme received more than $8 million in fraud proceeds, $4 million of which went directly into accounts that Osei opened and controlled. United States Attorney Rachael S. Rollins; Joseph R. Bonavolonta, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Boston Division; Ketty Larco-Ward, Inspector in Charge of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Boston Division; and Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England made the announcement. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristen A. Kearney and Christopher J. Markham of Rollins’ Securities, Financial & Cyber Fraud Unit prosecuted the case.


title: Allahjuan Calhoun Sentenced for Failure to Appear

component: USAO - Vermont

body_text: The United States Attorney for the District of Vermont announced that Allahjuan Calhoun, 32, of Yonkers, New York, was sentenced today in United States District Court in Burlington to one year and one day of imprisonment following his guilty plea to a charge that he failed to appear for a final supervised release revocation hearing. United States District Judge Christina Reiss also ordered that Calhoun’s sentence run consecutively to any undischarged term of imprisonment that Calhoun is serving. According to court records, in 2020 Calhoun pleaded guilty in Vermont to being a felon in possession of a firearm. Judge Reiss sentenced Calhoun to 26 months of imprisonment, to be followed by a two-year period of supervised release. Calhoun completed his prison term in 2021. Soon after, the U.S. Probation Office filed a petition to revoke Calhoun’s supervised release because, among other things, he repeatedly smoked marijuana in violation of his conditions. The court scheduled a final hearing on the motion to revoke Calhoun’s supervised release for March 22, 2022. Although he was aware of the court date, Calhoun failed to appear as required and the court issued a bench warrant for his arrest. Calhoun was arrested on the warrant in late June 2022. On October 27, a grand jury returned a one-count indictment charging Calhoun with failure to appear. Calhoun is represented by Assistant Federal Defender Mary Nerino. The prosecutor is Assistant U.S. Attorney Gregory Waples.


title: Colorado High School Activities Association Agrees to Improve Access for Student Athletes with Disabilities

component: USAO - Colorado

body_text: DENVER—The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Colorado announced today that the United States has resolved a discrimination complaint under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) against the Colorado High School Activities Association (CHSAA) related to a student athlete with diabetes who was disqualified from participating in an event at a state championship swim meet. The Department of Justice received a complaint from the family of a high school swimmer, who has Type 1 diabetes, after the student was disqualified from swimming in an event at the 2021 state meet for having adhesive tape covering a continuous glucose monitor that he wears to monitor his blood sugar. Minutes before the start of the event, the head referee saw the piece of 2x2-inch adhesive tape covering the student’s continuous glucose monitor and disqualified him from the race. CHSAA is the primary governing body for high school athletic activities throughout Colorado. It has 368 member schools across the state. It hosts the state championships and other competitions and events for boys’ and girls’ sports and other activities. The 2021 state swim meet was covered by CHSAA’s constitution, bylaws, and swimming-specific rules. Under the ADA and its implementing regulations, entities like CHSAA are required to make reasonable modifications in policies, practices, or procedures when necessary to avoid discrimination on the basis of disability unless the modification would fundamentally alter the nature of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations. To resolve the complaint, CHSAA agreed to take several steps to address how it will respond when student participants with disabilities who are participating in CHSAA-sponsored activities, or their coaches, seek modifications of the rules for those activities: Clarify in its activity-specific rules that students with disabilities may participate in CHSAA-sponsored activities while using adhesive tape on medical devices if they provide medical documentation; Adopt an internal procedure for evaluating requests from students with disabilities for reasonable modifications of CHSAA’s bylaws or the activity-specific rules, with such requests promptly evaluated by CHSAA Assistant Commissioners; Amend CHSAA’s bylaws to make clear that a student with a disability, or their coach, can seek an on-the-spot reasonable modification from a referee at games, meets, competitions, or other CHSAA-sponsored activities, and that the referee can grant such a request if it is readily apparent that the medical device is intended to address a disability; Make reasonable efforts to notify schools, coaches, students, and referees of these policy changes to CHSAA’s bylaws and activity-specific rules; and Provide training for CHSAA employees, contractors, agents, and volunteers on the requirements of the ADA. The agreement covers all activities subject to CHSAA’s rules and bylaws. “All students with disabilities deserve the same opportunities to participate in high school sports and activities as students without disabilities,” said U.S. Attorney Cole Finegan, “We are pleased that CHSAA has agreed to adopt policies that comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.” The agreement is not an admission of any violation or liability by CHSAA. This case was handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Julia Prochazka and Zeyen Wu. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q82cYisLbLs&t=2s


