component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – The founder and CEO of a California-based digital health company and its clinical president were arrested today in connection with their alleged participation in a scheme to distribute Adderall over the internet, conspire to commit health care fraud in connection with the submission of false and fraudulent claims for reimbursement for Adderall and other stimulants, and obstruct justice. Ruthia He, the founder and CEO of Done Global Inc., was arrested in Los Angeles and will make her initial appearance at 1:30 p.m. PDT/4:30 p.m. EDT in Los Angeles. David Brody, the clinical president of Done Health P.C. (collectively, Done), was arrested in San Rafael, California, and will make his initial appearance at 10:30 a.m. PDT/1:30 p.m. EDT in San Francisco, California. “As alleged, these defendants exploited the COVID-19 pandemic to develop and carry out a $100 million scheme to defraud taxpayers and provide easy access to Adderall and other stimulants for no legitimate medical purpose,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “Those seeking to profit from addiction by illegally distributing controlled substances over the internet should know that they cannot hide their crimes and that the Justice Department will hold them accountable.” “The individuals charged today allegedly disregarded the first rule of medical care—do no harm—in order to maximize profits, and there is no place for such fraud in our healthcare system,” said Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas. “The indictment levied against these individuals sends a clear message: the Department of Homeland Security, our Homeland Security Investigations personnel, and our partners across the federal government will hold accountable those providers and prescribers who prey on their patients.” “The internet is a place of remarkable innovation, allowing its users to make innumerable types of transactions with greater ease. Such transactions, however, must always be legal,” said Deputy Chief of the Criminal Division Matthew Yelovich for the Northern District of California. “The indictment alleges that He and Brody used an internet-based infrastructure to illegally distribute drugs and to conspire to commit health care fraud. This office will always prosecute health care fraud and illegal drug distribution on the internet as vigorously as we do traditional frauds and illegal drug distribution.” According to court documents, He and Brody allegedly conspired with others to provide easy access to Adderall and other stimulants in exchange for payment of a monthly subscription fee. The indictment alleges that the conspiracy’s purpose was for the defendants to unlawfully enrich themselves by, among other things, by increasing monthly subscription revenue and thus increasing the value of the company. Done allegedly arranged for the prescription of over 40 million pills of Adderall and other stimulants, and obtained over $100 million in revenue. “As alleged in the indictment, the defendants provided easy access to Adderall and other stimulants by exploiting telemedicine and spending millions on deceptive advertisements on social media. They generated over $100 million in revenue by arranging for the prescription of over 40 million pills,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “These charges are the Justice Department’s first criminal drug distribution prosecutions related to telemedicine prescribing through a digital health company. As these charges make clear, corporate executives who put profit over the health and safety of patients—including by using technological innovation—will be held to account.” He and Brody allegedly obtained subscribers by targeting drug seekers and spending tens of millions of dollars on deceptive advertisements on social media networks. They also allegedly intentionally structured the Done platform to facilitate access to Adderall and other stimulants, including by limiting the information available to Done prescribers, instructing Done prescribers to prescribe Adderall and other stimulants even if the Done member did not qualify, and mandating that initial encounters would be under 30 minutes. To maximize profits, He allegedly put in a place an “auto-refill” function that allowed Done subscribers to elect to have a message requesting a refill be auto-generated every month. He wrote that Done sought to “use the comp structure to dis-encourage follow-up” medical care by refusing to pay Done prescribers for any medical visits, telemedicine consultation, or time spent caring for patients after an initial consultation, and instead paying solely based on the number of patients who received prescriptions. “The defendants in this case operated Done Global Inc., an online telehealth website that prescribed Adderall and other highly addictive medications to patients who bought a monthly subscription. The defendants allegedly preyed on Americans and put profits over patients by exploiting telemedicine rules that facilitated access to medications during the unprecedented COVID-19 public health emergency,” said DEA Administrator Anne Milgram. “Instead of properly addressing medical needs, the defendants allegedly made millions of dollars by pushing addictive medications. In many cases, Done Global prescribed ADHD medications when they were not medically necessary. In 2022 the FDA issued a notice of shortages in prescription stimulants, including Adderall. Any diversion of Adderall and other prescription stimulant pills to persons who have no medical need only exacerbates this shortage and hurts any American with a legitimate medical need for these drugs. The DEA will continue to hold accountable anyone, including company executives, that uses telehealth platforms to put profit above patient safety.” “As more health care needs are met through telemedicine, we will not tolerate fraud schemes that seek to recklessly exploit digital technologies,” said Honorable Christi A. Grimm of the Department of Health and Human Services Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to protect the enrollees of federal health care programs by ensuring that requirements for the appropriate, legal prescribing of stimulants and other drugs are always met, and those who choose to violate them are held accountable.” He and Brody allegedly persisted in the conspiracy even after being made aware that material was posted on online social networks about how to use Done to obtain easy access to Adderall and other stimulants, and that Done members had overdosed and died. They also allegedly concealed and disguised the conspiracy by making fraudulent representations to media outlets to forestall government investigations and action and induce third parties to continue doing business with Done. “Healthcare fraud is not a victimless crime. It levies a tremendous cost on our nation’s healthcare systems and economy,” said Executive Associate Director Katrina W. Berger of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). “Today’s announcement should serve as a reminder that it is only a matter of time before anyone engaging in fraudulent activity is caught and brought to justice.” “Instead of prioritizing the health of their customers, He and Brody’s telemedicine company allegedly prioritized profits—more than $100 million worth—by fraudulently prescribing medications like Adderall and other stimulants,” said Chief Guy Ficco of IRS Criminal Investigation. “This led customers to addiction, abuse, and overdoses, which the company tried to conceal by making false representations to the media in order to deter oversight by government agencies.” He, Brody, and others also conspired to defraud pharmacies and Medicare, Medicaid, and the commercial insurers to cause the pharmacies to dispense Adderall and other stimulants to Done members in violation of their corresponding responsibility; Medicare, Medicaid, and the commercial insurers to pay for the cost of these drugs; and Done members to continue to pay subscription fees to Done. He and others allegedly made false and fraudulent representations about Done’s prescription policies and practices to induce the pharmacies to fill Done’s prescriptions. As a result, Medicare, Medicaid, and the commercial insurers paid in excess of approximately $14 million. The indictment also alleges that He and Brody conspired to obstruct justice after a grand jury subpoena was issued to another telehealth company and in anticipation of a subpoena being issued to Done, including by deleting documents and communications, using encrypted messaging platforms instead of company email, and ultimately failing to produce documents in response to a subpoena issued to Done by a federal grand jury. If convicted, He and Brody each face a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the conspiracy to distribute controlled substances and distribution of controlled substances counts. The DEA, HHS-OIG, HSI, and IRS Criminal Investigation are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kristina Green, Katherine Lloyd-Lovett, and Lloyd Farnham for the Northern District of California and Principal Assistant Chief Jacob Foster and Trial Attorney Raymond Beckering III of the DOJ’s Criminal Division’s Fraud Section are prosecuting the case. The Fraud Section leads the Criminal Division’s efforts to combat health care fraud through the Health Care Fraud Strike Force Program. Since March 2007, this program, currently comprised of nine strike forces operating in 27 federal districts, has charged more than 5,400 defendants who collectively have billed federal health care programs and private insurers more than $27 billion. In addition, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, working in conjunction with HHS-OIG, are taking steps to hold providers accountable for their involvement in health care fraud schemes. More information can be found at www.justice.gov/criminal-fraud/health-care-fraud-unit . Any patient of Done or medical professional who has been involved with the allegedly illegal conduct should call to report this conduct to the DEA hotline at 646-466-5159. An indictment is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. dkt_1_he_brody_indictment.pdf


title: Felon Sentenced for Second-Degree Murder

component: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)

body_text: TULSA, Okla. – Today, U.S. District Judge Sara E. Hill sentenced Rahmon Lawrence Macon, Jr., 31, of Tulsa, to 480 months imprisonment, followed by 5 years of supervised release. Macon was sentenced after pleading guilty to Second Degree Murder in Indian Country. “Macon was reckless and careless with his actions that led to the death of an innocent bystander, Aliza Crook,” said U.S. Attorney Clint J. Johnson. “I hope this conviction will bring some type of justice for Aliza’s loved ones who courageously spoke in court today.” According to court documents, in November 2022, video surveillance showed Macon pulling into a gas station and exiting his car to argue with a man. The man got in his car, where 19-year-old Aliza Crook was seated, and drove off. Macon fired a handgun several times at the car, striking Aliza in the head and killing her. Several eyewitnesses identified Macon as the shooter. After his arrest, evidence revealed Macon Jr. attempted to dissuade witnesses from cooperating with the FBI. Because of his criminal convictions, Macon served multiple terms of imprisonment in the Oklahoma Department of Corrections and was eventually released in May 2022. Approximately six months after his release from imprisonment, Macon shot and killed Aliza Crook. Macon is a citizen of the Cherokee Nation, and he will remain in custody pending transfer to the U.S. Bureau of Prisons. After the death of Aliza Crook, her family saved the lives of two people by generously donating her heart, kidneys, and liver. The FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and Tulsa Police Department investigated the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Niko Boulieris and Adam Bailey prosecuted the case. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about PSN, please visit Justice.gov/PSN .


title: Lakeland Resident Pleads Guilty To Fentanyl Charges

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Tampa, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces that Nahum Rodriguez-Jaimes (48, Lakeland) pleaded guilty today to three counts of possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl. Rodriguez-Jaimes faces a maximum penalty of 20 years’ imprisonment on each count. A sentencing date has not yet been set. Rodriguez-Jaimes is a citizen of Mexico and subject to deportation. According to the plea agreement and court records, law enforcement received information that Rodriguez-Jaimes was distributing fentanyl in Plant City. Rodriguez-Jaimes was involved in three separate transactions at a commercial business in Plant City. On September 28, 2023, Rodriguez-Jaimes distributed 200 fentanyl pills; on October 10, 2023, he distributed 300 fentanyl pills; and on October 19, 2023, he distributed an additional 3 baggies of fentanyl pills. This case was investigated by the Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, and the Plant City Police Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Maria Guzman.


title: Spokane Property Management Company Agrees to Pay More Than $300,000 for Fraudulently Claiming Hundreds of Thousands of Dollars in Rent Assistance During COVID-19 Pandemic

component: USAO - Washington, Eastern

body_text: Spokane, Washington - Vanessa R. Waldref, the United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Washington announced All Star Property Management, LLC (All Star), a property management company located in Spokane, and Arlin Jordan, have agreed to pay $329,196 to resolve claims they falsely and fraudulently claimed hundreds of thousands of dollars in rent assistance intended to benefit struggling renters during the COVID-19 pandemic. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Congress established an Emergency Rent Assistance program to provide funds through local and tribal governments to benefit struggling renters who had fallen behind on rent due to unemployment or other hardship. In Washington, the program was known as the Treasury Rent Assistance Program (T-RAP). Under T-RAP, landlords or property management companies could apply for T-RAP federal funding for a tenant’s past due and projected unpaid rent. As a material condition of receiving federal funds, landlords were required to certify that the information included in the T-RAP application, including the rent amounts, were truthful and accurate, and to certify compliance with material T-RAP program requirements. Landlords were further required to apply any funds received for a particular tenant to that tenant’s balance. According to court documents, during the relevant time period, All Star was a property management company, owned by Gieve Parker, that managed rental properties on behalf of landlords in Spokane, including several properties owned by Arlin Jordin. Jordin was currently serving a prison sentence at the Coyote Ridge Corrections Center in Connell, Washington, for drugging and raping a tenant, but Jordan continued to own and collect income from Spokane properties managed by All Star, for which All Star and Jordin split the rental income. “All-Star Property Management, Ms. Parker, and Mr. Jordin used false and fraudulent information as part of a scheme targeting precious and limited rent assistance funds. As a result, they lined their pockets with money that should have been used to keep people in a safe, secure, affordable home during a deadly pandemic,” stated U.S. Attorney Waldref. “Landlords and property management companies need to play by the rules. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to hold accountable those who abuse critically important housing support programs.” As All Star Property admitted in the Settlement Agreement, All Star Property and Parker certified and submitted T-RAP applications that contained inaccurate information, including, inflated monthly rental amounts, owed rent money for months when the residents were not living at the property, and owed rent money for months where tenants were receiving rental assistance from outside organizations. This inaccurate information resulted in overpayment of federal emergency rental assistance funds for which All Star and Parker were not eligible. With respect to rental properties managed by All Star Property for Jordin, a management fee was subtracted from received T-RAP funds and retained by All Star Property, and the remaining received T-RAP funds were paid to Jordin. The result of which was that Jordin received overpayment of T-RAP funds that he was not otherwise entitled to. United States Attorney Waldref further stated that, “Importantly, this case came out of Washington’s right-to-counsel program for indigent renters facing eviction. Equal access to justice in eviction defense is helping shine a light on these fraudulent practices in ways that was not possible before this important program existed. We will continue working with community and housing rights organizations like the Northwest Justice Project to hold landlords accountable when they put profits before tenant’s rights.” This case was originally brought by the Northwest Justice Project, Washington’s largest legal aid organization, on behalf of Krystal Jeffries, a former tenant in a property owned by Jordin and managed by All Star. Under the False Claims Act, whistleblowers may file an action under seal in federal court. The United States investigates the allegations and determines whether to intervene in the action. Under the False Claims Act, the United States may recover up to three times the damages caused by the Defendant, plus additional penalties for each false claim or statement. Over the past decade, False Claims Act recoveries in the Eastern District of Washington have exceeded $400 million. If the United States obtains a recovery, the whistleblower is generally able to share in a portion of the recovery. Here, Relator Krystal Jeffries will recover more than $68,000 of the settlement amount, plus additional attorney fees of $18,660 recovered by the Northwest Justice Project. Assistant United States Attorneys Jake Brooks and Dan Fruchter prosecuted this case on behalf of the United States. The investigation was conducted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Spokane Resident Office. A copy of the settlement agreement can be found below: Settlement Agreement


title: Kissimmee Auto Dealer Charged With 24 Counts Of Wire Fraud

body_text: Orlando, Florida – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Hani Wafik Kaakati (43, Kissimmee) with 24 counts of wire fraud. If convicted, Kaakati faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison on each count. The indictment also notifies Kaakati that the United States is seeking an order of forfeiture in the amount of at least $443,137.98, the proceeds of the charged criminal conduct. According to the indictment, Kaakati, through his car dealership, NextGear Automotive, entered into a floorplan financing agreement with victim Company 1. In September 2019, Kaakati misrepresented to Company 1 the availability of funds in NextGear Automotive’s bank account, so that Company 1 would release 24 car titles to him. In fact, Kaakati had withdrawn money from that bank account so that there would be insufficient funds to cover the amount owed to Company 1 for the car titles under the floorplan financing agreement. As a result, Company 1 initiated 24 ACH transactions with NextGear Automotive’s bank account in the total amount of $528,337.98, all of which were returned for insufficient funds. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office. It will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Risha Asokan.


title: Foreign national convicted for participation in business email compromise scheme

component: Criminal - Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section

body_text: ALEXANDRIA, Va. – A federal jury convicted a Nigerian national today for operating a business email compromise scheme targeting victims in the United States and elsewhere. According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, Ebuka Raphael Umeti, 35, and his co-conspirators sent victim businesses phishing emails, which were made to appear as though they originated from trusted senders, such as a bank or a vendor. These phishing attacks allowed the co-conspirators to gain unauthorized access to victim computer systems and email accounts, including by infecting victim computers with malicious software or “malware” that provided the co-conspirators with remote access. The co-conspirators then exploited that access to obtain sensitive information, which they used to deceive individuals at victim companies into executing wire transfers to accounts specified by the co-conspirators. As a result of this scheme, the co-conspirators caused or attempted to cause more than $1.5 million of loss to victims. “Umeti participated in a sophisticated computer hacking and business email compromise scheme that targeted numerous businesses in the United States,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division. “Although Umeti and his co-conspirators carried out their scheme from outside the United States, they were not beyond the reach of the Justice Department. Today’s conviction should serve as yet another reminder that, if you target American victims, the Criminal Division is committed to tracking you down and holding you responsible for your criminal conduct, no matter where you are.” “The reach of cyber criminals is extensive, but so too is the reach of the law,” said U.S. Attorney Jessica D. Aber for the Eastern District of Virginia. “Umeti relied on hidden malware, deception, and an ocean of distance to steal from American businesses and avoid prosecution. Despite those obstacles and obfuscations, a dedicated team of investigators and prosecutors showed outstanding resolve in bringing him to justice.” “Today's guilty verdict is a victory in our fight against cybercrime and should serve as a warning to cybercriminals who believe they can operate with impunity,” said Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office. “The FBI remains committed to relentlessly pursuing those engaged in malicious cyber activities and ensuring they are held accountable.” The jury convicted Umeti of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, three counts of wire fraud, conspiracy to cause intentional damage to a protected computer, and intentional damage to a protected computer. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Aug. 27 and faces a maximum penalty of 27 years in prison on the wire fraud conspiracy count, five years in prison on the conspiracy to cause intentional damage to a protected computer count, 20 years on each wire fraud count, and 10 years on the intentional damage to a protected computer count. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Co-defendant Franklin Ifeanyichukwu Okwonna, 34, pleaded guilty on May 20 to his role in the scheme and is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 3. The FBI Washington Field Office investigated the case. The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with the FBI’s Legal Attaché Office in Nairobi, the U.S. Marshals Service, and Kenya’s Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and Directorate of Criminal Investigation to secure the extradition of Umeti and his co-defendant. Assistant U.S. Attorney Laura D. Withers for the Eastern District of Virginia and Senior Counsel Thomas S. Dougherty of the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section (CCIPS) and are prosecuting the case. CCIPS Senior Counsel Aarash Haghighat assisted in the investigation and indictment of the case. A copy of this press release is located on the website of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia. Related court documents and information are located on the website of the District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia or on PACER by searching for Case No. 1:22-cr-123.