title: Georgia Man Pleads Guilty in Check Fraud Conspiracy

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Western

body_text: PITTSBURGH, PA - A resident of McDonough, Georgia, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of check fraud, Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti announced today. Adarius Scott, 26, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Robert J. Colville. In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from in and around May 2019 to July 2, 2019, Scott participated in a check fraud conspiracy where he traveled with other codefendants to various cities, including Pittsburgh, and stole mail from businesses. They searched the stolen mail for checks and created replicas of the checks with the “payee” section left blank. Then, the conspirators recruited individuals with valid identification to cash the checks in exchange for a small amount of money. Judge Colville scheduled sentencing for July 21, 2023 The law provides for a total sentence of five years in prison, a fine of $250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant. Pending sentencing, the court continued Scott’s bond. Assistant United States Attorney Gregory C. Melucci is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government. The United States Secret Service, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the Pennsylvania State Police conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Scott.


title: Mocksville Man Sentenced To Eighteen Years For Trafficking Methamphetamine

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – A Mocksville, North Carolina man was sentenced to 216 months in prison for Conspiracy to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine and Distribution of 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine. According to court documents and information presented at the sentencing hearing, Kelvin Vincente Noyola, a/k/a “Tripp,” 30, was part of a large-scale drug trafficking organization that operated in Winston-Salem, and it distributed significant quantities of crystal methamphetamine to the Goldsboro area. Based upon the investigation, law enforcement learned that Noyola, was responsible for the distribution of multi-kilogram quantities of crystal methamphetamine, a/k/a “Ice,” while assisted by co-defendant, Israel Ponce, and others. Specifically, over the course of the conspiracy, Noyola was responsible for assisting in the distribution of at least 16.825 kilograms of crystal methamphetamine. On July 25, 2022, Noyola entered a plea of guilty to the charges. Co-defendant, Israel Ponce, was also charged and convicted in this investigation in Case No. 5:22CR00010D-002. Over the course of the conspiracy, Ponce was responsible for assisting in the distribution of at least 933.5 grams of crystal methamphetamine. Ponce pled guilty on May 18, 2022, to Conspiracy to Distribute and Possess With Intent to Distribute 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine and Distribution of 50 grams or more of Methamphetamine, aiding and abetting. On October 13, 2022, Ponce was sentenced to 151 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Michael F. Easley, Jr., U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina, made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in Wilmington, North Carolina the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office in Goldsboro, North Carolina, and the Winston-Salem Police Department in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jennifer C. Nucci prosecuted the case. This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money 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. A copy of this press release is located on our website . 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 number 5:22CR00010-D-001.


title: Mobile Man Sentenced to More Than 17 Years in Prison for String of Armed Robberies

component: USAO - Alabama, Southern

body_text: MOBILE, AL – A Mobile man was sentenced to 209 months in prison for committing several robberies, being a felon in possession of a gun, and brandishing a gun during crimes of violence. According to court documents, Lindell Vantel Dortch, 41, committed a series of four armed robberies of a Waffle House and several gas stations in Mobile in September and October 2021. During the robberies, each of which was captured on surveillance video, Dortch wore a similar outfit and brandished a black handgun. Detectives with the Mobile Police Department identified the car that Dortch used to flee the scenes of the robberies and later executed a search warrant at Dortch’s apartment in Mobile after locating the getaway car parked at the complex. During that search, detectives recovered the clothing that Dortch wore and the black 9mm pistol that he brandished during the robberies. In a recorded interview, Dortch confessed to brandishing the pistol and committing the robberies, which netted him cash and property worth $5,658.13. Dortch also admitted that he had previously been convicted of several felonies in Mobile County, including burglary, theft, assault, and drug offenses. Dortch’s prior felony convictions rendered his possession of a gun illegal under federal law. Chief United States District Judge Jeffrey U. Beaverstock ordered Dortch to serve 209 months’ imprisonment and a five-year term of supervised release upon his release from prison, during which time he will undergo drug testing, will receive mental health evaluation and treatment, and will be subject to credit restrictions. The court did not impose a fine, but Judge Beaverstock ordered Dortch to pay $5,658.13 in victim restitution and $600 in special assessments. The court also forfeited Dortch’s pistol to the United States. U.S. Attorney Sean P. Costello of the Southern District of Alabama made the announcement. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Mobile Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Justin Roller prosecuted the case on behalf of the United States.