title: Portland, Oregon man indicted for traveling to Seattle for sex with children

component: USAO - Washington, Western

body_text: Seattle – A 56-year-old Portland, Oregon, man was indicted by a federal grand jury for attempted enticement of a minor and travel with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Marc David McCool was arrested May 16, 2024, when he arrived at a Seattle area hotel, allegedly intending to sexually abuse fictitious 7 and 11-year-old children. McCool remains detained at FDC SeaTac and is scheduled for arraignment next week. According to records filed in the case, McCool responded to an ad posted on social media by an undercover law enforcement agent. Over more than six weeks of “chats” via the Kik Messenger App, McCool allegedly described his sexual interest in children, his sexual abuse of other victims, and the types of “trophies” he kept from those prior criminal sexual acts. Ultimately, McCool arranged to travel to Seattle allegedly believing he would sexually abuse two young children. He was arrested after he traveled by train and a rideshare to the meet location. At the time of arrest, he had various items reflective of his sexual interest in abusing children: condoms, baby oil, rope, and stuffed animals. Attempted enticement of a minor is punishable by no less than 10 years to lifetime imprisonment. Traveling with the intent to engage in a sexual act with a minor is punishable by up to 30 years imprisonment. The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigation as part of the Seattle Police Department Internet Crimes against Children Task Force (ICAC). The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson. U.S. v McCool 24-cr-00102


title: Texas Man Sentenced for Filing False FEC Report for his Super PAC and for Credit Card Fraud

component: Criminal - Public Integrity Section

body_text: WASHINGTON – Christopher Richardson, 37, formerly of San Antonio, Texas, was sentenced today to 18 months in prison for filing a false report with the Federal Election Commission and for credit card fraud. The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division, Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office, and Special Agent in Charge Scott Moffit of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration’s (TIGTA) Cybercrime Investigations Division. Richardson, who has a prior federal conviction for bank fraud, pleaded guilty to one count of making a false entry in a record and one count of access device fraud on February 29, 2024. In addition to the 18-month prison term, U.S. District Court Judge Trevor N. McFadden ordered Richardson to serve three years of supervised release. According to court documents, in March 2020 Richardson created an independent, expenditure-only Super PAC named Americans for Progressive Action USA (AFPA) that used fictitious names for AFPA’s treasurer and designated agent. Richardson then filed a falsified quarterly report with the FEC claiming that AFPA had raised $4.8 million from several fictitious individuals. Several weeks later, he filed a report of expenditures that falsely claimed that the Super PAC spent over $1.5 million to purchase advertisements and media production opposing certain candidates for the U.S. Senate. Richardson filed another FEC report that falsely stated that AFPA refunded the non-existent $4.8 million in donations. Richardson also used the alias of one of the fictitious donors to AFPA to obtain a credit card, and then used that card to conduct approximately 200 transactions. This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and TIGTA Cybercrime Investigations Division. It was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Ryan R. Crosswell of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Gold for the District of Columbia with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed Baset.


title: Justice Department Finds Civil Rights Violations by Phoenix Police Department and City of Phoenix

component: Office of the Attorney General

body_text: Following a comprehensive investigation, the Justice Department announced today that the Phoenix Police Department (PhxPD) and the City of Phoenix (City) engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that violates the U.S. Constitution and federal law. Specifically, the Department finds that : PhxPD uses excessive force, including unjustified deadly force and other types of force. PhxPD and the City unlawfully detain, cite, and arrest people experiencing homelessness and unlawfully dispose of their belongings. This is the first time the Department has found a pattern or practice of conduct that focuses on the rights of people experiencing homelessness. PhxPD discriminates against Black, Hispanic, and Native American people when enforcing the law. PhxPD violates the rights of people engaged in protected speech and expression. PhxPD and the City discriminate against people with behavioral health disabilities when dispatching calls for assistance and responding to people in crisis. The Department also described serious concerns about PhxPD’s treatment of children. Finally, the Department identified deficiencies in policy, training, supervision, and accountability that contribute to PhxPD and the City’s unlawful conduct. “The Justice Department has concluded there is reasonable cause to believe that the City of Phoenix and the Phoenix Police Department engage in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives its residents and visitors, including Black, Hispanic, and Native American people, of their rights under the Constitution and federal law,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The release of today’s findings report is an important step toward accountability and transparency, and we are committed to working with the City of Phoenix and Phoenix Police Department on meaningful reform that protects the civil rights and safety of Phoenix residents and strengthens police-community trust.” “Phoenix residents deserve nothing less than fair, non-discriminatory, and constitutional policing,” said Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division. “Our comprehensive investigation revealed unlawful and unconstitutional practices in the Phoenix Police Department’s enforcement activities that impact some of Phoenix’s most vulnerable residents, including Black, Hispanic, and Native American people, homeless people, and those experiencing behavioral health crises. The police also used excessive force, delayed necessary medical aid, and infringed on the civil rights of those engaged in First Amendment-protected conduct, including demonstrations and protests. Our findings provide a blueprint and a roadmap that can help transform the police department, restore community trust and strengthen public safety efforts in one of America’s largest cities. We are committed to working collaboratively with the police department, city officials, and the public to institute reform and remedy the violations we identified in our investigation.” The Department opened this investigation on Aug. 5, 2021. Career attorneys and staff in the Civil Rights Division’s Special Litigation Section conducted the investigation. The team conducted numerous onsite tours; interviewed PhxPD officers, supervisors, and command staff; spoke with City officials and employees; accompanied behavioral crisis responders, specialty squads that frequently interacted with unhoused people, and officers on ride-alongs; reviewed thousands of documents; and reviewed hundreds of hours of body-worn camera footage. As it does in every case, the division met regularly throughout the investigation with City and PhxPD officials to provide feedback on the observations of the Department and its policing experts and on reforms to address the issues observed. Multiple subject-matter experts advised the division on the investigation. Collectively, these experts have decades of experience in assessing police tactics and training, internal investigations, 911 call-taking and dispatch, and statistical analyses. Department attorneys and staff also met with community members, advocates, service providers, and other stakeholders in the Phoenix area. Consistent with its standard practice in investigations of other cities, the Department provided a detailed briefing on the findings to the City and PhxPD on Tuesday, and proposed that the parties agree in principle to negotiate expeditiously and in good faith to reach a comprehensive court-enforceable settlement with independent monitoring. The Department conducted this investigation pursuant to 34 U.S.C. Section 12601, which prohibits law enforcement officers from engaging in a pattern or practice of conduct that deprives people of rights protected by the Constitution or federal law, Safe Streets Act of 1968, Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act. The Department will conduct outreach to members of the Phoenix community to explain the findings and for input on remedies to address the Department’s findings. Individuals may also submit recommendations by email at phoenix.community@usdoj.gov or by phone at 866-432-0335. This is one of 11 investigations into law enforcement agencies opened by the Justice Department under Section 12601 since April 2021. Last year, the Department issued Section 12601 findings reports regarding two of those investigations: the Louisville, Kentucky, Metro Police Department and Minneapolis Police Department . The eight other investigations cover the Lexington, Mississippi, Police Department ; Louisiana State Police ; Memphis, Tennessee, Police Department ; Mount Vernon, New York, Police Department ; New York City Police Department’s Special Victims Division ; Oklahoma City Police Department ; Worcester, Massachusetts, Police Department ; and Trenton, New Jersey, Police Department . Additional information about the Civil Rights Division is available on its website at www.justice.gov/crt. Information specific to the Civil Rights Division’s Police Reform Work can be found at www.justice.gov/crt/file/922421/download . The Justice Department will hold a virtual community meeting at 6 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. ET. Members of the public are encouraged to attend to learn more about the findings. Please join the meeting at www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_wc5Fgkk9TaueUHSmV0J_Eg . View the findings report here. View the findings report in Spanish here. View the executive summary here. View the executive summary in Spanish here.


title: El Departamento De Justicia Encuentra Vulneraciones De Los Derechos Civiles Por Parte De La Policía De Phoenix Y La Ciudad De Phoenix

body_text: Después de una investigación exhaustiva, el Departamento de Justicia anunció hoy que la Policía de Phoenix (PhxPD) y la Ciudad de Phoenix (Ciudad) están incurriendo en un patrón o una práctica de conducta que vulnera la Constitución y las leyes federales. En concreto, el Departamento halló que: La PhxPD utiliza fuerza excesiva, incluida la fuerza letal no justificada y otros tipos de fuerza. La PhxPD y la Ciudad detienen, citan y aprehenden ilegalmente a las personas sin techo y se deshacen ilegalmente de sus pertenencias. Esta es la primera vez que el Departamento ha encontrado un patrón o una práctica de conducta que se centra en los derechos de las personas sin techo. La PhxPD discrimina en contra de las personas negras, hispanas y amerindias cuando hacen cumplir las leyes. La PhxPD vulnera los derechos de las personas que participan en formas de discurso y expresión protegidas. La PhxPD y la Ciudad discriminan en contra de las personas con discapacidades de salud del comportamiento al despachar llamadas de asistencia y responder a las personas en crisis. Por otra parte, el Departamento describió preocupaciones graves sobre cómo la PhxPD trata a los niños. Por último, el Departamento identificó deficiencias en políticas, capacitación, supervisión y rendición de cuentas que contribuyen a la conducta ilícita de la PhxPD y de la Ciudad. “El Departamento de Justicia ha concluido que hay motivos razonables para creer que la ciudad de Phoenix y la PhxPD incurren en un patrón o una práctica de conducta que priva a sus residentes y visitantes, incluidas las personas negras, hispanas y amerindias, de sus derechos bajo la Constitución y las leyes federales”, dijo el Fiscal General Merrick B. Garland. “La publicación del informe de hallazgos de hoy es un paso importante hacia la rendición de cuentas y la transparencia, y estamos comprometidos a trabajar con la ciudad de Phoenix y la PhxPD en una reforma significativa que proteja los derechos civiles y la seguridad de los residentes de Phoenix y fortalezca la confianza entre la policía y la comunidad”. “Los residentes de Phoenix merecen nada menos que una vigilancia policial justa, constitucional y no discriminatoria”, afirmó Kristen Clarke, la Fiscal General Auxiliar de la División de Derechos Civiles del Departamento de Justicia. “Nuestra investigación exhaustiva reveló prácticas ilegales e inconstitucionales en la aplicación de la ley por parte de la PhxPD que impactan a algunos de los residentes más vulnerables de Phoenix, incluidas las personas negras, hispanas, y amerindias, las personas sin techo y aquellas que se encuentran en medio de una crisis de salud del comportamiento. La policía también utilizó fuerza excesiva, retrasó la asistencia médica necesaria e infringió los derechos civiles de aquellos involucrados en conductas protegidas por la Primera Enmienda, incluidas manifestaciones y protestas. Nuestros hallazgos proporcionan un plan y una hoja de ruta que pueden ayudar a transformar el departamento de policía, restaurar la confianza de la comunidad y fortalecer los esfuerzos de seguridad pública en una de las ciudades más grandes de los Estados Unidos. Nos comprometemos a trabajar en colaboración con el departamento de policía, los funcionarios de la ciudad y el público para instituir reformas y remediar las vulneraciones que identificamos en nuestra investigación”. El Departamento inició esta investigación el 5 de agosto del 2021. Abogados y personal de carrera en la Sección de Litigios Especiales de la División de Derechos Civiles llevaron a cabo la investigación. El equipo realizó numerosos recorridos in situ ; entrevistó a agentes, supervisores y personal encargado de mando de la PhxPD; habló con funcionarios y empleados de la Ciudad; acompañó en los recorridos a equipos de respuesta ante crisis de salud del comportamiento, escuadrones especializados que interactuaban con frecuencia con personas sin techo y agentes en los recorridos; revisó miles de documentos; y revisó cientos de horas de grabaciones de cámaras corporales. Como sucede en todos los casos, la División se reunió regularmente a lo largo de la investigación con funcionarios de la Ciudad y de la PhxPD para proveer comentarios sobre las observaciones del Departamento y sus expertos policiales y sobre las reformas para abordar los problemas observados. Múltiples peritos en la materia aconsejaron a la División durante la investigación. En conjunto, estos expertos tienen décadas de experiencia en la evaluación de tácticas y capacitación policiales, investigaciones internas, la toma y el despacho de llamadas al 911, y los análisis estadísticos. Los abogados y el personal del Departamento también se reunieron con miembros de la comunidad, defensores, proveedores de servicios y otras partes interesadas por la zona de Phoenix. De acuerdo con su práctica estándar en investigaciones de otras ciudades, el Departamento proporcionó a la Ciudad y PhxPD una sesión informativa detallada sobre sus hallazgos el martes y propuso que las partes acordaran en principio a negociar de forma rápida y de buena fe para llegar a un acuerdo integral ejecutable por un tribunal con supervisión independiente. El Departamento llevó a cabo esta investigación de conformidad con la Sección 12601 del Título 34 del Código de los EE. UU. (Sección 12601), que prohíbe a los agentes del orden público participar en un patrón o una práctica de conducta que prive a las personas de los derechos protegidos por la Constitución o las leyes federales, la ley de Calles Seguras de 1968, el Título VI de la Ley de Derechos Civiles de 1964 y el Título II de la ley de Estadounidenses con Discapacidades. El Departamento llevará a cabo acciones directas con los miembros de la comunidad de Phoenix para explicar los hallazgos y para obtener información sobre posibles recursos para abordar los hallazgos del Departamento. Las personas también pueden enviar sus recomendaciones por correo electrónico a phoenix.community@usdoj.gov o por teléfono al 866-432-0335. Esta es una de las 11 investigaciones de agencias de aplicación de la ley iniciadas por el Departamento de Justicia en virtud de la Sección 12601 desde abril del 2021. El año pasado, el Departamento emitió informes de hallazgos bajo la Sección 12601 en dos de esas investigaciones: la Policía de la Zona Metropolitana de Louisville (Kentucky) y la Policía de Minneapolis . Las otras ocho investigaciones cubren la Policía de Lexington (Mississippi) ; la Policía Estatal de Louisiana ; la Policía de Memphis (Tennessee) ; la Policía de Mount Vernon (New York) ; la División de Víctimas Especiales de la Policía de New York City ; la Policía de Oklahoma City ; la Policía de Worcester (Massachusetts) ; y la Policía de Trenton (New Jersey) . Hay más información sobre la División de Derechos Civiles en su sitio web en Civil Rights Division | División de Derechos Civiles (justice.gov) . Para información específica sobre el trabajo de reformación policíaca de la División de Derechos Civiles: www.justice.gov/crt/file/922421/download . El Departamento de Justicia celebrará una reunión comunitaria virtual en 6 p.m. PT / 9 p.m. ET. Se anima a los miembros del público a que asistan para obtener más información sobre los hallazgos. Únase a la reunión a través de este enlace: www.zoomgov.com/webinar/register/WN_wc5Fgkk9TaueUHSmV0J_Eg


title: Sacramento Man Pleads Guilty to Attempted Sexual Exploitation of a Minor

component: USAO - California, Eastern

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Bruce Anthony Garcia, 42, of Sacramento, pled guilty today to the attempted sexual exploitation of a minor under his care, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court documents, between Aug. 2, 2017, and Sept. 1, 2019, Garcia took hidden video recordings of the victim. He recorded the victim in various stages of undress, using the toilet or shower, or changing in a bedroom or the living room of the apartment they shared. On his devices, Garcia possessed thousands of images and videos of the victim, with the victim either partially or fully nude in several hundred of these images. When confronted, Garcia admitted that he specifically intended to take these images and videos, that his intent in creating the images and videos was sexual, and that he generally has a sexual interest in children. Garcia described how he would wait until the victim would be getting ready for bed or to take a shower, and then place a cellphone in the bathroom or bedroom. The phone would be propped up so that it would record the minor, but would either appear to be inconspicuous, as if it were being charged, or be hidden altogether. Garcia would then connect to this device remotely using a second device such that he could watch the minor live. From the recordings thus created, Garcia would take screenshots, resulting in the images that were eventually found. Further, Garcia would sometimes manipulate these images so as to focus or zoom in on the victim’s genitals and pubic area. In a text message conversation with another person, Garcia offered to trade pictures of the victim in exchange for other child sexual abuse material. In addition to the images and videos described above, Garcia was also found to possess approximately 4,266 images and 426 videos of other child sexual abuse material, including images and videos showing the sexual abuse of toddlers. Several of these videos also depicted violence against the victims, including at least one depicting the bondage and torture of a prepubescent female child. Garcia’s child sexual abuse collection included 110 series of known victims of child sexual abuse. This case is the product of an investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit of the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force and the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorney Dhruv M. Sharma is prosecuting the case. Garcia is scheduled to be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Troy L. Nunley on Sept. 12, 2024. Garcia faces a minimum statutory penalty of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. 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 those who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC .


title: Man Sentenced for Maintaining Fictitious Super PAC and Credit Card Fraud

component: Criminal Division

body_text: A New Jersey man was sentenced today to one year and six months in prison for falsifying a report filed with the Federal Election Commission (FEC) and credit card fraud. According to court documents, in March 2020, Christopher Richardson, 37, formerly of San Antonio, Texas, created an independent, expenditure-only political action committee, or Super PAC, named Americans for Progressive Action USA (AFPA) that used fictitious names for AFPA’s treasurer and designated agent. Richardson then filed a falsified quarterly report with the FEC claiming that AFPA had raised $4.8 million from several fictitious individuals. Several weeks later, he filed a report of expenditures that falsely claimed that the Super PAC spent over $1.5 million to purchase advertisements and media production opposing certain candidates for the U.S. Senate. Richardson filed another FEC report that falsely stated that AFPA refunded the non-existent $4.8 million in donations. Richardson also used the alias of one of the fictitious donors to AFPA to obtain a credit card, and then used that card to conduct approximately 200 transactions. Richardson pleaded guilty on Feb. 29 to one count of making a false entry in a record and one count of access device fraud. Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Nicole M. Argentieri, head of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division; U.S. Attorney Matthew M. Graves for the District of Columbia; Assistant Director in Charge David Sundberg of the FBI Washington Field Office; and Special Agent in Charge Scott Moffit of the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration’s (TIGTA) Cybercrime Investigations Division made the announcement. The FBI Washington Field Office and TIGTA Cybercrime Investigations Division investigated the case. Trial Attorney Ryan R. Crosswell of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joshua Gold for the District of Columbia prosecuted the case, with assistance from Assistant U.S. Attorney Ahmed Baset for the District of Columbia.


title: Former UC Davis and Davis Club Water Polo Coach Pleads Guilty to Distribution of Visual Depictions of Minors Engaged in Sexually Explicit Conduct

body_text: SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Daniel Joseph Noble, 28, residing in San Diego County, pleaded guilty today to knowing distribution of visual depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, U.S. Attorney Phillip A. Talbert announced. According to court records, between March 10, 2022, and April 12, 2022, Noble participated in a Kik private group chat dedicated to sharing videos of child pornography. Noble shared over 20 video files with the Kik group. Some of those files that Noble shared showed prepubescent minors being sexually abused by adults. At the time he engaged in this conduct, Noble was working as the assistant water polo coach for UC Davis men’s team and the associated youth team. This case is the product of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Sacramento and in Jacksonville, Florida, and the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorney Christina McCall is prosecuting the case. Following his guilty plea, Noble was remanded into custody. He is scheduled to be sentenced on Sept. 12, 2024, by U.S. District Judge Daniel J. Calabretta. Noble faces a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, a $250,000 fine, and up to a lifetime of supervised release. The actual sentence, however, will be determined at the discretion of the court after consideration of any applicable statutory factors and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, which take into account a number of variables. 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 those who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit Justice.gov/PSC .


title: La Crosse Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Illegally Possessing Firearm

component: USAO - Wisconsin, Western

body_text: MADISON, WIS. – Timothy M. O’Shea, United States Attorney for the Western District of Wisconsin, announced that Jayvon E. Jones-Shields, 24, La Crosse, Wisconsin, was sentenced today by Chief U.S. District Judge James D. Peterson to 5 years in federal prison for possessing a firearm as a convicted felon. Jones-Shields pleaded guilty to this charge on March 19, 2024. On October 18, 2023, officers saw Jones-Shields standing on the street in La Crosse with a group of people. The officers arrested Jones-Shields on an active arrest warrant. Officers searched a shoulder bag Jones-Shields was wearing and found a loaded .22 caliber Charter Arms revolver, numerous oxycodone pills, counterfeit prescription pills containing fentanyl, and cocaine. Jones-Shields is prohibited from legally possessing firearms because of multiple felony convictions in Olmsted County, Minnesota. This case has been brought as part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), the U.S. Justice Department’s program to reduce violent crime. The PSN approach emphasizes coordination between state and federal prosecutors and all levels of law enforcement to address gun crime, especially felons illegally possessing firearms and ammunition and violent and drug crimes that involve the use of firearms. The charge against Jones-Shields was the result of an investigation conducted by the La Crosse Police Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. Assistant U.S. Attorney William M. Levins prosecuted this case.


title: Mescalero Man Pleads Guilty to Domestic Violence

component: USAO - New Mexico

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero man pleaded guilty in federal court to assaulting his intimate partner by strangling her. In his plea agreement, Ronnie Pernell Evans admitted that on November 8, 2023, he assaulted his intimate partner, Jane Doe. Evans and Jane Doe were outside her home arguing when he shoved her and grabbed her by her throat. Evans squeezed Jane Doe’s throat and pushed her backwards toward his vehicle until they tripped and fell to the ground. Evans got back up and continued dragging Jane Doe towards his car until a neighbor intervened. Evans fled the scene. Responding officers later stopped Evans on Highway U.S. 70 and arrested him. The Court ordered that Evans remain in custody pending sentencing, which has not been scheduled. At sentencing, Evans faces 10 years in prison. Upon his release from prison, Evans will be subject to up to three years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today. The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joni Autrey Stahl is prosecuting the case. # # #


title: Iraqi Woman Sentenced for Lying to Federal Officers

component: USAO - New York, Northern

body_text: ALBANY, NEW YORK – Israa Sultan, age 44, of New York, New York, was sentenced today to time served (approximately 141 days in jail) for making a false statement to federal authorities. United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman and Port Director Timothy Walker of the Alexandria Bay Port of Entry, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), made the announcement. United States District Judge Anne M. Nardacci also imposed a $5,000 fine and 1 year of supervised release, and she ordered Sultan to reimburse the Office of the Federal Public Defender for the cost of her defense. Sultan—an Iraqi national lawfully admitted into the United States in 2007—attempted to cross from New York into Canada using another woman’s United States passport. Canadian authorities refused to grant entry to Sultan, and they turned her over to CBP. Sultan falsely told a CBP Officer that she was the person depicted in the passport. When CBP searched Sultan, they recovered approximately 20 grams of cocaine hidden within her shoes. Sultan subsequently brought cocaine into a federal courthouse during a hearing in this case. CBP investigated the case, which Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Reiner prosecuted.


title: U.S. Attorney Files Civil Fraud Suit Against LabQ And Its CEO For Fraudulently Billing COVID-19 Testing