title: Spouse and cousin of drug trafficking ringleader sentenced to significant prison terms for their roles in drug distribution conspiracy

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – Two members of a drug trafficking ring that buried drugs and cash on a rural property near Arlington, Washington, were sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle, announced U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. Jose Arrondondo-Valdez, 27, was sentenced to nine years in prison and Yvette Olguin, 40, was sentenced to 30 months in prison. Arrondondo-Valdez is the cousin of ringleader Cesar Valdez-Sanudo. Olguin is Valdez-Sanudo’s wife. Both played key roles in the drug ring. At sentencing, U.S. District Judge John C. Coughenour said he based his sentences “on the size of the drug ring and that it distributed fentanyl, which is an extraordinarily dangerous drug.” “Debt collection, money laundering – these are sophisticated organizations that don’t function without members who handle these chores – and the two people sentenced today were key players in a drug ring that distributed massive amounts of methamphetamine and fentanyl in our community,” said U.S. Attorney Nick Brown. “In addition to prison time, substantial resources have also been seized as proceeds of drug trafficking.” Members of the drug ring were indicted in December 2020, following a lengthy wire-tap investigation. Law enforcement seized large amounts of drugs during the investigation, including a 49-pound load of methamphetamine that was coming to Washington State from California, disguised in boxes for household items. All told, in the course of the investigation, law enforcement seized approximately 143 pounds of methamphetamine, 15 pounds of heroin, 35,000 suspected fentanyl pills, 24 firearms, and approximately $ 778,000. “With today’s sentences, Mr. Arrondondo-Valdez and Ms. Olguin will spend significant amounts of time in federal custody as a result of their roles in this drug trafficking organization,” said Jacob D. Galvan, Acting Special Agent in Charge, DEA Seattle Field Division. “Together with our state and local partners we removed significant amounts of narcotics and firearms from the community and prevented the organization from using its proceeds to further their illicit schemes.” Jose Arrondondo-Valdez served as the right-hand man to ringleader Valdez-Sanudo. Arrondondo-Valdez was arrested with Valdez-Sanudo at the Snoqualmie Casino. The men had three loaded and chambered firearms in their vehicle, one with a homemade silencer. The men planned to confront a member of the ring who owed a debt for drugs. Jose Arrondondo-Valdez lived on the Arlington property that Olguin and Valdez-Sanudo had purchased with drug money. When law enforcement searched the property, they seized more than 27 kilos of meth, nearly six kilos of heroin, and nearly two kilos of fentanyl pills, much of it buried underground. On the property, there were ten firearms. Olguin was key to the operations of the drug trafficking organization by making hotel and travel arrangements and working to launder the cash the operation took in. When the drug ring members were arrested, Law enforcement seized cash, checks, and the contents of bank accounts as proceeds of the drug crime. Olguin schemed with her husband Valdez-Sanudo to launder more than $1 million through casinos. The couple purchased property and vehicles to launder drug money. Olguin sought to avoid banking transaction reporting requirements by making deposits in amounts below the $10,000 threshold. This case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks. The investigation was conducted by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Tacoma Residence Office in partnership with Tahoma Narcotics Enforcement Team (TNET), Kent Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, SeaTac Police Department, Tacoma Police Department, Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force (SRDTF), the Skagit County Sheriff's Office, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Amy Jaquette and C. Andrew Colasurdo.