component: USAO - New York, Southern

body_text: Damian Williams, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Elysia Doherty, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (“HHS-OIG”), and James Smith, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), announced today that the United States has filed a Complaint against LABQ CLINICAL DIAGNOSTICS, LLC (“LABQ”); COMMUNITY MOBILE TESTING, INC. (“CMT”); DART MEDICAL LABORATORY, INC. (“DART MEDICAL”); and their CEO, MOSHE LANDAU (collectively, the “Defendants”), alleging that the Defendants fraudulently billed the federal program that reimbursed health care providers for COVID-19 testing provided to uninsured persons (the “Uninsured Program”). The lawsuit seeks damages and civil penalties under the False Claims Act as well as a recovery of government funds under the common law. Prior to seeking reimbursement for COVID-19 testing services from the Uninsured Program, testing providers were required to attest to the Health Services and Resources Administration (“HRSA”), a component agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (“HHS”), that they had confirmed their patients were uninsured and that no one else would pay for the cost of the COVID-19 testing. However, as alleged in the Complaint, the Defendants frequently knowingly submitted, or caused to be submitted, claims to the Uninsured Program for COVID-19 testing in instances when the cost of the COVID-19 testing had been (or would be) reimbursed by another source and/or the COVID-19 testing had been provided to persons who had health coverage on the relevant date of the service. The Complaint alleges that the Defendants’ fraudulent scheme drained limited funds appropriated by Congress to cover COVID-19 testing costs for uninsured persons. U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged, LabQ, CMT, Dart Medical, and their CEO, Moshe Landau, fraudulently took tens of millions of dollars from the Uninsured Program for the testing of individuals with health care coverage, and thereby depleted the funds that Congress authorized for the testing of uninsured individuals who truly needed the federal assistance. This Office will hold accountable those who divert federal funds designed to provide critical medical care to the uninsured population of this city and nation in order to line their own pockets.” HHS-OIG Assistant Special Agent in Charge Elysia Doherty said: “It is alleged in this case that the defendants knowingly sought reimbursements from federal funds available during the COVID-19 pandemic to which they were not entitled. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to seek resolutions and effect change to preserve the integrity of the federal health care system.” FBI Assistant Director in Charge James Smith said: “Moshe Landau, the CEO of various COVID-19 testing companies, allegedly defrauded a federal healthcare program by submitting illegitimate claims to receive unlawful reimbursements. Collecting tens of millions of dollars in reimbursements, Landau and his companies allegedly took advantage of a government initiative that provided support and assistance to healthcare providers during a global pandemic. The FBI is committed to ensuring that people like Landau are rightfully held accountable for their knowing attempts to deceive the government for personal gain, and for exploiting programs designed to serve vulnerable citizens.” The following allegations are based on the Complaint filed in Manhattan federal court on June 13, 2024: During the COVID-19 pandemic, LABQ provided COVID-19 testing for school districts and nursing homes, as well as to walk-up patients at numerous LABQ-branded vans and tents located on public streets in New York City. LABQ and DART MEDICAL received approximately $130 million from the Uninsured Program for COVID-19 Testing. In direct contravention of their promises and attestations to HRSA, however, the Defendants frequently submitted, or caused to be submitted, ineligible and fraudulent claims to the Uninsured Program for COVID-19 testing in instances when the cost of the COVID-19 testing had been (or would be) reimbursed by another source and/or the COVID-19 testing had been provided to persons who had health coverage on the relevant date of the service. More specifically, the Defendants engaged in the following schemes: LABQ, DART MEDICAL, and LANDAU double-billed the Uninsured Program and other health care programs and private institutions for the same COVID-19 testing; LABQ and CMT employees frequently told patients and customers, in sum and substance, that LABQ did not need insurance information and, in instances when LABQ possessed patient insurance information, LABQ, DART MEDICAL, and LANDAU often submitted claims (or caused claims to be submitted) to the Uninsured Program for those patients; and in clear violation of the Uninsured Program’s Terms and Conditions, LABQ, LANDAU, and DART MEDICAL, as a matter of policy, sought reimbursement (or caused others to seek reimbursement) from the Uninsured Program for COVID-19 tests provided to people with health care coverage in instances where LABQ, LANDAU, and DART MEDICAL believed that the patient’s insurer might deny LABQ or DART MEDICAL’s claim for reimbursement. As a result of the Defendants’ fraudulent conduct, the Uninsured Program paid tens of millions of dollars to LABQ and DART MEDICAL to which they were not entitled. Further, at LANDAU’s direction, LABQ, CMT, and DART MEDICAL disbursed a significant portion of these funds to LANDAU’s personal bank accounts. Through these practices, the Defendants improperly obtained tens of millions of dollars from the Uninsured Program in violation of both the False Claims Act and the common law. * * * The Government intervened, in part, in two whistleblower lawsuits before U.S. District Judge Lewis J. Liman that had previously been filed under seal pursuant to the False Claims Act. Mr. Williams thanked HHS-OIG, the FBI, HHS, and HRSA for their assistance with the case. The case is being handled by the Office’s Civil Frauds Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Zack Bannon, Lawrence H. Fogelman, Charles S. Jacob, and Danielle J. Marryshow are in charge of the case.


title: Edenton Man Sentenced to More Than 8 Years for Child Pornography

component: USAO - North Carolina, Eastern

body_text: RALEIGH, N.C. – An Edenton man was sentenced today to 102 months in prison followed by 120 months of supervised release for receiving child pornography after his devices were found to contain over 3,000 images of child pornography, including images and videos of infants, toddlers and very young children. The defendant was also ordered to pay $107,000 in restitution to 16 known victims. “The United States Attorney’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations have built a wonderful relationship with Chowan Sheriff’s Office and the Edenton Police Department which has allowed our community and citizens to feel safe in our bedroom community and for that I say thank you,” said Edenton Police Chief Henry King. According to court documents and other information presented in court, Matterson Xavier Rusyn, 61, was investigated by the Chowan County Sheriff’s Office after Microsoft reported one of its users uploaded an image of child pornography into a reverse Bing image search to find similar images. Microsoft made the report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children who forwarded the report to the Chowan County Sheriff’s Office who learned the IP address used to upload the images were connected to Rusyn. A search warrant was executed at Rusyn’s residence. Rusyn was present for the search warrant and admitted he was collecting child pornography images and videos. Multiple digital devices including cell phone, computers and hard drives were seized. Those devices were forensically analyzed and found to contain over 3,000 images of child pornography. Rusyn’s collection of images and videos included infants, toddlers, and very young children as well as images depicting sadistic and masochistic conduct. Michael Easley, U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after the sentencing was concluded. U.S. District Judge James C. Dever III presided over the sentencing. The Chowan County Sheriff’s Office and the Department of Homeland Security investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Charity Wilson 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. 2:23-CR-16-D. ###


title: Mescalero Woman Sentenced for Domestic Violence

body_text: ALBUQUERQUE – A Mescalero woman was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty in federal court to physically assaulting her partner and causing him substantial bodily injury. There is no parole in the federal system. According to publicly available court documents, on September 24, 2023, Prestina Lisa Kazhe , 44, an enrolled member of the Mescalero Apache Tribe, and John Doe got into an argument while watching a football game and drinking alcohol at their residence. During the argument, Kazhe struck John Doe multiple times on the head with a beer bottle, causing lacerations that required staples. When John Doe tried to flee, Kazhe hit him 9-10 more times with a metal pot, leaving him bleeding profusely. As a result of the assault, John Doe required multiple staples to close his wounds. After completing his term of imprisonment, Kazhe will be required to serve 3 years of supervised release. U.S. Attorney Alexander M.M. Uballez made the announcement today. The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant United States Attorney Joni Autrey Stahl is prosecuting the case. # # #


title: Oklahoma Man Sentenced to 25 Years for Possession of Nearly 5 Kilograms of Methamphetamine, 1,988 Fentanyl Pills, and Five Firearms

component: USAO - Arkansas, Western

body_text: HARRISON – A Lawton, Oklahoma man was sentenced yesterday to 300 months in the United States Bureau of Prisons on criminal charges related to his arrest near Harrison, Arkansas on August 3, 2023, for Possession of Methamphetamine and Fentanyl With Intent to Distribute. Thompson’s sentence was accompanied by $2,000 in fines and a five (5) year term of supervised release to follow his imprisonment. The Honorable Timothy L. Brooks presided over the sentencing hearing, which was held in the U.S. District Court in Fayetteville. According to court documents, Allen Ray Thompson , age 32, a native of Lawton, Oklahoma, was traffic stopped by the Arkansas State Police in rural Boone County, Arkansas near Harrison for failure to display a proper vehicle tag. During the traffic stop, a narcotics-detecting canine alerted on the vehicle, prompting a search which revealed 4,934.5 grams of methamphetamine, 1,988 fentanyl pills, and five firearms, one of which was stolen. Thompson, a previously convicted felon, was not permitted to possess a firearm. A later search of Thompson’s telephone text messages revealed that Thompson was delivering the controlled substances to customers in the Harrison area who had previously paid Thompson through an internet-based, peer-to-peer money transfer platform. U.S. Attorney Clay Fowlkes of the Western District of Arkansas made the announcement. The Federal Bureau of Investigation, State of Arkansas 14 th Judicial District Drug Task Force and Arkansas State Police conducted the investigation in the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brandon Carter 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 . Information regarding this case may be found at Related court documents may be found on the Public Access to Electronic Records website @ www.pacer.gov , WDAR Case No. 3:23 CR 30009-002.


title: Mexican National Charged With Illegal Reentry And Failure To Comply With Sex Offender Registration Requirements

component: USAO - Pennsylvania, Middle

body_text: HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Cosme Marin-Ponce, age 40, of Mexico, was indicted by a federal grand jury for illegal reentry into the United States by a previously deported alien and for failing to register as a sex offender. The case was unsealed following Marin-Ponce’s arrest. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, the indictment alleges that Marin-Ponce was previously removed from the United States on September 23, 2019, after pleading guilty to indecent assault of a person less than 13 years old. It is alleged that he was subsequently found in the United States without having first obtained legal permission to reenter the country. Marin-Ponce also failed to register as a sex offender, as his previous conviction required. This matter was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and the United States Marshals Service. Assistant United States Attorney Michael Scalera is prosecuting the case. The maximum penalty under federal law for this offense is 10 years of imprisonment, a term of supervised release following imprisonment, and a fine. A sentence following a finding of guilt is imposed by the Judge after consideration of the applicable federal sentencing statutes and the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. Indictments are only allegations. All persons charged are presumed to be innocent unless and until found guilty in court. # # #


title: York Man Sentenced To 13 Months In Prison For Pandemic Unemployment Fraud

body_text: HARRISBURG - The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Tanner Uffelman, age 29, of York, Pennsylvania, was sentenced on June 13, 2024, to time served (approximately 13 months’ imprisonment) by United States District Court Judge Jennifer P. Wilson for conspiracy to commit wire fraud. According to United States Attorney Gerard M. Karam, Uffelman was charged with submitting multiple false applications to states seeking unemployment compensation claiming that the unemployment was a result of the COVID19 pandemic. From 2020 to 2021, Uffelman submitted these false claims using identifications of numerous innocent victims. He and his conspirators submitted the false claims in Massachusetts, Maryland, North Carolina, and California. Uffelman pleaded guilty to the crime in January 2024, and admitted that the fraud scheme stole over $40,000 from the various states. At sentencing, Judge Wilson noted that at the time he was committing his federal offense, Uffelman was on supervision with York County authorities for unlawful contact or communication with a minor and corruption of minors arising from a 2018 conviction where he, as a 23-year-old man, had a corrupt relationship with a 14-year-old girl. The judge identified this as well as the over 13-months he spent in Dauphin County Prison as sufficient punishment for the federal crime he committed and imposed a time served sentence. Judge Wilson also ordered that Uffelman serve three years of supervised release with the United States Probation Office. The case was investigated by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Ford is prosecuting the case. On May 17, 2021, the Attorney General established the COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement Task Force to marshal the resources of the Department of Justice in partnership with agencies across government to enhance efforts to combat and prevent pandemic-related fraud. The Task Force bolsters efforts to investigate and prosecute the most culpable domestic and international criminal actors and assists agencies tasked with administering relief programs to prevent fraud by, among other methods, augmenting and incorporating existing coordination mechanisms, identifying resources and techniques to uncover fraudulent actors and their schemes, and sharing and harnessing information and insights gained from prior enforcement efforts. For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus. Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form . # # #


title: Houstonian admits to filing over $500,000 in fraudulent disaster relief loans

component: USAO - Texas, Southern

body_text: HOUSTON – A 26-year-old woman has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani. From March 2020 until June 2021, Khalia Douglas conspired with others to submit false and fraudulent applications to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Small Business Administration (SBA), the U.S. government and a bank for financial assistance. As part of her plea, Douglas admitting to using her Instagram account “GoGettaKaee” to post multiple stories advertising her involvement in filing fraudulent SBA COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan (EIDL) applications. Such posts include “SBA is back open. $350 for method. Yes im doing applications $100 upfront & $2k when your money hit. You’ll need a real bank account.” Douglas accepted payment for her services via CashApp where her clients would make payments to her and send a screenshot of the completed payment as proof. She also submitted false EIDL applications for herself and false Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) applications for another. Further investigation revealed Douglas filed eight FEMA disaster assistance applications related to Hurricane Laura. Additionally, Douglas committed several other fraudulent acts like filing false unemployment benefits in Kansas, using another person’s name to rent her apartment and using another person’s bank account to deposit counterfeit checks. Authorities discovered her phone and computer contained a multitude of various documents and discussions of fraud in text messages, emails relating to fraudulent applications, false tax documents, images of counterfeit government identification documents and more. Due to her actions, the EIDL, PPP and the bank lost a total of $351,007 with an attempted loss amount of $514,415. Douglas received approximately $23,775 for her services. U.S. District Judge Alfred H. Bennett has set sentencing for Sept. 26. At that time, Douglas faces up five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine. She was permitted to remain on bond pending sentencing. The Department of Homeland Security-Office of Inspector General conducted the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Rodolfo Ramirez is prosecuting the case.


title: Georgian Sentenced to Life Imprisonment for Armed Fentanyl Trafficking in Macon

component: Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA)

body_text: MACON, Ga. – A confirmed member of a local criminal street gang was sentenced to life in prison this week for his role in a prolific armed drug organization in Middle Georgia dealing kilograms of fentanyl and other deadly street drugs often mixed with the lethal synthetic opioid. Kenneth Emanuel Pertillo, Jr. aka “Fat Boy,” 40, of Gray, Georgia, and formerly of Macon, West Virginia and North Carolina, was sentenced to serve life in prison to be followed by ten years of supervised release by U.S. District Judge Ashley Royal on June 12. Pertillo was found guilty at trial on Oct. 2, 2023, of one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and cocaine base. His co-defendant at trial, Johnifer Dernard Barnwell, 37, of Macon, was found guilty of one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine and heroin; one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and cocaine base; and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime. Barnwell faces a maximum of life in prison and his sentencing date will be determined by the Court. There is no parole in the federal system. “This armed criminal organization was pushing large amounts of fentanyl and other lethal combinations of street drugs mixed with fentanyl into our neighborhoods, putting many people at risk of death and degrading the safety of all,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary. “Working alongside law enforcement at every level, our office will continue to leverage every available investigative and prosecutorial tool to reduce violent crime and keep communities safe.” “Gangs wreak havoc on local residents by engaging in violence and peddling dangerous drugs that devastate communities and families," said Senior Supervisory Special Agent Robert Gibbs of FBI Macon. "As this lengthy sentence demonstrates, the FBI and our partners will do whatever is necessary to dismantle violent criminal enterprises and keep our communities safe." According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, FBI began investigating a large-scale fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine distribution organization in Macon and the Central Georgia region in March 2020. Federal agents identified Pertillo and Barnwell as distributors and part of the MOB (Money Over Bitches) sect of the Mafia criminal street gang. To advance the investigation, agents conducted multiple controlled purchases from various defendants in the case and obtained orders authorizing wiretaps on five phones used by members of the organization, including Barnwell. Controlled purchases occurred at trap houses on Mimosa Drive and Culver Street, and at a local nightclub, among other locations. Illegal drugs being sold as “heroin” often tested as a fentanyl mix. On July 20, 2021, FBI executed search warrants at eleven Macon addresses identified as trap houses or distribution locations on Mimosa Drive, Culver Street, Forest Hill Road, Riverside Park Boulevard, Lucerne Drive, Shurling Drive and Kingsview Drive. Agents found approximately eight kilograms of fentanyl, methamphetamine, heroin, cocaine and cocaine base plus 20 firearms, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, large-capacity firearm magazines and more than $50,000 cash. At one location—an apartment identified as a drug “lab” at 3990 Riverside Park Blvd. where Barnwell and Pertillo would mix fentanyl and heroin in a kitchen blender before selling it—agents found approximately 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, nearly one kilogram of pure fentanyl, more than one kilogram of a pure fentanyl chemical analogue and more than two kilograms of blends containing fentanyl, heroin and fentanyl analogue mix. Agents also found nearly half a kilogram of pure heroin, more than 280 grams of cocaine base, 80 grams of cocaine and 64 grams of ketamine. Agents seized several firearms, a fully loaded AR14 drum magazine, ammunition and $5,778 cash at that location. In all, the organization is responsible for distributing or possessing with the intent to distribute more than three kilograms of fentanyl or fentanyl analogue, 2.5 kilograms of methamphetamine, nearly two kilograms of heroin and significant quantities of cocaine base and cocaine. The following co-defendants have been sentenced: Troy Truelle Williams, Sr., aka “Ty, 55, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 300 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release on March 13, after he previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl and heroin; De’Kerio Ja’mel Coleman aka “Dee,” 36, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 220 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on Feb. 13, after he previously pleaded guilty to distribution of fentanyl; Christopher Leon Coleman aka “Slim,” 41, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 188 months in prison to be followed by five years of supervised release on Feb. 13, after he previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine; Gregory Bernard Jolly aka “Stank,” 38, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 188 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on May 15, after he previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine; Joshua Antoine Green aka “J” or “Jay,” 33, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 160 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on Jan. 24, after he previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine; Romello Campbell, 22, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 120 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on May 9, 2023, after he previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine; Diamond Monique Thomas, 28, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 96 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on July 11, 2023, after she previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine; Jameliha Shalonda Coleman aka “Juicy,” 27, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 90 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on June 9, 2023, after she previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine; Recardo Keon Ray aka “Keon,” 39, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 70 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on Feb. 13, after he previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl, heroin and methamphetamine; Johnnie B. Lowe, 68, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 63 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on March 13, after he previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl; Michael Clifford White, 41, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 63 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on March 13, after he previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl; Tiara Thomas aka “Red,” 23, of Macon, was sentenced to serve 60 months in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release on Jan. 24, after she previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances, including fentanyl; and Rochelle Oliver aka “Chelle,” 40, of Macon, was sentenced to three years of probation on Feb. 13, after she previously pleaded guilty to conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute controlled substances. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF . The case was investigated by the FBI, with assistance from numerous agencies who participated in executing search warrants and conducting arrests, including the DEA, the GBI, the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, the Butts County Sheriff’s Office, the Bleckley County Sheriff’s Office, the Houston County Sheriff’s Office, the Georgia Department of Corrections, the Perry Police Department and the Athens-Clarke County Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney Joy Odom is prosecuting the case for the Government.


title: Charlottesville Bodybuilding Coach Pleads Guilty to Child Exploitation

component: USAO - Virginia, Western

body_text: CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. – A Charlottesville-based virtual bodybuilding coach, who sexually exploited at least six minors over the course of three years, pled guilty today to federal child exploitation and child pornography charges. Elliott Atwell, 34, pled guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of a minor and one count of possession of, and access with the intent to view, child pornography. At sentencing, Atwell faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison and a possible maximum penalty of 30 years. According to court documents, between December 2013 and April 2020, Atwell manipulated at least six minors to record themselves engaging in sexually explicit conduct and then send those recordings to him. In efforts to gain the victims’ trust and willingness to participate, Atwell sent them gifts, including a digital camera, sex toys, Viagra, lubricant and other items. Atwell then gave detailed instructions on what sexual activities he wanted performed and captured on video. In addition, the FBI searched Atwell’s iCloud account, which contained over 300 images and video files depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, including images of prepubescent boys engaged in sex acts. The FBI remains committed to identifying and pursuing potential additional victims of Atwell’s conduct. If you have information that may be helpful, please contact the FBI tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (1-800-225-5324) or reach out online at https://tips.fbi.gov/home . The Federal Bureau of Investigation is investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Melanie Smith and Trial Attorney Jessica Urban of the Department of Justice’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section are prosecuting the case. This case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc .


title: Chicago Man Sentenced to Prison for Interstate Cocaine Trafficking

body_text: PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A resident of Chicago, Illinois, was sentenced in federal court on June 11, 2024, to 46 months of incarceration, to be followed by three years of supervised release, on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced today. United States District Judge Christy Criswell Wiegand imposed the sentence on Anthony Cook, 55. According to information presented to the Court, Cook supplied over five kilograms of cocaine to two cocaine distributors based in the Western District of Pennsylvania after personally transporting the drugs from Chicago. Assistant United States Attorney Jonathan D. Lusty prosecuted this case on behalf of the government. United States Attorney Olshan commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Pennsylvania State Police, and Perryopolis Police Department for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Cook. 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: Jacksonville Man With Domestic Violence And Felony  Convictions Indicted For Illegally Trying To Buy A Firearm

component: USAO - Florida, Middle

body_text: Jacksonville, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announces the return of an indictment charging Jose Dominguez (50, Jacksonville) with making a false statement to a federally licensed firearms dealer during the attempted purchase of a firearm. If convicted, Dominguez faces a maximum penalty of five years in federal prison. According to the indictment, Dominguez completed an ATF Form 4473 during the attempted purchase of a firearm from a federally licensed firearms dealer. Dominguez indicated on the required paperwork that he had not been convicted of a misdemeanor crime of domestic violence and that he had not been convicted of a crime punishable by more than one year of imprisonment. According to court records, Dominguez was previously convicted of misdemeanor domestic battery in Duval County and three crimes punishable by more than one year of imprisonment in Miami-Dade County, including grand theft and two drug offenses. An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed one or more violations of federal criminal law, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty. This case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Elisibeth Adams. This is another case uncovered through the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). All NICS denials are reported to federal law enforcement and are reviewed daily for potential criminal prosecution. Federal law makes it a felony offense to make a false statement to a firearms dealer when trying to buy a gun. This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.


title: Registered sex offender indicted for possessing images of child sexual abuse

body_text: Seattle – A 52-year-old Des Moines, Washington, man, who is a registered sex offender, was indicted by a grand jury this week for possession of images of child sexual abuse, announced U.S. Attorney Tessa M. Gorman. Edward James Creed, was on Washington State Department of Corrections supervision when he was found to have unapproved electronic devices in his residence and images of child sexual abuse on his phone. Because of his prior conviction, Creed faces a mandatory minimum ten-year sentence if convicted. He will be arraigned on the charge next week. According to records filed in the case, Creed previously served nearly ten years in state custody for a 2008 Kitsap County conviction for rape of a child. He was released in 2017 but was returned to custody for a time in 2019. In March of 2024, a community corrections review of his phone revealed that he had collected images of child sexual abuse. After his arrest, a search of his room at the sex offender residence revealed that he had a number of unapproved electronic devices. Those devices are still being forensically analyzed. The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations. A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. The case is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the Washington State Department of Corrections. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Cecelia Gregson.


title: New Jersey Woman Indicted for Using Fraudulent Passport Card

component: USAO - Massachusetts

body_text: BOSTON – A New Jersey was indicted today in federal court in Worcester for allegedly using a fraudulent passport card at a Shrewsbury credit union while attempting to withdraw money from a customer’s account. Elizabeth Clemente, 42, was indicted on one count each of forgery or false use of a passport and aggravated identity theft. Clemente was arraigned in federal court in Worcester earlier today. Clemente was charged by criminal complaint in January 2024. It is alleged that on Nov. 7, 2023, Police responded to a credit union in Shrewsbury where employees reported that Clemente allegedly attempted to withdraw money by impersonating a real credit union account holder, “Person #1.” While speaking with law enforcement, Clemente allegedly first identified herself “Heather.” When pressed for further identification information, Clemente allegedly provided the name of “Person #1”, however it is alleged that Clemente could not remember her date of birth or address. When further questioned, Clemente allegedly handed law enforcement a fraudulent U.S. Passport Card. The passport card bore Person #1’s name and actual date of birth, but contained Clemente’s photograph. The charge of forgery or false use of a passport provides for a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, up to three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. The charge of aggravated identity theft provides for a mandatory 2-year prison term to be served consecutively, up to one year of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case. Acting United States Attorney Joshua S. Levy; Matthew O’Brien, Special Agent in Charge of U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, Boston Field Office; and Shrewsbury Police Chief Kevin Anderson made the announcement today. Assistant United States Attorney Danial E. Bennett of the Worcester Branch Office is prosecuting the case. The details contained in the indictment are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.


title: San Jose Restaurant Owner Sentenced To Two-And-A-Half Years In Prison In Multi-Million-Dollar Covid-19 Fraud Scheme

component: USAO - California, Northern

body_text: SAN FRANCISCO – A San Jose restauranteur who fraudulently obtained and misused millions of dollars in COVID-19 relief funds has been sentenced to 30 months in prison, announced United States Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey; Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp; and Small Business Administration (SBA) Office of Inspector General (OIG) Special Agent in Charge Weston King of the Western Region. The sentence was handed down by the Hon. Charles R. Breyer, Senior United States District Judge. David Tai Leung, 58, of Sacramento, pleaded guilty in February 2024 to three counts of wire fraud, in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1343, in connection with fraudulently obtained loans he received from the Restaurant Revitalization Fund (RRF) and the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). He was originally indicted on those charges in August 2022. According to his plea agreement, Leung—who co-owned and controlled the finances of a San Jose restaurant—submitted an application in May 2021 for $5 million in RRF funds that he certified he would use for approved business-related expenses like payroll, business rent or mortgage costs, and business maintenance expenses and utilities. However, Leung admitted he knew when he made these certifications that, in fact, he intended to use the RRF funds for purposes other than those he had indicated on the application. In reliance on the statements and certifications in Leung’s application, the SBA granted the application and funded the loan in full in June 2021. Leung admitted he then transferred $3.5 million to a personal investment account he controlled and used RRF funds to purchase securities and pay fees associated with the refinancing of the mortgage on his personal residence in Sacramento, all in violation of RRF program requirements restricting the use of RRF funds to specified eligible business-related uses. In his plea agreement, Leung also admitted that he had previously applied for and received two PPP loans that he had misused to enrich himself—one for $257,100 that was funded in April 2020 and a second for $360,055 that was funded in March 2021. Rather than use those funds for approved business-related expenses, Leung admitted he used the money to enrich himself, including by making payments to a Lexus dealership and spending money at a casino in Northern California. Ultimately, Leung admitted he received approximately $5.6 million in RRF and PPP funds and that he unlawfully used $3,359,701.28 of those funds. Leung agreed, and was ordered, to pay that amount in restitution. The PPP was administered by the SBA as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act, a federal law enacted in 2020 to provide billions of dollars in emergency financial assistance to millions of Americans suffering from the economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. The RRF was administered by the SBA as part of the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), a federal law enacted in 2021 to provide funding and support to restaurants, bars, and similar businesses serving food and drink that suffered revenue losses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and related mitigation measures. The PPP and RRF provided forgivable loans and grants to small businesses for job retention and certain other qualified business expenses. In addition to sentencing Leung to prison and ordering him to pay more than $3.3 million in restitution, Judge Breyer ordered the defendant to serve three years of supervised release to begin after his prison term is completed. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ivana Djak and Alethea Sargent are prosecuting the case. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI and SBA OIG.